develop a system that works for your small business when it comes to SEO & learn how to become the googled answer to your ideal client's searches!
Most business owners with an online presence aim to be found on the first page of Google. But the first question you might ask yourself is, “How can my business rank in Google?” I know it’s the dream for most business owners to be found organically by their dream clients. Did you know this IS possible? You DO NOT have to throw money at ads constantly to make this happen. Instead, you can develop a SYSTEM and an SOP (Standard Operation Procedure) that, over time, will help your business be more searchable because of SEO. In this guide, “Master SEO: 10 Essential Tips to Boost Your Website Traffic,” you’ll discover actionable steps to enhance your website’s visibility and attract your ideal audience.
*I originally wrote this article in 2020 and decided to refresh it. I hope this helps you and your small business!*
If you have not yet done this step, don’t freak out and assume it will take months. Instead, carve out at least 2-3 hours and {follow this [step-by-step guide} to create your Google Business page. This is an excellent step because you can ask past clients/customers to leave reviews and share pictures. If you’re a service-based business, such as a photographer, creative, videographer, etc., This builds a know-like-trust factor for your brand. It used to be called “Google My Business,” but it is now “Google Business Profile.”
Do you have a Facebook Business Page set up? Ensure you have consistent profile pictures and branding across all your platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.). Consistency helps with brand recognition and builds the know-like-trust factor (I know, just typing in that sentence gives me the ICK feeling because I have grown not to like the phrase “know, like, and trust,” but think like this…if you have consistency across platforms it will help ease a potential buyer’s mind that they are in the right place. Plus, one of your social media platforms might appear in a Google search, so it’s crucial to have a unified brand presence.
Optimizing your Pinterest can enhance your SEO because Pinterest is a powerful search engine that can drive substantial traffic to your website. By creating keyword-rich pins and boards, your content is more likely to appear in Pinterest searches, directing more visitors to your site. Additionally, well-optimized Pinterest content can rank in Google search results, providing another avenue for organic traffic. I have received a lot of inquiries because of Pinterest, so I can attest that the power of Pinterest is REAL (and I didn’t have to pay any money for this type of organic marketing)!
Blogging is NOT DEAD. Blogging is essential; many business owners feel jaded by blogging. Jaded in the sense that it TAKES TIME to build out authority and a workflow that WORKS for your business. Also, it’s not a sexy, shiny object strategy. It’s a long-term strategy. But it’s the perfect time to start blogging about your business. You don’t need to blog daily or even weekly; start small by blogging once or twice a month. Creating rich content builds a like-know-trust factor with your audience. Blogging establishes your expertise, improves your website’s SEO, and engages your audience with valuable content. Regularly updated blogs drive more organic traffic, increasing your online visibility and potential customer base.
Keyword research is essential because it helps you understand what terms and phrases your target audience uses to search for products, services, or information related to your business or what you have to offer. By identifying these keywords, you can optimize your content to match search intent, improve your search engine rankings, and attract more qualified traffic. Effective keyword research helps you stay competitive, uncover new content opportunities, and increase conversions. I have done so many podcast episodes about keyword research, and I want to link one of my most popular Keyword research episodes here: https://systemsandworkflowmagic.com/expert-seo-tips-for-wedding-professionals/
Improving your meta descriptions means crafting concise, compelling summaries of your webpage content that appear beneath the page title in search engine results. These descriptions should be around 150-160 characters, include relevant keywords, and provide a clear, engaging preview of what users can expect. Well-written meta descriptions can increase click-through rates, improve search engine performance, and drive more organic traffic. I have been growing to understand this vital SEO-related step (so don’t get down on yourself if you realize you haven’t been doing this step)!
Mobile optimization is crucial because most web traffic comes from mobile devices. Ensuring your mobile-friendly website improves user experience by providing easy navigation, faster loading times, and correctly displayed content on smaller screens. Google prioritizes mobile-optimized sites in its search rankings, so your site could be penalized and rank lower without a mobile-friendly design. By optimizing for mobile, you enhance accessibility, retain more visitors, and improve your chances of higher search engine rankings, ultimately driving more traffic and potential customers. If you are uncertain about what your page looks like on mobile, I suggest pulling it up in incognito mode on your phone and another device you don’t own! If you need further help, ask your website’s hosting platform’s customer support to see what they recommend. I use Showit, and their customer support is 100% amazing. I get answers immediately, which I appreciate!
Creating engaging and quality content sets you apart in many ways. Quality content engages and informs your audience, building trust and authority in your niche. High-quality content also improves your SEO by attracting backlinks, encouraging social shares, and keeping visitors on your site longer. The three types of engaging content that are pretty popular are video content (YouTube), audio content (Podcasting), and written content (Blogging). The easiest way to share your content would be through blogging because it has a low time and cost barrier. Still, my advice would be to start a YouTube channel because the search engine capabilities in YT are incredible, and it’s only getting better! (Now I know I have a Podcast, which I love so much, but my podcast is more of a nurturing strategy for a warmer audience, and YouTube can serve a cold audience)!
Monitoring your analytics is essential because it provides valuable insights into how users interact with your website. It reveals what content resonates most and identifies areas for improvement. By regularly analyzing these metrics and creating a system for this process, you can make data-driven decisions to enhance your SEO strategy, optimize user experience, and drive more traffic and conversions. To simplify this further, once you understand your insights, you can create content based on accurate data and not just your assumptions about what your audience wants to learn. Believe me, after spending so many years creating content for content’s sake, after I started digging into my Google Search Console and Data, I realized I need actually to read the data and work on content people are SEARCHING for (and that has been a game changer for me).
Google Search Console is a vital tool for website owners as it provides insights into how Google indexes and ranks your site, helping you monitor and improve your search performance. Submitting your recent work ensures new content is promptly indexed, making it discoverable in search results more quickly. This proactive approach helps you stay on top of potential SEO issues, track keyword performance, and gain valuable data to optimize your site effectively. I learned this from my business peer, Brittany Herzberg, and I wanted to give credit where credit is due! So thank you, Brittany!
Improving your SEO is not an overnight task but an ongoing process. If a company promises to get you to #1 on Google for the love of God, don’t fall for that gimmick! SEO requires time, patience, and persistence. Combine this with great word-of-mouth reviews and strong relationships with other business owners and vendors, and your business will grow.
Just be patient. I promise.
Now, if you’re interested in creating a system to enhance your SEO and improve your business backend, I invite you to check out my SUMMER of SEO series on the Systems & Workflow Magic Podcast. If you’re reading this in the future, you can still access these episodes ➡️ scrolling to episodes 137 to 146(that is, the☀️ Summer of SEO series).
I also am hosting a time-sensitive event called “The Systems and Workflow Magic Bundle: The SEO Edition.” As a solopreneur, I’ve learned that running a successful business relies on saving time and automating processes wherever possible. My superpower is simplifying systems, workflows, and SOPs. As the Systems and Workflow Magic Podcast host, I offer creative business owners mini-courses, bundle experiences, and VIP experiences to transform their operations from scattered to streamlined. The Systems and Workflow Magic Bundle: The SEO edition is in its 5th edition. This bundle was designed to help creative business owners master SEO effortlessly. I’ve collaborated with 23 top SEO experts to offer over $2,500 worth of invaluable resources! To get on the waitlist, click here!
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