March 7, 2025 • 16 mins
Ready to demystify SEO once and for all? Forget complicated algorithms and technical jargon—what if the secret to better search visibility could be distilled into just three fundamental pillars?
We're diving deep into Don Phelps' revolutionary "Holy Trinity of SEO" framework that's changing how businesses approach their online presence. This elegantly simple yet powerful concept focuses on three core elements: who you are (identity), what you do (offerings), and where you do it (location).
The identity pillar reveals why seemingly minor details like inconsistent business information across platforms can tank your rankings. Through real-world examples—like the bakery whose business surged after standardizing their contact details—we explore how NAP consistency, schema markup, compelling About Us content, and authentic reviews create the foundation of search visibility.
For the offerings pillar, we dispel the myth that keyword stuffing wins the day. Instead, we explore strategic keyword research methods that help you speak your customers' language, create dedicated service pages that convert, and develop content marketing approaches that establish true authority while naturally incorporating relevant search terms.
Local businesses will particularly benefit from our deep dive into the location pillar, where we unpack Google Business Profile optimization, the power of local citations as "trust signals," and how geo-specific content can bridge the gap between online searches and foot traffic to your physical location.
What makes this framework truly powerful is understanding how these three elements work together in harmony—not as separate tactics but as an interconnected system that creates a cohesive online presence. And unlike many marketing approaches, SEO isn't a "set it and forget it" solution. It's an ongoing journey requiring consistent attention, much like tending a garden that evolves with changing algorithms and consumer behaviors.
Whether you're a small business owner frustrated by poor visibility or a marketing professional looking to refine your approach, this episode provides the clear, actionable framework you need to take your digital presence to the next level. Subscribe now and join us on this SEO journey to connect with more customers and grow your business online!
Thanks for tuning in to Local SEO Unlocked! If you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with others who want to master Local SEO. Stay connected with us weekly for more insights on SEO! Until next time, keep optimizing and stay ahead in local search!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, buckle up everybody, because today, on the
deep dive, we are talking SEO.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh yeah, Love it Getting into the nitty gritty
and we're not just skimming thesurface, no way.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
We're diving deep into the fundamentals with the
help of SEO guru Don Phelps andhis article the Holy Trinity of
SEO Identity Offerings, Location, Identity offerings, location.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
So this article presents a really cool, simple
but powerful framework forboosting your online visibility,
which is what we all want.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Absolutely.
I mean, who doesn't want to beseen, you know?
So let's break down this holytrinity.
What are the three elementsthat make it so holy?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
The three pillars, or maybe we should say the three
commandments of SEO are who youare, which is your brand
identity, right?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Okay, what you?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
do so, your services or your products, gotcha and,
last but definitely not least,where you do it, which is all
about location, location,location.
And the cool thing is they allwork together.
They intertwine to create thisholistic picture for search
engines.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Okay, I'm already seeing how this is way more than
just throwing a bunch ofkeywords on a page and hoping
for the best.
It's strategic, so let's startwith pillar number one who you
are.
This sounds a lot like buildinga solid online rep.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Absolutely.
It's all about trust.
Like, think about it Would youtrust a business if they had a
different name on their website,a different address on their
social media and then acompletely different phone
number on some random directory?
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Huge red flag.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Right, Exactly so sketchy and search engines,
while they feel the same way.
Consistency is key, my friend.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Okay, so you're telling me, even those little
inconsistencies, like maybe aslightly different suite number
or something like that, canactually hurt your SEO.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
You would be surprised.
I had this client, this lovelylady.
She ran a bakery with like twolocations right and they had
these slightly different phonenumbers listed online and their
Google my Business listing.
It was a mess and they justthought it was, you know, no big
deal, just a minor difference,but their local search rankings
were in the dumps.
It was sad.
Once we cleaned up their NAPinformation which stands for
(02:04):
name, address, phone number andwe made it consistent everywhere
, bam, their rankings shot up,finally started showing up for
those bakeries near me searches.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Wow, that's a real world example right there.
So for businesses who might belistening and thinking, oh shoot
, do I need to check all thisstuff?
What are the things, thespecific things they should look
out for?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
The most important, like I just mentioned, is your
NAP, that's your name, addressand phone number.
