Personal Branding for SEO Success with Dianne Wilson

In this episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, I (Crystal Waddell) sit down with personal brand strategist Dianne Wilson to talk about all things branding, storytelling, and SEO. 

Key Takeaways:

• Authenticity Sells: Embracing your quirks, imperfections, and real stories resonates with audiences and helps create lasting connections.
• SEO Loves Stories: Integrating stories into your brand increases discoverability while naturally incorporating SEO-friendly keywords.
• Target Audience Awareness: Identifying and speaking directly to your ideal audience ensures you attract people who genuinely resonate with your message.
• Visibility Beyond the Screen: In-person experiences, like events or workshops, can deepen brand loyalty and expand visibility beyond digital platforms.
• Content Optimization 101: From headers to keywords, learn how to craft technically optimized content that feels true to you.

Episode Highlights:

• "Authenticity isn't just showing your best self—it's sharing your vulnerabilities. That's what builds real connections."
• "You don't need to serve everyone; define who you want to reach and speak directly to them."
• "SEO and storytelling are like peanut butter and jelly—they’re best together!"

Listener Action Items:

1. Take Stock of Your Story: Identify personal stories that shaped your perspective and find ways to integrate them into your brand.
2. Embrace Vulnerability: Share something personal in your next post or email. Authenticity builds trust and fosters connection.
3. Target Your Ideal Audience: Write down key traits of your ideal audience and use them to shape your content.
4. Optimize Your Content: Use headers, keywords, and descriptive phrases to improve SEO while keeping it true to your voice.
5. Explore Beehive for Newsletters: Consider Beehive’s SEO-friendly platform to expand your newsletter’s reach and visibility.

Connect with Dianne:
Instagram
Crown to Empire Masterclass: Dianne’s free live masterclass designed to help entrepreneurs build standout personal brands. Join to learn her framework for overcoming comparison and posting paralysis, and to create content that aligns with your values.

Hey, football fans! Score big this fall with Senior Night Gifts from LoveYourSenior.com. These treasures are just what you need to make your memories last a lifetime. But hurry, these limited edition pieces are as fleeting as those Friday night lights Visit loveyoursenior.com and grab yours before the final whistle blows.

That's loveyoursenior.com.

Chapters

• 0:00 Dianne Wilson - Simple and Smart SEO Show Podcast Recording – 2024_10_03 09_04 EDT – Recording
• 0:49 Introduction and Guest Welcome
• 0:53 Meeting Dianne Wilson
• 1:40 Dianne's Background as a Wardrobe Stylist
• 2:03 The Power of Storytelling in Branding
• 2:55 A Special Project with an Influencer
• 3:36 Internal Conflict and Personal Branding
• 4:06 Masterclass Revelation
• 4:42 Embracing Imperfections in Personal Branding
• 6:19 Crystal's Personal Branding Journey
• 7:23 The Importance of Authenticity
• 9:49 SWOT Analysis in Business
• 12:52 Defining Your Target Audience
• 15:13 Mindset Shifts for Visibility
• 22:09 Balancing Authenticity with Strategy
• 24:52 SEO and Personal Branding
• 31:49 Optimizing Newsletters for SEO
• 34:15 Steps to Build a Personal Brand
• 38:21 Trends in Personal Branding

Transcript

[00:00:00] Crystal Waddell: Welcome to the third season of the Simple and Smart SEO Show. The podcast dedicated to empathy driven, brand building SEO. 

[00:00:06] I'm your host, Crystal Waddell. I leverage my obsession with user experience to help business owners just like you optimize your website with confidence. 

[00:00:14] Thank you so much for being here.

[00:00:16] Let's jump into another great episode. 

Introduction and Guest Welcome

[00:00:18] Crystal Waddell: Welcome back to the Simple and Smart SEO Show Podcast. 

[00:00:21] I'm your host, Crystal Waddell. 

Meeting Dianne Wilson

[00:00:22] Crystal Waddell: And today I am so excited to be here with a new friend that I actually found on instagram. 

[00:00:28] I'm here with Dianne Wilson, who is a friend that I met via Instagram. 

[00:00:33] I saw that she was a branding specialist and she's actually a personal brand strategist. 

[00:00:38] Because I love brand and because I love SEO, I knew I had to talk to her and get her on the podcast.

[00:00:43] So, Dianne. Thank you so much for being here. 

[00:00:46] Dianne Wilson: Thank you for having me. It's an honor to be here and to chat with you about all things, branding and SEO. 

[00:00:51] Crystal Waddell: Yeah. So we were chatting just before we got started about your evolution. I guess like your personal brands evolution. And just the different things that you've done.

[00:00:59] So I was wondering if you could take us through a, not a terribly long synopsis. 

[00:01:04] But maybe, the overview of your life experience and how you ended up to be a brand strategist?

Dianne's Background as a Wardrobe Stylist

[00:01:09] Dianne Wilson: My introduction to the world of personal branding actually began when I was a wardrobe stylist. Was a wardrobe stylist for a few years before I became a personal branding strategist. 

[00:01:19] And as a wardrobe stylist, I had the opportunity to work with both individuals.

