Are you tired of relying on paid ads to get found online?Do you want to build a strong, sustainable presence on Google—without breaking the bank?
If so, organic SEO is the answer! Organic search traffic comes from unpaid results, meaning you can attract potential customers for free if you optimize your website properly.
In this guide, we’ll walk through five powerful organic SEO tips that can help your business rank higher on search engines, drive more traffic, and grow your brand—without spending a dime on ads.
Plus, we’re sharing exclusive insights from SEO experts Celeste Gonzalez and Melissa Popp of Rickety Roo, who recently guest-hosted The Simple and Smart SEO Show!
Their expertise in content strategy, local SEO, and problem-solving content will help you take your organic SEO game to the next level.
🎧 Prefer to listen? 👇🏽 Click here to go straight to the podcast episode!
What is Organic SEO and Why Does It Matter?
Organic SEO refers to the process of optimizing your website so it appears higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) without relying on paid ads.
Why is this important?
✔️ Cost-Effective: You don’t have to pay for clicks, unlike Google Ads.
✔️ Long-Term Benefits: Unlike ads that disappear when your budget runs out, SEO helps you rank consistently over time.
✔️ Builds Trust & Credibility: Users are more likely to trust organic search results over paid listings.
SEO Insight from the Podcast:
Melissa Popp explains that many businesses overlook problem-solving content, focusing too much on generic blog posts.
Instead, businesses should create content that directly answers customer pain points—a strategy that improves rankings and boosts conversions.
“If you address what your audience is actually searching for, you’ll naturally attract more traffic and build trust.” – Melissa Popp
5 Essential Organic SEO Tips for Entrepreneurs & Small Businesses
1️⃣ Perform Keyword Research Like a Pro
Keywords are the foundation of SEO. They help search engines understand what your content is about. But choosing the right keywords is key!
🔎 How to Find the Right Keywords:
✅ Use Google Search Console to see what keywords you're already ranking for.
✅ Research long-tail keywords—phrases that are more specific (e.g., "organic SEO tips for small businesses").
✅ Try free SEO tools like Ubersuggest or Google Trends to discover new keyword opportunities.
🎯 Pro Tip from the Podcast:
You don’t always need fancy keyword tools to create great content. Melissa suggests asking your customers directly about their pain points.
"Your employees and customer service reps are sitting on a goldmine of content ideas. Start there before diving into keyword research tools!" – Melissa Popp
📌 Action Step: Make a list of the top 10 questions your customers ask and create content around those topics.
2️⃣ Optimize Your On-Page SEO
On-page SEO involves optimizing elements on your website to help search engines and users understand your content.
🚀 Key On-Page SEO Factors to Optimize:
✅ Meta Titles & Descriptions: Include target keywords and a compelling CTA.
✅ Header Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.): Structure content for readability & SEO.
✅ Internal Linking: Link to related blog posts and service pages.
✅ Image Optimization: Use alt text and compress images for faster load times.
💡 Podcast Takeaway:
Melissa emphasizes that local businesses can boost SEO by focusing on community-specific issues.
Instead of just writing “How to Unclog a Drain,” a plumber could write “Common Plumbing Issues in [Your City] & How to Fix Them” to attract local searches.
📌 Action Step: Go to your top-performing blog post and update it with internal links, a keyword-optimized meta description, and fresh content.
3️⃣ Create High-Quality, Problem-Solving Content
SEO isn’t just about keywords—it’s about helping your audience solve real problems.
📖 The Best Types of SEO Content:
✔️ How-To Guides & Tutorials (“How to Improve SEO for Your Shopify Store”)
✔️ Local Problem-Solving Content (Melissa’s example: A plumbing company writing about hard water issues in a specific city)
✔️ Customer Case Studies & Success Stories

🎯 Podcast Takeaway:
Melissa stresses the importance of going beyond basic SEO content and writing about community issues.
“Small businesses can create hyper-local content that bigger brands ignore. This helps build authority and attracts the right customers.”
📌 Action Step: Write a blog post answering a specific, common problem your customers face.
4️⃣ Build High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) boost your domain authority, helping you rank higher on Google.
🔗 Ways to Get Backlinks:
✅ Guest Blogging: Write for reputable sites in your industry.
✅ Broken Link Building: Find outdated links on other sites and suggest your content as a replacement.
✅ Partner with Local Businesses: Exchange links with trusted, relevant companies in your community.
📌 Action Step:
Reach out to 3 industry blogs and pitch a guest post idea.
5️⃣ Improve Technical SEO (Site Speed & Mobile-Friendliness)
Google prioritizes fast, mobile-friendly websites. If your site loads slowly, visitors will leave—and your rankings will drop.
📲 How to Improve Technical SEO:
✅ Use Google PageSpeed Insights to test your website speed.
✅ Optimize for mobile devices—over 60% of searches come from mobile!
✅ Fix broken links and improve internal linking structure.
📌 Action Step: Run your site through Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and fix any issues.
How to Measure SEO Success & Keep Improving
Tracking your SEO progress helps you identify what’s working and adjust your strategy.
📊 Tools to Use:
✔️ Google Analytics: Track traffic, bounce rate, and conversions.
✔️ Google Search Console: Monitor search performance & keyword rankings.
✔️ Google My Business: Optimize for local searches.
📌 Action Step: Set up monthly SEO reports and track your progress!
Final Thoughts: Build SEO Momentum & Grow Your Business
SEO isn’t an overnight fix—it’s a long-term investment in your brand’s success. But with consistent effort and the right strategy, you’ll see growth in organic search rankings, website traffic, and customer engagement.
Want expert help optimizing your SEO strategy?
🚀 Book a free consultation with Crystal Waddell today!
🎧 Don’t forget to listen to the full podcast episode featuring Celeste Gonzalez & Melissa Popp for even more expert SEO tips!
💬 Over to You!
Have you tried any of these SEO strategies? What’s worked best for you? Drop a comment below or book a call to chat about your SEO goals! 🚀
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