AI Book Review: Future Skills: The 20 Skills and Competencies Everyone Needs to Succeed in a Digital World - Bernard Marr

// the next in the series of AI-powered book reviews to determine whether I should buy it or not. For each point I add my own take based on my 25 years of SEO experience. Because there are 20 seperate elements to the book it seems that Bard has been very slight detailing what it thinks are each SEO application - so it's not been as thorough as usual.

Future Skills Book Cover

Future Skills for SEO: Unveiling B. Marr's 20 Competencies in Action

In his book "Future Skills: The 20 Skills and Competencies Everyone Needs to Succeed in a Digital World," Bernard Marr outlines the essential skills for navigating the ever-evolving digital landscape. But are these skills just for general career success? Absolutely not! Let's dive into each of Marr's 20 concepts and explore how they can be harnessed to power your SEO strategy and future-proof your online presence.

1. Data Literacy:

• SEO Application: Analyse website traffic, track keyword performance, and understand user behavior through data visualisation tools. Identify patterns and insights to optimize content, improve rankings, and drive conversions. // this shouldn't be an alien concept for SEOs that often have access to a wide variety of tooling to diagnose issues and opportunities.

2. Digital Communication:

• SEO Application: Craft compelling SEO meta descriptions, develop engaging social media content, and clearly communicate value propositions for targeted audiences. // I had to ask Bard to expand on this one as, on the face of it, its application seems very tenuous. The more detailed view can be found in the appendix, but in short, Marr just meant that communication should be clear and unambiguous - this ties into two elements that SEOs should be thinking of: E-E-A-T and understanding your target audience and getting the reading age and terminology right for them.

3. Problem-Solving:

• SEO Application: Tackle technical SEO challenges, overcome algorithm updates, and find creative solutions to improve website performance and organic visibility. // this is 'bread and butter' for SEOs. A vast majority of the job is using your data literacy to identify challenges and then working within the constraints you have (and sometimes pushing them) to find innovative solutions to valuable problems.

4. Critical Thinking:

• SEO Application: Evaluate backlink quality, assess competitor strategies, and critically analyze data to make informed decisions that impact your SEO results. // in SEO we really have to step outside of what the 'talking heads' say on social media - with all their agendas of building their own personal brand or businesses and consider how any of previous points Marr raises here affect your own situation and what the data means for your challenges in particular. Don't take what others are saying as gospel.

5. Resilience:

• SEO Application: Stay motivated through algorithm changes, bounce back from ranking fluctuations, and adapt your strategy with perseverance and flexibility. // if you're an SEO and still in the industry following the last few months of 2023 you would realise that SEO can be tough and relenting. You will get battle scars, but that will give you experience. Having the resilience to drive through those periods is an essential skill working in this industry.

6. Creativity:

• SEO Application: Develop innovative content formats, utilize storytelling techniques, and explore unconventional SEO tactics to stand out from the crowd. // this is very much aligned to the problem-solving skill Marr mentioned above.

7. Collaboration:

• SEO Application: Partner with content creators, web developers, and other specialists to leverage diverse skills and achieve broader SEO goals. // unless you're an SEO that works on their own websites without any need to collaborate with others, even affiliate merchants, or converses with other affiliates, then this won't apply. For everybody, but you, this is an essential skill. Being able to seek diverse opinions, synthesise them with others and work with them to implement is a vital skill. I don't an SEO that is employed by others can thrive without this skill.

8. Cultural Awareness:

• SEO Application: Tailor content and outreach strategies to specific cultural contexts, optimize website elements for international audiences, and avoid unintentional cultural faux pas. // not only does this apply to content you're publishing, but also how you build and develop teams. You just can't ignore this.

9. Emotional Intelligence:

• SEO Application: Understand user needs and emotions, create content that resonates, and build trust with your audience through empathetic communication. // a key element of the collaboration point above is honing and deploying your emotional intelligence (EQ) to deliver better outcomes sooner. Many of the 'talking heads' I see in the industry lack EQ. So they may have great ideas, but 'bringing people with them' or led to better outcomes may miss them. Take a look at the books 'Emotional Capitalists' and 'Emotional Agility' for more.

10. Adaptability:

• SEO Application: Stay updated with the latest SEO trends and best practices, readily adjust your strategy in response to algorithm changes, and embrace continuous learning for long-term success. // if you work in any type of organisation you'll need to adaptable. Markets, industries, technologies are changing faster than ever before. You will need to quickly jump on and explore new opportunities & threats such as AI. Don't be a laggard and refuse to adapt to these new conditions and futures.

DALL.E made this - I don't think Marr has a beard though

11. Active Learning:

• SEO Application: Seek out new knowledge through online courses, industry publications, and conferences to stay ahead of the SEO curve and equip yourself with cutting-edge skills. // aligned to the previous point: because the industry is changing fast you'll need to build relevant skills fast, so be open to new learning about these new skills. Much of them can only be learned by doing (what do you think I'm doing here with this series?), as they often present themselves before anyone has written a course about them. Those talking heads do have a use in that they may explain new ideas early, but don't take them for granted - use them to spin out your own learning.

12. Time Management:

• SEO Application: Prioritise tasks, effectively manage your workload, and utilize automation tools to optimize your time for maximum SEO impact. // if you're doing your learning right, you should be finding new ways to be efficient as well as effective. But when it comes to prioritisation then the book The One Thing is invaluable.

