Simple SEO Strategies

SIMPLE SEO STRATEGIES

EVERY CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR NEEDS TO KNOW

EPISODE 055 | APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY

We all know how crucial it is for people to find our business when they search online, and that’s where SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, comes in.

Now, I get it—SEO can sound technical or even a bit intimidating, but it’s really just about making sure your website and content are easy to find when someone’s searching for what you offer. It’s like helping your business show up in the right places at the right times.

“In this episode, I’m going to break down SEO into some practical steps you can start using right away. We’ll keep it straightforward and focused on what really works, without getting lost in jargon. Whether you’re new to SEO or looking to improve what you’re already doing, there will be something here for you.”

UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS OF SEO

Let’s start with the basics— so what exactly is SEO? In simple terms SEO is about making your website more attractive to search engines like Google. The goal is to have your website appear higher up in search results when someone types in a keyword or phrase related to what you offer. The higher your site ranks, the more likely people are to click on it, and that’s how you get more visitors, leads, and ultimately, customers.

Think of it this way: Imagine your business is a shop in a massive marketplace with thousands of stalls. SEO is like putting up bright, clear signs that guide people straight to your stall. Without those signs, people might wander past without ever noticing you’re there. But with the right signs—clear, well-placed, and easy to understand—you’re much more likely to catch their attention.

So, how do we put up those ‘signs’ online? It starts with keywords. Keywords are the specific words or phrases people type into search engines when they’re looking for something. For example, if you specialise in custom-made reclaimed wood tables, someone might search for “bespoke reclaimed wood tables for boutique hotels” or “luxury reclaimed wood furniture.” By understanding which keywords your potential customers are using, you can optimise your website to include these words in strategic places, like your page titles, headings, and content.

“But it’s not just about filling your website with keywords. User experience plays a big role too. This means making sure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and works well on mobile devices. Search engines like Google pay attention to how user-friendly your site is, and they’ll rank you higher if your site is well-organised and provides a good experience for visitors.”

And of course, there’s content. Quality content is like the heart of SEO. It’s not enough to just get people to your site—you want them to stay, read, and engage with what you’re offering. This means creating content that’s valuable, informative, and relevant to your audience. Whether it’s blog posts, product descriptions, or service pages, your content should answer the questions your customers are asking and provide solutions to their problems.

So, to sum it up: SEO is about making your business easy to find in a crowded marketplace. By using the right keywords, offering a great user experience, and providing quality content, you can help search engines direct more people to your website. It’s like making sure your signs are bright, clear, and pointing in the right direction, so your customers can find you with ease.

KEYWORD RESEARCH MADE SIMPLE

Now that we’ve covered the basics of SEO, let’s look at one of the most important parts of the process: keyword research. Keywords are the words or phrases people type into search engines when they’re looking for something. They’re like the connecting thread between what people are searching for and what you offer on your website. That’s why choosing the right keywords is so crucial—it’s how you make sure you’re showing up in front of the right people.

So, how do you find the right keywords for your business? It can sound a bit daunting, but we can make it straightforward. Let’s break it down.

First, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think about what they might type into Google when they’re looking for a product or service like yours. If you specialise in custom-made reclaimed wood tables, your customers might search for things like “luxury reclaimed wood tables for boutique hotels” or “bespoke wooden tables for luxury homes.” Start by brainstorming a list of these potential search terms.

“Once you’ve got a few ideas, you can use a tool like Google Keyword Planner to see how often people are searching for those terms. This tool can show you how popular certain keywords are, and even suggest related keywords you might not have thought of. There are other tools out there too, like Ahrefs or SEMrush, but Google Keyword Planner is a great starting point.”

Now, let’s look at a practical example. Let’s say you’ve identified some keywords like “bespoke reclaimed wood tables” and “luxury wooden tables for boutique hotels.” You check these in Google Keyword Planner, and you find that “bespoke reclaimed wood tables” has a decent number of searches each month with moderate competition. That’s a good sign! You decide to use that keyword on your website.

