Let’s talk about SEO. Not the soul-sucking, 200-factor, mysterious beast the internet makes it out to be. I'm talking real-life, small business SEO—the kind that helps people find your website (and actually reach out to work with you) while you’re off living your life.

First: What Even Is SEO?

If you’ve ever Googled something and landed on a blog post that actually helped, that’s SEO doing its job. Jess broke it down like this: at its core, SEO is good copywriting paired with a few technical tweaks. But it’s more than just stuffing a few keywords into your homepage. There are over 200 ranking factors (don’t panic), but not all of them are weighted equally.

Your website’s copy, page titles, speed, backlinks, and even your blog topics all send signals to Google that say, “Hey! I’m a real business, and I know my stuff.”

The Power of Local Search (And Why It Matters)

Let’s say you're a professional organizer in Hamilton, Ontario. If your website doesn’t mention your location or your service clearly and consistently, Google isn’t going to rank you when someone types in “Professional Organizer Hamilton.”

Jess explained it like this: if you want to show up for multiple neighborhoods or nearby cities, you need to mention them—either in your homepage copy or, better yet, create separate pages optimized for each location.

Google can’t read minds. It reads your content.

How to Actually Show Up on the First Page of Google

Spoiler: there's no magic hack. And if someone promises you “page one” results, run the other way.

What you can do:

• Figure out what your people are searching for
  Are they looking for a “professional organizer” or “home organizer”? That tiny word swap can make a huge difference in search volume and visibility.

• Use those keywords intentionally
  Don’t just pop them into the backend of your website and hope for the best. Your actual page copy needs to reflect those keywords too. Otherwise, Google won’t take you seriously.

• Use free tools to research keywords
  Jess recommends Ahrefs’ free keyword generator. It doesn’t require a login and won’t limit you after three searches.

Blog Posts Still Matter (But Not If You're Keyword Stuffing)

Jess dropped a truth bomb: blog posts are one of the best long-term strategies for getting traffic from search engines.

But—and this is a big but—don’t keyword stuff.

Write like a human. Use your keywords naturally in headlines and body copy. Answer real questions your ideal clients are Googling. And for the love of all things digital, don’t title your blog “How We Did It.” Google (and your readers) need a little more context than that.

Think:

• “How We Transformed This Family Room With Professional Organizing”

• “Top Toy Storage Tips From a Pro Organizer”

Your blog posts should prove that you're the expert—not confuse your audience with vague metaphors and clickbait-y nonsense.

You Don’t Need to Be Everywhere. You Just Need to Be Searchable.

Relying solely on social media to book clients is like standing in the middle of a crowded street and hoping someone notices you.

With a solid SEO strategy:

• Your website can bring in leads 24/7

• People can find you while you’re on vacation (or just off your phone)

• You can write content once and have it work for you for years

Jess told a story about a client who found her from a five-year-old blog post via Google’s AI search summary. Five. Years. Old. That blog is still working for her today.

No social media post from 2019 is doing that.

Want to Stand Out Online? Start With Clear Messaging

You can’t SEO your way out of vague copy. If your website is full of lines like “Helping you thrive and shine,” you’re not telling Google (or your audience) what you actually do.

Be specific. Use real words people search for. Claim your niche. And don’t be afraid to position yourself as the expert.

SEO Is Long Game Magic

Yes, it takes a little effort up front. But the rewards? They compound over time.

So whether you’re just getting started or finally ready to stop shouting into the Instagram void, SEO can help you create better content that works for you—without being glued to your phone.