is it weird , bad, shameful or icky to focus on seo or growing your website right now

Today’s post might be a little controversial but what the heck, I’m throwing caution to the wind and addressing this topic head on because it’s something I have a very strong position about.

A few days ago, someone emailed me telling me to “lay off all the SEO talk, people are dying”.

Maybe I’ve been watching too much TV lately but my mind automatically went to this iconic moment:

My stress levels during this global pandemic are right up there with Kim Kardashian’s after she loses a diamond earring in the ocean. And clearly I’ve been redirecting that nervous energy into work by going balls to the walls with SEO stuff as a way to deal LOL.

The person who emailed me was having none of it.

If I’m being totally honest, this comment hit me like a ton of bricks and I was completely thrown off balance - probably because it’s something I already felt insecure or weird about, deep down.

I asked myself straight up if I was being insensitive by creating Squarespace SEO and website-related content during the middle of a pandemic? Are my daily Instagram Live video trainings unnecessary noise? Should I just STFU and put my business on hold for a few months? Am I completely out to lunch right now and is everyone making fun of me behind my back for having my head buried in the sand, trying to adjust to this new normal?

Look, I get it. I’m not a front-line or essential worker, I am at zero health risk sitting at my home office, and I’m beyond lucky that my business can pretty much carry on as usual during the covid-19 madness (thank god for Zoom). Adding onto this, I have not been personally affected by the virus - and neither have any of my loved ones, either personally or professionally!

I’m an easy target.

Not going to lie, I called my friend and had a low-key freakout about this comment - what can I say, it got to me and made me question everything I was doing and the way I was showing up & running my business right now! We ended up having one of the most incredible discussions about mindset and service that I’ve ever had and I’m really proud of how I feel now.

I’m mostly writing this blog post for myself - it’s kind of personal, but it’s pretty much the pep talk and point of view I needed to hear. And I hope that it resonates with you too, or that at least it opens your mind up to a different point of view.

So let’s get right to it.

I can truthfully say that in my personal and professional opinion, it is NOT an icky/weird/gross/bad/wrong time to focus on SEO and growing your website.

People are going to project their own thoughts and views onto you, especially if they believe that your actions go against theirs. This happens all the time, pandemic or not. However, everyone’s emotions are hyper-heightened and we’re all triggered like never before, so these types of comments or projections can really sting.

But it’s our job to keep showing up and being of service in whatever way we can! And yes, that includes SEO and teaching people how to grow their websites…. even if a pandemic is happening!

Related:

Why do you feel this way? Who is this criticism coming from?

Before we really get into this, I want you to ask yourself a very important question: why do you feel that it’s “bad” to work on SEO right now?

What’s shameful about trying to improve one of your greatest branding and business assets?

Let’s take it a step further: who is criticizing you? Where are these feelings actually coming from? Has someone literally said this to you (like they did to me)? Is the criticism real? Was it from a loved one or someone who’s opinion matters to you, like a mentor or someone you follow online?

Or, is it being projected? Are you internalizing a narrative that doesn’t come from your self?

Did someone from your target audience (whether that’s website visitors/blog readers, dream clients or potential customers) tell you to stop wasting your time and serve them in a “better” way? Or are these “attacks” coming from randoms who are never going to buy your shit or consume your content anyway?

Are these low vibes coming from internet trolls?

Think critically about why you are feeling this way and WHO is making you feel this way. It might turn out to be all in your head (which doesn’t mean it isn’t real, of course, but still something to consider).

Note: I also think there’s something to be said about women being conditioned to shy away from sales and promotion, and we are more likely to be criticized for running our businesses loud & proud at the best of times… but that’s a whole other topic of discussion for another day haha

Empathy, always

Empathy = the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

There’s no denying it - this is a difficult time for everyone and we are all affected in some way. We feel the change in our daily lives on a personal level, but brands and businesses are not excluded either!

We’re forced to make challenging decisions, business models are being considered and questioned, and everyone’s trying to figure out how to weather this storm.

That being said, some people/brands/businesses are being hit harder than others. That’s just the way things work, unfortunately.

As a result, people might lash out at you for spending your time/efforts on something so frivolous as SEO - but most likely, it’s coming from a place of fear.

“The world is spiralling out of control before our very eyes, how can you possibly think about SEO at a time like this?”

People might be quick to criticize or even shame you for working on SEO right now, without making the effort to understand how your situation and experiences are influencing and impacting your choices.

