{"id":5615,"date":"2022-08-18T10:24:19","date_gmt":"2022-08-18T10:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/"},"modified":"2022-08-18T10:24:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T10:24:19","slug":"perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfectionism in SEO: A route to self-destruction"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At the start of my SEO career, I wanted to do many things perfectly. I wanted to be that person who:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Was in the office from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Went through the day super energized, motivated, tenacious and with a huge drive from their daily successes.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Highly impressed her bosses and teammates.<\/li>\n<li>Was constantly promoted.<\/li>\n<li>Delivered great work under ridiculously tight deadlines yet still managed never to miss appointments, conferences, talks and presentations, and dinners with friends.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I did try. But soon after, I suffered severe burnout \u2013 and I wasn\u2019t even 30!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not alone in this experience. Perfectionism is a pervasive challenge across many industries.<\/p>\n<p>Out of 464 SEO professionals, 30.2% consider themselves to be perfectionists, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Maria_Amelie\/status\/1555507342611025920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Twitter poll<\/a> I recently ran.<\/p>\n<p>Perfectionist expectations can hold us back in our careers. Thirty percent of employees are considering leaving their workplace because of it, based on <a href=\"https:\/\/thehardingroup.co\/perfectionism-research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Hardin Group research<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This article will uncover why we need to talk about perfectionism and how SEO professionals can overcome unhealthy perfectionistic tendencies.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/#Perfectionism_in_the_workplace\" >Perfectionism in the workplace<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/#The_roots_of_perfectionism\" >The roots of perfectionism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/#Why_do_we_become_perfectionists\" >Why do we become perfectionists?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/#1_Healthy_channeling\" >1. Healthy channeling<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/#2_Self-compassion\" >2. Self-compassion<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/#3_Rest_and_self-awareness\" >3. Rest and self-awareness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/08\/18\/perfectionism-in-seo-a-route-to-self-destruction\/#4_Forgiveness_and_letting_go\" >4. Forgiveness and letting go<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Perfectionism_in_the_workplace\"><\/span>Perfectionism in the workplace<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Regardless of industry, young professionals tend to admire people who seem to have a \u201cperfect\u201d lifestyle and put them on a pedestal. We see them as the epitome of success and grant them the illustrious and glamourized title of \u201cperfectionist.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The thought of finding issues on these characters to make them more relatable to our deprecated lives might just seem deeply ungracious.<\/p>\n<p>We ask ourselves, \u201cIn this unstable and unenthusiastic world, what is the point of complaining about an overzealous pursuit of perfection? Besides, all I want is to be inspirational, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What could possibly be so flawed about striving for perfection in what for our internal demons is a mundane SEO task?<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not criticizing the efforts of those who aim to be perfectionists. In the SEO community, we are in the fortunate position of being the recipients of their amazing work.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The concern here is the untold \u2013 and therefore unknown \u2013 effects of perfectionism on our souls and mental health.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_roots_of_perfectionism\"><\/span>The roots of perfectionism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"355\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/perfectionism-in-seo-joseph-mclean-800x355.png\" alt=\"Twitter reply by Joseph Mclean.\" class=\"wp-image-387256\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>It is within our human nature to find attractive and glamorous what seems unreachable and, in some cases, unavailable.<\/p>\n<p>In order to value something, it has to cost <strong>us<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>What is free and accessible tends to be neglected and considered cheap (even if we know it is something of great quality or the best we can have).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Perfectionism does not come from the love of seeing things always neat and making no errors. Its origins are far darker.<\/p>\n<p>It is triggered by recollections of disapproval and emotional neglect by our parents or maternal\/paternal figures we grew up with.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Emotional neglect leads us to develop self-comparison, idealization, toxic competitiveness and the ability to learn to know ourselves on the inside and accept everyone else just for their highly edited outside.<\/p>\n<p>Perfectionism did not happen as soon as we started working in SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps, it has always been within us and manifested dramatically at the start of our careers.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_do_we_become_perfectionists\"><\/span>Why do we become perfectionists?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cFor a perfectionist, the drive to an impossible, sky high standards and goals can only be an eternal self-defeat, leading to loneliness and depression.\u201d <\/p>\n<p><cite>The Perfectionist Script for Self Defeat, David D. Burns, Psychology Today<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"468\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/perfectionism-in-seo-edd-dawson-800x468.png\" alt=\"Twitter reply by Edd Dawson.