SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

Basic SEO is Imperative for Small Businesses & Creative Professionals


Did you know that a well-optimized website can significantly increase your visibility and attract more clients? In today's digital world, effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for small businesses and creative professionals to stand out and succeed. Everything you do online can contribute to your Search Engine Optimization* (SEO). But there are hundreds of aspects that you could address. Where do you start?


Here's an SEO Secret:


Well-crafted BASIC SEO is the only SEO most creative professionals and small businesses need.

While your web designer should ideally incorporate essential SEO aspects into your site, this is not always the case. And if you've built your site on a DIY platform like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress, you may not know how to do your SEO correctly or which aspects are the most important.



Key Elements of Basic SEO:

  • KEYWORDS: Identifying the terms your target audience is searching for.
  • ON-PAGE SEO: Optimizing individual pages on your website (titles, headers, meta descriptions).
  • EXCELLENT CONTENT: Producing high-quality, relevant content that answers your audience's questions.
  • USER-FRIENDLINESS: Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, fast, and easy to navigate.
  • LINK BUILDING: Earning backlinks from reputable sites to boost your site's authority.

Ethical SEO Practices Are Critical to Your Website’s Success

Unfortunately, many websites lack the most impactful SEO (basic), missing a significant opportunity to build authority, connect with the right audience, and become more visible online. Some practitioners use unethical tactics for quick wins, but these can ultimately backfire. Search engines often update algorithms to penalize these inauthentic forms of SEO.

Examples of Ethical SEO Practices:

Creating Valuable, Original Content
Building Genuine Backlinks
Optimizing For User Experience


Examples of Unethical SEO Practices:

Keyword Stuffing
Buying Backlinks
Using Hidden Text or Links

Trendy gimmicks that promise a fast rise to the top of search results will hurt your standing in the long run.


Long-Term SEO Success is Attainable

SEO often seems mysterious, but it’s not the complicated technical feat it's made out to be. It merely requires strategic thinking, understanding your business and audience, and applying common sense. With this knowledge, fundamental SEO strategies can significantly enhance your site's visibility and accessibility, benefiting other aspects of your marketing as well.


Here’s Another SEO Secret:


You’re the best person to handle your SEO because you know your unique expertise, the problems you solve, your audience, and their needs.


Outsourcing it means someone else has to learn the nuances you're already familiar with. This is one aspect that makes good SEO expensive. The best SEO results come from steady work over time, solid best practices, and thinking and acting like a human. (You've got this!)


Save Time & Money on SEO: Empower Yourself

Having someone do your SEO is a substantial investment (the average small business budget for SEO is $500 per month, and the same work through an agency would be about $3000). Whether you choose to manage your own or delegate it, it's vital to grasp the essentials to ensure it’s done right. But how is the average small business owner supposed to understand SEO? The amount of information is overwhelming!

Consider enrolling in one of my DIY courses or guided group courses for advice that cuts through the jargon to make SEO doable. For most small businesses, updating their SEO after it's in place will only take 15-30 minutes monthly. Join my email list for notifications about upcoming courses, including free SEO workshops and my monthly newsletter of tips. My aim is to equip others with the knowledge to take charge of their SEO.

SEO might initially seem complex and confusing, but with guidance that simplifies it and makes it more intuitive, it's not that bad!



Are you ready to improve your website's performance? Take control of your SEO today with one or more of the following:

  • Schedule a free 15-minute chat to discuss the next steps in improving your online presence.
  • Get on my waitlist for the next SEO workshops and courses (you will also receive my newsletter).
  • Contact me for a website audit to determine how effective your SEO is and how it can be improved. You can complete the tasks at once or over time from the prioritized list you will receive. (As an option, I can consult with you and guide you through the implementation process.)

Or receive easy monthly tips on improving your SEO:

Easy Tips Newsletter



*So, what exactly is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? Many people view SEO as a set of tactics and processes designed to boost a website's ranking in search engine results. Since users are more likely to click on listings at the top of the first results page, website owners strive to enhance their SEO. But SEO is more than just that. Best SEO practices improve the accessibility of websites for users who might otherwise struggle to use them. For example, page titles are the first thing a screen reader reads, so people with visual impairments can orient themselves, and well-structured SEO elements assist screen readers in navigating a page effectively.