6 SEO Lessons I Learned by Binge-Watching “Game of Thrones”
Probably, unlike most people who’re reading this right now, I didn’t spend a decade waiting to watch another epic episode of “Game of Thrones” every Sunday. Instead, I managed to watch all 8 seasons in just two months. And honestly, that was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done.
Not only did I find the series very entertaining, but also educational. How could a fantasy show about the battle between seven kingdoms teach me anything about SEO?! At first, I couldn’t believe it too. However, after thoroughly analyzing every episode (like a truly devoted fan), I came across lots of data that correlated with the most useful growth hacking techniques.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to rewatch the show again to get to know what I found out. I’ll only take a few minutes of your time to teach you everything I learned after endless hours binge-watching “GOT.”
P.S. Spoiler alert!
You Have to Play Your Game Skillfully to Sit on the Throne
I don’t know about you, but I was shocked by what happened to beloved Ned Stark in the first season. He was a wise man and always had good intentions. So why did he fail to play the Game of Thrones? Ned didn’t learn how to manipulate people and was naive enough to believe everyone around was as honest as him.
The same in business, even if your product or service is fantastic, but you don’t understand the market, you’re dead. You have to continually monitor the trends and keep an eye on your competitors.
Here are six lessons that will show you how to stay in the game and rank high.
You Should Always Be Prepared to Face Death
Remember the Red Wedding? I don’t think it’s possible to forget what fate had for so many main characters. It was just as unexpected as watching Arya kill the Frey family later on (thanks, girl.)
In our world, the world of SEO, we can see our competitors as the Freys. The reality is that you can never know who’s going to come up with some freshly squeezed content and throw you back to the second page of search results (or worse…) That’s why you should always think strategically and try to be ahead of others.
You cannot stop new websites and content from appearing on Google. This is war, and you have to make sure you’re not the one who’s going to die in it.
Don’t Compete with a Dragon
Let’s go back to the times when Jamie Lannister tried to kill Daenerys’ dragon with a simple spear. Really? Dude, have you seen the size of that dragon?
My point is that it’s foolish to set unrealistic goals. Of course, any smaller company would love to take the place of their giant competitor and win the first position on high-volume keywords on the SERP. Is it a good strategy, though? I don’t think so.
Instead of reaching for the stars immediately, simply try expanding your keyword portfolio with lower search volume keywords. And when the time is right, you might also become the biggest dragon in your industry. Perseverance is the key.
Only Influence Will Rank You as High as the King
How did a bastard named John Snow become “The King of The North?” He never even wanted it, but people trusted him and chose him.
And what about Daenerys? Her army followed her across the narrow sea with dragons by her side. Her followers believed in her so deeply, they fought against the Night King to save people they had never known (but we all know what Drogon did in the last season.)
Thus, if you want to rank high, you have to have influence. Let your content be seen. Gather backlinks and build trust in the eyes of Google. Be consistent, and always remember that it takes time to earn influence.
You Can’t Rely Only on Links
We all noticed how exceptional Lord Baelish was in making connections, building links, and using them whenever it suited him. He knew everything and everyone and yet still ended up getting his throat cut.
If you want to thrive, being able to build relationships isn’t enough. You should also have good intentions (which Little Finger definitely lacked). Having poor content with a lot of backlinks won’t do you any good. Quality content is one of the main aspects of SEO. If you miss out on that, your competitors won’t lose a chance to use it against you.
Do not forget that in the long run quality always wins over quantity.
Adapt Quickly
Would Daenerys Targaryen’s conquest of foreign cities have been successful if she had not known all the ins and outs of their structure? Would John Snow have survived in the Night’s Watch or among the wildlings without changing his perspectives? I highly doubt that.
If you have different websites, it’s unlikely that applying the same techniques to all of them will work. Do your research, observe, analyze your advantages, and only then take the plunge.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Don’t be afraid to experiment with new techniques, take risks, face challenges, and like Samwell Tarly never stop learning. It will all pay you back in the long run.
Acknowledge the Higher Power
How many times did we hear the Game of Thrones characters worshipping the Old and the New Gods and the Lord of Light? Too many, I’d say. It doesn’t really matter to whom they pray, what matters is that they acknowledge something above them.
In our case, that higher power is Google. It sets its rules, and if you try to break them, you’ll be punished. Using Black Hat SEO techniques might bring you a lot of traffic, but it will let you down one day or another.
Instead of trying to find loopholes, you should understand the bigger picture and do your best to have qualified leads and rank high.
Bottom Line
The war for the throne (aka top SERP ranking) is fierce, and you have to play strategically to climb it. Know your market, try new approaches, acknowledge the power of Google, and don’t underestimate your competitors. You never know who’s going to sick their dragons on you, so be prepared to fight.
Game of Thrones may now be over, but the Game of SEO will never end.
