SmileyI was talking to a young Local SEO type, a kid in his mid-30s, who was lamenting that his new gig at some dysfunctional digital marketing company sucked and he didn’t want to stick around but he, and most notably, his wife, were scared at the prospect of leaving a job so soon and what would interviewers think of that, etc.

My response was basically “If you are unhappy in your job and you don’t want to try to improve the situation, then why spend any more time than you have to there? There’s a huge shortage in skilled people who actually like doing digital marketing and most employers would be glad to have you as long as you’re not a founder of ISIS.”

Sometimes when our business has a minor setback my mind wanders to pessimistic scenarios. But it doesn’t take long to remember that the combination of Local + SEO is the Peanut Butter + Chocolate of professions. We are in a constantly evolving and expanding industry and for those who choose to evolve along with it, there will be a lot of opportunity.

That same day I had a great call with a tool vendor and was asking him how he felt about some snark a competitor had been throwing his way.  “I said to the guy ‘Why do you want to lead with that?” he told me, “Don’t you want your message to be about how great you are? We are in an expanding market with more than enough business for everyone. Part of our jobs should be to help each other grow the market even more.”

While this blog does not support collusion, we do support the optimism baked into that statement. We are all lucky to be in this business. Have a nice day 🙂

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13 Response Comments

  • Tim Colling  August 17, 2016 at 9:05 am

    Well said!

    There is a terrific opportunity to earn a living and, perhaps, even to grow a company, by working in the SEO field and the overall online marketing field in general.

    Thanks for reminding everyone of this.

  • Gerry A Foster  August 17, 2016 at 10:53 am

    This is a good reminder Andrew! I hope the guy figures it out before he implodes into a ball of negativity, pessimism and a crisis of confidence.

    I like that last statement about working together to build the industry up. It’s the TAGFEE thing to do and all that.

    Good for you for talking to people. I bet that person really appreciated the time and advice you gave them.

    • Andrew Shotland  August 18, 2016 at 9:41 am

      Thanks Gerry. Our version of TAGFEE is called APESHIT…

  • Joy Hawkins  August 17, 2016 at 1:40 pm

    This made my day.

  • Steven Dale  August 18, 2016 at 9:27 am

    Kids theses days! Perhaps the issue was him and not the opportunity. One short stint is not a resume problem. But if he has several, then I must conclude it’s him.

    • Andrew Shotland  August 18, 2016 at 9:43 am

      Regardless of the situation Steven, the issue is always the battle within ourselves. Gunga Galunga…

  • Garrett Sussman  August 18, 2016 at 9:54 am

    Great post Andrew. I’m very excited to see how Local SEO evolves over the next couple of years, and how more industries are finally making the changes to adapt.

  • Michael S. Doran  August 18, 2016 at 10:27 am

    I couldn’t agree more Andrew! One thing I love about this industry is that so many people are willing to help each other out. There is plenty of business for everyone and we can all succeed by helping our clients succeed. I don’t see others so much as competitors, but rather peers. Let’s all kick ass and win!

  • Jim Froling  August 18, 2016 at 5:10 pm

    The camaraderie in this business is indeed awesome. Couple weeks ago I had a challenging sitch with a client who is re-branding. Went to Local Search Forum (love you Linda!) and received great advice and guidance almost immediately including Joy Hawkins (love you too Joy!).

    That wasn’t the first time, nor do I expect it to be the last. I truly feel blessed to receive the help of folks like Joy and Linda, and even you too Andrew. And I find it very gratifying to help others over some hurdles.

    So I have that going for me, which is nice. Gunga Gulunga.

  • James  August 18, 2016 at 5:30 pm

    Great post Andrew! I’ve let momentum carry my own life at times, the last six months have really been an eye opener, seeing just how welcoming and big the community is, and how much need there is for knowledgeable people to stand up and help out. As another 30’s ‘kid’ with a partner and a child, it’s such a relief to know there’s enough to go around, you just have to get out there a bit.

    • Andrew Shotland  August 18, 2016 at 5:35 pm

      It’s all about making the pie bigger James…

  • Ray Litvak  August 19, 2016 at 7:58 am

    IMHO, there has never been a better time for those providing SEO Services to focus on the ‘Local SEO’ market. I might even go so far as to say ‘Hyper Local SEO Services’. I see so much opportunity and growth in this field that I am in the process of transitioning/repositioning my ‘Web Content Development’ company into more of a ‘Local SEO Services’ offering. Naturally, quality content plays a role in any successful SEO campaign, but I do anticipate a slight downturn in business while the transition takes place.
    Loving this forum!
    Best to all,
    -Ray