While this post isn’t necessarily about about SEO I think it’s directly relevant to anyone who works in the SEO industry and/or runs a niche blog.

This post is all about being nice since I’m in a good mood today and it all started last week when I innocuously commented on an e-consultancy post. Commenting on that post sparked an idea in my head and prompted me to write my latest ‘moz post on the SEO failings of the UK highstreet.

Once I’d written the post (which included a link back to the e-consultancy article) I went back to the post and left a follow-up comment.

Then out of the blue later that day I got an email from Chris at e-consultancy asking if I wanted to put up a guest blog on there. Awesome I thought! A great opportunity created to spread the Distilled brand even further. All from essentially just being a little bit nice (and managing to write a coherent blog post)

Then, also off the back of that SEOmoz post I got an email from a friendly in-house SEO guy I know who passed along some contact details for marketing people from various UK high-street companies for us to approach about SEO. Excellent! More opportunity for team Distilled. Again - why did he do that? Because I’ve offered to buy him lunch been friendly to him in the past. This process has happened quite a lot and various in-house SEOs email me contact details, pitching opportunities etc on a semi-regular basis. All from just twittering now and again, maintaining relationships and generally not being a bad person

In another instance, a one-man SEO I know pitched for a project and told the company to include us in the pitching process too. In his words “in the unlikely event I might lose the pitch I’d like to lose it to someone I like rather than some other big faceless agency”. Shucks - thanks mate. And that didn’t even have anything to do with the pictures I have of him semi-naked eating oatcakes (don’t ask…).

Then this morning Patrick approached me to let me know about his new SEO directory he’s launched on blogstorm - he wanted to let me know so that Distilled could be the first London-based agency listed when it went live. Once again - great stuff for team Distilled

So what’s the moral? I’m not trying to brag about how nice a person I am or how great Distilled are (though really, we’re pretty great). I’m just trying to show you how by engaging with people and communities and providing genuine value here and there for them simply out of generosity you’ll get much more back than you put in. I’m also saying thanks to everyone who’s helped me recently or done nice things for Distilled recently with a little link-love. I’ve purposely left the links out of some of the bits - you know who you are. If you want a link just let me know and I’ll update the post!

Don’t have a blog? Not sure where to start? Try London SEO for a start - you’ll find the SEO community is a really friendly place and by forging friendships and relationships with people in your industry you’ll profit beyond your wildest dreams (or beyond your bosses wildest dreams in my case

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