116 | How Utilizing the Power of SEO Can Get You Organic Reach and Passive, Warm Leads For Your Business with Tedi Bezna

Want organic, passive, warm leads for your business?!

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE HERE:

Want organic, passive, warm leads for your business?! Then this episode is for you!

Bring a notebook & pen as the Brilliant Tedi Benza of Searchlight Digital shares some incredible Search Engine Optimization strategies to get you passive, warm organic leads that are high converting on your website! 

*Make sure you stay tuned until the end because Tedi has a special offer exclusively for our Podcast community!!

Tedi Bezna is a digital marketing and SEO expert and founder of Search Light Digital. Tedi is passionate about helping businesses achieve new levels of online exposure and scalable growth. 

Connect with Tedi:

https://www.instagram.com/searchlightdigital/

https://www.searchlightmarketing.ca/

Book a “Pick My Brain” Session with Tedi and Get $50 off using the code BUSINESSBABES: https://www.searchlightmarketing.ca/business-babes

SEO Provides Longevity and Ownership

While social media platforms require constant content creation and are subject to algorithm changes, SEO offers a more sustainable and stable approach. By investing in SEO, businesses can focus on optimizing their own websites, which they have more control and ownership over. The Google algorithm, though it changes periodically, is generally more consistent than social media algorithms.

SEO Enhances the Client Experience

The underlying goal of SEO is to create an exceptional client experience on your website. By consistently improving your website's content and user experience, you increase the chances of ranking well on search engines like Google. This, in turn, attracts relevant and interested visitors who are actively searching for products or services you offer.

Blogs Drive Traffic and Diversify Keywords

Having a blog on your website is an effective way to attract organic traffic and expand your keyword reach. Regularly publishing fresh content not only demonstrates your business's activity and relevance but also allows you to target diverse niche keywords. By addressing common questions and providing valuable information related to your industry, you can establish your expertise and capture the attention of potential customers who may not be directly searching for your specific product or service.

Optimize Your Website with Data and Analytics

Before diving into content optimization, ensure that you have installed Google Analytics and Google Search Console on your website. These tools provide valuable data and insights about your website's performance, including keywords that are already driving traffic. By leveraging this data, you can identify high-opportunity keywords and focus your optimization efforts effectively.

Balancing Keywords and User Experience

When optimizing content, it's essential to strike a balance between incorporating relevant keywords and maintaining a user-friendly writing style. Avoid keyword stuffing and instead use page titles, headings, and related phrases strategically. By providing clear and informative content that appeals to both users and search engines, you can maximize the impact of your SEO efforts.

Implementing effective SEO strategies is crucial for businesses to enhance their online visibility, attract targeted traffic, and establish themselves as industry leaders. By investing in SEO and consistently optimizing their websites and content, businesses can achieve long-term growth and enjoy the benefits of organic, high-converting traffic channels.

 

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TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00] Danielle: Today on the podcast, we have a brilliant guest and I am so excited for you guys to hear from her. Her name is Tedi Bezna and she is a digital marketing and SEO expert and the founder of Searchlight Digital. In this conversation, we talk all about the power of search engine optimization.

[00:00:17] And you are going to want to get her a notebook and pen for this episode because Tedi shares some incredible tips and strategies to get warm, organic leads that are high converting on your website. And she's gonna be sharing how to do that through the power of seo. And also, I want you to stay tuned till the end because I'll share a link and a specific promo code that Tedi has generously shared just for our podcast community.

[00:00:44] So I'm so excited for you to jump into this episode. Let's go ahead and get started.

[00:00:49] Welcome to the Business Babes Collective podcast. I'm your host, Danielle Wiebe. In this podcast, you'll learn tangible business tips and strategies on how to grow [00:01:00] successfully and sustainably. We'll also interview seasoned entrepreneurs so you can listen in on their stories and see behind the scenes of what it took to grow and scale their businesses. Let's dive in as we discuss the wild, exciting, crazy challenging, rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship.

[00:01:19] Welcome, Tedi, to the Business Babes Collective podcast. I am so excited to have you here today.

[00:01:24] Tedi: Thank you so much for having me.