[00:01:24] To help cultivate their personal style and wardrobe. But also indie brands through photo shoots. And. 

The Power of Storytelling in Branding

[00:01:32] Dianne Wilson: It was with both forms of styling that I found the common denominator was storytelling. And that was something that I became really fascinated with. 

[00:01:41] Because as a personal stylist and working with individuals, I was able to help tell their story through their clothing and to share certain aspects of their personality that they wanted other people to see with what they wore.

[00:01:54] And then with Photo shoots, I was able to help showcase the brand's story through visuals. 

[00:02:01] And with visual campaigns through photo shoots, you're able to make this connection with your audience and your clients. In a way where they feel like they see themselves in your story. 

[00:02:13] And that again, was something that just really.

[00:02:15] Stuck with me and as somebody who is a writer, naturally. Storytelling is just seemed to be a common theme in my life, basically. 

A Special Project with an Influencer

[00:02:24] Dianne Wilson: And so I had an opportunity to work with a client that was an influencer. 

[00:02:29] And she hired me to dress her for a photo shoot where she was celebrating her anniversary of being cured from breast cancer.

[00:02:37] And that was a really special project for me. Because Not only did I get to be a part of helping her to tell her story through the photo shoot. 

[00:02:44] But she had a really engaged audience of women who either had gone through breast cancer, knew or unfortunately lost somebody from breast cancer, or they were breast cancer survivors themselves.

[00:02:57] And, that was just really amazing. And it's projects like that stuck with me throughout my career. 

[00:03:03] But I found myself. 

Internal Conflict and Personal Branding

[00:03:05] Dianne Wilson: Going through an internal conflict with my own business.

[00:03:08] Because ironically, even though I was helping to bring together everybody else's story and tell everybody else's message to their audiences. I felt like my own story and my own message was missing in the equation when it came to my business.

[00:03:23] And. I really struggled to identify what it is that made me different. In the sea of all the other people in the marketplace that were wardrobe stylists or branding professionals. I just didn't know what my thing was basically. 

Masterclass Revelation

[00:03:35] Dianne Wilson: And so I attended a masterclass that was hosted by a celebrity stylist. And the masterclass was about personal branding.

[00:03:44] And he shared how personal branding is About embracing the part of you that you think disqualifies you. And hearing it from that perspective was like really a game changer for me. 

[00:03:58] Because, prior to that, especially with working in the fashion industry, I always thought that personal branding was all about showcasing your best self, because that's what everybody says about personal branding is showcasing your best self. 

[00:04:09] But his point of view.

Embracing Imperfections in Personal Branding

[00:04:11] Dianne Wilson: Position personal branding as not just showing the things about you that you think are gonna make you likable, but sharing those imperfections. 

[00:04:19] And the things that maybe you even feel insecure about, because it's through your imperfections that you're able to be vulnerable with people. And make a deeper connection with people in your audience and your clients.

[00:04:31] And I knew that for me. In my line of work, I really wanted to have a deeper connection with my clients. And so I became a brand strategist because I was fascinated with how storytelling allows you to have a deeper understanding of your clients, of your audience. 

[00:04:47] But it can also be used as. Part of taking a person's vision and an idea that they have and turning it into unique services, products, or even content that, has a positive impact on the people that they hope to connect with by sharing it.

[00:05:02] And I get the opportunity to work with a lot of women in the pageant industry. And it's Because of my experiences and I'm able to work with people who are values driven people. And they're really focused on supporting specific causes and helping their communities in unique ways. So I'm able to do all the things that I wasn't able to do in the way I wanted to do it with my previous business.

[00:05:25] And it just feels more aligned with what I envisioned for My ideal brand. 

[00:05:31] In terms of SEO, I believe that aligning storytelling with the needs of your target audience can really enhance the impact of your content. 

[00:05:41] And my approach is focused on authentic storytelling and creating organic engagement. 

[00:05:47] Crystal Waddell: Wow.

Crystal's Personal Branding Journey

[00:05:48] Crystal Waddell: So you said so much there. I was just going back over my own journey. And I remember the first time I had brand photography done, it was a very, low key shoot. 

[00:05:59] But it was just a professional photographer taking pictures of myself and my family in our environment where we make the products that I make.

[00:06:07] And I do like giant letters and numbers. My business is called collage and wood. com. That's how I got into SEO. And I remember the first photo that I posted on Instagram. 

[00:06:16] People that I'd known for years That knew that I had a business, they were like, Oh my gosh, congratulations on all of the success, and so it was like an immediate up level. 

[00:06:25] So there was like that side of it. But then as I learned about SEO and all of these different things. 

[00:06:31] I realized I was like, look, I have got so much going on that I can't just create a persona. Of who I am, online and then be crystal, in my everyday life.

[00:06:42] I'm like, you are going to have to get crystal, like the full circle crystal all the time. And it's a little overwhelming sometimes. And I tell people are pretty surprised that I am exactly like this in real life. 

The Importance of Authenticity

[00:06:52] Crystal Waddell: But yeah, I think it also makes it easier when you embrace Oh my gosh, there's some things that I don't do well. 

