In the past two years I have been focusing on digital marketing as a potential new career. I am finishing a master’s degree in this field as well. A major focus has been on how to optimize a company’s website for an increase in site visits. A way to improve people finding one’s website is through a concept called search engine optimization (SEO). This is very crucial for people who are trying to sell products and services through a website, or get people to find more about their business online, in many cases, to help others with gee-whiz information. In the past few years SEO has become a mantra for ecommerce. So, how do people learn how to do SEO and have a successful website?
We can take Google for instance, they want to have people use their search engine so they publish information to help people. Then people who are trying to get ahead begin to learn this information and create blog posts or write books about how to do SEO. In essence, they dumb it down for general people who have not learned the technical language of website building and how to interface with search engines. After time, search engines become faster and they change their algorithms to meet different needs of their customers, therefore there needs to be more SEO. When people really begin to realize the power of what SEO can do, there are those who want to take short cuts and use negative approaches to try to beat out the competition. Search engine companies pay attention to this and penalize those sites that are unethical, or malicious in their SEO. They update their algorithms and put out more do's and don’ts, and then there are more books written to explain it all to people wanting to do better in the online world. These explanations become the “best practices.”
On the other hand, because SEO has become so dynamic and complicated, people get frustrated and let their websites fall to the wayside, or they do the bare minimum hoping their meager investment will pan out. Because there is so much information, it becomes difficult to know who the authority on this subject is. A lot of the times, the subject of SEO becomes so boring that it does a better job getting people to sleep than any nighttime medication. In the long run, these people get envious, frustrated, or angry at the system and let their opportunity pass away. They look at the companies who have succeeded where they have failed with a mixture of awe and disbelief wishing they could do what those successful companies have done. These disillusioned people want the success but they do not want to take the time to read the best practices and apply them to their websites.
What does this have to do with faith? Heavenly Father through his prophets have given guidelines on how to live and return to him. These instructions are in the form of scriptures. These scriptures can be confusing and difficult to understand. Yet there are those who have taken the time to learn the gospel and are able to explain it in a way that can be comprehended. Furthermore, Heavenly Father sent his Son to be the Savior and an example for us. While Jesus Christ was alive he demonstrated how to live, what you need to do to return to live with Heavenly Father again. There is the Holy Ghost that provides the confirming, calming, consoling communication that we need to stay connected with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Also, Jesus Christ called apostles to continue teaching his words and expounding on them. Today, we still have Prophets and Apostles communicating to us how to live, how to have better lives, and most importantly how to return to Heavenly Father.
When we see a renowned cardiac surgeon as a happy, caring, and loving person, such as President Russell M. Nelson, we wonder if we can have that type of faith. There is Elder Dallin H. Oaks who is a very well-respected lawyer, who knows the law, we wonder how it is that he has such a belief in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and if we can have that as well. The list of prominent people who have lived before and now that have optimized their faith is voluminous. These people have all followed similar best practices in having this type of faith. If you want stronger faith that will help you through hard times as well as making life a little easier, then you need to optimize your faith. Listen to what they say and do what they do to improved their lives. The information is out there and easily accessible. It isn’t a secret, or some new thing, it is the same today as it was in the past. It is found in the scriptures, it is found in prayer, it is found in pondering, and communing with others who have faith, it is found in changing in a way that the Holy Ghost will communicate to you, it is found in making covenants with Heavenly Father. By doing these simple things you will see results as quickly as you optimize your faith by living in a way that is cohesive for the Spirit to reside in your life. For some it may be fast, for others it may take some time, but in the end there will be improvement and a better way of living. People will begin to see what you have done and wonder what it is that you do that improves your life and then you can show them how to optimize their faith.
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