[00:01:26] Danielle: Can you share for our listeners a little bit more about you and what you do for your business?

[00:01:32] Yeah, so my name is Tedi Bena. I'm the CEO and founder of Searchlight Digital, and we are a marketing agency that specializes in search engine optimization, content development and content strategy. And really we work with really busy entrepreneurs who know that SEO is really important, but can feel really overwhelmed by the time and the resources and the knowledge that is needed to be able to really succeed.

[00:01:59] And [00:02:00] so we try to take the scary out of seo, help our clients feel empowered but not overwhelmed, uh, and really just take it off their to-do list. So it is one less thing for busy owner operators, entrepreneurs, and marketing departments to worry about to have an expert partner. Working alongside them in their business. So, um, that's really where, where we shine.

[00:02:21] I love that. And I know the power of SEO because, to this day, we have people saying that they found us through Google, which is really cool. I think that's so exciting when people say that cuz people are actually searching for specific things. So then when they find us, That's when it really, like, they're really interested in what we do because they're specifically searching for what we do.

[00:02:43] And so for any of the other businesses out there, uh, I would love for you to kind of share more about the importance of SEO when it comes to Google and all of that kind of stuff. Cuz I think people just sort of, Often ignore it, um, on their [00:03:00] website because they just are focused on everything that they're doing on social media.

[00:03:05] And of course, you know, people can find you on social media, people can find you wherever you're marketing yourself online. But tell us why Google is so important for search engine optimization.

[00:03:17] Tedi: Absolutely. Well, I think the biggest difference for me between sEO and some of the like, social media, which tends to be sort of the two major marketing activities that most people undertake, is that search engine optimization really is about longevity and ownership in a way that social media Isn't.

[00:03:38] So with social media, of course you are, you know, constantly having to put out new content. Things don't last as long. There isn't that sense of longevity. And there also isn't the same sense of ownership. I think we've all seen lots of stories of creators and businesses where they build up a platform and they really rely on that Instagram community and traffic, and then [00:04:00] they, you know, inadvertently or maybe don't, you know, violate a community guideline, you're out of there, you lose, you know, your traffic or the algorithm changes and you see your reach plummet.

[00:04:09] And so really with seo, I consider it to be such a foundational marketing activity because you're really investing in your own website, which you have much more ownership over. The Google algorithm obviously does change, but not as dramatically as I find other algorithms tend to. And really the underlying focus of search engine optimization in general is around creating an amazing client experience on your website. And so if we're always moving and shifting towards that, you're going to be performing well in, you know, in Google and showing up on these search engines.

[00:04:44] So really for me, it's about making an investment either one time or slowly over time and continuing to see the results of that. Like you said, you continue to have people who find you on Google and being able to really own that and invest in it over time and know that [00:05:00] you're going to continue to see the return on the investment.

[00:05:02] So SEO can sort of get put aside and say, You know, I'll deal with it later. I'll deal with it, you know, maybe in a year or two from now when I'm starting to do well. But really, it's something that even out the gate, as soon as you create a website, if you are optimizing it, you're gonna start to see those returns over time.

[00:05:20] You're gonna see that steady growth over time and really help to sort of create some those passive, warm leads. It's people who are reaching out to you effectively because they're looking for what it is that you offer, whether that's a service or a product. It's a really great, warm, passive, high converting traffic channel.

[00:05:38] Danielle: I love that so much. And I think one of the things that I wish that we would've invested in earlier is writing on our blog because, for the longest time, we were just focused on social media and we were, obviously, we had the pages on our website, but I would love to hear from you why a blog could be a really great idea for someone's [00:06:00] business and depending on like what, what their business is, and I know that there's really great options for people that either have product or service-based businesses.

[00:06:08] So tell me a little bit about that. Like why would someone want to invest in, obviously they wanna optimize like, the main pages of their website first, but then after that, why would a blog be important?

[00:06:21] Tedi: Yeah. Well, I think with most certainly service-based businesses, but even a lot of e-commerce businesses, you sort of have your standard like service pages, your about page, your homepage, and even oftentimes with products, like you'll put out your products, but you're not necessarily putting out brand new products every single day unless you're, you know, a really large e-commerce site. For services, you're not like putting out new services every single week.