Look, people are critical and you can’t control how others behave or what they’re projecting on you. All you can do is control your own actions and emotions.

This is why empathy is so important right now! Instead of reacting defensively and retaliating against their criticism, you can choose to listen to it (or not) but do what is right for you.

Start by being empathetic to yourself and others, and then evaluate the actions you can take. From here, decide how you are going to plan and communicate - with your team, your website audience, your ideal customers & dream clients, etc.

Let’s run the numbers real quick to see why SEO matters

Imagine you sell a product, service or offering on your website for $300. These numbers are totally made up btw, just roll with me.

Here’s where you are right now:

Normally get 40,000 page views per month.
Sales page converts at 1.2% (1.2% of 40k is 480)
You earn about $144,000/month (480 x $300)

But let’s pretend that you spend the next few weeks learning SEO and updating your website, and you see that things are starting to grow - fast.

Here's how things could look after you implement an SEO strategy:

You still sell the same product/service/offering for $300
Page views have increased to 55,000/month
Sales page converts at 1.0% (1.0% of 55k is 550)
You now earn about $165,000 (550 x $300)

You now have an extra $20k/month!

Also, quick note: this is not an unreasonable scenario and outcome. The numbers matter. SEO allows you to grow your website, and that increase in page view can have a direct impact on your bottom line.

SQUARESPACE SEO SERIES

I have so many tips to share on the subject that it would have been crazy to put it all in one article! There are many misconceptions about Squarespace SEO which is why I've dedicate so many posts to this topic. Enjoy!

Click to view all posts in the Squarespace SEO Series

Visit my Squarespace SEO page for lots more resources.

SEO as… an act of service?

Before you roll your eyes into the back of your head, hear me out on this!

SEO is a pillar of online marketing, right? It’s all about getting your website to show up in front of your ideal audience and the right people online. Internet users are doing countless specific online searches, and if you figure out SEO you can actually show up in search results for their queries. In essence, your website content can solve their problem or give them the answer they are looking for.

At it’s core, SEO connects website content with online searches, that are done by real people. Tech and humans collide - thank you Google!

So, in a strange way, I like to think about SEO as an act of service. It’s something you can do that helps people find you, so they can discover all the cool sh*t you have going on and be blown away by your amazing offerings!

SEO ultimately brings people, brands, businesses and websites together. In a roundabout way, I like to think of it as facilitating connectedness online. I don’t know, maybe it’s a stretch but anytime I’ve done SEO client work over the past few weeks, I’ve felt like I’m doing my little bit to bring people together (even if they're actually just stuck at home, browsing the internet).

Someone out there is looking for something on the internet, and YOU have what they want on your website - if only they can find it. SEO helps a website get in front of the right group online, and that in turn builds community, audience and a collective (which we’re all craving right now). SEO is kind of the opposite of keeping people isolated from each other - it’s all about bringing people together on the internet, even through something as whack as an online search.

Growing your website is about more than just upping the ego & vanity numbers. Each page view represents a real live person, and as you grow you can provide value and impact with a greater reach. It’s not weird to want to grow your website. Remember, it’s fun but it’s also part of your brand & business, and ultimately you’ve got people to serve and mouths to feed.

Also, people will notice and remember that you stepped up for them during these crazy times - even if it’s just something as simple as updating and fixing your website that you basically ignored up until now. SEO is ultimately about improving your website which in itself is an act of service that benefits everyone… while still being a smart business decision and growth strategy! #winning

One size doesn’t fit all

You might have time and resources to dedicate to learning SEO and implementing a growth strategy for your website. If so, that’s awesome! Max that out, hunni.

But not everyone does - they don’t have the same time, money or resources to allocate to SEO. This sucks but also isn’t your fault.

What works and makes sense for you might not be possible for everyone. And people often speak out when they see you doing something they can’t (or won’t) do, especially when it starts paying off and leads to positive results.

In situations like this, I always go back to empathy but also, I don’t let it hold me back from doing what’s right for me, my brand and business.

Remember the trickle down

Scroll back up to that example I did above, showing how SEO and growing your website leads to more money for your business.

Let’s say you signed up for the online course, did a few personalized SEO consulting sessions or even hired SEO projects out. You did something new and it paid off for you. In this example, we’re talking about an additional $20,000 per month - that’s significant!

The big question here is, what are you going to do with all that extra cash?

The critics might say that you’ll selfishly profit and pocket the change, while others are suffering.