But here’s the key part: you want to use your keywords naturally. Gone are the days when you could just stuff your website with keywords and rank high on Google. Nowadays, search engines are smarter—they can tell when you’re overdoing it. Instead, focus on weaving your keywords naturally into your content. For example, you might write a blog post titled “Why Our Bespoke Reclaimed Wood Tables Are Perfect for Boutique Hotels,” or update your homepage to say, “We create bespoke reclaimed wood tables tailored for luxury homes and boutique hotels.”

The trick is to make sure your content reads smoothly and makes sense to your audience. If you try to force keywords where they don’t belong, it can actually hurt your SEO because search engines might see your content as spammy. Plus, it’s not a great experience for your visitors, and that’s what really matters at the end of the day.

ON-PAGE SEO - EASY WINS

Now that we’ve covered the basics of SEO and keyword research, let’s move on to some easy, actionable steps you can take to improve your on-page SEO. These are small changes you can make directly on your website that can have a big impact on how well you rank in search engines. We’ll talk about title tags, meta descriptions, headers, image optimisation, and the importance of a mobile-friendly design.

First up, let’s talk about title tags and meta descriptions. These might sound technical, but they’re really just the headlines and summaries that appear in search engine results. When someone types in a search query, the title tag is the clickable headline they see, and the meta description is the short snippet of text that gives them an idea of what your page is about.

To make the most of your title tags and meta descriptions, you want to include your primary keyword (the one you identified during your keyword research) and keep them clear and compelling. Your title tag should be around 60 characters or less, and your meta description should be under 160 characters. Think of them as your first impression—what can you say in just a few words to make someone want to click on your link?

“For example, if you’re optimising a product page for your custom-made reclaimed wood tables, your title tag might be something like “Bespoke Reclaimed Wood Tables – Perfect for Luxury Homes & Boutique Hotels.” The meta description could be “Handcrafted reclaimed wood tables designed for luxury homes and boutique hotels!” Simple, to the point, and keyword-rich.”

Next, let’s move on to headers. Headers are the titles and subtitles you use to break up your content—think of them as the chapter titles in a book. They help both your readers and search engines understand the structure of your content. Use your keywords in these headers where it makes sense, but again, keep it natural.

For example, if you’re writing a blog post about your bespoke reclaimed wood tables, you might have a header like “Why Reclaimed Wood Is the Ideal Choice for Luxury Homes,” followed by another header for a section like “Custom-Made Tables for Boutique Hotels.” These headers make your content easier to scan and more organised, which search engines love.

Now, let’s talk about image optimisation. Images are a great way to make your website visually appealing, but they can also help with your SEO if you optimise them properly. This means giving your images descriptive file names (instead of just “IMG1234.jpg”) and using alt text to describe what the image shows. The alt text is what search engines read to understand what the image is about, and it’s also what shows up if the image doesn’t load for some reason.

“For instance, you could name an image file “bespoke-reclaimed-wood-dining-table-hotel.jpg” or “custom-wooden-coffee-table-luxury-home.jpg.” This way, each image file name reflects specific details about the product and its intended use, helping search engines understand the content more accurately. In the alt text, you might write something like “Custom-made reclaimed wood dining table designed for a boutique hotel.” This approach not only enhances your SEO but also ensures that your images are accessible and clearly understood by both search engines and users.”

Another important aspect of on-page SEO is mobile optimisation. More people are browsing the web on their phones than ever before, so it’s important that your website looks and works well on mobile devices. A mobile-friendly design is one that’s easy to navigate, with buttons that are big enough to tap, text that’s easy to read, and images that are sized to load quickly.

To ensure your website is mobile-friendly, try browsing it on your own phone. Is everything easy to find and interact with? Are the pages loading quickly, or do they feel slow? Google also offers a free tool called the Mobile-Friendly Test, where you can enter your website’s URL and get a report on how well your site is optimised for mobile.

Let’s quickly look at a practical example. Imagine you’re optimising a blog post on your website about your custom-made reclaimed wood tables. You’d start by writing a keyword-rich title tag and meta description. Then, you’d use headers to structure your content, like “Why Reclaimed Wood Is Perfect for Luxury Homes” or “Custom-Made Tables: How to Create Welcoming and Comfortable Rooms in A Boutique Hotel.” Next, you’d optimise your images with descriptive file names and alt text, such as “bespoke-reclaimed-wood-table.jpg” with alt text that describes the image. Finally, you’d check how the post looks on a mobile device, making any adjustments necessary to ensure it’s user-friendly.