[00:06:44] And so really, once you optimize those pages, there's only so far that you can really take those. You can't continue to optimize and grow those pages. Indefinitely. And so that's where blogs come in, where you both have the opportunity to create new, [00:07:00] fresh content frequently.

[00:07:01] So that shows, of course, that you are active, that you are, you know, I don't wanna say like a real business, but like you

[00:07:07] Danielle: Yeah.

[00:07:07] Tedi: People aren't gonna be like, is this person still in business? Are they still providing services? It's like, oh, they just posted a blog post last week, of course they're active.

[00:07:14] But it also allows you start to diversify your keywords. And I think that this is something that is often overlooked because a lot of people say, okay, well, like this is my one keyword and I wanna rank number one for this one keyword. And that's where all their focus goes into. But really there is a wealth of traffic and of, you know, new leads in some of these more diverse niche keywords where, um, you know, maybe it's not directly related to your product or service.

[00:07:44] You know, it's not that exact match keyword, but it's questions around it. It's people who are searching for knowledge and information and education, and you can then cast that net a little bit wider. Especially at the top of the funnel where you can start to attract people who are sort of [00:08:00] in your space, who are starting to learn, and you can then establish yourself as an expert and an authority in your space and attract people who maybe aren't searching for your exact product, service, or brand name, but are working towards that.

[00:08:14] And so for, you know, e-commerce, Doing things like roundups of products, um, you know, doing things like talking about the benefits of, you know, sustainability or the types of materials that you use. Things where it's not like I'm looking to buy a bathing suit, but like I'm going on a beach vacation or, um, you know, I'm going on a road trip, what do I need?

[00:08:36] And then working people towards that conversion in a different way than a product page would, where it's obviously very trans, you know, transactional and sales focused. Um, but this is another way to sort of build relationships, diversify keywords, and start to have traffic coming from multiple places instead of relying on just one keyword where if anything were to happen in the algorithm, you don't wanna have all your eggs in that [00:09:00] one basket.

[00:09:00] You wanna see people coming from multiple different places. And I have clients where they are very content driven and they have seen exponential growth coming from like really the most niche obscure questions where no one else is writing about this, no one else is talking about it. And they have really taken ownership of, you know, specific niches where they are writing very diverse, um, very wide ranging content, all to do with the same niche so that when people do.

[00:09:29] They know that these are the, the experts in the authorities in their space. Um, but it helps to then drive towards their main goal, which is really valuable. So absolutely having a blog, fresh content, new sources, and also the ability to repurpose blog content. So if you, of course, it's not to say only do seo, only do blogging.

[00:09:49] Of course you should be diversifying your marketing channels regardless. But sometimes you're sitting down to do a social media post and you're like, what do I post about today? If you have blog content, you [00:10:00] can always then of course, speak on your new content, but also speak about posts that you did a year ago or two months ago.

[00:10:07] Um, you know, creating that evergreen content, that sort of seasonless content along with seasonal content can be really valuable to help support those other marketing initiatives.

[00:10:18] Danielle: I love that so much and I think we have seen that with our podcast because you know, we're, we record our podcast and then we repurpose it to the blog and then from there we're also repurposing that content, that same content to social media.

[00:10:34] So it's just kind of like this flow of the content we're creating. And it's so nice cuz we never feel like I, the only thing that I am really creating from scratch, if you will, is the podcast and then everything is kind of repurposed from there. And so I would love to ask you just kind of more about the specifics of optimizing your keywords and things on your website, because before we [00:11:00] started working together, I didn't really know really what that meant, to be honest with you.

[00:11:05] Tedi: Yeah.

[00:11:05] Danielle: So can you talk about like some really basic things that maybe you see maybe mistakes people are making?

[00:11:13] Tedi: Mm-hmm.

[00:11:13] Danielle: Or when you come and you start working with a client, what are the main things that you see when you kind of scan over their website and you're like, oh, they could be optimizing this better or they could be optimizing that better. I would love to hear kind of some, some top tips from you from, for that.

[00:11:28] Tedi: Yeah. You know, it's interesting whenever I think of optimization. And whenever we work on optimization, obviously we're thinking about the content itself, but I always think of a step zero almost as being data and analytics.

