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3 SEO Techniques to Help You Rank High
Tap into the secrets of the websites who rank on the first page of Google
Pam Seino
8/13/20253 min read
If you’ve ever Googled your business and found yourself buried on page five (or worse - not at all), you know the frustration of competing for online attention. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the art and science of making sure your website shows up where your audience is actually looking—on page one. It's absolutely vital for getting traffic to your website, and isn't that what it's all about? I mean, you're not hosting your website just so you can fill your days.
SEO is so crucial that I'm devoting the next few blog posts to it. But don't worry - you don’t need to be a tech wizard or a programmer to start ranking higher. Here are three proven SEO techniques that can boost your visibility and bring more of the right visitors to your site.
1. Master Keyword Research (and Use Keywords Intentionally)
Keywords are the backbone of SEO. They tell search engines what your content is about and help match your page to the right searches. But it’s not just about cramming keywords everywhere—that’s outdated and can hurt your rankings.
Instead, focus on:
Finding long-tail keywords (3–5 word phrases) that match user intent, like “best resistance bands for beginners” instead of just “resistance bands.” Or, "best natural dog foods for Pomeranians" instead of just "best dog foods."
Using tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or SEMrush to find search terms with good volume but lower competition. There are free versions of most tools, and the paid versions are usually pretty reasonable.
Placing keywords strategically in your title, headings, meta description, image alt text, and throughout your content naturally.
Pro Tip: Write for humans first, search engines second. If your content reads awkwardly, Google will notice—and so will your audience. And remember - if you're using AI to help generate your content (hey, I don't judge), Google will recognize it faster than you can say "ChatGPT." Use this website to check your content for AI recognition.
2. Optimize On-Page SEO Elements
Even the best content can get overlooked if your on-page SEO isn’t dialed in. Here’s what to focus on:
Title Tag: Keep it under 60 characters and make it compelling enough to click.
Meta Description: Aim for 150–160 characters, include your main keyword, and write it like a mini ad for your page.
Header Tags (H1, H2, H3): Break your content into scannable sections with keyword-rich headings.
Image Optimization: Use descriptive file names and alt text so your images can rank in search results, too.
Internal Linking: Link to other relevant pages on your site to keep readers engaged and help search engines crawl your site more effectively.
Pro Tip: Test your page with Google’s free PageSpeed Insights tool. Fast-loading pages get better rankings and keep visitors from bouncing.
3. Build High-Quality Backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. Think of them like votes of confidence in your content. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more authority Google gives your site.
Ways to earn backlinks include:
Guest Posting: Write valuable articles for reputable sites in your niche, linking back to your own content.
Creating Shareable Resources: Infographics, data studies, and “ultimate guides” are more likely to be linked by others.
Networking in Your Industry: Collaborate on projects, round-up posts, or podcasts where your site can be linked in show notes or articles.
Pro Tip: Avoid buying backlinks or using spammy link-building services—they can get your site penalized.
Final Thoughts
Ranking high in search engines doesn’t happen overnight, but consistent use of these three techniques—smart keyword research, on-page optimization, and quality backlink building—will set you on the right path.
Remember: SEO isn’t about tricking Google; it’s about making your content as helpful, clear, and relevant as possible for the people you want to reach. Do that consistently, and the rankings will follow.
Next week: Advanced Ways to Use Competitive Research in SEO
Running an online business sounds glamorous until you realize your brain has become a 37-tab browser window with background music you can’t find.
One minute you’re writing a blog post. The next minute you’re researching tripods, replying to emails, creating Pinterest pins, checking analytics, brainstorming a lead magnet, reorganizing your Notion dashboard for the fifth time, and somehow standing in your kitchen wondering why you opened the refrigerator.
Welcome to entrepreneurship in our modern 3-second, short attention span world.
For a long time, I thought productivity meant creating the perfect system. The perfect planner. The perfect app. The perfect color-coded workflow.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
What actually changed my business was something embarrassingly simple: Three lists.
That’s it.
Not 17 databases or a complicated project management system that requires a Master's degree and its own training manual. Nope, just three intentional lists that keep my business from spiraling into chaos.
And honestly, this method has probably saved my sanity more than once.
Why Most Productivity Systems Fail
A lot of productivity advice sounds amazing in theory but falls apart in real life.
Especially if you:
Create content
Run multiple projects
Wear too many hats
Work from home
Have ADHD tendencies (who, me?)
Are constantly interrupted
Have a million ideas
Or simply exist as a human being in 2026
The problem isn’t usually laziness, it's cognitive overload.
Most entrepreneurs aren’t struggling because they don’t work hard enough. They’re struggling because everything feels equally urgent. (ADHD certainly doesn't help. So I've heard. 😬)
When every task screams for attention, your brain freezes.
That’s where the 3-List Method comes in.
It creates separation.
And separation creates clarity.
The 3-List Productivity Method
Here’s the entire system:
List #1: The Revenue List
List #2: The Maintenance List
List #3: The Chaos Capture List
Each one serves a completely different purpose.
That distinction is what makes this method work.
List #1: The Revenue List
This is the most important list in your business. Might not be the prettiest list, the longest list, or even the list that “feels productive”.
The revenue list contains ONLY activities that directly grow your business.