It needs to be exactly the sameon your website, on your Google
business profile, any onlinedirectories.
You're listed in social mediaeverywhere.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Makes sense.
So, besides NAP consistency,what else falls under this?
Who you are umbrella?
What about all this schemamarkup stuff that I hear people
talking about?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Ah, schema markup, that's a good one.
It's like imagine giving searchengines a little cheat sheet,
like a backstage pass, so theycan understand your website
better.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh, I like that Right .
Speaker 2 (02:58):
So let's say you've got a page full of glowing
reviews for your restaurant.
Schema markup can be like hey,google, look, these are reviews
specifically for this restaurant, not just some random reviews
about food.
It helps Google showcase thosereviews more prominently in
search results, which meanshopefully more clicks and
customers for you.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So it's all about being crystal clear, super
explicit, about what yourbusiness is all about.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Exactly.
And while we're at it, don'tforget about your about us page.
I know it can sound kind ofbasic, but this is your chance
to tell your story.
You know.
Highlight your unique sellingpoints, let your brand
personality shine through, makeit engaging and don't forget to
optimize it for your brand namekeywords.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Okay, so NAP consistency schema markup a
killer about us page.
Anything else.
We need to know about this whoyou are pillar.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
He almost got it Almost there.
Reviews man Never underestimatethe power of reviews.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Ooh, good point.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Online reviews and social media.
They're like little gold stars,yeah.
They show everyone yourpotential customers, but also
those search engines.
You're trustworthy, yeah, andthat people have good things to
say about you.
So encourage those happycustomers to leave those glowing
reviews and stay active onsocial media to build that
social proof, that street cred.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
All right, so we've laid down a solid foundation
with who you are.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
We're on our way.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
We've got our identity, our brand is strong,
but now we've got to move on tothe next pillar of this SEO
trinity.
So we'll be right back after aquick break to discuss what you
do.
This is where it gets reallyjuicy for me.
I think this whole idea ofeffectively communicating what
you offer to the right peopleand I know keywords are
(04:38):
important here but is it reallyjust like cramming as many
keywords as you can onto yourwebsite?
Is that the secret?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You know, that's what a lot of people think.
But honestly, it's not aboutjust stuffing keywords
everywhere.
It's got to be strategic.
It's more about quality overquantity, you know what I mean
Like put yourself in the shoesof someone who's searching
online.
They're typing in very specificwords and phrases, right?
Because they're trying to findexactly what they need, so your
job is to figure out what thosewords and phrases are so how do
(05:07):
you do that?
Speaker 1 (05:08):
is there some like secret formula for t-word
research?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
if I had a secret formula, I'd be like a
millionaire right but no,there's no magic formula, but
there are definitely some smartstrategies you can use.
I always tell people start bythinking like your customer, you
know, like really put yourselfin their shoes.
What kind of problems are theyfacing?
What are they looking for?
What words would they use todescribe those problems, or even
(05:34):
the solutions they're hoping tofind?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That's such a good point.
It's like almost empathy, rightUnderstanding your audience on
a deeper level.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Exactly, and you know , we've got some really cool
tools nowadays that can help usout with this, Things like
Google Keyword Planner, RRIFs.
They can give you some reallyvaluable data like how many
people are actually searchingfor a particular keyword and how
competitive that keyword is.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Oh.
So you can kind of see, like,what's the demand?
What are people looking forExactly?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And it helps you find those sweet spot keywords, the
ones that are relevant to yourbusiness and also have the
potential to drive a ton oftraffic to your site.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, so let's say we've done our keyword research.
We've got this awesome list ofwords and phrases.
Now what?
What do we do with them?
Where do they go?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Time to sprinkle them like magic fairy dust all over
your website.
No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Oh man, I got so excited.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It's not about sprinkling.
It's about weaving thosekeywords strategically into your
content.
Each product or service thatyou offer should have its own
dedicated page on your website,right?
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And on that page you want a clear, compelling
description that naturallyincorporates those relevant
keywords.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So it's not just like listing all your products or
services.
Like you know, a boring oldcatalog.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
No, nobody wants to read a catalog online.
You want to create somethingengaging, informative.
You want to highlight thebenefits of what you're offering
, maybe address some potentialobjections that people might
have, really entice them tolearn more or to take action.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
So it's kind of like each page is like a mini sales
pitch, but in a way that's, youknow, helpful and informative.