[00:11:41] So making sure that you have at a minimum Google Analytics and Google Search Console installed on your site. Because if we're optimizing content, we want to know what we're actually optimizing towards, and our own data can be such a valuable resource that so few people actually tap into. So making [00:12:00] sure that you have that and you're tracking how your blogs are performing, what keywords are already driving some of that traffic, even potentially without the optimization.

[00:12:09] That can be a really valuable tool to then know, okay, here are some of our high opportunity keywords, our high opportunity phrases, our high opportunity pages, cuz you could have a blog post that maybe you love, but something that maybe is a little bit more obscure is actually performing really well. So being able to look at the data and say, okay, here are the blog posts that we're already driving traffic for, or we're already getting impressions for.

[00:12:32] Let's use our time effectively and look for the blog posts where we have the most opportunities. So always, I say, make sure that you have your analytics at least set up so that if you ever do work with someone else, you can always go back or, you know, even just for yourself, you can always look back as long as it's tracking in the background and making sure that you have that.

[00:12:50] But then when we actually go into the content that we see on the blogs, we wanna make sure that at least in the page title and the headings, that there is a little bit more [00:13:00] of a keyword focus and some exact match wherever it makes sense. I think a lot of people get really hesitant when they think of SEO optimized content as like, oh my gosh, this is gonna look like a robot wrote it or it's gonna be nonsensical cause it's just keywords, you know, put in everywhere.

[00:13:16] And that's definitely not the case. We wanna make sure that we have enough keywords that Google understands what your page is about and the information that you're sharing, while also making it user friendly enough that people want to read your content and they want to stay on your page.

[00:13:31] So a really great way of balancing that is using those page titles and headers to really succinctly describe what it is you're talking about with the use of keywords. And then throughout the copy, of course we'd want to have, um, sort of related phrases and being clear about what we're talking about without keyword stuffing.

[00:13:50] So, um, making sure that you've identified specific questions that you're wanting to address and, um, seeing what keywords are associated with that to [00:14:00] optimize those headings, but also making sure that it's clear enough that Google will also understand.

[00:14:07] I think sometimes we use our own like internal language or our sort of own internal jargon almost, um, and I know that this was something when we were working on the podcast, we were talking about, you know, conversations with or you know, podcast episode 161 and you know, Google doesn't understand that in the same way or, or find value in the same way as like tips for new entrepreneurs or how to SEO optimize your blog posts.

[00:14:33] So, um, it's really nice that within blog posts you can actually customize a page title that shows up in search results that's different than the actual title of your blog posts. So, um, there's opportunities to, again, be a little bit more keyword heavy without impacting user experience. So making sure that you identify those keywords.

[00:14:55] I also noticed with a lot of people when they're editing or formatting a post, they [00:15:00] structure their headings visually instead of through the actual code that is needed. So what I mean by that is that for each post, you should have one H1, which is like a primary header. And then the sections underneath should be H2's, which are, you know, secondary headings.

[00:15:18] And oftentimes people will say, oh, I really like the way that this looks. It's, you know, bolded and italicize and I wanna use that. But that's actually an H1. And now you have like three H 1's s on your page and you're only supposed to have one because that's the main topic. So really paying attention to is this structured logically and does this have a hierarchy that makes sense to users and also to Google when it's understanding, you know, what is on this page? So that's another really important thing, is structuring things properly.

[00:15:45] Images, making sure they're not too large, but also using the opportunity to add that image alt text. Um, and basically when you're doing that, you're describing the photo as though you're speaking to someone. Uh, so you're describing to them what the picture looks like, [00:16:00] but ideally if you can incorporate those keywords while you're typing that, that's a really amazing opportunity to show up in image search results.

[00:16:07] Um, as well as, of course, it being an accessibility feature. So we always wanna make sure that our sites are inclusive and accessible. And the other thing that I see a lot of times is people not including a call to action or a next best step that people can take. And I think that this is really the missing value of blog posts where people just think, oh, I'm putting this education and putting this resource out there, and then maybe they don't think that people are going to use this for, you know, working with them or for taking that next step.