13. Stress Management:

• SEO Application: Maintain a healthy work-life balance, implement stress-reduction techniques, and avoid burnout to keep your creative and analytical skills sharp for ongoing SEO success. // Google (other search engines are available) updates can be very stressful times if you find yourself on the wrong end of them, but so are replatformings and migrations. Actually software development in general.

14. Negotiation:

• SEO Application: Negotiate with freelancers, collaborate with partners, and secure beneficial deals for your SEO projects with strong communication and persuasive skills. // perhaps this should actually be a sub-point of the 'collaboration' skill above. I haven't written my review of "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss, but that is absolutely essential reading. Being able to get 90% of what you need is better than not getting 100% - mostly.

15. Digital Ethics:

• SEO Application: Prioritise ethical practices like transparency, user privacy, and responsible keyword targeting to build trust and avoid penalties in the evolving digital landscape. // in this day-and-age there is no long-term strategy of being unethical. Push the boundaries and test by all means - but always think of the long term. I really took the proverbial out of Google twenty-odd years ago and then came back home from a break once and saw 95% of my traffic disappear. I have the scars - be careful.

16. Leadership:

• SEO Application: Inspire and guide your team, delegate tasks effectively, and make strategic decisions to lead your SEO efforts towards optimal results. // I'm not sure how much of 'leadership' is innate and how much of it is learned, I know it can always be improved.

17. Self-motivation:

• SEO Application: Stay inspired and committed to your SEO goals, set achievable milestones, and celebrate successes to maintain your drive and keep pushing forward. // I remember the days when I'd spend hours in some code trying to get it to work and it just wouldn't then it'd magically be fixed out of nowhere. That's where the concept of 'the last 5% of what we do can be the difference between success and failure' came in. But the secret of self-motivation is knowing when ploughing on is productive or not. Self-motivation isn't all bringing out your inner David Goggins, but it's also knowing when to change course. That's the toughest part of self-motivation.

18. Persuasion:

• SEO Application: Craft compelling content that engages users, build a convincing value proposition, and effectively communicate the benefits of your website to drive organic traffic and conversions. // back to the collaboration and negotiation points again. When you're absolutely clear on something then you need to be able to have effective persuasion as a skill - otherwise great ideas just stay ideas.

19. Influence:

• SEO Application: Build genuine relationships with influencers in your niche, engage with your audience authentically, and leverage your expertise to establish yourself as a thought leader for increased organic reach. // on first glance this is the same as the previous point, but there's a subtle difference. Persuasion, to me, is that direct ability to move a small group of people as a first order effect, while influence is the ability to change direction or make people see your needs at a 2nd, 3rd or greater order affect. You're basically working 'via' than 'to' people.

20. Vision:

• SEO Application: Develop a clear long-term vision for your website's online presence, set ambitious SEO goals, and consistently work towards achieving them with meticulous planning and strategic execution. // this is essential. If you have all the previous skills but don't have a vision, then they're meaningless. You need to be able to know where you want to move people and things to first. That may come with data and insight, but if you can't have something to work towards and apply those skills to, then you'll be heading in the wrong direction.

By mastering these "Future Skills," you can transform your SEO from a technical checklist into a dynamic and adaptable gameplan for success in the ever-changing digital world. Remember, these skills are not just for the future; they are the present. Start incorporating them into your SEO strategy today and witness the transformative power of future-proof skills for lasting organic growth and online prosperity.

// at the start of working through Bard's output I was underwhelmed. But as I continued thorough them then I thought 'this would be a great book for people new to my team, it'd really help them move through their careers'. For that part I'd give this an 8/10 for others, but less so for my own personal development. If you'd like to buy the book you can direct from the author (link in the first paragraph) or from Amazon (aff).

Appendix

// this is what Bard expanded on for "digital communication":

Absolutely! The "Digital Communication" skill in Bernard Marr's "Future Skills" encompasses a diverse range of abilities critical for success in the online world, particularly when applied to SEO:

Crafting Compelling SEO Meta Descriptions:

• Clear and concise: Summarize your content effectively within the character limit, highlighting key benefits and enticing users to click.

• Keyword-rich: Naturally integrate relevant keywords without sacrificing readability, ensuring accurate search engine indexing and boosting click-through rates.

• Action-oriented: Motivate users to take the next step, whether it's visiting your website, reading your content, or making a purchase.

Developing Engaging Social Media Content:

• Understand the platform: Tailor your content format and voice to each platform's unique audiences and engagement methods.

• Visuals matter: Utilize appealing images, videos, and graphics to capture attention and enhance your message.

• Human touch: Inject personality and storytelling into your content to connect with your audience on an emotional level and foster a sense of community.

Communicating Value Propositions to Targeted Audiences:

• Emphasize user benefits: Focus on how your website or content solves users' problems, addresses their needs, or fulfills their desires.

• Clear and concise language: Avoid jargon and technical terms, using simple, direct language that resonates with your target audience.

• Specificity is key: Tailor your value proposition to different audience segments, highlighting the unique benefits relevant to each group.

Additional Aspects of Digital Communication for SEO:

• Effective email marketing: Craft persuasive email subject lines, optimize your email copy for conversions, and build strong relationships with subscribers.

• Compelling website copywriting: Write clear, engaging, and SEO-friendly website content that informs, entertains, and guides users towards desired actions.

• Mastering online presentations: Deliver impactful presentations during webinars, conferences, or workshops to showcase your expertise and attract organic traffic.