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And don't forget those little things like your
meta tags and descriptions.
Those are super important too.
It's like the headline for yourwebsite in those search results
.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
It's like the first impression, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Yeah, exactly, make them catchy, Make them
informative and make sure you'reusing those keywords there too,
so people actually click onyour listing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
All right, so we've grabbed their attention.
They've clicked on our link.
Now they're on our website.
How do we keep them engaged?
How do we keep them frombouncing right off?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Ah, that's where content strategy comes in.
This is key.
You need a good contentstrategy to establish your
authority, build that trust withyour audience and really keep
those people coming back formore.
So think blog posts, articles,guides, maybe some FAQs, videos,
really any type of contentthat's going to provide value to
(07:55):
your target audience andhopefully answer those burning
questions they have.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
So we're not just creating content just for the
sake of creating content.
We're creating content thatactually serves a purpose, that
helps people and reallyshowcases our expertise right
100%.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
And here's the cool thing Content marketing.
It naturally lends itself toincorporating those keywords we
were talking about earlier.
So when you're writing abouttopics related to your business
and you're using those keywordsin a natural way, you're
basically sending a signal tothose search engines saying, hey
, this is what my website is allabout, this is who I am, this
is who I'm here to help.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So it's all connected right, Like it's a beautiful
tapestry woven together withthose keywords.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I like that A tapestry.
That's a good one.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
OK, so to sum up this whole, what you do, pillar, is
about really showcasing yourofferings in a way that's clear,
engaging, search enginefriendly and, ultimately,
valuable to your audience.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Nailed it.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay.
So we've got a solid brandidentity, we're putting out
amazing content about what we do, but now we got to tackle that
final piece of the puzzle whereyou do it, and I know this is
all about local SEO.
So why is this so critical,especially for businesses that
have a physical location?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Okay, imagine this You're craving pizza, like
really bad.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Oh, this is a scenario I can get behind.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Right, so you grab your phone and you search for
pizza near me.
Now are you going to scrollthrough, like pages and pages of
search results.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
No, you want those options, those pizza places that
are closest to you, to pop upfirst like instant gratification
.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Exactly when I want pizza.
I want it now.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Exactly, and that's why local SEO is so important.
It's all about making sure yourbusiness shows up in those
search results when people arelooking for those products or
services in their specific localarea.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
So what are the must-dos, like the essential
ingredients for really nailinglocal SEO?
And I know you mentioned theGoogle Business Profile before.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Oh, the GBP, that's your baby.
Like your digital storefront,right?
It's that first thing peopleare going to see when they
search for you on Google.
So it needs to be accurate, itneeds to be complete and it
needs to be optimized.
So make sure your business name, your address, your phone
number, all that NAP informationwe talked about earlier make
sure it's consistent with what'son your website and any other
platforms that you're on.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Okay, so GBP huge.
But what about those localcitations we talked about
earlier?
How do those fit into thepicture?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Local citations are like those little shout outs,
those mentions of your businesson other websites so think Yelp,
TripAdvisor, those industryspecific directories, even your
local news sites, anything likethat and they're like little
votes of confidence, like tinylittle gold stars for search
engines.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Because it signals to them that, hey, this business
is legit, they're located wherethey say they are, they're real.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So, basically, the more consistent and accurate
your information is across allthose different citations, the
more trustworthy you appear toGoogle and you know all those
other search engines out there.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Exactly, and those reviews.
Don't forget about the power ofreviews.
Make sure you're encouragingthose happy customers to leave
reviews on your GBP and otherplatforms too, because those
positive reviews they not onlyboost your credibility with
potential customers, but theycan also give you a nice little
bump in those local searchrankings.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
It's all connected.
Okay, so local SEO a wholeworld in itself.
Anything else businesses shouldbe thinking about when it comes
to attracting local customersonline?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
You know what's cool, this idea of geo-specific
content.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
So think about it.
Like this Blog posts aboutlocal events, maybe you do, a
guide to the cool attractions inyour area, or even case studies
featuring some of your awesomelocal clients.
This kind of content showssearch engines that you're not
just some random business.
You're deeply rooted in yourcommunity.