[00:16:36] But the disconnect often comes from not telling people what that next step is. So if you are an e-commerce website, making sure that your products are embedded and linked and that people know where and how to purchase if you're a service provider, really using that ending of the blog to wrap things up nicely and say, Hey, here's how we can work together.

[00:16:55] Sign up for my email list, get this resource book, this call. Um, [00:17:00] really providing that best next step and continuing to move people through your funnel. So, um, those are some, you know, initial tips for, you know, going back through, reviewing your content and really making the most of those blogs.

[00:17:12] Danielle: I love that so much. Oh my gosh. There was so much in there. I feel like people are gonna have to like, pause, rewind, they scribble down notes.

[00:17:18] Tedi: It's all written down in the show notes.

[00:17:21] Danielle: I love it. Okay, so for the people that are brand new to seo

[00:17:26] Tedi: mm-hmm.

[00:17:26] Danielle: they're like, I literally know nothing. Can you explain to us, because I think you, you explained it kind of in that, in sharing all those tips, However, if they're still like, okay, I feel, I feel confused.

[00:17:39] Can you give some examples of keywords for potentially like different industries? So when you say keywords and having those phrases that are really keyword rich that Google will pick up.

[00:17:52] Tedi: Mm-hmm.

[00:17:52] Danielle: can you give some like tactical examples? I know you gave a few for like my business, for example.

[00:17:57] Tedi: Yeah.

[00:17:57] Danielle: Can you give some for other businesses that you [00:18:00] potentially work with so that people can start to like recognize, oh, for my niche, these would be some keywords or phrases that I could use.

[00:18:08] Tedi: Totally. So if we think of like a service provider, um, I've been working with a lot of businesses in like the health and wellness space and like, you know, therapists and counselors. So one of your sort of direct keywords that you're gonna want to be using for like your homepage or about page or services is like, you know, couples counseling, Vancouver, BC. That's gonna be for your primary pages.

[00:18:30] Um, you know, that's what you're gonna wanna be ranking for when people are directly searching for the service that you provide. But something that you might use for your blog posts would be something like, how to convince your spouse to go to couples counseling, or, you know, the benefits of certain method, you know, the Gottman method of, uh, you know, couples counseling.

[00:18:50] So that's something that is again, a little bit more broad, a little bit, uh, higher level while still serving your niche and moving people towards working with you. So [00:19:00] at the bottom of that, you'd say book a virtual consultation, something like that, you know, to, again, bring people back in with something like a product-based business.

[00:19:08] We could, you know, let's say like candles. I know we have a lot of people in our, our community that are making candles.

[00:19:14] Danielle: Mm-hmm.

[00:19:14] Tedi: So, you know, we wanna do. Soy based candles or you know, maybe a particular scent like lavender candles. Those are those direct, like product based, that's what you're gonna use on your product page that's really specific as exact a match to your product as you can get the better, and especially with some of those modifiers or the niche terms.

[00:19:35] So instead of just trying to rank for candles, which is really big,

[00:19:39] Danielle: right.

[00:19:39] Tedi: Too high level. You wanna bring it down to people who are searching for lavender, soy-based candles. That way it's more likely to convert, you're more likely to rank because there are less people competing for that Exact e word. And overall it's more valuable.

[00:19:55] So even though it might not have as many searches, it has better searches and you know, [00:20:00] the right people who are coming to your site. But a blog post might be, uh, you know, the benefits of soy wax versus traditional wax, or, uh, you know, why you should have beeswax candles in your home.

[00:20:13] Danielle: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:13] Tedi: or, uh, even something that's even a little bit more broad about like how to, you know, five tips for making your home cozy this fall, something like that.

[00:20:21] It's like, of course we're gonna have a candle listed in there, uh, and maybe some of our specific scents. Something like that, where again, Casting the night a little bit wider by bringing people through and always having sort of that conversion in mind of how am I going to use this to really effectively serve my ideal client so that they're excited to work with me.

[00:20:42] Danielle: I love that. For the blog, for example, like taking more of a more broad approach of what are some other things that my ideal client is ideally searching for or that they love, right?

[00:20:55] Tedi: Mm-hmm.

