When you’re launching a business, it’s easy to leave SEO on the backburner. But if you ever want your audience to actually find the content you’re working so hard to create, mastering SEO (or at least understanding the basics) is a must.

If you’re confused about SEO, think about the first page of a Google search results page as Main Street: the block shoppers frequently find themselves on every time they’re looking for a new product, service, or solution. The lower your website ranks, the more likely you are to end up in a back alley, or the results that emerge only after page one. Now think about how often shoppers trek to hidden alleyways on the hunt for a new pair of boots.

The moral of the story is the last place you want your site to end up is the back alley. Or page two of a Google search results page. If your SEO tanks and your content is impossible to find online, the hard work you’ve put in to create stellar content goes straight out the window.

In this episode, Charli, Miguel, and ConvertKit’s SEO Manager Collin Tate discuss why SEO is essential, how to translate the inner workings of the world wide web, simple ways to drastically improve your SEO, and why a stellar web presence doesn’t always break your budget.

Key Takeaways

[0:55] - Have you heard?
- [01:06] - Squarespace launched a new drag-and-drop website editor which makes website building and customization easier.
- [03:09] - Instagram has defended its decision to prioritize video content.
- [07:10] - TikTok search is now driving Google search as Gen Z prioritizes social platforms over traditional search engines.
[09:42] - Today’s main topic: Using SEO to boost your business.
- [09:47] - SEO or search engine optimization helps people find the content you create online.
- [15:31] - When a site gets “indexed, " the web has found it and added the new content to its index. Once a site is added to the index, users can discover that site on a search results page.
- [16:46] - For the internet to index your site in the first place, make sure Google has permission to crawl your website and focus on optimizing your site’s content.
- [18:21] - There’s a big difference between ranking somewhere on a search results page and ranking highly. To rank highly, research the terms people use to search for your niche and incorporate those into your site’s content.
- [20:58] - Understanding web trends helps you understand your audience, your market, and what terms to embrace versus avoid depending on what’s popular and what’s declining in relevance.
- [22:38] - If you’re in a saturated market, use modifiers to increase the likelihood that you’ll rank highly. For example, “web design” is a broad term that can be modified to something more specific like “web design Bristol, UK.”
- [25:17] - Remember that people searching for your content aren’t robots, they’re people. Don’t just stuff keywords into your blog posts. The writing should still be enticing and relevant.
- [26:23] - Beyond the main keywords or questions consumers ask, think about secondary questions relevant to your product or service.
- [28:00] - Titles and subject lines should be enticing but avoid clickbait. Create believable titles without being sensational.
- [35:05] - Creating consistent content isn’t just helpful when you’re trying to grow your business, consistency improves your SEO. Google factors the “freshness” of content into its algorithm.
- [35:59] - Collaborating with other creators is a great way to boost your search rank.
- [36:46] - Understanding the analytics of your website helps you track and optimize your site’s ranking.
- [38:52] - Google Search Console is a great tool to help gauge how your site's actually ranking across search terms.

Quotes

[12:54] - “That’s what SEO is, making sure that when people search for terms or they’re looking for products, you show up and you’re the top. Those are the basics of SEO and it’s important to get them right. You don’t have to do them perfectly, but you want to do them as well as you can.” ~ @CollinTate

[26:23] - “If you would like to [rank highly on a search results page], you have to dive into the mind of your prospective visitor. What are they looking for? In the piece of content you’re getting ready to create, does it answer the questions, or will it answer the questions that they may have?” ~ @CollinTate

[31:40] - “Write for humans, and when you write for humans, you’re actually writing for the robots. Because if humans love your content, Google will love your content.” ~ @CollinTate

[32:10] - “Everybody is writing content these days. Everybody’s creating content. And if you’re not doing that consistently, somebody’s going to take your spot.” ~ @CollinTate

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