You're part of the fabric ofthis local area.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
OK, so we've got our GBP.
All sparkling Citations are incheck.
We're creating awesome contentthat resonates with our local
people.
Is there anything else we needto?
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I think the main takeaway here is this Local SEO
is all about bridging that gapbetween the online world and the
offline world.
It's about making it super easyfor people to find your
business, whether they'researching online or they're just
walking down the street.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, that's a great way to put it.
So we've covered all threepillars of the SEO Holy Trinity
who you are, what you do andwhere you do it and I think
what's really cool is seeing howit all fits together right,
it's not just these randomseparate things.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
It all works together to create this like cohesive
online presence.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
But I have a feeling it's not a set it and forget it
kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Oh no.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
We can't just do this once and then, like you know,
call it a day, absolutely notyeah.
The Call it a day, absolutelynot yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
The online world.
It's constantly changing, it'sdynamic and SEO it's part of
that right.
Search engine algorithms theychange, new trends pop up, and
your business itself is probablyevolving too.
Hopefully.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
So it's essential to stay informed.
You got to adapt your strategyand just continuously optimize
your online presence.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You can't just sit back and relax.
So it's kind of like a gardenright, you need to tend to it,
prune those dead leaves, addsome new plants and keep it
thriving.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I like that.
That's a perfect analogy.
Seo it's an ongoing process.
It's about monitoring,analyzing, adjusting, so you're
always staying ahead of thecurve and reaching those people
you want to reach.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Okay, so wow, we have covered so much ground today.
It's amazing, you so?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
wow, we have covered so much ground today.
It's amazing.
You've really broken down thiswhole SEO thing in a way that I
think I can finally wrap my headaround.
Yeah, it can seem overwhelming,but honestly it's really not
that complicated once youunderstand the basics.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Exactly, and I think our listener is probably feeling
a lot more confident abouttheir SEO game now too, which is
awesome.
So before we wrap up this deepdive, let's take a minute to
kind of zoom out and recap thekey takeaways from Don Phelps's
Holy Trinity of SEO framework,just to make sure it's all nice
and solidified in our brains.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah, good idea, always good to review, right?
Okay, so first up, we've gotwho you are.
This is all about creating thatstrong, consistent brand
identity online.
(14:03):
Am I remembering that correctly?
You got it.
It's like building trust, butnot just with potential
customers, with search enginestoo, and the way you do that is
by making sure your businessname, your address, that phone
number, it's the same across allyour online platforms no
discrepancies, no variations.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Keep it consistent and of course we can't forget
about that, about us page andall the magic of schema markup
right.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Absolutely Schema markup.
It can be a little bit techy,I'll admit, but it's super
powerful.
It gives those search enginesthat extra context about your
business so they can reallyunderstand what you're all about
.
And as for the About Us page,don't underestimate it.
It's your chance to tell yourstory, connect with people on a
deeper level.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
All right, next up, we've got what you do, so this
is where we're really showcasingthose products or services in a
way that speaks to our targetaudience.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Right, it's all about talking their language using
the words and phrases thatthey're actually typing into
those search bars.
That's why keyword research isso important.
You got to know what yourpeople are searching for.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
And then, once you have those keywords, you weave
them strategically into yourwebsite content, whether it's
those dedicated product orservice pages.
Or maybe you're creating somekiller blog posts, informative
articles, whatever it may be.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
The goal is to create content that ranks well, of
course, but also content thatprovides real value, something
that people actually want toread and share.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
And finally we've got where you do it.
This is where local SEO comesinto play, helping those
businesses with a physicallocation really connect with
those local customers.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It's about bridging that online world with the
offline world, making it supereasy for people to find you,
whether they're searching ontheir phone or just walking down
the street.
So make sure you've claimed andoptimized your Google business
profile, you're building thoselocal citations and you're
creating content that speaksdirectly to that local audience.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So Don Phelps's holy trinity of SEO, it's a really
powerful framework.
It gives you that roadmap tosuccess.
But, as we've talked about, seois not a one and done kind of
deal.
Right, it's a journey, it's anongoing process.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, you got to keep learning.
You got to keep adapting.
The online world is alwayschanging, so your SEO strategy
needs to change with it.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Well, on that note, I think it's time to wrap things
up, but before we go, I want toleave our listeners with one
final thought to ponder.
