Getting Started with SEO: Where to Even Begin?

One of the MOST asked questions I get goes something like this:

Okay, SEO. I get that it’s important. But where I do even begin??

I get it.

SEO aka Search Engine Optimization can be a bit overwhelming with all the moving parts.

Title tags? Creating links to your site? Writing content? Keyword research? Alt tags?

Oy.

Makes you just want to hide under a table instead right? Or maybe login to Netflix to catch up on the latest binge?

To get started with SEO, it doesn’t have to be hard.

Seriously.

If you want an SEO strategy that will work for you & your business, the answer is simple.

Start with who you’re trying to attract.

Start with your ideal client in mind.

Sooooooo many people skip this step.

And in doing so, end up attracting the WRONG people.

Think about it.

If you’re going to spend all that effort creating keyword-optimized content and getting links back to said content….

WHAT A WASTE OF TIME if it ends up attracting some randos to your site instead of your people.

SEO is completely worthless if you don’t start with your ideal client in mind. (Click to tweet that!)

So if you’re new to SEO, start with your ideal customer.

Talk to them, survey them, eavesdrop on them.

Basically – stalk them, but legally

(Tara Gentile puts it together nicely in her Perspective Map.)

Find out what they’re struggling with – find out what their pain points are – find out what the ACTUAL questions are they have about your area of expertise and the problem you solve – not just what you think they are.

Take their exact language and plop into one doc – with my clients I call this the “Ideal Client Language” doc.

From there, you can do more seemingly complicated things like keyword research and building the right links back to your site. BUT it’ll all be in the name and pursuit of your ideal client.

If you do the legwork on this piece, your SEO strategy will be golden.

(and the rest of your marketing won’t be too shabby either)

If you don’t, you’ll find SEO (and other marketing) to be pretty worthless.

What say you? Have you done the legwork to actually talk to your ideal customers? Do you use those insights and language in your SEO efforts? Let me know in the comments.