Is Gen X Too Old for SEO?

If you had told me back in the 1990s that one day I’d be blogging (well, back then we called it “web logging”) about something called “search engine optimization” I would have rolled my eyes. And if you also told me that in 2013, I’d be learning a new career from a bunch of people who I’m old enough to have been a teen mom to, I would have scowled at you, put my headphones on, and pressed play on the Tori Amos CD in my Discman.

SEO was just a twinkle in a nerd’s eye back then, but now it’s grown up and taken over the world. If you don’t know anything about SEO, and you’re wondering what you could possibly learn from this young company and its young team, read on. (you should also check out our SEO FAQs!)

Youth of Today

When I applied for a job at Blue Corona, I checked out the “Meet the Team” page. I joked to my friends that “everyone who works there is 12!” My humor was a defense against a real concern. Adding to my worry about getting the job (which I didn’t the first time around!) was anxiety about whether or not I’d fit in with this group.

Would they be nice? Would they think I was old? Would I be able to get up to speed? Would they think I was dumb? Would they make fun of my clogs?

Also, I knew very little about SEO. I had been writing professionally for more than 20 years (photocopying feminist zines when these kids were in diapers!), but I didn’t have any real training in web writing, and certainly didn’t know anything about analytics. What would my new coworkers think of my qualifications?

Well, I got the job (obvs) and it turns out I had nothing to worry about. Not only are these kids some of the smartest people in the biz, they’re also incredibly kind and overwhelmingly generous with their expertise. I learned more from them in my first month than I even thought possible, and I’m still learning. And they totally don’t mind that I’m feeding off their youth and talent like a vampire! (Kids today think vampires are cool…you know, because of Twilight.)

Luckily for our clients, this willingness to share extends to them, too. Again and again, the companies we work with are amazed by how much information we put together for them—and what we, and they, accomplish with that data. Business owners who came to us with skepticism about how web marketing and social media could help them grow their business call to thank this team of young folks for not just making SEO work, but showing them, with data and analytics, exactly how and why it works.

Question Authority

Having come of age during the Riot Grrrl scene, I have a lot of complex opinions about the politics of consumerism and the nascent feminism of Taylor Swift. My Gen Y coworkers kindly nod and smile at me when I bring up these subjects. They’d rather wax poetic about the best ways to maintain one’s tan and which Taco Bell competitive eating challenges make the most entertaining web videos. But damn if they don’t also know a LOT about SEO.

You may be wondering how it felt for me, a grown-up lady who drives a Subaru wagon and still isn’t exactly sure how Spotify works, to take direction from twentysomethings (many of whom believe Jersey Shore to be a modern tour de force).

You know what? It was awesome. After years of being in a cubicle coma I was hearing new ideas and getting creative feedback. At Blue Corona we have a never ending evolution of ways to look at the world. What I love most about my coworkers is that they question everything. “Does this work? Really? Why does it work? Will it still work if this happens? What else could it do? Who here would be the best person to do this?” They love a challenge and they love making things happen. Having a way to steer my “straight job” experience in a dynamic new direction is totally worth being one of the office fossils. I mean, YOLO, right?

The Bottom Line

If the 1980s and 1990s taught me anything, it’s that showing interest in things is not cool and helping people make money is way bougie. But these kids at Blue Corona, with their earnest enthusiasm, sharp insights, and seemingly unlimited capacity for energy drinks, are chipping away at the stone exterior of my cynical heart! If you’re ready to ignite your marketing plan with the smartest SEO strategies in the biz, give us a call. As for me, I’m going to go hang out with my new buds and share my nuanced opinion of Girls. It’s gonna blow their minds!