We've talked a lot about howunderstanding SEO can help you
rank higher in those searchresults, but what I find even
more exciting is the idea ofusing SEO to create an online
experience that really delightsyour visitors.
So think about it.
(16:21):
How can you weave these SEOprinciples into your website in
a way that not only improvesyour rankings, but also makes it
enjoyable and easy for peopleto find what they're looking for
and to connect with your brandon a deeper level?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I love that.
At the end of the day, it's allabout people, right?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Exactly so.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive into the world of SEO.
I hope you learned a ton and,most importantly, I hope you're
feeling inspired to take youronline presence to the next
level.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It's been a blast, as always.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And to all of you listening out there keep
exploring, keep learning andkeep optimizing.
Until next time, happy.
All right, buckle up everybody, because today, on the
deep dive, we are talking SEO.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh yeah, Love it Getting into the nitty gritty
and we're not just skimming thesurface, no way.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
We're diving deep into the fundamentals with the
help of SEO guru Don Phelps andhis article the Holy Trinity of
SEO Identity Offerings, Location, Identity offerings, location.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
So this article presents a really cool, simple
but powerful framework forboosting your online visibility,
which is what we all want.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Absolutely.
I mean, who doesn't want to beseen, you know?
So let's break down this holytrinity.
What are the three elementsthat make it so holy?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
The three pillars, or maybe we should say the three
commandments of SEO are who youare, which is your brand
identity, right?
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Okay, what you?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
do so, your services or your products, gotcha and,
last but definitely not least,where you do it, which is all
about location, location,location.
And the cool thing is they allwork together.
They intertwine to create thisholistic picture for search
engines.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Okay, I'm already seeing how this is way more than
just throwing a bunch ofkeywords on a page and hoping
for the best.
It's strategic, so let's startwith pillar number one who you
are.
This sounds a lot like buildinga solid online rep.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Absolutely.
It's all about trust.
Like, think about it Would youtrust a business if they had a
different name on their website,a different address on their
social media and then acompletely different phone
number on some random directory?
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Huge red flag.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Right, Exactly so sketchy and search engines,
while they feel the same way.
Consistency is key, my friend.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Okay, so you're telling me, even those little
inconsistencies, like maybe aslightly different suite number
or something like that, canactually hurt your SEO.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
You would be surprised.
I had this client, this lovelylady.
She ran a bakery with like twolocations right and they had
these slightly different phonenumbers listed online and their
Google my Business listing.
It was a mess and they justthought it was, you know, no big
deal, just a minor difference,but their local search rankings
were in the dumps.
It was sad.
Once we cleaned up their NAPinformation which stands for
(02:04):
name, address, phone number andwe made it consistent everywhere
, bam, their rankings shot up,finally started showing up for
those bakeries near me searches.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Wow, that's a real world example right there.
So for businesses who might belistening and thinking, oh shoot
, do I need to check all thisstuff?
What are the things, thespecific things they should look
out for?
Speaker 2 (02:25):
The most important, like I just mentioned, is your
NAP, that's your name, addressand phone number.
It needs to be exactly the sameon your website, on your Google
business profile, any onlinedirectories.
You're listed in social mediaeverywhere.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Makes sense.
So, besides NAP consistency,what else falls under this?
Who you are umbrella?
What about all this schemamarkup stuff that I hear people
talking about?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Ah, schema markup, that's a good one.
It's like imagine giving searchengines a little cheat sheet,
like a backstage pass, so theycan understand your website
better.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Oh, I like that Right .
Speaker 2 (02:58):
So let's say you've got a page full of glowing
reviews for your restaurant.
Schema markup can be like hey,google, look, these are reviews
specifically for this restaurant, not just some random reviews
about food.
It helps Google showcase thosereviews more prominently in
search results, which meanshopefully more clicks and
customers for you.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
So it's all about being crystal clear, super
explicit, about what yourbusiness is all about.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Exactly.
And while we're at it, don'tforget about your about us page.
I know it can sound kind ofbasic, but this is your chance
to tell your story.
You know.
Highlight your unique sellingpoints, let your brand
personality shine through, makeit engaging and don't forget to
optimize it for your brand namekeywords.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
Okay, so NAP consistency schema markup a
killer about us page.