[00:06:59] But if I could learn to have a sense of humor about it and share that. People resonate with that because no one wants to share their mistakes.

[00:07:05] You know what I mean? We all want to pretend that we got here, by some magic wand tap and it said, Oh, no, everything went perfect for you. You made every great decision. 

[00:07:14] And it's no, most people won't still be here after a certain period of time, for sure. You know what I mean?

[00:07:18] Because of like the mistakes that happen. But when you make it through the mistakes and you share them, I found that you do make deep connections with people. 

[00:07:27] Dianne Wilson: Oh, for sure. And I've seen that with, my business recently, I just shared a post about a failed collaboration that I had. 

[00:07:34] And the response was actually really interesting because, in my mind, like you said, as a business owner, you don't want to lead with your failures. 

[00:07:43] Because then you worry about, Oh, what if people don't think I'm an expert? Because I shared about how I did this thing wrong. 

[00:07:50] But ironically, the feedback that I was receiving was, thank you so much for your transparency. And, wow, this is so good. 

[00:07:56] And, it just really helped to reaffirm what I had already thought with the previous business that I had. And going through the transition. 

[00:08:05] Which is that, people want real, they want authentic, and I know that word authentic is used a lot. 

[00:08:11] But like you were just saying, like authenticity is, sharing you as, as authentic as you can be. 

[00:08:18] About who you are, who you are in front of other people. And how you are with people in your personal life.

[00:08:23] That's what it is. And being able to express yourself in that way that it's really freeing. 

[00:08:28] And I don't think that a lot of people are able to experience that, with building a personal brand. 

[00:08:33] If you learn how to, you'll be able to make better connections with people. 

[00:08:37] Crystal Waddell: Yeah. And I think sometimes too, like it's hard to admit to ourselves, that like we've made a mistake or we've made the wrong choice. 

[00:08:43] Or we've made a series of wrong choices that have led us to a situation, and.

[00:08:47] One thing I've learned about business, it's so very difficult to do this, but one thing I've learned is that you have to separate like the personal 

SWOT Analysis in Business

[00:08:55] Crystal Waddell: Attack or celebration or whatever.

[00:08:58] Just the personal aspect of it from the strategic and the goals. 

[00:09:03] You have to have taken an objective approach. 

[00:09:05] And tactically, one thing that I've done is I do these things called SWOT analysis.

[00:09:10] And We learned about those in journalism school like 20 years ago. 

[00:09:13] It's like strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. And when I put things down in a SWOT analysis, it doesn't feel like I'm bragging in my strengths. 

[00:09:22] It's like these are the things that we want to double down on so that we could be more successful.

[00:09:26] And I learned to look at my weaknesses and identify weaknesses because those weaknesses, they could become strengths, right? 

[00:09:34] And then the O stands for opportunities and opportunities are always a nice lift because it's always nice to know that you have something to look forward to.

[00:09:43] And so it's okay, how can we strategically align these opportunities with, what we have going on right now? And what's actually possible in the future? 

[00:09:50] And then the threats, I had to really look at that and see that sometimes the threats were more internal versus external.

[00:09:59] And like those internal threats and just like my personal ability to accomplish all the things that I want to do on my own, were just unreasonable. 

[00:10:08] And sometimes they would, lead into, issues in my personal life, because I'm struggling against who I want to be as a person and present as a mom and a wife. 

[00:10:16] Versus what I want to accomplish as a business owner.

[00:10:18] And I just felt like that was such a, like a great activity to do. 

[00:10:22] Just to reflect and take such an open look at what each problem or stage of business, gives us. 

[00:10:28] And I talk about that online, like on LinkedIn, I'll post those types of things and people really appreciate it.

[00:10:34] They see that as authentic. They see that as, this look inside of my business. And I never thought about it that way. 

[00:10:40] I'm just like, okay, I'm just trying to assess in an objective way how we could get better. Yeah. 

[00:10:45] But my point is, I think sometimes we have to, really look internally as well, not just what other people, are thinking of us, but what we think of us and also what is realistic to accomplish.

[00:10:57] Dianne Wilson: Oh, for sure. I love everything that you said. And I know for me, recently, I've been thinking a lot about this word capacity. That's been my word for the year. Because I think that part of the reason why I was having so much conflict with developing my personal brand in the past is because I was trying to emulate everybody else around me. 

[00:11:17] And trying to do what everyone else does and just, Everyone is unique.

[00:11:21] Everyone has their own unique gifts, skills and talents that they are meant to share with the world. And I just believe that the best way to operate, if you're trying to build a personal brand is to just stay in your lane. And when you operate within your capacity, you are more likely to thrive and be able to show up.

[00:11:38] With high energy and be able to give the best possible experience to your clients or, be able to really pour into your audience. 

[00:11:47] Crystal Waddell: What do you believe holds people back from becoming more visible online? Are there any common fears or misconceptions that you think keep people from stepping out into the spotlight?

[00:11:58] Dianne Wilson: I 

Defining Your Target Audience

[00:11:58] Dianne Wilson: definitely think that there are some common fears, one of them being defining your target audience. And I know that sounds like a weird response, like, why would that be a fear? 

