What is SEO and how does it increase web traffic? 
SEO helps make your website compatible for both users and search engines. 

And if you are an SEO novice like me, you're probably wondering, 'why is SEO important?'

I see many solopreneurs and businesses alike make the mistake of fully investing in social media without giving thought of social media being borrowed land.  

In other words, social media should be your handshake -- your first impression with your audience. It should not be your end game.

You don't own Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg does. And it's the same concept with any other social media platform.

*Think about it: if Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube or any other of the big players were to shut down tomorrow, how would you get a hold of your audience?*

Simply put, the ultimate goal of your social media accounts should be driving your audience back to your website or onto your email list. However, email lists are the best method for converting sales.

In fact, Jenna Kutcher, (my online marketing queen), confirms in a blog post titled, 'What you really need to know about email lists':

"Did you know: 72% of people prefer to receive promotional content through emails than social media? And 66% of consumers have purchased something directly from an email. Why? Think about your mindset when you’re scrolling social media: you’re there to be entertained, inspired or to catch up on what friends and family are doing. You are not shopping and in fact, seeing something for sale there can often be a turnoff. It just doesn’t always feel right.

"People expect sales type messages more via email and therefore are more open to them. And being more open to them means being more likely to actually click through and purchase."

So, how do you build a profitable audience off of social media exactly?

This is where Neil's 3-month plan steps in.

Month 1 – Keyword and Market Research
Conduct market research to ensure your content has profitable potential, has demand, and gather an idea of how the content will perform. Look what shows up on YouTube, Pinterest, Google, etc., to see what exactly your people are struggling with.

Doing market research helps you to understand what types of content performs well, and what content is going to sink to the bottom. Remember to record your findings. ​​These are the keywords you want to optimize first. 

"In this phase, you want to put your competitors website url into SEMrush's search bar," instructs Neil. Or you can use other SEO tools as well. "Then, you'll see what ads your competitors are running, the keywords they are ranking for, and the pages on their website are generating the highest traffic."

Ideally, you're looking for the holy trinity, or keywords with a high CPC (cost per click), low competition, and high search volume.

According to Neil, it may take up to 6 months to see results from implementing a strategic SEO plan, so you want to ensure you are targeting the right keywords from the start.

It is also important to note that the older the website, the easier it is to build traction with a strategic SEO plan.

Tools for conducting your keyword research:

• SEMrush (Paid)
• Ahrefs
• Ubersuggest​ (FREE)
• Google Analytics (FREE) - Comb through your analytics. And if you don't already have a Google Analytics tracking code installed on your website, you should get on it! Doing so allows you to collect information about your audience, and improve their experience on your website.
  
  You can also use Google Analytics to examine what keywords are driving traffic to your website and what pages are gaining the most traction. 
• Google Search Console
• Pinterest - Guys, Pinterest is actually a search engine, as well as an addictive social media platform. Think about your own user behavior -- you type in key phrases into the search bar and scroll. 

​Month 2 – Content Creation
Consistency is key. You wouldn't go to the gym once a month and expect to get a six pack. It's the same concept with blogging or any other form of content creation. 

Once you gathered your research, it's time to put your plan into action and create content that your audience actually wants.

Here are a few pointers Neil suggests to implement when writing your blog posts/articles. I have also added some tips and tricks I picked up along the way from professionally writing for the past 5 years:

• Write in a conversational tone.
• Create thorough content (at LEAST 1,000 words).
• Use subheads to break up sections (H2 in size).
• Keep paragraphs short (3-5 sentences ideally).
• Use images (examples, graphics, pull-quotes highlighting the most important takeaways).
• Create 10x pillar pages: pillar pages are essentially related blogs that all link back to each other. In essence, creating a pillar page encourages readers to binge content. If people are binging content, then they are spending optimal time on your website. This signals Google you are providing people with a good user experience.
  