Anything else.
We need to know about this whoyou are pillar.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
He almost got it Almost there.
Reviews man Never underestimatethe power of reviews.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Ooh, good point.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Online reviews and social media.
They're like little gold stars,yeah.
They show everyone yourpotential customers, but also
those search engines.
You're trustworthy, yeah, andthat people have good things to
say about you.
So encourage those happycustomers to leave those glowing
reviews and stay active onsocial media to build that
social proof, that street cred.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
All right, so we've laid down a solid foundation
with who you are.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
We're on our way.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
We've got our identity, our brand is strong,
but now we've got to move on tothe next pillar of this SEO
trinity.
So we'll be right back after aquick break to discuss what you
do.
This is where it gets reallyjuicy for me.
I think this whole idea ofeffectively communicating what
you offer to the right peopleand I know keywords are
(04:38):
important here but is it reallyjust like cramming as many
keywords as you can onto yourwebsite?
Is that the secret?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You know, that's what a lot of people think.
But honestly, it's not aboutjust stuffing keywords
everywhere.
It's got to be strategic.
It's more about quality overquantity, you know what I mean
Like put yourself in the shoesof someone who's searching
online.
They're typing in very specificwords and phrases, right?
Because they're trying to findexactly what they need, so your
job is to figure out what thosewords and phrases are so how do
(05:07):
you do that?
Speaker 1 (05:08):
is there some like secret formula for t-word
research?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
if I had a secret formula, I'd be like a
millionaire right but no,there's no magic formula, but
there are definitely some smartstrategies you can use.
I always tell people start bythinking like your customer, you
know, like really put yourselfin their shoes.
What kind of problems are theyfacing?
What are they looking for?
What words would they use todescribe those problems, or even
(05:34):
the solutions they're hoping tofind?
Speaker 1 (05:36):
That's such a good point.
It's like almost empathy, rightUnderstanding your audience on
a deeper level.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
Exactly, and you know , we've got some really cool
tools nowadays that can help usout with this, Things like
Google Keyword Planner, RRIFs.
They can give you some reallyvaluable data like how many
people are actually searchingfor a particular keyword and how
competitive that keyword is.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Oh.
So you can kind of see, like,what's the demand?
What are people looking forExactly?
Speaker 2 (06:00):
And it helps you find those sweet spot keywords, the
ones that are relevant to yourbusiness and also have the
potential to drive a ton oftraffic to your site.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, so let's say we've done our keyword research.
We've got this awesome list ofwords and phrases.
Now what?
What do we do with them?
Where do they go?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Time to sprinkle them like magic fairy dust all over
your website.
No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
Oh man, I got so excited.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
It's not about sprinkling.
It's about weaving thosekeywords strategically into your
content.
Each product or service thatyou offer should have its own
dedicated page on your website,right?
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
And on that page you want a clear, compelling
description that naturallyincorporates those relevant
keywords.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
So it's not just like listing all your products or
services.
Like you know, a boring oldcatalog.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
No, nobody wants to read a catalog online.
You want to create somethingengaging, informative.
You want to highlight thebenefits of what you're offering
, maybe address some potentialobjections that people might
have, really entice them tolearn more or to take action.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
So it's kind of like each page is like a mini sales
pitch, but in a way that's, youknow, helpful and informative.
Yeah exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
And don't forget those little things like your
meta tags and descriptions.
Those are super important too.
It's like the headline for yourwebsite in those search results
.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
It's like the first impression, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Yeah, exactly, make them catchy, Make them
informative and make sure you'reusing those keywords there too,
so people actually click onyour listing.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
All right, so we've grabbed their attention.
They've clicked on our link.
Now they're on our website.
How do we keep them engaged?
How do we keep them frombouncing right off?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Ah, that's where content strategy comes in.
This is key.
You need a good contentstrategy to establish your
authority, build that trust withyour audience and really keep
those people coming back formore.
So think blog posts, articles,guides, maybe some FAQs, videos,
really any type of contentthat's going to provide value to
(07:55):
your target audience andhopefully answer those burning
questions they have.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
So we're not just creating content just for the
sake of creating content.
