Who is not obsessed with figuring out how to improve SEO for Small Business? I was deep into yet another book about SEO and loving it. 

The explanations made sense… at least while I was reading. But the moment I tried putting any of it into practice? It felt like I was back in high school chemistry class—completely lost and wondering if I’d ever use this in real life.

Maybe you’ve been there too. SEO feels confusing. Overwhelming. Like some sort of digital sorcery.

But here’s what I’ve learned (and what this week’s Chasing Simple Podcast guest, Victoria Rayburn, reinforced): SEO isn’t magic. It’s strategy. And it’s incredibly powerful for small business owners like us, especially when you’re looking to grow sustainably without spending hours on social media or pouring money into ads.

Victoria is an SEO strategist and coach who’s experienced the power of search firsthand. First, as a wedding photographer, where 40% of her bookings came from Google, and now as an educator helping other creatives grow using the same simple tactics.

In this post, I’m breaking down the 11 ways Victoria says we can all start boosting our rankings—and showing up as experts in Google’s eyes—without the overwhelm. Let’s simplify SEO and uncover how to improve SEO for Small Business together.

• Stop into my YouTube channel for weekly videos about all things content marketing.
• Check out the Playbook for a Complete Marketing Game Plan
• Link for Victoria’s Small Business Keyword Guide
• 6 Most Effective Ways to Improve Your Small Business’s SEO by Victoria Rayburn
• Want your own live coaching session? Apply here
• Find me on Instagram and tell us you what you thought of this episode: @mrsamandawarfield

Here’s the thing: when someone knows they need a solution, they’re not scrolling Instagram hoping to magically land on the right post. They’re going to Google.

And 97% of people searching for a product or service use Google to do it. That’s huge.

If your website isn’t showing up when your ideal person is actively searching for what you offer, that’s a problem. Not because your product or service isn’t good, but because they can’t find you.

And that’s where SEO comes in.

When you focus on search engine optimization, your marketing starts working for you long after you’ve created the content. You spend less time chasing leads because your strongest leads are finding you.

And for us as educators and course creators? That’s gold. It frees up your time, your budget, and your energy.

At its core, SEO is just the process of helping Google recognize your website as a trustworthy, helpful resource so it can serve your content to the people searching for it.

And Google doesn’t just want to know you exist. It wants proof that you’re the expert.

That’s where this acronym comes in: E-E-A-T—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

Your goal with SEO is to show Google (and your audience) that you know what you’re talking about and that you can be trusted. When you do that consistently, your content starts ranking better, and your leads get stronger.

Let’s dig into the practical steps of how to improve SEO for your Small Business so you can start implementing to improve your E-E-A-T and help Google see you as the expert you are.

Google wants to serve its users great content. So, your job is to create it. The best places to start?

• Educational content that teaches something or answers a question.
  
• Client/student success stories that show the results of your work.
  
• Location-specific posts (if you’re a local business).
  

And if you’re a podcsater or YouTuber, transcribe your audio and turn them into blog posts that live on your website and are optimized with keywords your audience is searching for.

Need help choosing those keywords? Check out Victoria’s free keyword guide.

2. Use Data and Cite Sources

It might feel counterintuitive, but citing other experts and including relevant stats actually boosts your credibility. It tells Google—and your readers—that you’re informed and trustworthy.

Think: survey results, academic studies, credible industry sources, or even your own case studies.

Ask a peer to write a guest blog post for your site—or offer to do the same for theirs. This cross-pollinates your audiences and shows Google that you’re connected to others in your industry. Or, have an expert on your podcast and write a blog post about it.