  ​To do build a 10x pillar page, choose a core topic that's relevant to your target audience. Then, brainstorm further subtopics that bring value to your core topic (preferably educational content that answers your audience's queries and builds connection). 
• Optimize your blog post's slug: the slug is the appearance of the blog post's link. For example, in this URL, www.rachelbrauer.com/blog, the word after the forward-slash is considered the slug. The best practice is naming the slug something short that contains focused keywords.
• Meta description – For those who may not know, a meta description is the little paragraph that displays under a URL when you do a Google Search. While it is said that meta descriptions don't count towards your search ranking, I believe it can improve your click through rate. It gives people context about what your blog post is actually about. And if you do it right, you can peak interest. 
• Utilizing the alt text on images in your blog post. By including keywords in the alt text, you're  increasing the likelihood of being found on Google images.
• Wrap up your blog posts with a summary conclusion.
• End your summary conclusion with a question.

Month 3 - Building clout (backlinks)
Once you've created your extra ordinary content that surpasses your competitor's, it's time for some outreach. You can use BuzzSumo, a content marketing research tool, to discover who shared your competitor's content. 

Then, reach out to those folx with your new, refurbished piece of content and ask if they would be willing to share it on social media or on their website.

Having backlinks, or social clout, signals to Google that your content is popular, and increases the likelihood of your content being pushed. 

Conclusion
When someone finishes reading your blog post, what do you want them to do? What action do you want them to take? Whether that's to follow you on social, join your email list, or sign up for a discovery call, be clear about the next step at the end of the post.

Now that you (and I) have a basis for creating high-performing SEO content, we can create our own 3-month SEO plan. I'm sketching mine out, and will update you with how it goes!

Have any questions? Feel free to reach out. I would love to help!

See what I did there? ;) 

1) I think it's safe to say The Moth is one of my favorites. The podcast opens the stage for people to tell real stories about their lives.⁣
⁣
Follow them on Instagram here.

2) The Angie Lee Show - I'm not sure why it took me so long to find this podcast! Angie is so relatable. I always walk away with tangibles on sales (WHICH LIKE, BLESS UP THAT THERE ARE FINALLY WOMEN INFILTRATING THIS FIELD), marketing, and mindset. Thanks for giving me a good ol' kick in the pants whenever I need it. ⁣

Angie also hosts an annual live event, Pays to Be Brave. The conference's objective is to support and energize women creative entrepreneurs. 

Follow her on Instagram (seriously, DO IT. I love watching her stories). 
⁣
⁣3) Often Ambitious - Y'ALL. I refresh the podcast app daily waiting for these ladies to drop a new episode. If you're an entrepreneur, or a professional, who wants to work on their mindset or gather tangibles on online marketing, check them out. ⁣

To quote, "A podcast for the imperfectly daring woman -- the Often Ambitious."

Follow on Instagram.
⁣
4) The Goal Digger Podcast - Without Jenna Kutcher, I would have never found The Rising Tide Society. And if I had never discovered the Rising Tide, I don't know where the heck my career would be. Jenna gets real about what it takes to run a creative business and how to remain authentic while doing so. There are plenty of actionable steps you can take in each episode.⁣
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Have any favorite podcasts? I'm open to suggestions😌

Expressing this commonality on the actual Urban Outfitters website could make your consumers feel more connected to the organization.

Secondly, not embedding any links to your sibling organizations, such as anthropologie, freepeople, or Vetri Family for on-site optimization is a crucial mistake. By only providing a link to URBN, the parent site, with no explanation as to how Urban Outfitters relates, is counterintuitive and misses the opportunity to optimize your SEO.

According to Entrepreneur, when reputable sites in your industry link to your page, it increases your site's authority. Ultimately, Google interprets backlinks as a trend signal.

Thirdly, I think your Blog page could be revamped. Currently, you only have two columns on your blog.

1. Artist Editions, a series featuring the exclusive designers selling their work to Urban Outfitters. "Designed exclusively for Urban Outfitters."
2. Music Mondays is an ongoing public playlist showcasing a new set of tunes from Soundcloud every Monday, featuring grassroots bands and songs that aren't mainstream.
   
   

Given that Urban Outfitters is a lifestyle brand, you could create a free tutorial or YouTube video lesson about how to take aesthetic pictures. Not only would this appeal to your consumers, but it could draw in potential leads and establish UO's brand authority.

Overall, I think your website is excellent. It's filled with aesthetic images and products. But as a customer, I believe that you should strategize what could elevate each consumer's experience. Whether it's my suggestions listed not, there are always ways for a company to improve its digital strategy.​

Sincerely,
Rachel Brauer