An Honest Conversation About Websites and SEO
The questions I hear every time I talk to friends and family.
Last weekend, I got to present on SEO to a group of passionate entrepreneurs. As I broke down the basics, it struck me: these are the questions I hear over lunch with friends and family. So, let’s chat about it.
Q: How do I get my website to rank higher on Google?
A: The real question is, how do you create an experience that delights your visitors? SEO and user experience go hand in hand. Make your site engaging, easy to navigate, and packed with real value, and both users and search engines will notice.
Q: What kind of content should I create?
A: Write like you're talking to a friend. Think about what your audience is searching for and what problems you can solve for them. Keep it simple: short paragraphs, clear fonts, and proper headings (H1, H2, H3) make your content easy to digest and more appealing to search engines.
Q: How do I improve my website’s navigation?
A: Navigation should feel like a friendly guide. Organize your site with intuitive menus, categories, and filters. Highlight your best content like top blog posts or customer favorites and use internal links to create a smooth flow, so visitors always know what to do next.
Q: Besides content and navigation, what else improves visibility?
A: Visibility isn’t limited to your website. Think about the buzz around your brand—backlinks from reputable sites, a strong social media presence, and collaborations with partners or influencers can significantly boost your reach.
Q: What pages should my website have?
A: Picture your website as a conversation with your audience. Essential pages include:
Meet the Team: Let visitors connect with the people behind the brand.
Product/Service Pages: Clearly showcase what you offer with great images and reviews.
FAQ Section: Answer common questions upfront.
What’s Trending: Highlight your best or most popular content.
Q: What technical tweaks should I make?
A: Sometimes, it’s the little details that make a big difference. Use tools like Google Search Console to monitor performance, and an SEO plugin (like Yoast) to handle metadata and sitemaps. Don’t forget to speed up your site by compressing images and cutting down on heavy scripts. Plus, ensure it’s mobile-friendly, so no one gets left behind.
Final Thoughts: SEO is an Ongoing Experiment
Your website isn’t a one-and-done project; it’s a living, evolving experience. Every small tweak, content update, and strategic decision adds up over time. The best websites are intentional, constantly tested, and refined.
Key Takeaways:
Deliver a user-first experience.
Write content like you’re chatting with a friend.
Keep navigation simple and intuitive.
Leverage external partnerships to boost visibility.
Tweak, test, and update consistently.
I’d love to know what’s your biggest website or SEO challenge right now? Drop a comment or reach out, and let’s keep this conversation going!