SEO for Newbies: How to Get Ranked with Meg Clarke of Clapping Dog Media
Episode 045: Show Notes
Guys, you better get ready and put your thinking caps on because today we are hanging out with our good friend Meg Clarke from Clapping Dog Media. She is an SEO expert who works with creative entrepreneurs to help them get their businesses found by Google. We know sometimes SEO can be a bit confusing and make you want to run for your life. But don’t let it scare you, and don’t let it intimidate you, because Meg is breaking everything down super simply today and she is going to give you some awesome tips on how to move forward.
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In today’s episode we are talking about what the heck SEO even is, how you can do it yourself, and diving into some of Meg’s favorite links to get reporting tools and data back on your own website to see your ranking. Then, we talk through when it makes sense to hire an SEO expert, the kind of SEO expert you should be looking for, and when you should run for the hills. So stay tuned, bust out your notebooks, and get ready for an epic show.
Breaking Down SEO, Step-By-Step
One of the most common words that you hear when you talk about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), is “rank”. All that this really refers to is where you rank on the Google search results page. So, when somebody Googles you on the interwebs, your rank determines where you fall on the page, and whether you are number one so people click on you immediately, or whether you are on page four, five, or six, where you are basically lost in oblivion. The next common SEO terms are tags and meta descriptions, which really describe who you are and what you want to be known for according to Google. Then there is ALT. Since Google can’t quite decipher pictures, videos, or audio yet, you have to add what’s called alternatives or ALT tags to them, which basically tell Google what the heck they are. If you add good description tags, your images will easily be found on Google.
Improving Your SEO Right Off the Bat
The best thing that you can do for SEO is to consistently write good content, and stay true to who you are and what you’re doing. Don’t get distracted by all of the shiny objects out there, and really focus on being good at what you can consistently produce. People often get wrapped up in all of the different things that are going on, and then they jump around from one thing to another instead of staying the course. If you just focus on a few things and do them really well and stay true to who you are and what your business is, you’ll get yourself noticed not just by Google, but by your audience as well.
How Are You Doing SEO-Wise?
If you are looking to find out how you are doing SEO-wise, one of the easiest things to do is to just go to over our friend Google and type in your brand name. When people are searching for your brand name, they probably want to go directly to your site. If you Google your brand name up in the search bar without the domain and your site doesn’t come up, then there are probably some technical fixes that need to happen to your website. Another thing that Meg recommends is to figure out what you want to be known for. Determine what it is that people would search for to find you, and what kind of clients you want. Then, when you do a search for that, you can see whether or not you even come up as an option for them. If you don’t come up, then maybe your SEO is not doing as well as you want it to do.
Using Analytics to Understand Your SEO
There are a ton of free websites that can give you the tools to see your analytics. Some of Meg’s favorites are SEMrush, SERPs, and Google Analytics. SEMrush allows you to type in your domain name and search for keywords to see where you are in relation to everybody else. One of the greatest reasons to use SEMrush is to see how people find your site. This shows you exactly how Google sees you. SERPs has a really great keyword search tool and they also have a ranking tool. It can also really help you if you’re looking for keywords that you want to be known for. Google Analytics can sometimes be overwhelming, but it really gives you a good idea of what your users are looking for by showing you how they are spending time on your website, how they are getting to your site, and what referrals are coming to you.
What to Look For When Investing in an SEO Expert
A good SEO person is going to help you move along with your business, and understand who you are, what you want to do and what you want to be known for. They should work with you to figure out your keywords and to create your content plan, whether that is for a blog or even a podcast. One of the biggest things that your SEO needs to provide is performance markers. They need to show you how your results are doing on a keyword basis and on an organic search basis, and provide their ROI to show how they are helping your business grow. The bottom line is, they need to make it easy for you to understand the value that they are bringing to you and your business. So if they are not providing reports, you should just run away!
Quote This
SEO is kind of like this hidden gem that really helps you be all that you are meant to be.
—Meg Clarke
Highlights
Understand the definitions of all the different SEO “jibber jabber” and what it all means. [0:03:13.7]
Learn how to improve your SEO during the beginning stages of your business. [0:08:19.4]
Find out where to get the data that shows you how you are performing SEO-wise without hiring an expert. [0:13:17.0]
Discover how to use analytics to better understand your SEO and how to improve it. [0:16:01.6]
Understand what to look for when deciding to invest in an SEO expert. [0:27:18.0]
#TalkStrategyToMe [0:39:37.5]
Start writing.
Write content, just do it.
For every piece of content that you put out, focus on one thing.
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Meg Clarke
Clapping Dog Media
Website | Instagram | Facebook
Meg Clarke is the Owner and CEO at Clapping Dog Media where she works with creative entrepreneurs to help them get found by Google. She is obsessed with the details, and an expert at connecting the dots of data to get your business found with all the best SEO tricks.
KEY TOPICS
Understanding SEO vocabulary, Improving your SEO, Gathering your SEO data, Using analytics to understand your SEO, Investing in an SEO expert
