That was the opening line in a presentation I had to give in maths class in high school.
Don’t ask me why we were giving presos in maths. It was just one of those things.
I was recovering from having my wisdom teeth extracted and thought I’d be exempt from presenting.
Nope. Teach was determined to make me present, even if I was the last one to do so.
So why the abacus?
Because the theme was ‘numbers’ and someone started with the abacus. It seemed easy enough to talk about.
So when at the last minute, I had to give my presentation (unprepared), I figured, how hard could it be to explain the abacus?
And away I went.
Using gestures, and drawing on the board and using my fantastic oral presentation skills to teach my peeps a thing or two about the abacus.
At the end of it, I was quizzed about the abacus. I had to explain how to run a few calculations. This was part of the assessment and counted towards my overall grade.
I took care of that and sat down, chuffed with my effort and glad it was over.
I got my grade soon after.
It was a low pass.
But I got told I got bonus points for effort.
Was it because I had to present with swollen gums and under the influence of pain killers?
Nah.
It was because I was so very wrong with my calculations but so very convincing.
In fact, I was so confident that my calculations were correct, that the teacher almost believed me.
This was my Billy Madison moment.
Remember the movie? and the end scene where Billy explains the Industrial Revolution in a few different ways, with everyone nodding in agreement?
Yeah… my teacher might as well have come out telling me that
“Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to you”.
?
BUT HERE’S THE THING.
I spoke on a topic I knew nothing about.
I was not an expert but my confidence gave me authority and trust.
The teacher even said I was very convincing and would have believed me if she didn’t know better.
So what’s this got to do with SEO?
Everything.
Because people have to TRUST you.
TRUST that you know what you’re talking about, at all times.
Become the go-to for whatever it is you’re an expert on.
People will never question you and your knowledge.
Because you gave them no reason to.
How do you do this?
Something as simple as having better quality photos than anyone else can have the same impact.
And when writing about things, look to deliver something over and beyond what anyone else is doing.
Even if you’re in a niche where everyone is talking about the same things, find a way to one up everyone else.
Use better images.
Write more clearly.
Make it easier to understand.
Find different ways to promote your content.
Running an online store? Make sure the buying process is like a hot knife through butter.
MAKE LIFE EASY FOR PEOPLE.
This is what I tell people when they’re struggling to stand out – and I find that it’s because they’re no better than everyone else.
In Dubai, real estate regulations can be confusing so I drew on my own experience when writing content for the Property Finder blog.
I made sure the content was super clear, free from ambiguity and most importantly: accurate and up to date.
In a place where the law *could* easily change overnight, it’s so important to have information that is current and correct.
So if your website has information that is:
– out of date
– incorrect
– boring as bat guano
TIME TO GIVE IT AN UPPERCUT.
PS: If you’re wondering, I still don’t know anything about the abacus!