[00:20:56] Danielle: and I've seen so many different blogs lately and I think I'm just more aware [00:21:00] of it now just cuz I'm learning more from you and, and all that. But for example, I was just recently on someone's blog. Who is like a really well known, uh, food blogger.

[00:21:11] Tedi: Mm-hmm.

[00:21:11] Danielle: and I was looking for some recipes and I was looking at her blog and I was like, wow. Like she really serves her ideal client, like she really knows her ideal client. She's talking in her blog post, she talks about the clothing that she loves, and she talks about all these different things that she knows that her ideal client also loves.

[00:21:31] And so I don't doubt that her blog gets so many hits because she's talking not only just about food, but what are the other some of the other things that her ideal person also loves to learn about or, or see like on a blog post. Right? And so I think that's really cool, just kind of bringing in other pieces of what your ideal client loves and is thinking about.

[00:21:55] And I think of that in a way of almost creating, obviously I'm [00:22:00] really passionate about community.

[00:22:01] Tedi: Mm-hmm.

[00:22:01] Danielle: creating like a community sort of around your brand where people don't necessarily just come to you for like something very specific, but they, they also get all this other value from you as well. Not to say that you should broaden your products and services, it's more so you can include that in your blog or in your content, because if you're only ever just talking about like one thing and one thing only on on your blog, then it can get a little dull, probably.

[00:22:30] Tedi: Totally. Well, and I think a lot of service providers in particular feel very hesitant about writing blog posts where they're sharing their expertise because they say, oh, well, someone's gonna read my blog post and then they're not gonna wanna work with me because then they're just gonna go off and do it themselves.

[00:22:45] And I think that's such a missed opportunity because really when people are reading your blog, Some people might be looking to do it themselves and they're probably not your ideal client, but eventually they might wanna work with someone. Cuz I think, as we all know, we have big [00:23:00] dreams, big ambitions, we're gonna diy, I can totally do this. And then the reality hits that you're like, I'm busy doing my business. I have a life. I'm so overwhelmed. I don't wanna learn how to do this from scratch, but I know someone who already knows it because I read this article and it was so thorough.

[00:23:16] I was so impressed. Clearly they know what they're doing. I'm ready and willing to work with them. So I, I think it's important, obviously, we wanna be casting the net wide, but also even as we start to narrow in and start to get closer to that purchase or that conversion or that signup, also addressing like what are those friction points?

[00:23:35] What are the areas of expertise? Like what is that piece of content also that will really help to flip the switch and say, you know what, yeah, this is the person that I wanna work with. This is the brand that I wanna buy from. Um, you know, I'm now feeling confident and ready and able to make that decision based on this type of content.

[00:23:52] So I think it's so true what you're saying with community building where you are showing that you are not just a person who sells candles. [00:24:00] You are,

[00:24:00] Danielle: yeah.

[00:24:00] Tedi: You know, a person who is passionate about living a life of, you know, beauty and calmness, and so then people feel more attached to your products.

[00:24:09] If you, you know, our service provider, you're not just a person does couples counseling. You're a person who's passionate about creating thriving relationships, and so people buy into that as well. So I see it very much as a relationship building opportunity, not just as something where it's like, let's just push it out and rank for keywords and drive traffic. It really has to be thoughtfully woven into your brand voice, your brand tone, and your overall mission.

[00:24:35] Danielle: So, so good. I love that. I also think it gives the opportunity as you grow and as you expand your brand, it also gives the opportunity to potentially monetize in other ways. So for example, like maybe you have affiliates for other products or services, um, within your blog posts or within your content.

[00:24:53] And I know like a lot of people, as they start to build their communities, they're monetizing not just with their products [00:25:00] and services, but also with affiliating or promoting other products. And things like that too. And for some people, like that's their entire business model, right? Like they are the influencer in this specific, you know, niche. And then they're able to promote other people's products and services through that. So I think that's really, really cool.

[00:25:18] And I also agree with you so much about, I, I personally don't think you can really give too much away as far as like the knowledge that you have, because there's always gonna be people that wanna work with you no matter what. And you know, the biggest value that you provide as a service provider, because I know with products it's like obviously you have to purchase the products to experience them, but with service providers, it's the value that you offer is you and your knowledge and your expertise.