These are the tasks that:
Make sales
Build audience
Generate leads
Create products
Strengthen authority
Increase visibility
Move the business forward
Examples:
Writing a blog article
Recording a YouTube video
Sending a newsletter
Building a course
Creating a lead magnet
Writing sales copy
Publishing social media content
Pitching partnerships
Following up with leads
This list should stay surprisingly small: Mine usually has 3 priority tasks per day. And that’s intentional, because if you put 27 “important” things on a list, your brain stops believing any of them are important.
The Big Shift
Most people spend their day reacting instead of building. Answering emails, organizing folders, tweaking fonts, researching microphones for two hours, renaming files, moving things around in Notion.
Meanwhile, the actual money-making work gets pushed to “tomorrow.” Again.
The Revenue List forces you to confront the uncomfortable truth:
Busy and productive are not the same thing.
List #2: The Maintenance List
This is the list that keeps your business functioning. These tasks matter, but they're not the engine. They're the oil changes.
Examples:
Answering emails
Updating plugins
Scheduling appointments
Organizing files
Customer support
Paying invoices
Uploading graphics
Moderating comments
Editing spreadsheets
Fixing website formatting
These tasks are necessary, but the danger is that maintenance tasks FEEL productive because they’re usually easier to complete.
You can answer emails all day and feel accomplished. But at the end of the week, nothing actually grew.
That’s why separating maintenance from revenue work is so powerful, and that's why it's so important to differentiate between being busy vs productive.
You stop confusing movement (busy) with actual momentum (productive).
List #3: The Chaos Capture List
This might be the most important list of all, because this is where all the random brain noise goes. Every entrepreneur has mental pop-ups all day long:
“I should create a mini course about this.”
“Don’t forget to buy domain names.”
“Need ideas for next month’s emails.”
“Research YouTube thumbnails.”
“Try that protein recipe.”
“What if I created a membership?”
“Need better lighting.”
Most people make one of two mistakes:
They stop working and chase every thought immediately
They try to remember everything mentally
Both are disasters.
The Chaos Capture List solves this instantly. Instead of interrupting your workflow, you dump the thought onto the list and keep moving. Your brain relaxes because it knows the idea is safe. This single habit dramatically reduces mental clutter.
The Real Secret: Your Brain Needs Different Modes
One reason this method works so well is because it separates different types of thinking.
Revenue work requires:
Creativity
Focus
Strategic thinking
Energy
Maintenance work requires:
Administration
Follow-through
Organization
Chaos Capture requires:
Mental unloading
When all three are mixed together in one giant to-do list, your brain constantly switches gears. That switching is exhausting. And expensive.
Research on task switching consistently shows that frequent context switching reduces efficiency and increases mental fatigue. Your brain pays a cognitive “restart cost” every time you bounce between unrelated tasks. And by the way, multi-tasking isn't a thing. Your brain is able to focus on one thing, and one thing only, at a time.
How I Use This Method Daily
My workflow usually looks something like this:
Morning = Revenue Work
This is when my brain is freshest, so that's when I do my creative work like:
Writing
Videos
Product creation
Content strategy
Launches
Marketing
No email first, no scrolling, no “quick checks,” no Candy Crush. All of that is productivity quicksand.
Midday = Maintenance Work
After the deep work is done, then I move on to:
Messages
Administrative tasks
Updates
Scheduling
Uploading
Organization
This prevents maintenance tasks from consuming my best energy.
All Day = Chaos Capture
Random thoughts go into my capture list immediately. No exceptions.
This stops the “Oh wait, before I forget…” spiral that destroys focus.
Why This Works Better Than Massive Productivity Systems
The internet loves complexity, but complexity often becomes procrastination wearing a business suit.
The best productivity system is not the fanciest one. It’s the one you actually use consistently.
The 3-List Method works because it:
Reduces overwhelm
Clarifies priorities
Minimizes task switching
Protects creative energy
Prevents idea overload
Creates momentum quickly
And perhaps most importantly, it helps you stop feeling like your business is running YOU.
My Favorite Rule: Revenue Before Reaction
This rule changed everything for me. Before I react to the world and whatever's going on in it, I create something. Before consuming something, I produce. And before checking notifications, I do something to move the business forward.
Even ONE completed revenue task before entering reaction mode changes the trajectory of your day.
The Hidden Benefit: Less Guilt
Entrepreneurs carry an unbelievable amount of invisible guilt.
The feeling that:
You should be doing more
You forgot something
You’re behind
You’re dropping balls
You’re not organized enough
This system helps quiet that noise and puts everything in its place. And that’s enough to be able to breathe again!
Final Thoughts
You do not need:
A more expensive planner
Another productivity app
Twelve complicated workflows
A 97-step morning routine
You probably need:
Clarity
Simplicity
Separation
Focus
And these three lists.
That’s it. It's simple enough to maintain, flexible enough for real life, but powerful enough to keep your business from becoming pure chaos.
And in the online business world, that’s pretty much a superpower.
For a deeper dive into optimizing your productivity, check out my 3-Cubed Productivity course. You'll learn my secret method to how I handle 2 businesses and a full-time job with a team of just one (me!).
Pam Seino
1 East Erie Street, Suite 525-5451
Chicago, IL 60611
support@pamseino.com
872-221-8942
