Do not show what you do not know.
Show what you know.
Friends sometimes ask me questions about SEO, long tail keywords and other search engine topics. I do not know much about SEO. I simply tell them so. I cannot offer helpful advice outside of my blogging expertise. I may point bloggers in the direction of pros who can answer their question effectively. Or I may say I am no expert in the area; I cannot help them.
I do however show what I know. I know how to help bloggers to develop the mindset of a successful blogger. I know how to spot blogging limiting beliefs. I know energy work. I write and publish blog posts and guest posts on these topics daily because I stick to my expertise and let everything else go for other experts in those areas to solve.
How many times have you attempted to help someone whose question you simply cannot answer? How often do you try to offer advice in some area where you have no expertise? Consider the often ridiculous advice offered by emotionally unintelligent people regarding relationships:
“He or she did that? Give them an ultimatum; either they do this and stay or they go!”
Offering advice from a fear-filled, angry, resistant space ruins relationships for people you love and admire. Cut it out. Bite your tongue. Deal with your own fears, love lost and jilted partner syndrome before you ruin a friend's life with your ignorant relationship “advice”.
The blind lead the blind off of a cliff into the abyss.
Do Not Lie
Attempting to show what you do not know is lying. Imagine if I attempted to offer long tail keyword advice to an asking blogger. I do not know much about long tail keywords. Any attempt to answer the question would be bad, inaccurate advice because I have no idea what I am talking about.
Lying to the blogger puts them on a failing course. Following my terrible, false advice leads to SEO failure for them. I prolonged their suffering, struggle and misery because I lied to them. I lied to them because ego, fear of missing out or flat out delusion fooled me into trying to fool them. I hurt the individual but also hurt my reputation in offering bad advice.
The solution: show what you know.
Stick to your area of expertise. Help people in your wheelhouse. Keep your integrity intact. Keep your good reputation. Stop trying to convince or coerce someone based on being a fraud. Get over the fear of missing out. Humble yourself; you know only so much, like every human being. Find a skilled person who can answer the question accurately or honestly profess you have no idea.
Save yourself headaches, problems and issues. Do one thing well. Share your expertise in that niche. Build up your name. Build up your reputation. Never stray outside of the niche in terms of answering questions. Stick to what you know to be happy, prospering and to enjoy your journey. Maintain a clear conscience. Life feels easier if you maintain your integrity. Life feels tougher if you lose your integrity.
Show what you know.