“These small, manageable steps can greatly improve your on-page SEO, helping your website rank higher in search results and making it easier for potential customers to find you. It’s all about making your content as accessible and understandable as possible, both for search engines and your audience.”

CONTENT IS KING – CREATING VALUE

We’ve already touched on the importance of blogs and how they can showcase your expertise and products. But let’s dive a bit deeper into why content creation is such a powerful tool for driving traffic and building your brand.

Creating content that resonates with both your audience and search engines is an important part of your online marketing strategy. It’s not just about sprinkling keywords throughout your pages; it’s about offering real value to your visitors. When your content is genuinely helpful, informative, and engaging, it naturally attracts more traffic, encourages longer visits, and generates more shares—all of which signal to search engines that your site is worth ranking higher.

“For instance, blogging is a fantastic way to create this kind of valuable content. In previous sections, we discussed how a well-written blog post can highlight different aspects of your offerings, answer potential customers’ questions, and provide solutions they’re actively searching for.”

Beyond blogs, another effective content strategy is to create FAQs and resource pages. These pages not only provide quick answers to common questions but also serve as valuable resources that can drive consistent traffic over time.

For example, sticking with the same example from before, you could develop an FAQ page addressing questions like “What are the benefits of using reclaimed wood in luxury homes?” or “How do I care for a custom-made reclaimed wood table?” Meanwhile, resource pages could offer guides on topics like “How to Choose the Perfect Reclaimed Wood Table for Your Boutique Hotel” or “The Environmental Benefits of Using Reclaimed Wood in Interior Design.”



When creating content, it’s essential to keep both your audience and search engines in mind. Here are a few tips to help you achieve that balance:

1. Know Your Audience: Before you start writing, take the time to understand who your audience is and what they’re looking for. Are they boutique hotel owners searching for unique design elements? Are they luxury homeowners interested in sustainable, high-quality furniture? Tailor your content to meet their needs and answer their questions.

2. Focus on Quality Over Quantity: It’s better to have a few well-researched, well-written pieces of content than a lot of mediocre ones. High-quality content is more likely to be shared, linked to, and ranked well by search engines.

3. Use Keywords Naturally: Incorporate your keywords where they make sense, but don’t force them. The goal is to create content that reads smoothly and naturally while still being optimised for search engines. For example, if your keyword is “custom-made reclaimed wood table,” use it in a way that fits the context, such as in headers, image alt texts, and naturally within the content.

4. Include Visuals: High-quality images and videos can make your content more engaging. For instance, showing before-and-after photos of a boutique hotel space transformed with your custom tables can be compelling. Just remember to optimise those visuals with descriptive file names and alt text.

5. Encourage Engagement: Invite your readers to comment, share, or ask questions. Engagement signals to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant.

To tie it all together, let’s consider how a well-crafted blog post can drive traffic over time. Suppose you write a post titled “Why Reclaimed Wood Tables Are the Perfect Choice for Sustainable Luxury Homes.” In this post, you detail the environmental benefits of using reclaimed wood, share testimonials from happy customers, and include stunning images of your tables in luxurious settings. Over time, this post could rank well for keywords like “reclaimed wood tables luxury homes” and continue to drive traffic to your site long after it’s published. It becomes a piece of evergreen content—valuable today, tomorrow, and for years to come.

“The goal of your content is to build a bridge between what your audience is searching for and what your business offers. By creating valuable, engaging content that answers their questions, you’re not only driving traffic but also building trust and authority in your niche.”

BUILDING BACKLINKS – THE POWER OF CONNECTIONS

So, we’ve talked about the importance of creating valuable content that resonates with your audience and keeps them coming back for more. Now, let’s take it a step further and discuss how to amplify that content’s reach through the power of backlinks.

Backlinks are essentially links from other websites that point back to your site. Think of them as a vote of confidence or a recommendation from one site to another. When reputable websites link to your content, it signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative, which can significantly boost your rankings.

