Low Dangling Fruit
Finding similarities between common SEO language and wearing dangerously-short shorts whilst out in the garden
I was out in the garden earlier today, quietly minding my own business tending to some of the weeds that had popped up around my bed of radishes when I heard a voice all out from behind me and over the neighbours wall:
”Nice plums!”
Shocked, I nervously peered downwards to check all was in order.
You see, I’d been wearing a very, very old pair of England football shorts, (think Gareth Southgate and Euro 96) that had since become quite baggy and very loose fitting due to the elastic slowly losing its elasticity over the years.
After - to my great relief - realising I hadn’t inadvertedly been exposing myself to the neighbour again, and that they were instead referring to the plum tree over my shoulder, I waddled over for a little chat.
Chinwag complete, it reminded me about how great, and important, community really is. And no where is that more obvious than within the confides of the world of SEO.
I remember when a few months ago I sent out a tweet, asking fellow SEOs to share any one of their most-disliked marketing sayings.
I got the ball rolling by sharing how I really dislike the term “low dangling fruit”, obviously referring to the way in which SEOs might prioritise any opportunities that are the easiest to accomplish.
This is actually quite a common tactic when you’re starting out work with a new client and you’re really keen to get things off to a good start, opting to fix/optimise any of those quick wins.
Several people later kindly pointed out to me that the saying was in fact “low hanging fruit”. But I was touched at how delicately and tentatively my oh-so-foolish mistake had been dealt with.
It would have been easy to have laugh and point the finger, but thanks to the truly gentle, loving and caring nature of SEO twitter it was dealt with in such a beautiful way.
God love the SEO community, and phrases like low dangling hanging fruit 🍒