Do You Want to Play Deductions? 5 Quotes From Sherlock That Teach Good SEO Practices
Sherlock has become an international phenomenon, so it comes as no surprise that many people are burning with Sherlock fever—especially with the New Year’s special just around the corner.
From T-shirts and mugs to paintings and other memorabilia, the show’s fans have found many ways to incorporate the best parts of Sherlock into their everyday lives. So why not add to the trend?
No matter which industry your business pertains to, you can still use Sherlock to improve your company’s website. Below, we’ve listed five quotes from Sherlock that teach good SEO practices. With a little help, your business’s online presence can boom and impact the lives of your audience just as profoundly as Sherlock does.
1. “He’s cluing for looks.” (from “The Sign of Three”)
This episode features a scene where a young woman brings a case to a partied-out Sherlock and John. The woman had previously gone on a date with a gentleman who then went missing.
Sherlock, John, and the young woman visit the missing man’s apartment to look for clues, but Sherlock accidentally falls asleep on the floor. The young woman asks John what Sherlock is doing, and an unfocused John replies, “He’s cluing for looks.”
From this quote, you can learn how important it is to look for clues that tell you how your readers benefit from your site. As you browse through your site, look for features (or “clues”) such as:
- Well-written, clear content
- Straightforward descriptions of products and services
- Accurate contact information
- Relevant keywords
If your site contains these features, the more useful it becomes—and the more your search rankings increase.
2. “Where is her case? Did she eat it?” (from “A Study in Pink”)
As the first episode of the series, “A Study in Pink” introduces Sherlock as a consulting detective who works with Scotland Yard. In this episode, Sherlock visits a crime scene to solve a woman’s mysterious murder.
Through his deductions, Sherlock realizes that the woman had a suitcase with her—but the suitcase is nowhere to be found. He runs through the house and asks the crime scene crew if anyone has the woman’s case. After a thorough (and snarky) explanation from Sherlock, the authorities quickly realize that a vital piece of evidence is missing from the crime scene.
As a business owner, you should notice the important details that are missing from your website. This information could include items like those in the bulleted list above. Or, perhaps your site is missing bigger components like title tags and hyperlinks.
For more information about factors to include on your site, read the following articles from Moz:
Once you add these features to your site, it should adhere to good SEO practices and better benefit your readers.
3. “I’m not a psychopath, Anderson. I’m a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research.” (from “A Study in Pink”)
When Sherlock first meets people, he automatically reads them and deduces who they are and what they’re like. Viewers see these deductions as floating words on the screen, and these deductions are his own form of research. They allow him to properly pursue theories to solve case after case for Scotland Yard. Without this research, Sherlock wouldn’t succeed as a consulting detective.
Rather than make deductions, you should research current SEO practices to make sure your site consistently adheres to them. These practices exist to enhance a reader’s online experience and provide them with the most useful, relevant information possible. If your site doesn’t follow these guidelines, it won’t benefit your readers, and your search ranking could drop.
To stay up-to-date on the latest practices, read through Moz’s guide to SEO.
4. “I don’t shave for Sherlock Holmes.” (from “The Empty Hearse”)
This statement is one of the most iconic quotes from the third season. Spoken by John to his fiancée, Mary, this quote tells the audience that John Watson doesn’t do things simply because other people are doing them—or because anyone asked him to.
Follow John’s example and pay little attention to what others do or think you should do. Just because one tactic works well for a competitor’s site doesn’t mean it will work well for yours. You should focus on your readers and their needs, and format your site to meet those needs.
5. “Don’t panic. None of you panic. Absolutely no reason to panic.” (from “The Sign of Three”)
During John and Mary’s wedding reception, Sherlock discovers that a murderer has crashed the party. He tells the wedding guests that they have no reason to panic whatsoever, even if they may be in danger.
Likewise, you shouldn’t panic if your site currently doesn’t use good SEO practices. Yes, poor content, inefficient title tags, and incorrect information can put your site in harm’s way. But if you take Sherlock’s advice and don’t panic, you can change your site’s fate.
Take a step back and recognize where your site needs improving. Stick to the best practices found in the links above, follow the advice from these five Sherlock quotes, and improve your site so it serves your readers in the best way possible. For more tips about SEO, check out the rest of our blog!
I really like the quote about noticing what’s missing, and also not to panic.