“You might be wondering, “How do I start building backlinks for my site?” The good news is, there are some straightforward strategies you can use, even if you’re new to SEO.”

One effective way to build backlinks is through guest blogging. This involves writing an article for another website or blog in your industry and including a link back to your own site. For instance, if there’s a popular blog focused on sustainable interior design, you could write a post about the benefits of custom-made reclaimed wood tables for boutique hotels and luxury homes. In return, you get to include a link back to your website within the article. Not only does this help with SEO, but it also introduces your brand to a new audience who might be interested in what you offer.

Another strategy is to leverage partnerships. If you collaborate with other businesses, such as a boutique hotel that uses your custom tables, you can mutually agree to feature each other’s work on your respective websites. For example, you might write a case study about how your tables have enhanced the ambiance of their hotel, and in turn, they could include a feature about your business on their site, linking back to you.

Social media sharing is also a powerful tool. When you create and share high-quality content on platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, or LinkedIn, it increases the chances that others will link to your site. If your content is compelling enough, it can catch the eye of influencers or bloggers in your niche, who may share it with their audience and include a link back to your site.

“Building backlinks is about creating connections—both digitally and within your industry. It’s about forming relationships, sharing your expertise, and helping others in your niche, while also benefiting from their audience and authority. The more high-quality backlinks you can earn, the stronger your site’s SEO will become, and the more visibility you’ll gain online.”

MEASURING SUCCESS – TRACKING YOUR SEO EFFORTS

Now that we’ve covered the importance of backlinks, let’s finish this episode on how you can measure your success. Just like any other aspect of your business, tracking your SEO efforts is important to understanding what’s working and where you might need to make adjustments.

One of the best tools to help you do this is Google Analytics. If you haven’t set it up on your website yet, I highly recommend doing so. You can find guides within Google Analytics to help you do this. Google Analytics provides a wealth of information about how visitors are interacting with your site. You can see where your traffic is coming from, which pages are most popular, how long visitors are staying on your site, and much more. This data is invaluable for understanding your audience’s behaviour and for identifying which parts of your SEO strategy are driving the most results.

Another powerful tool is Google Search Console. While Google Analytics gives you a broad view of your website’s performance, Google Search Console is specifically designed to help you track your site’s search engine visibility. It shows you how your site is performing in search results, which queries are bringing in the most traffic, and any issues that might be affecting your site’s visibility, such as broken links or mobile usability problems.

With these tools, you can start to track your SEO performance more closely. Look at metrics like organic traffic (the number of visitors coming to your site from search engines), bounce rate (how quickly visitors leave your site after arriving), and keyword rankings (how well your site is ranking for your targeted keywords). By regularly checking these metrics, you can get a clear picture of how your SEO efforts are paying off.

“SEO is a long-term game. It’s not something where you’ll see overnight results. It can take months to see significant changes in your rankings or traffic, so patience is important. The best thing is to keep an eye on your progress and be ready to adjust your strategies as needed. If you notice that certain keywords aren’t performing as well as you’d hoped, or if your traffic suddenly drops, these tools can help you pinpoint the issue and find a solution.”

As we come to the end of the episode, I want to leave you with a few key takeaways that you can start implementing right away. First and foremost, remember that SEO is all about making your business easier to find online. It’s not about quick wins but building a strong, sustainable presence that grows over time.

Start by focusing on the basics—ensure your website is user-friendly, mobile-optimised, and filled with quality content that resonates with your audience. Look into keyword research to understand what your customers are searching for, and weave those keywords naturally into your content.

Don’t forget the power of connections. Building backlinks is about forming meaningful relationships within your industry, so think about how you can collaborate with others to boost your online visibility.

“And most importantly, be patient and consistent. SEO is a long term focus . Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to keep an eye on your progress, and be ready to tweak your strategy as you learn what works best for your business.”

So, start today by taking one small step—whether it’s refining your keywords, optimising a blog post, or checking your site’s mobile performance. Each step you take brings you closer to building a stronger online presence and attracting more of the right customers to your business.

I really hope you’re feeling inspired and ready to action on even just one of the steps, as that will make a genuine difference. I’m looking forward to hearing about the great things you’ll achieve with one or all of these strategies. Until next time, with huge love.