Optimize Your SEO Strategy and Optimize Your Business (And Your Life!)

In this episode of the Simple and Smart SEO Show, host Crystal Waddell walks listeners through practical steps for optimizing their business. 

Drawing inspiration from RJ Licata's insights on marketing strategy and ruthless prioritization, Crystal shares actionable advice on evaluating your marketing plan, focusing on impactful priorities, building strong networks, and auditing your digital footprint. 

Tune in to learn how small, intentional actions today can lead to big results tomorrow.

Key Takeaways:

1. Evaluate Your Marketing Strategy: Align your efforts with your business goals instead of being distracted by trendy tactics.
2. Ruthless Prioritization: Focus on what truly moves the needle and organize your projects effectively.
3. Expand Your Network: Strengthen relationships and explore new opportunities by joining local groups or reconnecting with old contacts.
4. Audit Your Digital Footprint: Ensure your business presence is optimized across key platforms with an omni-channel approach.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Set the goals and parameters of your business before you get started. Don’t let your business happen to you—happen to your business!"
• "Small actions today lead to big results tomorrow."

Listener Action Items:

1. Focus on ruthless prioritization by outlining your most impactful goals.
2. Reach out to someone in your network this week to strengthen your connections.
3. Join the SEO Squad!

Call-to-Action:

Ready to take your strategy to the next level? DM Crystal on Instagram @SimpleandSmartSEO or connect on LinkedIn. 

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast for more tips to optimize your business!

Chapters

• 0:00 Hey guys, welcome to follow through Fridays.
• 0:02 This is Crystal Waddell, your host at the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast.
• 0:18 Breaking Down Marketing Strategy
• 0:45 Evaluating Your Marketing Strategy
• 1:32 Setting Goals and Accountability
• 2:44 Ruthless Prioritization
• 3:59 Expanding Your Network
• 4:31 Auditing Your Digital Footprint
• 4:49 Omni-Channel Approach
• 5:03 Weekly Recap and Conclusion

Transcript

[00:00:00] Crystal: Hey guys, welcome to follow through Fridays. 

[00:00:02] This is Crystal Waddell, your host at the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast. And today is the day where I break down some of the tips and listener action items from Wednesday shows and apply it to my own business. 

[00:00:13] So, you can see like a real world, I volunteer as tribute. In action. 

Breaking Down Marketing Strategy

[00:00:18] Crystal: Today we are going to break down three to four key actions from RJ Licata's episode all about marketing strategy and Ruthless prioritization. I really love that word. I can hardly say it, but I worked on it today. So I think I actually got all of the syllables in there for the first time just now. 

[00:00:35] But we're going to talk about evaluating your marketing strategy, Ruthless prioritization, expanding your network, and auditing your digital footprint. Some of my favorite things to talk about. 

Evaluating Your Marketing Strategy

[00:00:45] Crystal: Action item number one is to evaluate your marketing strategy. 

[00:00:49] And RJ emphasize the importance of aligning your marketing strategy with your business goals instead of just tactics. And I totally agree with this.

[00:00:56] As a business owner, we can get so distracted by it, by the advice that's build your business on Etsy or build your business on Instagram or do this. 

[00:01:05] And all of those things could be helpful. I'm not saying that any of those things are bad. 

[00:01:10] But what I found after 10 years of running my own e commerce business and building a handmade business around a life that I actually want to live instead of just being bombarded by stress.

[00:01:21] Is that it's a lot better when you set the goals and the parameters of your business before you get started. Instead of Letting your business happen to you.

[00:01:30] It's like you happen to your business. 

Setting Goals and Accountability

[00:01:32] Crystal: It may not be the best way to say it, but. Even today we had our meeting of the SEO squad and we were talking about our marketing and our goals. And what we wanted to accomplish in quarter one. 

[00:01:44] And I think a lot of times entrepreneurs, we don't really take that step back to, to say, Hey, this is what I want to accomplish in quarter one. 

