SEO Basics Every Business Owner Should Know
You rank #47 for your main keyword. No one finds you.
The problem isn't that you don't have a website. It's that you don't have SEO.
Here's what actually matters (and what doesn't).
The Five Things That Actually Work
**1. Keywords (30% of ranking power)**
Your pages need to target specific keywords.
Write for: "How to close more B2B deals" not "Sales consulting"
Use the keyword:
- In your page title
- In your H1
- In the first 100 words
- 2-3 more times naturally throughout
Tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush show you what keywords people actually search for.
**2. Content Quality (25% of ranking power)**
Google wants to rank content that actually helps people.
Your content should:
- Answer the question completely
- Use examples and data
- Be at least 1,500 words for competitive keywords
- Actually be better than what currently ranks
Short, thin content doesn't rank. Depth matters.
**3. Backlinks (20% of ranking power)**
Links from other websites are votes for you.
Get them by:
- Writing content so good people want to link to it
- Guest posting on relevant sites
- Getting mentioned in industry publications
- Being genuinely helpful to other creators
**4. Page Speed (10% of ranking power)**
Pages that load in under 3 seconds rank higher.
Easy wins:
- Compress images
- Use a CDN
- Cache pages
- Remove bloat
**5. Mobile Optimization (10% of ranking power)**
60%+ of searches are mobile. Google ranks mobile experience.
Make sure:
- Your site is responsive
- Buttons are clickable
- Forms are easy to fill on phone
- Pages load fast on mobile
What Doesn't Really Matter
- How many times you use your keyword (stuffing hurts you)
- Social media followers (doesn't directly impact ranking)
- Nice design alone (design helps UX, which helps ranking)
The 90-Day Plan
Month 1: Audit your top 10 pages. Are they targeting real keywords?
Month 2: Improve your top 5 pages. Add content. Improve speed.
Month 3: Build 3 new pieces of content targeting keywords you're not yet ranking for.
Track your rankings monthly. Most people see 2-3x traffic increase in 6 months.