Many entrepreneurs hire SEO consultants without any foundational knowledge, leading to wasted money and zero results. It is crucial to learn enough about SEO fundamentals to properly vet agencies, understand their reports, and verify that they are delivering actual value before committing to a long-term contract.
While Google SEO relies heavily on placing keywords in specific technical elements like title tags, AI search engines care less about keywords. They prioritize content that directly and comprehensively answers a user's question. The strategy shifts from keyword density to providing the best possible solution.
Users often begin research with AI tools like ChatGPT for broad questions. When ready to purchase, nearly half of them then move to Google to find specific providers. This creates a two-step customer journey where AI generates awareness and Google closes the sale, requiring optimization for both platforms.
A standard browser personalizes search results based on your history, giving you an inflated and inaccurate view of your site's ranking. To see what potential customers actually see, you must use an incognito or private browser window. This provides a neutral baseline for how your site truly ranks for a given keyword.
A course creator found a single, non-obvious "super juicy" keyword her competitors missed. Optimizing her site for this term generated over $150,000 in high-intent traffic for her coaching offer, allowing her to abandon the stressful live launch model for a more sustainable, evergreen business.
Instead of immediately chasing competitive, non-branded keywords, a new business's first SEO priority should be optimizing its homepage to rank #1 for its own brand name. This foundational step ensures that people who already know the brand can easily find its official website above social media profiles.