[00:01:51] And sometimes thinking about quarter one when you've never thought about your year broken down into quarters can be really overwhelming. 

[00:01:58] So I said, let's just talk about what we want to accomplish in January. And so we did that. 

[00:02:03] One of my group members, I remember one of the things that he said was, I want to actually get on the phone and call some people. And I was like, that's amazing. 

[00:02:10] The thing about the SEO squad, we are talking about optimizing your business.

[00:02:15] So we're not just talking about optimizing your website. Or, just search engine optimization. 

[00:02:21] We are talking about business optimization. And ultimately life optimization. 

[00:02:26] That's what I hope for myself and other business owners. That we would live lives that are well optimized. Not just have great SEO on our websites. 

[00:02:34] Okay, so that was the first first part of creating a marketing plan for 2025. 

[00:02:40] If you're one of the rare ones that's already done this, wow, give yourself a pat on the back. 

Ruthless Prioritization

[00:02:44] Crystal: Okay, let's talk about action item number two, my new favorite phrase, ruthless prioritization.

[00:02:51] The gist of this is that we often spread ourselves too thin trying to do it all. 

[00:02:56] And RJ reminded us to focus on what truly moves the needle. 

[00:02:59] If you go back and listen to the podcast I did with RJ, I told him as small businesses trying to compete online with big businesses, we have to get really creative. 

[00:03:08] And we have to create a large digital footprint in order to be competitive. 

[00:03:12] This does not mean being in a constant churn of content creation. It means being very strategic about the content that you create. And then distributing it across all of the different platforms. 

[00:03:25] RJ did give me a new perspective on how to organize these things. Because he talked about the difference between projects and campaigns. Like projects are internal and campaigns are external. 

[00:03:35] I've really struggled with using all of the project management software that's out there, like Asana, Trello, ClickUp, all of those things. Because I didn't understand how to put together a project. 

[00:03:47] Now I feel like I could go into any one of those programs and create a project and break it down into steps where it actually makes sense.

[00:03:54] So I don't think I'll ever forget that particular phrase. Okay. 

Expanding Your Network

[00:03:59] Crystal: Number three, expand your network. The quick recap here is that relationships are the backbone of business. 

[00:04:06] And RJ suggested reconnecting with contacts that you haven't touched base with in a while, or joining local groups. So my action step is to join the Chamber of Commerce. 

[00:04:15] One important takeaway here is that networking doesn't have to be daunting and overwhelming. It can simply be catching up over coffee or sending a thoughtful email. Those small efforts can go a long way.

[00:04:28] All right, so action item number four, one of my favorites. 

Auditing Your Digital Footprint

[00:04:31] Crystal: Let's audit your digital footprint. 

[00:04:33] Your digital presence matters. 

[00:04:35] Have you ever taken a moment to Google yourself and think about where your business appears or where it doesn't?

[00:04:40] Have you claimed your business on TikTok, on Pinterest, on Threads? I actually just claim my business over on Blue Sky. 

[00:04:46] Even though I'm not planning on spending a lot of time there. 

Omni-Channel Approach

[00:04:49] Crystal: I want to share the importance of an omni channel approach. 

[00:04:52] Not an overwhelming approach, but an omni channel approach that puts the focus on your own assets. That starts on your website. On the content and the product or the service that you provide or create. 

Weekly Recap and Conclusion

[00:05:03] Crystal: To recap, this week's challenge really is to evaluate your strategy, ruthlessly prioritize, expand your network and audit your digital footprint. 

[00:05:13] Maybe just choose one to focus on this week. 

[00:05:16] Let me know which action item you are tackling. You could DM me over on Instagram at Simple and Smart SEO. 

[00:05:23] Or you can message me over on LinkedIn. And if you want more strategies like these, don't forget to subscribe to the Simple and Smart SEO Show podcast. And join the SEO squad. 

[00:05:35] So that's it for this week's follow through Friday. Remember, small actions today lead to big results tomorrow. Keep moving forward, and I'll see you next week.