\" class=\"wp-image-387258\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>We evolve into perfectionists when we try to beat an image we have built about ourselves: <\/p>\n<p>Unworthy, a nuisance, someone who fails to meet expectations, ugly, someone once being told by a parent or figure of authority \u201cyou could do better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The inner feeling of inadequacy becomes so strong and appalling in our minds that we are ready to do <strong>whatever it takes<\/strong> to be validated and be a lot more than good enough.<\/p>\n<p>Good enough? That is mediocre. <\/p>\n<p>A perfectionist wants to \u201cbe the best\u201d at everything in every angle of their life. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLove me, like me, accept me, follow me\u201d are subconsciously manifested daily in their actions.<\/p>\n<p>The fact is that a perfectionist is not interested in producing flawless work. Rather, they only attempt to escape the belief that they are horrible individuals. <\/p>\n<p>Work and social media are merely how they seek to become more acceptable in our eyes.<\/p>\n<p>However, as the underlying issue of being a perfectionist didn\u2019t start with work, then it cannot be the solution.<\/p>\n<p>A perfectionist\u2019s true motivation is not to achieve career success, but to feel like a worthwhile human being.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Being accepted, valued and praised is not our employers\u2019 or the SEO community\u2019s responsibility.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Once having given the best of our work with our perfectionism, the community will expect more, simply because people enjoy great content (this is only natural, with no sinister intent).<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\">\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing&#8230;Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\" type=\"submit\" name=\"submit_button\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"415\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/perfectionism-in-seo-ryan-jones-800x415.png\" alt=\"Twitter reply from Ryan Jones.\" class=\"wp-image-387259\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Here are four tips to help overcome perfectionism.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Healthy_channeling\"><\/span>1. Healthy channeling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We must identify what drives or triggers us to be perfect \u2013 and then try to channel that healthily.<\/p>\n<p>It is equally significant to change the mindset that makes us work intensely under the impression that we are unworthy human beings if we don\u2019t do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Working harder is neither the answer nor the cure when we feel worthless or dreadful.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to be kind to ourselves and understand that we\u2019re worthy of being accepted. It is never our fault if, for whatever reason, we are not.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Self-compassion\"><\/span>2. Self-compassion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Open a picture of yourself as a child. Look into that little face and ask: \u201cIs it too much to ask to believe in yourself every time you send a report, apply for a job, or send a pitch to speak at a conference?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What would your answer be?<\/p>\n<p>Working well and being ambitious are admirable goals. However, it becomes a sign of mental turmoil when it\u2019s used to hide a desire to make up for lack of early affection.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Rest_and_self-awareness\"><\/span>3. Rest and self-awareness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We should book the calendar periods to do nothing but be with ourselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is a way to be kind to ourselves and allow all those feelings of anger to come out, <strong>acknowledge them<\/strong>, let them be and move on.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Forgiveness_and_letting_go\"><\/span>4. Forgiveness and letting go<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Remember that in most cases, those who emotionally neglected us as children don\u2019t mean they didn\u2019t love us. Maybe they didn\u2019t know how to say it.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Those who, in the name of \u201cwanting the best for us,\u201d made us always feel inadequate were probably living their lives through us and may have genuinely wanted the best for us.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/perfectionism-in-seo-daniel-cheung-800x281.png\" alt=\"Twitter reply from Daniel K Cheung.\" class=\"wp-image-387260\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>It is essential to learn to develop self-awareness, take responsibility, and let go.<\/p>\n<p>The moment we start working on letting go, we start healing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When we start healing, we start caring more about ourselves and less about impressing or pleasing others. In ghastly words, when we heal, we master the art of not giving a f*ck.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"382\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/08\/perfectionism-in-seo-selena-vidya-800x382.png\" alt=\"Twitter reply from Selena Vidya.\" class=\"wp-image-387261\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Dig deeper:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/pubs\/journals\/releases\/bul-bul0000138.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Perfectionism Is Increasing Over Time: A Meta-Analysis of Birth Cohort Differences From 1989 to 2016<\/a> \u2013 Curran, T., &amp; Hill, A. P. (2019)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/apps.who.int\/iris\/bitstream\/handle\/10665\/254610\/WHO-MSD-MER-2017.2-eng.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates<\/a> \u2013 World Health Organization (2017)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/perfectionism-seo-387255\" target=\"_blank\">Perfectionism in SEO: A route to self-destruction<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the start of my SEO career, I wanted to do many things perfectly. I wanted to be that person who: Was in the office from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.\u00a0 Went through the day super energized, motivated, tenacious and with a huge drive from their daily successes.\u00a0 Highly impressed her bosses and teammates. Was constantly promoted. Delivered great work under ridiculously tight deadlines yet still managed never to miss appointments, conferences, talks and presentations, and dinners with friends. I did try. But soon after, I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5615\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}