Taking the Scary out of SEO & Google Analytics
I get it…right now in your business you know you have something valuable but you don’t know how to get the word out to people who don’t know about you. You can tell people about it via conversation (elevator pitches, networking, in person interactions), you can share about it on social media, and you can blog and talk about it to help it get found online. There are a few other ways to market what you make or do, but for today, we're going to dive into SEO.
First - a couple definitions.
search engine
optimization
search engine optimization
key driver of cold website traffic
shit people don’t do
google analytics
freemium website analytics tool
how people find you & why they stay
shit people don’t use
Snag your comprehensive SEO checklist
Next - let's talk about five steps you can take to make sure your SEO works.
step one: mapping the trip
Google Search Console and getting started with SEO.
Tells you whether or not Google is able to figure out what’s on your website whether or not you’re using the right keywords to attract your ideal clients and/or customers.
How to Use: Head to Google Webmaster Tools, add your website, give it about 3-5 hours to load content, then dive right in!
step two: find your dream destination
Are you really who you say you are?
Tells you what people are searching when they find you and click through what words that your customers and clients most resonate with.
How to Use: Do the keywords you’re getting found for match the keywords you WANT to be found for? Do they highlight gaps in your messaging? Do they shine a light on missed opportunities?
step three: pack for the adventure
Connect the dots between who you are and who the internet thinks you are.
Review your headers, blog tags, and blog categories to make sure they match what you want to be found for online. Check your page titles to make sure they make sense. Check your copy – is it consistently longer than 300 words per page? Do you gently pepper in the keywords you want to be known for in a way that fits authentically with the text therein? Do you use alt text? Are you optimizing your page slugs?
step four: hit the road
Now that you’ve packed your site, tell Google about it.
Use plugins like Yoast to make sure you’ve optimized your meta descriptions (and everything else!) Check Google Search Console and fix crawl errors. Submit an updated sitemap to Google. Make sure you have a Google My Business listing.
step five: celebrate the journey
You know the saying, journey not destination.
SEO is an ongoing process – now that you’ve made sure everything is on the right track, it’s up to you to make sure it stays that way. Continue using tools like the Search Console, Google Analytics, and Yoast (if you’re on Wordpress). Know that your keywords will likely evolve over time and that’s okay. Just make sure they align with your business needs.
So, steps one through five. What next?
Think about the before - you were focused on “fixing” your website without a clear direction. You were trying one size fits all solutions. You were sharing messages that you think your customers wanted to hear without being sure what they actually thought.
Now think about the after, once you've taken action against these five steps. You're focused on what makes you different and how people find you. You're claiming the skills that make you the best choice for the job, rather than just another choice. You're highlighting the benefits your customers care about instead of the features you think are important.