We're creating content thatactually serves a purpose, that
helps people and reallyshowcases our expertise right
100%.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
And here's the cool thing Content marketing.
It naturally lends itself toincorporating those keywords we
were talking about earlier.
So when you're writing abouttopics related to your business
and you're using those keywordsin a natural way, you're
basically sending a signal tothose search engines saying, hey
, this is what my website is allabout, this is who I am, this
is who I'm here to help.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
So it's all connected right, Like it's a beautiful
tapestry woven together withthose keywords.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
I like that A tapestry.
That's a good one.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
OK, so to sum up this whole, what you do, pillar, is
about really showcasing yourofferings in a way that's clear,
engaging, search enginefriendly and, ultimately,
valuable to your audience.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Nailed it.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Okay.
So we've got a solid brandidentity, we're putting out
amazing content about what we do, but now we got to tackle that
final piece of the puzzle whereyou do it, and I know this is
all about local SEO.
So why is this so critical,especially for businesses that
have a physical location?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Okay, imagine this You're craving pizza, like
really bad.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Oh, this is a scenario I can get behind.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Right, so you grab your phone and you search for
pizza near me.
Now are you going to scrollthrough, like pages and pages of
search results.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Absolutely not.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
No, you want those options, those pizza places that
are closest to you, to pop upfirst like instant gratification
.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Exactly when I want pizza.
I want it now.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Exactly, and that's why local SEO is so important.
It's all about making sure yourbusiness shows up in those
search results when people arelooking for those products or
services in their specific localarea.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
So what are the must-dos, like the essential
ingredients for really nailinglocal SEO?
And I know you mentioned theGoogle Business Profile before.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Oh, the GBP, that's your baby.
Like your digital storefront,right?
It's that first thing peopleare going to see when they
search for you on Google.
So it needs to be accurate, itneeds to be complete and it
needs to be optimized.
So make sure your business name, your address, your phone
number, all that NAP informationwe talked about earlier make
sure it's consistent with what'son your website and any other
platforms that you're on.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
Okay, so GBP huge.
But what about those localcitations we talked about
earlier?
How do those fit into thepicture?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Local citations are like those little shout outs,
those mentions of your businesson other websites so think Yelp,
TripAdvisor, those industryspecific directories, even your
local news sites, anything likethat and they're like little
votes of confidence, like tinylittle gold stars for search
engines.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Because it signals to them that, hey, this business
is legit, they're located wherethey say they are, they're real.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
So, basically, the more consistent and accurate
your information is across allthose different citations, the
more trustworthy you appear toGoogle and you know all those
other search engines out there.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Exactly, and those reviews.
Don't forget about the power ofreviews.
Make sure you're encouragingthose happy customers to leave
reviews on your GBP and otherplatforms too, because those
positive reviews they not onlyboost your credibility with
potential customers, but theycan also give you a nice little
bump in those local searchrankings.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
It's all connected.
Okay, so local SEO a wholeworld in itself.
Anything else businesses shouldbe thinking about when it comes
to attracting local customersonline?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
You know what's cool, this idea of geo-specific
content.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (11:22):
So think about it.
Like this Blog posts aboutlocal events, maybe you do, a
guide to the cool attractions inyour area, or even case studies
featuring some of your awesomelocal clients.
This kind of content showssearch engines that you're not
just some random business.
You're deeply rooted in yourcommunity.
You're part of the fabric ofthis local area.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
OK, so we've got our GBP.
All sparkling Citations are incheck.
We're creating awesome contentthat resonates with our local
people.
Is there anything else we needto?
Speaker 2 (11:51):
I think the main takeaway here is this Local SEO
is all about bridging that gapbetween the online world and the
offline world.
It's about making it super easyfor people to find your
business, whether they'researching online or they're just
walking down the street.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Yeah, that's a great way to put it.
So we've covered all threepillars of the SEO Holy Trinity
who you are, what you do andwhere you do it and I think
what's really cool is seeing howit all fits together right,
it's not just these randomseparate things.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
It all works together to create this like cohesive
online presence.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
But I have a feeling it's not a set it and forget it
kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Oh no.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
We can't just do this once and then, like you know,
call it a day, absolutely notyeah.
The Call it a day, absolutelynot yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
The online world.
It's constantly changing, it'sdynamic and SEO it's part of
that right.