[00:12:08] But I think that in the back of our minds, we fear making people feel like they're excluded in some way. And we look at that as being detrimental to building a personal brand.

[00:12:21] And I've witnessed this firsthand as a brand strategist. 

[00:12:25] Because almost always during my discovery calls, I ask prospects, I ask people who are on the calls with me to tell me about who their ideal audience is. 

[00:12:34] And I like to follow up with asking them to describe them to me. And whenever I ask this question, I'm not Just looking for demographics like, age or race or where they're located at.

[00:12:47] I'm looking for if the client has an awareness of the qualities that they are looking for in the people that they hope to attract. 

[00:12:55] And it's through those descriptors that you're able to not only identify ways that you can resonate more with your audience and your messaging. But you're also able to be more intentional about it.

[00:13:06] And so the most common response that I get to the question is, Oh, I don't want to exclude anyone. Or I don't want to limit who I reach. 

[00:13:15] And I think this response is wholesome. I think it comes from a good place of just genuinely wanting to help from a marketing perspective and also as far as Comes down to refining your brand identity.

[00:13:27] It's not the most realistic approach because not everyone is looking for what you uniquely have to offer. And so defining your target audience, I don't believe is about limiting or excluding anyone. 

[00:13:40] But rather it's about helping you to make a deeper connection with the right individuals who will support your brand in the long run.

[00:13:49] And this may be a controversial take, but I also think that Every brand has some degree of exclusivity. 

[00:13:55] Crystal Waddell: Exactly. And that's the first time I've ever heard it put like that, because a lot of times I'll hear people say something like, I serve everybody.

[00:14:02] But I've never heard that, that layer of, I don't want to exclude anyone.

[00:14:07] So that's a really interesting, like shift of perspective. 

[00:14:10] But speaking of shifts, like in your experience, like what type of mindset shifts or strategies can help somebody break through. Those things. 

[00:14:19] Dianne Wilson: Yeah. 

Mindset Shifts for Visibility

[00:14:19] Dianne Wilson: So I think that being able to break out of this idea of excluding people requires you to put your self in the position of who you believe would it benefit most and enjoy most your content. 

[00:14:36] I have a lot of women who are in nonprofits. So let's say that you want to serve the homeless community. What type of content do you believe would resonate most with somebody who either wants to. Better assist the homeless or what kind of things do you think that people need to know about the homeless community?

[00:14:51] And it's when you get into the mind of your ideal audience that you're able to create. Content that truly resonates because you're not worried about whether or not somebody who is interested in, I don't know, food. 

[00:15:06] Is interested in what you're talking about. Cause you understand that people who are interested in food are going to be looking for specific content related to that subject.

[00:15:13] You're focused on the people who are looking for the content that you are creating. And it's, It's going to help you to be more findable to those people. So I think that the best strategy is just to put yourself in the mind of your ideal audience and not worry so much about whether or not everybody's going to like it because that's just not, like I said earlier. 

[00:15:31] Realistic as far as being able to build a brand that's memorable.

[00:15:36] And also building a brand that's sustainable and has longevity. Yeah. 

[00:15:39] Crystal Waddell: And one thing for sure that gave me more confidence is like helping that first person. 

[00:15:44] It's like when you have an impact on somebody and you hear the words from them Oh my gosh, thank you so much. 

[00:15:50] This changed my business in this way or that way. Whenever you get that.

[00:15:53] Feedback from a client. Now you have someone tangibly in your mind that you can think of whenever you're writing or creating. 

[00:16:01] It's like you're creating for that person, that person who loved that thing so much the first time. 

[00:16:06] And it can be tough for sure. I think, when you haven't, actually experienced that, that level of success with the one to one person.

[00:16:14] Yeah. But that was the kind of the breakthrough for me was just like getting the feedback from the person that was like, you are really helping me. 

[00:16:20] And then I thought, oh, okay I just need to find more people like you to help. 

[00:16:24] That kind of helped clear it up for me. Who am I serving here?

[00:16:28] But I was curious. You were talking about having our personal story. And, being authentic and all that type of stuff. 

[00:16:33] How do we find the parts of our story that are powerful enough to make people care. Or that they would want to connect back with us. 

[00:16:43] Dianne Wilson: Yeah. So when I was sharing earlier about how the tipping point in my career was hearing from somebody who had a really fresh and unique perspective on personal branding.

[00:16:58] One of the things that also made me resonate with him, even though we were, two completely different people was that he wasn't afraid to have unpopular or controversial takes. 

[00:17:09] And I think that is a really big part of, positioning yourself as somebody who has an authentic brand is being willing to say things that you might worry might rub people the wrong way, if I could be Frank.

[00:17:21] And I think again, this, People pleasing mentality just seeps into everything when it comes to building a brand and building a business. Like it starts with just, Oh, I want to be likable. 

[00:17:31] And then before you know it, it's, Oh, I don't want to create this type of content because what if like the people who see it don't like it.

[00:17:38] And it's that's the point. Like you want people to like your content because that's actually what they're looking for. 