[00:25:48] And whether that is you're providing a course for people or you're providing an actual like one-on-one service or potentially both, that is super, super key is they need to [00:26:00] know you, like you, and trust you. And so if you are, you know, if they can tell you're holding back a lot and you're only kind of sharing like just the basic things, then they're not going to trust you and they're probably gonna go for someone else who are like, Oh, she actually really knows what she's talking about and she's sharing all of these tips and now I wanna work with her.

[00:26:21] And that's actually how, specifically, how we started working together. Because we had collaborated a few different times and I was like, okay, well if I'm gonna, you know, go with someone for seo, it's gonna be Tedi for sure, because she knows what she's talking about. And I remember you did a workshop for our community and it was so thorough and it was so in depth. Man, this is amazing. Like, I need to work with her right now.

[00:26:45] Tedi: I always call those my SEO marathons. Cause I feel like by the end of those presentations I'm like, sweating. I'm like, man, there's so much. But, um, yeah, no, I'm, I'm, again, I'm really passionate about education, information empowerment [00:27:00] because

[00:27:00] Danielle: mm-hmm.

[00:27:00] Tedi: I think that a lot of times, Especially I find in my space in particular, like SEO is kind of fraught with like either, uh, I always felt like bamboozlement, like people who are trying to like use the jargon overwhelmed so that you feel helpless and you're like, oh, I guess I have to work with this person because I have no idea what's going on or things are very like behind the veil, and I definitely try to lift that and say, Hey, here's exactly what we're doing. Here's what you can expect. Here's where you'll be able to see that.

[00:27:27] Because a lot of people say, oh, well, you'll never be able to tell if a website is SEO optimized. You can't see anything. So really focusing on that education and empowerment so that you don't have to do it yourself, but you still should know what's going on and be able to trust the person that you're working with.

[00:27:42] Cuz there's nothing worse as a service provider to be able to, you know, work with someone, work really hard, provide that service, and then walk away and have a person say, well I have no idea what they just did. You know, you wanna make sure that people feel involved and that they feel informed and they're like, I totally trust you to do this, because [00:28:00] I know that at any moment I can ask a question, I can look, I can see and know exactly what's going on.

[00:28:06] So that's, um, such a huge part of, I think how most service providers hopefully should be, should be working. But

[00:28:12] Danielle: yeah!

[00:28:12] Tedi: That education and empowerment piece I think is so important for all business owners.

[00:28:17] Danielle: Yeah, absolutely. And I think there's always, I always think about it this way. It's like there are always going to be, the, it, it's always gonna be a risk that, like you said, someone's going to take your content. They do it themselves. Great. And that's, like you said, it's an empowerment, it's education. Great. That's awesome. They, they're benefiting their lives from something, you know, you created with your content.

[00:28:40] I think also people get scared of like, oh, the, someone's gonna come on my page, they're gonna copy what I'm doing, and then they're going to potentially monetize off of what I'm doing.

[00:28:49] Tedi: Yeah.

[00:28:50] Danielle: For sure. That absolutely happens. Like Right.

[00:28:53] Tedi: That's why you need a lawyer.

[00:28:55] Danielle: Exactly.

[00:28:56] Tedi: Everyone.

[00:28:57] Danielle: Exactly. But the thing is, is that like, [00:29:00] That's gonna happen anyways. And so it's one of those things where it's like you can either be scared that that's gonna happen and not really provide the excellent value that you want to for your clients and potential clients and all of that.

[00:29:15] And you can kinda hold back, but, or you can just like share freely and know that you know what those things might happen, but also, What you'll gain from that is just so much more than what you'll lose. And that's kind of, I think the mindset that sometimes we have to have is just like an abundance mindset of I'm gonna be sharing and whatever comes from this.

[00:29:37] And really just like having kind of that open mentality. And I know it, it is. It can be challenging, especially if you feel like you've been burnt or someone has copied your product or copied your service.

[00:29:47] Tedi: Mm-hmm.

[00:29:48] Danielle: and it happens in business all the time.

[00:29:50] Tedi: Yeah.

