Why Every Content Creator Should Learn SEO
It’s crazy to think how much the influencer industry has changed in the last decade.
I started this blog 10 years ago with no idea that I’d still be publishing and creating content after all of this time.
I’m so glad I stuck with my blog, even as people were abandoning their website in favor of Instagram, which has seen a big hit in feed post engagement in the last few years.
As Instagram changes and becomes a less reliable source of income for content creators, where can creators turn to build a profitable influencer business?
If you ask me, the answer lies with searchable platforms and today I want to talk about SEO, why every content creator should care about it and my brand new workshop, What You Really Need To Know About SEO.
What is SEO and how does it work?
Search engine optimization is the process of making your content visible to search engines like Google so it can understand what your content is about and easily recommend it to people who are searching for that topic.
What platforms are searchable?
Google, YouTube and Pinterest are all powerful search engines.
Why is SEO so important?
Search engines are scanning hundreds of thousands of articles, videos and images in a given day and trying to sort through all of that content to deliver the most relevant results to people who are searching.
SEO is a way of directly communicating with search engines to give them all of the information they need about your post quickly and easily so that they can suggest great content to people who are looking for it.
You can be creating the best content in the world, but if no one is viewing it, you’re not able to reach the right people, build your brand and increase your revenue.
On searchable platforms, publishing once a week is plenty.
Lifespan of content with SEO
One of the big benefits to creating searchable content is that you can produce less high quality content and see a great return on your investment of time.
On algorithm-controlled platforms like Instagram and TikTok you need to constantly feed the algorithm to keep it happy which can lead to feeling burned out.
I currently publish one new blog post and one new YouTube video each week and am still able to grow my audience and create even better content because I’m not feeling rushed or pressured to publish multiple times each week.
Building a sustainable business as a creator
What this really comes down to is building a long-term profitable business as a content creator.
Traditional service-based influencer work (aka brand deals) includes trading dollars for hours. It requires your time and your direct involvement.
If that is your only income stream, that means if you’re unavailable or if it’s a slow month for brands, you’re not making money.
Growing on searchable platforms enables you to:
Qualify for an ad network so you can earn passive income on your content
Create searchable content that plugs products you sell
Build your authority and introduce new potential clients to services you offer
When your content is already being shown to the right people and you start bringing in money without needing to constantly show up and sell, it frees up time for you to focus on other areas of your business.
How I got started with SEO
My SEO journey began in the summer of 2020 when I started learning as much as I could about SEO from taking courses, to reading books to watching videos online.
After 6 months of implementing SEO strategies on my blog, I was able to triple my page views from 3k to over 10k page views per month and it continued to grow over the next year as you can see here from my Squarespace analytics (12 month window shown from July 2020 to June 2021).
I was able to qualify for the SheMedia Collective ad network and I now make passive income on my blog while search engines bring in new readers to my site each and every day.
In 2021, 79% of my blog traffic came from organic search.
My SEO workshop overview
SEO has totally transformed the way I approach my content and my business. I want to share the power of SEO with as many creators as possible.
That’s why I created: What You Really Need To Know About SEO.
This 60-minute workshop is for creators who are fed up with algorithms and ready to set themselves up for long-term success by working smarter, not harder.
I share a high-level overview of SEO, keyword research and how to apply SEO best practices to your blog, YouTube and Pinterest content.
What you really need to know about SEO workshop
Who is the workshop for?
This workshop is perfect for beginners if you want to learn and understand how to do SEO yourself.
If you’re not interested in outsourcing your SEO but want to make sure you’re on the right track with your content and understanding what you can rank for, this workshop is perfect for you.
My SEO workshop is basically the equivalent of me packing you a lunch box filled with the most important information to understand SEO conceptually and then you can unpack the box and apply those concepts to any searchable content you create.
If you are over algorithms controlling who sees your content, you’ll love shifting your focus to searchable platforms.
What does it cover?
The SEO workshop covers:
More of my personal SEO story
What having good SEO can do for your business
How Google's algorithm works (simplified)
SEO tools to help you succeed
Website setup and site structure
Intro to keyword research
Understanding your competition
Backlinks: what they are and why they matter
SEO for blogs
SEO for YouTube
SEO for Pinterest
Translating SEO strategies to other platforms
When can I sign up?
You can buy the workshop now at austentosone.com.
Where can I take it?
You can take the SEO workshop online any time and rewatch it as often as you’d like.
What happens after I’m finished with the workshop?
My hope is that you’ll walk away from the workshop with a no-BS understanding of how to do SEO and clarity on what to create to attract your ideal readers, viewers and customers to your content.
On top of that, everyone who enrolls in the workshop will receive a handy dandy workbook with a recommended action plan to help you make the most of the workshop and implement the strategies covered for your own platforms.
this free workbook is included with purchase of the workshop
The workbook also includes checklists for exactly what to do SEO-wise before publishing a blog post, YouTube video, and Pinterest pin.
Additionally, everyone who enrolls will also receive a PDF of frequently asked questions to reference.
One other thing…
I’ve enrolled in courses and workshops in the past where the instructor will sometimes recommend really expensive tools or other programs needed to do the work shown in their program.
I’m very happy to share that almost all of the recommended SEO tools I discuss throughout the workshop are free or have free versions that will serve the purpose that we need them to.
There is one paid tool that I do think is essential but super affordable at $10 for 100,000 search credits.
I hope that this gets you excited about the idea of growing on searchable platforms! Do you have any questions about SEO or the workshop?
Leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you!
yours,
Austen
Photos above by Jessie Alcheh