[00:17:43] When it came to My journey and my experience, I was able to feel more comfortable with my personal brand when I was able to feel more comfortable with expressing what I actually thought on something.

[00:17:55] And I think that it's just a simple idea that we, we overlook because like I said, it's simple. 

[00:18:01] And we think that it's. This magic pill that we have to take in order to be authentic. And really it's just about, and you had even said it earlier, spending time with yourself and really taking some time to evaluate who you are as a person.

[00:18:14] And. One of the things that I like to do get through this process is I like to take an inventory of personal experiences that I had. 

[00:18:22] That really shaped my view or my perspective on something. And so I'll literally just think about what's something that happened to me that really changed my life.

[00:18:32] And it doesn't have to be something traumatic. It could just be something as simple as, Oh, I heard something from somebody before. And it really shifted my mind, my mindset. 

[00:18:40] And whenever I take these archive of personal stories, I like to look for an intersection. Or a common denominator between that personal story and then a challenge. Or maybe something that my audience desires.

[00:18:55] And I try to look for that in my own stories. So that they can also find a connection point whenever I share the story. 

[00:19:03] And going back to something I said earlier about just being in the mind of your ideal client. You have to- and I heard this from one of my favorite sales coaches. He says, you have to think about your audience's problems more than them.

[00:19:18] And so whenever you do that and you think about your stories, look for moments of where you've experience something that your ideal audience has experienced. And use that. 

[00:19:29] And if you have an audience where maybe you don't feel like it relates exactly. Maybe it's like a quirk or something you find to be unrelated.

[00:19:37] Look for, again, the point of reference where you can find that common ground. And then one of the ways I like to do this is using chat GPT. 

[00:19:44] Sometimes I'll just ask chat GPT, like where is the, where is like a commonality you find with this story versus this topic. 

[00:19:52] And it'll, put out some ideas and I'm like, Oh, wow.

[00:19:55] I never thought that those two ideas could connect, but here we are. And before, you've created a very amazing story that, again, connects with so many people. You never thought you would be able to reach before. 

[00:20:07] Crystal Waddell: Yeah, that's awesome. It reminds me of a time when I wrote an email to My subscriber list at collage and wood. com, which is a group of mothers, primarily. Who have purchased gifts to celebrate their kids. 

[00:20:19] Especially athletes. And so I, I had written this email and I was talking about, the experience that I'd had coaching Asher. 

[00:20:26] And something upsetting that had happened, or that he was wanting to quit the sport, I think at the time.

[00:20:31] And. The responses that I received back were like, it was overwhelming. I wasn't expecting to receive those responses. 

[00:20:39] And, on 1 hand, I was really excited. On another hand, it scared me. Because it was. I didn't feel vulnerable really until I got those responses back. And then I was like, Oh my goodness.

[00:20:50] But there was all of these women who were like, Hey, look, I've been there, here's what I would do, or this is what happened to us. And they were sharing their stories. 

[00:20:57] So I'm like, how can you balance that authenticity with strategy? When you're building your personal brand? 

[00:21:03] Because I felt like that was a major moment in my business and I got scared and I ran away from it and went back to hiding behind the more commercial emails.

[00:21:12] But I'm like, Oh no, there was something there, 

[00:21:14] Dianne Wilson: yeah. 

Balancing Authenticity with Strategy

[00:21:15] Dianne Wilson: Your question was like, how do you balance authenticity with strategy? 

[00:21:20] Crystal Waddell: Yeah. To where with this particular email, I actually had one person say I think you accidentally sent this to me. 

[00:21:27] Like it was just so personal about Asher wanting to quit his sport.

[00:21:30] She thought that I had sent it to her on accident and I was like, Oh no, I sent it to you on purpose. 

[00:21:34] But just like really balancing the storytelling with your business strategy. 

[00:21:40] And, building a personal brand that reflects authenticity. But is grounded in the fact that, okay, this isn't just relationship building for the sake of relationship building. 

[00:21:50] But it's also for strategy for building your business.

[00:21:53] Dianne Wilson: So one of the things that I like to consider whenever I'm writing stories is how is this relevant to the audience that's receiving it? 

[00:22:03] What like specific point am I trying to make? What's the takeaway with what I share with my audience?

[00:22:10] And. Whenever I'm thinking about what the takeaway is, I try to make sure that I again, take in mind the challenges that they're experiencing. And connect it to the takeaway. So recently I sent an email to my email list. 

[00:22:27] And in my newsletter, I was talking about the importance of understanding legal in the world of pageantry.

[00:22:34] And I am not a legal professional, but I do like to cover like topics related to ethics and legal, just because in the pageant world, there's a lot of involvement with contracts. 

[00:22:44] And, you represent you're the face of many brands in the pageant space. 

[00:22:49] And one of the things that helped me to make it relevant to my audience was I referenced a specific incident that happened in the pageant industry that was related to some sort of legal dispute and how it played out.

[00:23:03] And then from there, I was able to connect. That incident that was happening in real time that they could relate to because they've probably seen it somewhere on some sort of forum or on social media. 