Search engine algorithms theychange, new trends pop up, and
your business itself is probablyevolving too.
Hopefully.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
So it's essential to stay informed.
You got to adapt your strategyand just continuously optimize
your online presence.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
You can't just sit back and relax.
So it's kind of like a gardenright, you need to tend to it,
prune those dead leaves, addsome new plants and keep it
thriving.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
I like that.
That's a perfect analogy.
Seo it's an ongoing process.
It's about monitoring,analyzing, adjusting, so you're
always staying ahead of thecurve and reaching those people
you want to reach.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Okay, so wow, we have covered so much ground today.
It's amazing, you so?
Speaker 2 (13:19):
wow, we have covered so much ground today.
It's amazing.
You've really broken down thiswhole SEO thing in a way that I
think I can finally wrap my headaround.
Yeah, it can seem overwhelming,but honestly it's really not
that complicated once youunderstand the basics.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Exactly, and I think our listener is probably feeling
a lot more confident abouttheir SEO game now too, which is
awesome.
So before we wrap up this deepdive, let's take a minute to
kind of zoom out and recap thekey takeaways from Don Phelps's
Holy Trinity of SEO framework,just to make sure it's all nice
and solidified in our brains.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah, good idea, always good to review, right?
Okay, so first up, we've gotwho you are.
This is all about creating thatstrong, consistent brand
identity online.
(14:03):
Am I remembering that correctly?
You got it.
It's like building trust, butnot just with potential
customers, with search enginestoo, and the way you do that is
by making sure your businessname, your address, that phone
number, it's the same across allyour online platforms no
discrepancies, no variations.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Keep it consistent and of course we can't forget
about that, about us page andall the magic of schema markup
right.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Absolutely Schema markup.
It can be a little bit techy,I'll admit, but it's super
powerful.
It gives those search enginesthat extra context about your
business so they can reallyunderstand what you're all about
.
And as for the About Us page,don't underestimate it.
It's your chance to tell yourstory, connect with people on a
deeper level.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
All right, next up, we've got what you do, so this
is where we're really showcasingthose products or services in a
way that speaks to our targetaudience.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Right, it's all about talking their language using
the words and phrases thatthey're actually typing into
those search bars.
That's why keyword research isso important.
You got to know what yourpeople are searching for.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
And then, once you have those keywords, you weave
them strategically into yourwebsite content, whether it's
those dedicated product orservice pages.
Or maybe you're creating somekiller blog posts, informative
articles, whatever it may be.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
The goal is to create content that ranks well, of
course, but also content thatprovides real value, something
that people actually want toread and share.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
And finally we've got where you do it.
This is where local SEO comesinto play, helping those
businesses with a physicallocation really connect with
those local customers.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It's about bridging that online world with the
offline world, making it supereasy for people to find you,
whether they're searching ontheir phone or just walking down
the street.
So make sure you've claimed andoptimized your Google business
profile, you're building thoselocal citations and you're
creating content that speaksdirectly to that local audience.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So Don Phelps's holy trinity of SEO, it's a really
powerful framework.
It gives you that roadmap tosuccess.
But, as we've talked about, seois not a one and done kind of
deal.
Right, it's a journey, it's anongoing process.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, you got to keep learning.
You got to keep adapting.
The online world is alwayschanging, so your SEO strategy
needs to change with it.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Well, on that note, I think it's time to wrap things
up, but before we go, I want toleave our listeners with one
final thought to ponder.
We've talked a lot about howunderstanding SEO can help you
rank higher in those searchresults, but what I find even
more exciting is the idea ofusing SEO to create an online
experience that really delightsyour visitors.
So think about it.
(16:21):
How can you weave these SEOprinciples into your website in
a way that not only improvesyour rankings, but also makes it
enjoyable and easy for peopleto find what they're looking for
and to connect with your brandon a deeper level?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I love that.
At the end of the day, it's allabout people, right?
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Exactly so.
Thanks for joining us on thisdeep dive into the world of SEO.
I hope you learned a ton and,most importantly, I hope you're
feeling inspired to take youronline presence to the next
level.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It's been a blast, as always.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And to all of you listening out there keep
exploring, keep learning andkeep optimizing.
Until next time, happy.
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