[00:29:50] Danielle: But it, you just have to realize like, you know, the right people that are meant to work with you or meant to purchase your product are gonna do that. And again, like you said, [00:30:00] having those structures in place, having lawyers, having accountants, all of that and having, being incorporated all of those behind the scenes business things can, can help with that too. But yeah. I have loved this conversation. I have gotten so much value out of it. Thank you so much for being on the podcast.

[00:30:15] I really, really appreciate you and I appreciate how freely you share all of this amazing information. And I wanna ask you one last question because you have felt a very successful business and helping so many different other businesses as well. What are you most proud of, of your entrepreneurial journey this far?

[00:30:32] We haven't even talked about you. You also are a mom.

[00:30:35] Tedi: Yes. Um, so, oh gosh. I hope that we can't hear them in the background. Yes.

[00:30:40] Danielle: No, you're in good company here.

[00:30:43] Tedi: Yeah. You know, I think certainly building the business while having, uh, two, under two, I had two pandemic babies, so that was sort of an added

[00:30:52] Danielle: amazing

[00:30:52] Tedi: layer. So I think, you know, even just the starting can be so empowering. But one of the things that has really transformed in [00:31:00] the last year is starting to grow and build a team as well. And so really transitioning into a leadership role has been really fulfilling and seeing the impact that I'm able to have on my team where, you know, we have a team of writers and, oftentimes I think of certain creative paths where people are like, oh, you can't make a career of that.

[00:31:20] Like you can't, that's not a real job. And I'm like, I am helping my team live in what they want to do and helping support their careers and helping to grow, you know, my team like that has been such an amazing thing.

[00:31:34] Obviously the impact on my clients themselves. My sort of backstory, like my dad owned pet stores for 20 years and just wasn't fully able to make the transition to online, and he had always said, you know, if I had you and your skills back then, you know, maybe things would've been different. And so I really hold that close in my heart as I move forward, as I work with my clients that I know that these are not large, you know, corporation [00:32:00] conglomerates. Like these are real people that wanna send their kids to soccer and that wanna pay their bills and you know, fulfill their own dreams.

[00:32:07] And to be able to be a part of that and to take my role very seriously in helping them to grow and achieve their dreams is something that is just so fulfilling and that I'm so proud we've been able to do so. Yeah, lots of things to be proud of.

[00:32:20] Danielle: I love that. I love that. Well, thank you so much for sharing and thank you for being on. Can you tell everyone where they can find you, where they can connect with you online?

[00:32:30] Tedi: Yeah, absolutely. So you can follow us on Instagram at Searchlight Digital, uh, and then you can find us online searchlightmarketing.ca. Well, thank you so much for being on Tedi, appreciate thanks you so much.

[00:32:41] Amazing. Thank you.

[00:32:43] Danielle: Okay. Quickly before you go, after our podcast interview, Tedi emailed me and she let me know that she wanted to provide a special discount for our podcast community. So she is offering $50 off a pick my brain session. And [00:33:00] so to get that you can go to searchlightmarketing.ca/business and then dash babes.

[00:33:07] I'm also gonna have that link in the show notes so you can link to it in the show notes, if you wanna just click that link, it'll take you directly there, and I highly recommend doing that. Uh, we have booked a session with Tedi before and it was amazing. So if you're looking to implement SEO into your own business, then make sure you take advantage of that.

[00:33:27] So until next time, thank you so much for listening to the podcast. Again, if you have not yet subscribed, rated and reviewed the podcast, I would so incredibly appreciate if you did that. So if you would take a moment to review the podcast and actually send me a screenshot of your, your review as well as share it with a friend and send me that screenshot as well to my Instagram @danilivinglife.

[00:33:55] Dani, with an I Living Life. I am going to send you a free gift from me. [00:34:00] So as a thank you for supporting the podcast, for sharing it, I wanna send you a free gift, so please let me know. Send me a DM that you have done that. I am so, so grateful for you and I love that we get to spend this time together. So we'll see you in the next episode, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day.

[00:34:22] If you love this episode, make sure you screenshot, post and tag us on Instagram @businessbabesco. Want to know when the next episode goes live? Subscribe on your podcast app and while you're there, give us a review. Until next time, keep dreaming big, setting goals, and taking action.

Danielle Wiebe