[00:23:15] And connected to how does this relate to your personal brand and the importance of understanding certain aspects of legal as it relates to advertising and marketing. 

[00:23:26] And with that, the response was, overall good people responded well to it because they not only found it to be informative, but they also realized that, oh, there's a, there seems to be a gap in my understanding of what personal branding really is.

[00:23:39] And I think that being able to address not only the challenges, but the gaps in your audience's understanding. 

[00:23:45] Is really important whenever you're telling a story because if you're able to make them aware of the gaps that they have in their understanding. 

[00:23:53] Then you're able to better Lean in on the point of what the content is.

SEO and Personal Branding

[00:23:58] Crystal Waddell: Everything that you're saying is so supportive of SEO. 

[00:24:02] Because you just described helpful content. 

[00:24:04] Content that's interesting and has like a benefit to the user. And all of that type of stuff. 

[00:24:10] And, SEO can seem so technical and overwhelming to people. 

[00:24:14] Are you able to help the clientele that you serve incorporate SEO into their personal branding? 

[00:24:20] And if yes, is this how you make it accessible, like through stories? 

[00:24:24] Dianne Wilson: So I do in a way incorporate SEO because with every piece of content, there's the copywriting side to it.

[00:24:32] So whenever there's a message that you want to put into a piece of content, you have to be thinking about, keywords. 

[00:24:37] Phrases that will attract their ideal audience. 

[00:24:40] And yes, like through the content that I helped them to create, there is this consideration of how do we help them to become more discoverable through the content that they create?

[00:24:52] But also, like you were saying, Earlier, how do we make it relevant to their audience and what their audience needs? 

[00:24:59] And yes, there is like a piece of SEO that goes into helping them to create impactful content.

[00:25:05] Because like you were saying earlier, like the, what goes into the message is the words that you use as a phrases that you use.

[00:25:12] So if you break down all the elements that go into a piece of content, at the end of the day, if you're not thinking about whether or not the words you're using is going to resonate with the person receiving it, Then are you really creating impactful content? Even if it gets a lot of likes? If the intended recipient doesn't understand what the point of the message is? 

[00:25:32] So yeah, there's definitely incorporation of seo in there.

[00:25:35] Crystal Waddell: Yeah, and that's so interesting. 

[00:25:37] And I created this Like on page seo checklist. I'll probably drop the link in the show notes. 

[00:25:42] It started out just as like a technical SEO sheet. 

[00:25:46] Where it's okay, you've got to have your H1. You've got to have your meta descriptions.

[00:25:50] You've got to have your H2 and, your keywords and your keyword variations and all that type of stuff. It was very. Like technical check, check. 

[00:25:57] And we had someone on the podcast last year, her name is Emma Boshart. 

[00:26:02] And she talked a little bit about what you're talking about: branding and brand stories, especially. 

[00:26:07] And in SEO, there's also something called word count.

[00:26:11] Like how many words are actually on the page. And especially from the e commerce perspective, if you're selling a black hat. 

[00:26:17] Sometimes there's only so many different ways you can say, or white hat or red hat. I should probably use red hat because if I use black hat or white hat in the podcast, it might get flagged because of black hat SEO or whatever.

[00:26:28] But anyway, my point is there's only so many different ways that you can describe a product. 

[00:26:33] But Emma explained just like you're connecting the same thing. 

[00:26:37] That if you can create a story. around how someone used that red hat. 

[00:26:43] Or how you use that red hat or how that red hat changed your life.

[00:26:46] You're going to naturally infuse the keywords that people use to describe when they themselves wear a red hat. Or when they're looking for a red hat or how to wear a red hat or all of that type of stuff. You know what I mean? 

[00:26:57] A lot of people are like brand and branding and SEO, are they really that related?

[00:27:02] But I think this conversation is showing that they're not only related, but they're interconnected. And they're going just to continue to, intertwine, I think, in the future. 

[00:27:13] And with that on page checklist, I started, diving more into, okay, what is the personal story that's connected to this page?

[00:27:20] Or should it be a brand story? 

[00:27:22] And I've used chat, GPT, the same way to say, Hey, which story would best illustrate this particular objective for this page and this keyword? And so I just think it's interesting how, even though we're doing different things, we're leveraging technology and ideas in similar ways.

[00:27:38] Dianne Wilson: Yeah and I definitely believe that sEO and your story and also visibility because we did talk about that a little bit. I definitely think that they drive each other. 

[00:27:46] And if you can learn to find the intersection between the three, then you have the opportunity to not only create a powerful message, but powerful content in whatever form it is.

[00:27:57] So it's definitely important to understand the technical piece as well. And I'm learning that more and more with the projects that I take on. 

[00:28:05] Because. It's since I'm a writer, naturally, my introduction to all of this, started with just learning what the meaning of words are.

[00:28:14] And you realize even in conversation, sometimes when I'm having a discussion through a discovery call with somebody and I say I don't know. 

[00:28:21] A specific word. They're like, Oh what does that mean? And then it's Oh, like we have different interpretations of what something means. 

[00:28:28] And then it's like, how do we, again, find that, that common ground where we both understand what the other person's communicating.

