I know what you might be thinking. How could a non-SEO book make me a better SEO.
Being a good SEO, whether you are working on SEO for your own business, as a freelancer helping others, or part of a team, is not just about understanding when to use a canonical tag or if you should noindex a page or not.
There are a lot of skills and habits that can make you a better SEO that are not specific to SEO.
These are some of my favorite non-SEO books that I have shaped my business and work habits. These are in no particular order. One of them I read over 25 years ago (and have reread probably 7-8 times since). Another one I read just this year.
Let’s start with one that has really shaped how I manage my time and getting things done.
1. Organize Tomorrow, Today: 8 Ways to Retrain Your Mind to Optimize Performance at Work and in Life
This is a self-help book aimed at improving productivity, focus, and overall success by Jason Selk, Tom Bartow, and Matthew Rudy. If you are a sports fan, you will likely enjoy a lot of the stories used throughout this book. One of the authors (I forget which off the top of my head) spent a lot of time with John Wooden, so there are a lot of stories from him, but also from a lot of other athletes they have worked with.
The first of the 8 methods / skills they share is all about prioritization and is what the book’s name comes from.
They argue that the key to success has become prioritization. Prioritization may very well be the most underrated skill of the highly successful.
It’s not about having a long to-do list and getting everything done. It’s about getting the most important things done each day.
Highly successful people never get it all done in any one given day—but they always get the most important things done each day.
They also discuss in detail the benefits of planning your most important tasks the day before. If you wait until the morning of, you are already behind.
To set yourself on the right track, ask yourself those two critical questions: (1) What are the three most important things I need to get done tomorrow? and (2) What is the single most important task I must get done?
Obviously, many times when working on SEO projects, whether for our own business or working for clients, there can be a lot to focus on each day, but by narrowing your focus to the most important things you can see the greatest results.
2. The Art and Business of Online Writing
This is a popular resource for writers and content creators looking to establish a successful presence online by Nicolas Cole. The book covers both the creative and business sides of online writing, offering insights into creating engaging content, building an audience, and monetizing one’s writing.
While this book is largely geared towards writers and aspiring writers, if you are a freelancer who is looking to establish a presence online and get noticed, I would highly recommend picking this one up.
And even if you are not, you can get a lot of great ideas out of this about structuring content and keeping readers engaged.
From my notes, here are a few ways reading this book can benefit SEO professionals:
- Focus on User Intent: The book teaches how to write content that serves the audience’s needs, which aligns closely with optimizing content for search intent in SEO.
- Evergreen Content: Cole’s emphasis on creating timeless content helps in crafting pieces that continue to bring in traffic, making it easier to rank for keywords with consistent search demand.
- Content Promotion: Understanding the dynamics of different platforms and how to engage readers can aid in promoting content effectively, driving traffic, and potentially generating backlinks.
- Data-Driven Writing: Though not heavy on technical SEO, the book’s perspective on using feedback and analytics can help SEOs adapt their content strategies based on performance data.
Overall, Nicolas’ insights on writing and audience-building can complement the more technical SEO skills you may possess, making it easier to create content that ranks well and resonates with readers.
3. The Go-Giver
The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea is a popular business and personal development book by Bob Burg and John David Mann. It’s written as a parable and tells the story of a young, ambitious salesman named Joe, who learns the importance of shifting his focus from getting to giving. The book’s core message is that putting others’ interests first and adding value to their lives can lead to greater success in business and life.
Rather than focusing on the traditional mindset of “getting ahead” the core concept of this book is about focusing on what you can give instead.
The Law of Value, as shared in the book, can greatly align with the idea of creating high-quality, valuable content that serves users’ needs.
There aren’t too many books that have had a bigger impact on me than this one. I’ve built pretty much my entire lead generation system around it. It’s why you are here right now reading this.
I cannot recommend this one enough.
The success of the book spawned three other books:
- The Go-Giver Seller
- The Go-Giver Leader
- The Go-Giver Influencer
They are all good books, but none of them captured my attention the same way that first book did.
4. The One Minute Manager
The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson is a classic business book that offers simple, effective principles for managing and leading others. The book is written in a story format, focusing on a young man seeking effective management techniques, and it introduces the concept of “One Minute Management,” which is centered around three core practices: One Minute Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands.
This is the one I mentioned that I first read over 25 years ago, before I was even doing SEO. I have found it especially useful when working with teams as a consultant.
Here’s a breakdown of these principles and why they might be valuable, especially for managers or leaders looking to improve productivity and team engagement:
The key concepts and themes that I find myself frequently using from this book to this day even as an outsider to the organizations I work with:
- One Minute Goals:
- This concept emphasizes the importance of setting clear, specific goals that can be read in about a minute. Each goal should outline what is expected and how success will be measured.
- By making goals concise and easy to understand, both managers and team members can stay focused and aligned. It reduces confusion and ensures that everyone knows what they’re working toward.
- In practice, One Minute Goals involve writing down the goal, reviewing it frequently, and ensuring it remains clear and top of mind.
- One Minute Praisings:
- This principle focuses on providing immediate and specific praise to recognize desired behaviors or achievements. The praise should be genuine, explaining what the individual did right and how it positively impacted the team or organization.
- The goal is to reinforce good behavior and motivate team members by recognizing their efforts. It helps create a positive and encouraging work environment.
- In the context of management, this means not waiting for formal reviews or meetings to acknowledge a job well done but instead offering quick, positive feedback in real-time.
- One Minute Reprimands:
- When someone makes a mistake or falls short of expectations, the One Minute Reprimand offers a way to address it quickly and directly. It involves immediately pointing out what went wrong and explaining the impact of the mistake.
- The key to this practice is focusing on the behavior, not the person. After addressing the issue, the manager reassures the individual that they are still valued, separating their actions from their worth as a team member.
- This approach helps correct behavior without demoralizing the person, maintaining a sense of trust and respect while addressing issues.
If you are managing teams, whether as a part of a company or working as a freelancer, pick this book up. It’s a super short book. You can probably read it in 2 hours.
5. Feel Good Productivity
This is a book I just read this year, and I would recommend it to anyone that is an entrepreneur.
Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal, the popular YouTube sensation whose channel is all about productivity, focuses on redefining productivity by balancing work and well-being.
What I loved was that unlike traditional productivity approaches that emphasize constant hustle and output, this book encourages a more sustainable and enjoyable path to getting things done.
There is a lot covered in the book about making work fun and more enjoyable, but it’s done in a serious, realistic way.
Early on Ali introduces this concept of three energizers—activities or mindsets that boost enjoyment and make work feel less like a burden. This can include focusing on passions, fostering curiosity, or finding joy in small achievements.
These energizers help create a positive approach to productivity, making tasks feel more rewarding.
This was my favorite part of the book and the part that most resonated with me.
In the second part, he goes into detail about three blockers, common productivity blockers, such as procrastination, perfectionism, and distractions. Abdaal offers strategies to overcome these blockers, emphasizing how to create an environment and mindset conducive to getting things done.
Lastly, he talks about sustainers. Sustainers refer to habits or practices that help maintain productivity over the long term without leading to burnout. This includes building routines, setting realistic goals, and ensuring time for rest and recovery.
One of the things I liked best about the book was that everything covered in it were things Ali uses himself, but on top of that he backed it up with scientific research studies.
I narrowed down the list to just 5 books when I started thinking about this topic, but I have others in mind. If you like this kind of content, let me know and I will consider adding to this in the future.
