Stand Out for SEO: How I Rank High on Google (and ChatGPT)
A step-by-step guide for the simple SEO strategies I used to get Google to trust me and rank first in search results
They say, “If you build it, they will come”, but what if your customers or contacts can’t find you? Enter SEO. The magical method to grow your network (and net worth), beyond your existing circles. Become discoverable to the people with the problem you can help solve.
When I first started my website, it took me less than a few months to start ranking well on page 1 of Google. Before long, I was quickly among the top results and since then I am often first for the queries I am targeting. For small businesses or professionals looking to build their personal brand, understanding the basics of SEO can be the thing that turns a dream into digital gold.
My journey of building my personal brand on SEO coincided with Nagi Maehashi’s first cookbook. Like millions of Australians and followers worldwide, I originally stumbled upon her, thanks to SEO.
When Nagi made the move from finance to food, it was SEO that she prioritised most for her marketing. It helped the novice creator rise from unknown in the industry - her and her mum were the only visitors to her blog on launch day - to the best-selling author and global sensation she is today. That’s the power of being searchable. It connects your talent, messages, product or service to your people.
I regularly have clients or event organisers locally, nationally and internationally connect with me thanks to the personal brand I’ve built leveraging SEO. Backed by 15 years of experience in marketing, I’ve poured my time into researching SEO, so you don’t have to.
This is the strategy I used to rank at the top of Google. It’s SEO made super simple. Hot tip, according to those who have reached out to me, it turns out this is how I rank on Chat GPT as well - that part wasn’t planned - but it’s a very welcome bonus.
1. Determine your target SEO keywords and phrases
Your Google SEO strategy begins with your target keywords and phrases. These are the words, through your knowledge and research, you believe people will be typing into search engines - it's the query that creates the search engine results page (SERP). Determine what you want to target.
I prefer to keep my SEO keyword strategy simple and as closely related to my core offering as possible. E.g. personal branding, personal branding coach, personal branding coach Adelaide and so on. However, the more specific you get, the higher you’ll rank for your niche focus. This means personal branding is going to be much more competitive than a personal brand coach in Adelaide. However, the latter is likely much more useful for using SEO to connect me to my people - the people searching for this key focus.
2. Use long-tail SEO phrases strategically
When writing the copy for your homepage or coming up with your next blog idea, leverage long tail phrases. For example, instead of simply targeting personal brand, create a blog called ‘How to build your personal brand on LinkedIn’. Long-tail SEO works wonders as it capitalises on:
Lower competition - as it’s highly specific, fewer people are targeting these phrases
Higher intent - you connect with the people who know exactly what they are looking for
Better SEO targeting - by getting specific, Google learns more about your content
The last point is something to keep in mind for your SEO strategy overall. Just because you understand your personal brand, business, product or service well, it doesn’t mean Google does. You need to tell, guide and train Google to understand what you’re offering the marketplace.
3. SEO your headline
When you’re first building your business or personal brand online, you have less of the luxury of clever, cute or sneak peek headlines like big creators, brands or print media have. Use your headline to clearly communicate to your audience and SEO what your website, page or latest blog post is about. Headlines also have a hierarchy. Aim to prioritise your keywords in your H1 (headline 1), preferably as close to the start of the title as possible. Keep in mind, Google previews usually display 50-60 title characters before the text is cut off.
4. SEO your sub-headlines
SEO your sub-headlines to give your page or post a structure. While you don’t need to pack keywords into every sub-headline (more on ‘keyword stuffing’ next), by having clear headlines, you tell Google your page is well organised and readable. When your sub-headlines link with the higher-level themes, Google also learns more about your website; it connects the dots and better understands the topics you talk about.
5. Optimise your keyword ratio
Your keyword ratio is the number of times your keywords appear, divided by the total number of words on the page.
For example, if your page has 1,000 words and 10 target SEO keywords, this results in a 1% keyword ratio. The benchmark is 1%-2%, so anything over this can appear as ‘keyword stuffing’, a negative signal for search engines, which can hurt your rankings. Avoid keyword stuffing, but pay attention to your ratio; use opportunities to organically integrate your target keywords.
