Superheroes have become increasingly popular in recent years, and perhaps the clearest sign of this is the number of films and revenue that Marvel has generated. The question then is: why aren’t there superheroes in real life? I believe the answer is that they don’t really belong here.
It shouldn’t be so complex to create a real Batman, after all, there are cars with jet engines, boomerangs, and tool belts today. Of course, it’s harder to create laser eyes, spider senses, or to try to forge Mjölnir, but for the sake of the discussion, let’s say it would be possible.
Specialization is good
I can speak passionately about specialists. For example, you can’t do top-level SEO unless you’re a specialist, because a generalist doesn’t have the deep knowledge that is required. I can’t speak for other industries, but I assume it’s similar to ours. You need to put in your 10,000 hours of SEO to be truly useful to a business leader. However, sometimes you do need a generalist, but often it’s a matter of budget. If the opportunity existed, you would hire a specialist for each area. For example, if possible, I would have an analyst, an SEO expert, a SEM specialist, etc., rather than a general online marketer.
That said, it’s never good to become too specialized. A specialized Meta Descriptions expert could yield good results, but it would become too narrow to work in practice. This is exactly what superheroes suffer from, except for Superman, of course.
Let’s instead look at the Human Torch, who impressively can both fly and catch fire. The problem with the Human Torch is that he relies on these two superpowers to solve every problem, in every situation (okay, Marvel enthusiasts, I know I’m opening up for corrections, but I’m more interested in the analogy). When a villain shows up, Human Torch catches fire and flies away. A boat is sinking in the Pacific Ocean, and the solution is the same.
By now, you probably understand my point: specialization is good, but superspecialization works worse, unless the conditions are perfect for it. The Human Torch would be suitable for a brickworks or a smelting plant, but on most modern workplaces, he wouldn’t be very useful. The Human Torch would simply need more tools in his toolbox to, for example, get a job at Brath.
In a growing industry, the need for specialization increases over time. About 8–10 years ago, it was almost reasonable for an SEO to focus on conversion optimization, search advertising, and even design and layout. However, this is harder today when each area requires deeper and deeper knowledge.
Today, there are specialists within SEO, and there are those who only work with link building or only focus on on-page. There is still no one who only does Meta Descriptions, but that could become relevant in the future. If that happens, there would be room for the Human Torch to get a job, but by then, he’s probably moved on because the comic book world requires it.
Magnus Bråth
Consultant & Adviser
Magnus is one of the world's most prominent search marketing specialists and primarily works with management and strategy at his agency Brath AB.