Are you creating content to market your business? If so, are you optimizing it for search? Sara Dunn joins us to make SEO easy to understand by simplifying what it takes to get you business in front of your ideal and dream clients. Listen in as she shares the value of search engine optimization, how to build a strategy and plan for your SEO, and why every business owner should at least understand the basics.
What is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is the art of influencing search engines to show your website, your information in the search results for free. The best way to take advantage of this free tool is to understand and learn what Google looks for online, then make sure our content uses that to serve content to our audience. Search engine optimization provides free traffic that you earn above others in your industry and you don’t have to pay for it.
Building a Search Engine Optimization Strategy for Your Website
Sara began her career in web design, where she had a client ask if her design would help them rank higher on Google. Of course it would, she thought, then went to digging into what helps your website rank in search engines.
She found and consumed every single piece of information about search engine optimization (SEO) that she could to make this website rank. From there, she’s helped rank websites on search engines for so many different industries, but ultimately found a heart for the wedding industry.
Search Engine Optimization for Online Businesses
While it feels simpler to work on an SEO strategy that relies on a specific location to search, online businesses can still utilize search engine optimization for their business too, specifically online educators.
The things you teach and the things you know are things that people are searching for online right now. Whether it be tools, tips, tricks, or thought-leader answers, people are going to Google them—your website should provide the answers so that you’re showing up in search engines.
When you create content that is optimized for search, your ideal audience will find it as a warm and interested lead. You’re not interrupting them during their scrolling time like traditional online advertising—they’re seeking out the answers you have. Once they read it, they’ll come to find you as the go-to expert in the space.
Optimizing Your Website Content for Search Engines
So how do you make sure your content is optimized for search engines? Step one is to think about your ideal customer. What are they trying to find out? What would they be searching for in order to find you? What are their struggles and questions that you can help solve?
Once you’ve considered that, use an SEO tool like Ubersuggest or Answer the Public to see if the thoughts you had were right. With Ubersuggest, you can search keywords and topics that you’re considering creating content for, then it will give you the number of times that topic is searched for each month and a list of similar searches. Once you’ve completed that keyword research, you can use that content across all of your marketing channels and platforms.
Where to Place Your Keywords for SEO
If you want to get found on Google, you need to use keywords on your website. As educators, you want to include these in blog posts through helpful tips and content to bring in traffic. If you want to get found on Google, your website needs to be the hub for your best and longest content that you have on any given topic.
Should You Divide Your Website When Moving Into Education?
As you pivot into education, you may be faced with the decision to divide your website or keep in all in one place. Your strategy may differ, but Sara believes that the best way to approach it is to keep them in the same place (on the same website). Google understands your authority based on your domain name. When you start a new business, you are starting at zero, versus utilizing the existing website you have for your business.
Are you missing out?
The shocking truth about SEO is that the content you’re already creating could be bringing you 1000’s of visitors to your website every single year, if you just help search engines to find it better. If you just took the steps to learn a little bit about SEO and optimize your content, it would be so beneficial for you. Even if you don’t understand all of the tiny little details, start writing content based on keywords people are searching for, because you can have success with ranking even if you don’t know the full process.
How to Check to See if You’re Ranking on Google
You’ve done the work to create content based on what people are searching, but now you want to check to see how your content is doing. You can use Ubersuggest‘s tool, Traffic Estimation. When you enter in a domain to this address, it will tell you the success of that website’s SEO (keywords ranked, position, search results, etc).
Next Steps to Improve Your SEO
You can get started with small and simple steps for your search engine optimization strategy. You don’t have to do a complete overhaul in order to make an impact. Baby steps to success will truly pay off.
Tip: This could even be editing and optimizing old content on your blog.
Unpopular Opinion on SEO
If you’re marketing your business with content, you should know the basics of Search Engine Optimization in order to get the most out of that content for a long time.
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