6. SEO your meta description
Your meta description is the little snippet that shows under your Google listing for your homepage, subpages or posts. You can update the meta description data in the settings of your webpages. Keep in mind that around 150-170 characters show in Google’s preview mode, so make sure that you’re leveraging the start of your description to connect with your SEO strategy and audience.
7. Save your files strategically for SEO
From photos to files, save your media with your SEO strategy in mind before you hit upload. Don’t use lazy, low-value file names or the default image numbers. For example, focus on the 1-3 words most relevant to the page. When you’re uploading, remember to also add a relevant SEO description in the ‘Alt Text’ - this helps reinforce the relevance of the media.
8. Compress your image size
Don’t simply upload images onto your website using the high-quality files you have saved on your computer. Create images specifically sized for your website, because site speed affects your SEO performance. Google’s job doesn’t end when users land on your site. They want to know if the visitors they send to your site had a good experience. Therefore, your page load time matters. Site speed is an important ranking signal for search engines. Like when you give your friends recommendations for the latest restaurant you loved, you want to know they won’t have long wait times, and have a delightful experience when they visit.
For standard images like those used on blog posts, it's often recommended that your images be around 200KB. For hero images, this might be a little larger, e.g. 500KB-800KB.
9. Reduce your bounce rate
When people leave your site quickly, you have a high bounce rate. The aim is to reduce your bounce rate as much as possible and increase the average time on the page and website. This tells search engines you’ve provided an engaging experience for the visitors they sent you. - it shows that the result they suggested was relevant.
10. Optimise for your location
While you might offer your products or services worldwide, targeting your local area or country first is likely going to be less competitive and yield higher SEO results to begin with. So make sure that you sprinkle your key locations, e.g. Adelaide, South Australia, Australia throughout your website.
11. Share rich media
Rich media, like images, video and audio, generally make your content more interesting and increase dwell time and clicks on a page, which sends positive signals to search engines. They can also appear on search engine results pages, making your personal brand or business stand out in a sea of results.
12. Include internal links
Internal links help users and Google discover new relevant pages on your website. It helps search engines crawl your site, increasing the likelihood of it being indexed and ranked. More clicks to other pages guide the user experience and increase time spent on your website, positive signals for search engines. Be descriptive in your links for extra SEO points, for example, instead of ‘For more on SEO, for LinkedIn, click here’, try ‘For more on SEO, visit my blog, How to Search Engine Optimise your LinkedIn Profile (8 Tips)’.
13. Earn backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. Google sees this as a vote of confidence or endorsement for your brand and site. The higher quality the third-party site linking to your website, the more Google views this as a signal of trust, authority and credibility. For example, as I have been a speaker for reputable brands that link to my website, this has created ‘high authority’ backlinks for my own website.
14. Keep creating
Don’t take a set-and-forget approach to your SEO strategy. When you regularly create new content, like through your blog or video and podcast show notes pages, you are signalling to Google that your site is active and fresh. You also increase your opportunities to target your SEO keywords, create internal links and engage your audience for higher time on the page. Publishing content in your niche demonstrates your expertise and authority to Google, making the search engine giant trust little ole you.
Make SEO work for your personal brand
Building your personal brand with SEO isn’t magic; it’s strategy, diligence, consistency, and clarity. From selecting the right keywords to optimising headlines, meta descriptions, images and internal links. Every step you take guides Google to understand your value and connect you with the people who need it most.
By creating high-quality, regular content, sharing rich media, and earning backlinks, you not only increase your visibility but also build trust and authority in your niche. SEO is as much about your audience and their experience as it is about search engines. A fast, engaging, well-structured website signals to Google, and your visitors, that you’re credible, relevant and worth their time.
Start small, stay consistent and keep optimising. Over time, your business or personal brand will rise through the ranks, and opportunities will find you.
