The 4 steps we followed to learn (and love) SEO

There are heaps of digital marketing strategies out there.

List building, newsletter campaigns, webinars, summits, freebies, guest blogs, podcasts…the list is extensive.

But the marketing strategy that strikes fear into the heart of the most grizzled digital marketer?

The one hidden in a mysterious fog of industry terminology, technical jargon, and techy underpinnings that makes even some web devs shudder in fright?

SEO, baby.

Search engine optimization.

So why in the world did two crunchy Southern ladies steeped in nutrition and heavily influenced by creative writing pasts decide to delve into the most difficult marketing technique out there? (Hi, that’s us.????????)

 

 

Because we’re on a mission, that’s why.

 

How we got started with SEO

If it’s not already obvious, neither Hannah nor I are super techy.

But we know a good bit about marketing—her focus as a course creator and social media maven and mine as a copy and content writer.

And we both have a penchant for statistics; Hannah and I are grads of a research-heavy graduate program in human nutrition and functional medicine.

When we formed The LaFont Agency, we knew we wanted to accomplish more than just helping our clients make money. Our mission is based on infusing the wellness industry with highly accurate, practical information while also helping to create financially feasible practices.

This mission left us with a big question: How the hell do we do that?

The answer? Master SEO and teach other clinicians how to do the same.

Believe me when I tell you…we didn’t learn SEO out of love for the game. Far from it.

My first dive into search engine optimization was after weeks of trying to find a more personally alluring alternative. Until, one night, I finally opened Google Search Central—the blog for all things SEO (think Pubmed for marketers)—and begrudgingly started reading.

It was not love at first sight, but it was compelling.

What if, hiding in the boring world of SEO, was the key to fulfilling our mission?

Could we figure out how to beat sites like the Medical Medium to the bottom of Google and drive sites with useful, evidence-based info to the top?

 

SEO step #1: We let go of insecurity (I mean, we did our best…)

The first step we took to learn SEO was letting go of insecurity.

And let me clarify what I mean when I say we let go of it: we did our best.

We did our best to stop telling ourselves SEO was too complicated.

We did our best to shush the voice in our heads saying we weren’t tech-savvy.

We did our best to keep showing up and learning small bits, day after day.

This first step was MANDATORY. Without it, we’d still be great science-based bloggers and marketing strategists, but we would never have been able to get past the mental trash and actually learn the skill!

We see this block every day in our clients—they are smart, accomplished, and very hard-working.

 

But they’re sometimes crippled by the insecurity that they’ll never be able to learn SEO…that it’s too difficult or complex. That they’ll never be able to master the technical side of it. That they don’t have time.

But the reality is that the insecurity is WAY bigger than the actuality of learning SEO.

So, first things first, we battled our own internal voices. Then we got to work.

 

SEO step #2: We took small SEO bites

It’s true that SEO is a deep subject. There is a lot to learn!

But just like John Candy taking on The Old 96’er in the classic flick The Great Outdoors…(please tell me you remember this scene):

 

…SEO is learned bite by bite.

You CAN’T learn it all at once, just like you didn’t learn the whole of the Chinese herbal pharmacopeia in one day or every nutrient co-factor overnight.

SEO mastery will come over time, one small chunk of information at a time.

Feel like you have no idea where to start?

Click here to sign up for our free SEO Marketing Masterclass.

 

 

SEO step #3: We followed the data

As we incorporated SEO best practices into our own website and our clients’ sites, we tracked what happened on Google Analytics and Google Search Console.

At this point, it’s important to point out that SEO is a long-term strategy. Ads, for instance, or social media marketing, are shorter-term marketing strategies that can get more patients on your website fairly quickly.

But, over time, as you optimize your site, you’ll be able to see the results. And we paid close attention to the difference SEO made in how many people came to our site and what they did when they got there. 

It’s exciting to see that more people are checking out your work…reading your blogs, downloading your freebie, and joining your email list. It’s a sign of a growing, healthy, and financially stable practice.

But it’s also confirmation that, when done right, SEO works.

Evidence, i.e., data tracking, is positive feedback that keeps you coming back to learn more about a strategy that is effective.

And this is exactly what it did for us. As we saw our weekly site visitors increase, we knew we were going in the right direction.

 

SEO step #4: We stay up to date on a schedule

Just like you keep learning more about hormones, gut health, or metabolism, we keep learning about SEO.

And we do it with intention.

Every week, we watch videos by SEO experts we love, read Google’s Search Central blog, and, in June, I’m heading to MozCon, a two-day SEO nerdfest in Seattle, WA.

You don’t have to take SEO CEUs as seriously as we do, but keep learning.

And do it on a schedule just like you see your patients or complete your workouts and self-care. (And sis, if you’re not scheduling self-care, let’s get you on the calendar before SEO, ok?)

If you’re looking for a practical, fun, and easy-to-follow SEO course created just for wellness pros, we have good news.

Click here to learn more about DIY SEO, our custom SEO course that, in just 5 modules, takes the scary out of SEO.

 

We’d love to see you in class and help get your site—and life-changing knowledge—in front of tons of new patients!