[00:28:34] So yeah, communication and just knowing how to communicate a message. Whether it's through SEO. Whether it's through your brand, visuals, all of that. 

[00:28:46] It's just, it really brings together a match made in heaven. 

[00:28:50] Crystal Waddell: Oh, that's so fun. I love that. 

[00:28:52] One of the ways that I've learned the connection between words and where they belong when it comes to SEO, is with surfer SEO. 

[00:29:01] And I'm not sure if you've ever heard of surfer? But I always put a link to surfer in The show notes. 

[00:29:06] Because I'm an affiliate and I've used Surfer since like 2020.

[00:29:09] One of the biggest ahas that my SEO group has, when we talk about, SEO and keyword placement. 

[00:29:16] Is that a lot of times, your SEO score or whatever makes it relevant to, showing up for a query that someone actually is searching for that particular word. 

[00:29:26] Has more to do with the structure of the page initially than anything else.

[00:29:31] So it's sometimes you can have really great content, but if you don't have a header like an H one that includes the keyword of that content. 

[00:29:39] It's not as visible online as someone else who may have a lower quality output, but who's optimized it correctly. 

[00:29:48] Technology is getting smarter, but these are still machines that are crawling our words. 

[00:29:54] And so we have to give them the touch points that they need to be able to understand what it is it's actually happening on the page. 

[00:30:01] When you can combine that, great writing with great optimization. 

[00:30:05] You are fulfilling all of the requirements that Google has, in terms of saying, okay, is like their E. E. A. T. 

[00:30:11] Does this content have expertise? Are they authoritative? Is it trustworthy? Telling stories builds trust. 

[00:30:19] Which then in turn builds your SEO credibility. And then there's the other one is experience. Does it show like personal experience? 

[00:30:26] And so all of the things that you're talking about are the exact elements that make up helpful content.

[00:30:32] Good quality content according to Google's own standards. But then there is that element of technicality where the words have to go in the right place. 

[00:30:40] So that Google can recognize that you are in fact, everything they asked for. 

[00:30:44] Dianne Wilson: And what you just said earlier, you're talking about making sure your header is optimized and just like little things like that.

[00:30:50] That's something that I've been learning more about because a big focus for me and my business 

Optimizing Newsletters for SEO

[00:30:55] Dianne Wilson: pertains to SEO has actually been to optimize my newsletter, my email list. 

[00:31:01] And I've recently moved my email list to a platform called beehive. I don't know if you're familiar with beehive.

[00:31:08] Okay. So it's. Okay, you are. 

[00:31:10] Crystal Waddell: I've heard of it. I don't know a lot about it, but I'm like, okay, yeah, I've seen the ads or something at some point. 

[00:31:15] Dianne Wilson: Yeah. So I really love Beehive so far with the experience that I've had using it. 

[00:31:20] And part of the reason why I love it is because the platform is designed for newsletters, but it's also designed to help newsletters grow. 

[00:31:27] And help newsletters to be monetized.

[00:31:29] And part of the way that it helps with growth in SEO is it gives you your own. Personal website for the newsletter. 

[00:31:37] And then you input the website into Google search console and then into a thing it's called Bing Webmaster Tools. 

[00:31:46] And then you index it. And then your newsletter is now available online.

[00:31:51] And I like to treat my newsletter now as almost like a blog. So I'm trying to make sure that every piece of content, not only is it impactful to the person that receives it. But it's impactful to the person that discovers it later. 

[00:32:03] And so that's something that I've been really focused on lately as it relates to SEO. Because one of the things that was a problem for me when I was first building my newsletter was feeling like I would create this really awesome content.

[00:32:16] And then again, after the people who are on my email list, see it. Nobody sees it ever again. 

[00:32:22] And beehive became really appealing because of the fact that you can. basically increase the lifespan of your newsletter content. So that's been a really big part of my SEO strategy as of lately. 

[00:32:34] Crystal Waddell: That is really cool.

[00:32:35] And I like that because I'm a big fan of repurposing content. And even lazier. Reusing content across multiple platforms. 

[00:32:43] I'll definitely check that in. That's a really, A cool find. So I'll link to it. If you have a special link or anything, let me know and I'll drop yours in the show for sure.

[00:32:50] So just to wrap this up, but like share with people, like kind of what steps that they could take to build a personal brand. 

[00:32:59] Cause I know that's getting really big now, even within people who are working for companies, like they're actually being encouraged to build personal brands. And promote the company through their personal brand.

[00:33:09] But for, whoever is interested in building a personal brand, what are the first like key actions you think somebody should take if they're starting from scratch and want to build a really great, really strong personal brand? 

Steps to Build a Personal Brand

[00:33:21] Dianne Wilson: Yeah. So the first step that I would say in building a really strong personal brand is to take inventory of your personal stories.

[00:33:30] And we all have them. We may feel like we don't have interesting stories, but there's something that you experienced in life that really changed your perspective on something or made you into who you are. 

[00:33:41] And from those personal stories, you want to Extract your unique point of view. What did you take away from those experience that you had?