BUT, imagine you don’t?

Like … what if your website grew and your business improved and now you’re able to take that extra $20k/month and hire on more team members? Short term, long term, contract, employee - who cares! You’re out here making jobs and providing work. You’ve created opportunities for more people where there weren’t before.

With this extra money, you’re able to do stuff like:

hire a photographer for brand or product photos
book out a skilled copywriter to rework your online content
keep an ads manager on hand to run Facebook & Instagram ads
hire an assistant
grow your in-house staff team
etc.

It all boils down to the fact that you learned a new skill like SEO, implemented it even when it was hard, and now you can use the profits to hire and expand, reinvest in your business and yes - even treat yourself!

SEO gives you a sense of control

Look, there are soooooo many variables and unknowns right now, it’s hard to even wrap our heads around the current situation. This pandemic has us caught in limbo and it’s all unpredictable and chaotic.

In the midst of what feels crushing or overwhelming, it can help to focus your efforts and energy towards something you can control - like SEO!

Working on SEO can provide you with a sense of empowerment. It’s something actionable you can do to feel good, and you can come out of things with a sense of service and accomplishment. Chip away at it little by little and before you know it, you’ve made real progress.

Best of all, SEO benefits you and others! Everyone wins when you figure this stuff out :)

Strike while the iron is hot

Sorry not sorry, but I’m just going to say it.

People are spending more time online than ever before - seriously, we’ve never been glued to our screens more than now!

If you play your cards right, you can use SEO to your advantage and come out on top amidst the madness.

Think about it: if you use SEO to grow your website, you can directly impact a greater number people with you amazing products, services and offerings.

You know that your dream client is out there and that they’re probably browsing the internet for hours on end, so why the heck wouldn’t you kick things into gear right now and make the most out of it?

Get it, hunni.

I’m going to continue showing up for you - SEO, websites and beyond!

SEO is something I feel very passionately about and as cheesy as it sounds, I know that I have a knack for it, plus a deep understanding and can teach this topic better than many/most other people out there!

So despite comments like the one I shared above, I’m going to continue showing up for you, imperfectly but enthusiastically, to make sure that you don’t drop the dang ball when it comes to Squarespace SEO and growing your website right now ;)

Here’s what I’m going to keep doing for you:

Daily Instagram Live video trainings about Squarespace SEO & websites
Publishing blog posts, video tutorials and free guides - binge the Squarespace SEO section of my website for all the goodies
Offering Squarespace SEO Audit & Consulting Sessions
Open my online course, Top Squarespace SEO, for enrolment (doors open May 1 @ 9am!)

I believe that SEO has a place in both short term wins and long term planning. Whether this is a slow season for your or if business is booming like never before, I’m here to support you and I’m going to keep talking about SEO until they literally yank that internet connection out from under me!

Final Thoughts

Now it's your turn to tell me, are you focusing on SEO or growing your website right now? Do you feel weird about it or does it feel like the right thing to do? Has anyone criticized your actions lately? How did that make you feel? Has this blog post given you the confidence to continue marketing your website and business online? Are you committed to learning new skills?

Leave me your questions down in the comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them. Mindset is something we’re all dealing with right now, and it can be especially tough to know what to do and how to focus our time, effort and money right now. But I truly believe that SEO is worth your attention and it will pay off for you!

If you want more SEO goodness, be sure to check out my Squarespace SEO page for all resources on the topic.

My signature online course, Top Squarespace SEO, opens for enrolment on Friday May 1 @ 9am EST with special Early Bird pricing - sign up for TSS here.

You can also sign up for my newsletter (right here or below), where I often share Squarespace SEO tips, tricks and high-quality exclusive content. I send out emails to my list every Wednesday, mostly focused on Squarespace websites and SEO, and I can guarantee that you’ll find the newsletter topics interesting, entertaining and worth your time. #humblebrag

Don’t forget to watch my daily Instagram Live Q&A videos, where I answer all your website, SEO and online marketing questions! Monday-Friday @ 9am PST and you can watch the replays HERE.

Finally, shameless plug : hit me up with any specific questions you have about Squarespace SEO and your website because I’m your girl. You can reach out to me directly if you’re interested in working together on your website and we can talk about whether or not you would be a good fit for my consulting and ongoing services. I can’t take on every request to do Squarespace SEO consulting but I do pick a few websites and businesses to work with every month and I’d love for you to be one of them.