[00:33:50] And once you extract your unique point of view, and you are able to identify your unique perspective, don't be afraid to just put it out there into the world on the internet. 

[00:33:59] And share it on platforms where you're able to just share your unique thoughts with people and allow people the opportunity to not only receive that content, but to respond to it and to give feedback.

[00:34:09] Their feedback on it because you never know what kind of connections you can make from just putting your thoughts out there. 

[00:34:14] So I would say that's the first thing. Second thing definitely is identifying who your target audience is. And that is a process in itself. 

[00:34:23] \Which like I said earlier, as you start to share your stories, you'll be able to make more connections.

[00:34:27] So focus on who is. resonating with the content that you're sharing, and that will help you to get more clear on who your target audience is. 

[00:34:35] But also what specific causes or things are happening in the world? Do you think that you can make a difference in with your unique gifts, your skills and your talents?

[00:34:44] Take note of those as well. Is what are you really great at? What makes you who you are? What are your quirks? Take note of all of those things. And then once you've done that, find the commonalities between your story. 

[00:34:57] Your unique quirks and interests, your unique thoughts, and the audience that you want to connect with. 

[00:35:02] And figure out how you can put that into a piece of content that encapsulates all of those things.

[00:35:10] And then, think about on the SEO side, what are some descriptive words that describe your audience? 

[00:35:17] What are some things that you say like phrases? Or what are some phrases that you believe that your ideal audience would resonate with? 

[00:35:24] And figure out how you can incorporate that into the content that you share. Whether it's long form or short form.

[00:35:30] And I would say that with all of those things, if you learn how to do it, you are going to start to build a foundation for creating a unique message. 

[00:35:41] And also build a community of people who are really going to support what it is that you're doing because it's True to you and who you are. 

[00:35:49] And I talk about this more in depth with my upcoming masterclass that I'm going to be hosting called the Crown To Empire masterclass, which is a free two hour live virtual event. 

[00:36:00] Where we go deeper into my unique framework to help you get past this feeling of comparison, where you feel you have to be like everyone else.

[00:36:08] And also what I like to call post paralysis. Where you struggle to create content that feels aligned with your values. 

[00:36:14] And leads to you ultimately not posting anything. And if you're listening to this episode right now, you probably have really awesome content that is sitting in the archives somewhere and hasn't seen the light of day.

[00:36:25] And I am here to tell you that is not the best strategy when it comes to increasing visibility. 

[00:36:30] Come to a masterclass. You'll be able to discover how to build your standout personal brand and create content that is shares a message that is faith driven and attracts your ideal audience.

[00:36:40] And if this masterclass sounds aligned to your overall vision that you have for your personal brand, all you have to do is. Click the link that's provided in the description to attend the crown to empire masterclass at CrownToEmpire.com. 

[00:36:53] And I really look forward to connecting with you all there. And you can also find me on Instagram @suitedtoreign.

[00:36:57] Crystal Waddell: Awesome. 

[00:36:58] So I will definitely drop all of your links in there, but there was one follow up that I wanted to ask because I will probably be signing up for that class as well. 

[00:37:04] I would love to hear even more of your takes on branding. And all of the things that you just talked about. 

[00:37:10] What about for the people who have already started building personal brands.

[00:37:14] Do you think that there's trends on the horizon? In the personal branding space?

[00:37:18] And also, like any tips to stay ahead of those trends while staying, true to like self and those personal values. 

[00:37:27] Dianne Wilson: Yeah. 

Trends in Personal Branding

[00:37:27] Dianne Wilson: So as far as trends are concerned, I will be honest and say that I am not a big trend girl. 

[00:37:33] But what I do think that is trending, that can be incorporated into a person's personal brand is.

[00:37:40] This idea of being able to gather your community together of people who truly support you for in person experiences. 

[00:37:48] So if you can figure out how to create an in person experience. And, build that in person experience based off what you're currently doing to build your personal brand. 

[00:37:57] You have a really great opportunity to create some genuine and loyal supporters in anything that you're doing. 

[00:38:04] Because it allows for them to feel like they're more connected to you.

[00:38:07] Definitely lean more into in person experiences and also outside of trends. If you see that everybody is doing something, do the opposite of that. 

[00:38:18] That's the best way to make sure that you are not following trends, but that you are ahead of the trends. 

[00:38:24] Is doing something that's different that other people don't expect, because those moments are going to be what helps again for you to attract genuine and loyal support.

[00:38:33] So that's my advice to anybody who wants to build their personal brand in this modern day. 

[00:38:37] Crystal Waddell: I love that. Okay. So Dianne Wilson, you have been a fantastic guest. 

[00:38:42] I'm so glad that we were able to meet virtually and have this conversation. It did not disappoint. 

[00:38:48] And I'm super excited for your masterclass. I will link to your Instagram so that people can find you there. As well as the masterclass.

[00:38:55] And yeah, thank you so much for coming on this simple and smart SEO show podcast. 

[00:39:00] Dianne Wilson: Any time. I hope to come back one day. 

[00:39:03] Crystal Waddell: Oh yeah, we should definitely do this again. All right, guys, I'll catch you next time.