SEO Basics for Women in Business: How to Get Found Online

I’ve said it before… here in my blog, podcast, and videos: launching your website is just the beginning. Once it’s live, that’s when the real work starts.

I remember when I first launched my own site—I thought the hard part was over. But soon I realized that if people couldn’t find me online, it didn’t matter how great my services were. (Side note: my own website is still a work in progress!).

For women in business, especially service-based professionals and consultants — understanding the basics of SEO can make a huge difference in how easily potential clients can discover you online.

And here’s the good news: SEO doesn’t have to be intimidating. You don’t need to be super techy or spend hours tweaking code. With a little strategy and consistency, you can actually boost your visibility and attract the right people to your website and your business.

Think about it—when you need something, whether it’s a product or a service, what do you do? You probably head straight to Google. Well, your potential clients are doing the exact same thing.

If they search for what you offer and your website doesn’t show up, you’re missing out on real opportunities. That’s where SEO—Search Engine Optimization—comes in.

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What is SEO, really?

SEO sounds very technical and complicated (and some part of it can be), but at its core, it’s actually pretty simple. It’s all about making sure your website shows up when people search for the services or products you offer.

Say someone types in “career coach for women” or “interior designer in Melbourne.” SEO helps your website appear higher up in those search results so people can find you.

The higher your website ranks, the more likely someone is to click through and get to know you and your business.

Why SEO Matters for Women Entrepreneurs

Let’s be real—if your ideal clients can’t find you online, all the amazing work you’re doing might go unnoticed. That’s why SEO is so important. It’s not just about fancy tech stuff; it’s about making sure your business shows up where it matters.

Visibility = Opportunity

Your potential clients are searching online right now. If you’re not showing up, they’re finding someone else who is.

Level the Playing Field

Good SEO helps smaller businesses compete with the big players. No need to have a huge marketing budget—smart SEO can get you noticed in your niche.

Builds Trust and Credibility

When your website ranks high on Google, people see you as a credible expert. It’s like getting a thumbs-up from Google itself.

So, SEO isn’t just some marketing buzzword—it’s a great tool that can open doors, build your reputation, and grow your business, even if you’re just starting out.

SEO Basics Every Woman in Business Should Know

Now that you understand why SEO matters, let’s dive a little deeper into the key basics you can start using right away. These simple steps will help your website get noticed without needing to be a SEO expert.

1. Start with the Right Keywords

Keywords are the foundation of your SEO. They’re the exact words and phrases that people type into search engines when they’re looking for something. Think of keywords as the bridge between what your potential clients want and what your website offers.

For example, if you’re a career coach for women, your ideal clients might search “career coach for women,” or “how to change careers at 40,” or “job interview tips for moms.” These phrases are your keywords.

Why does this matter? Because if you’re not using the right keywords in your website content, Google won’t know when to show your website in search results.

How to find the right keywords:

• Use free tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or AnswerThePublic. These tools show you what people are searching for related to your industry and business.
• Focus on long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific phrases that might have lower search volume but are less competitive and attract more targeted visitors. For instance, instead of “coach,” try “career coach for women over 40.” It’s more specific and probably exactly what you offer!
• Add these keywords naturally throughout your website’s content, add them in your blog posts, your about page, your titles, image captions, etc. And even in your social media profiles. Now, remember, it’s about helping people find you, not stuffing your pages with keywords, so use them naturally

2. Optimize Your Website Content

Once you’ve identified your keyword and keyphrases, it’s time to use them strategically on your website. SEO isn’t just about putting keywords anywhere and everywhere—it’s about placing them where they matter the most.

Here are the key places to include your keywords:

• Page titles: This is the clickable headline that appears in search results and browser tabs. It should clearly describe what the page is about and include your main keyword.
• Headings (H1, H2, etc.): These are the titles and subheadings that break up your content. They help both readers and search engines understand the structure and topics of your page.
• Meta descriptions: These are the short snippets that show under the page title in Google search. They don’t directly affect rankings but can influence whether someone clicks on your link. Write them clearly and include your keyword.
• Image alt text: Search engines can’t “see” images like humans do. Alt text describes what the image shows and helps improve SEO, plus it makes your website accessible to people using screen readers.
• Body content: Naturally include keywords in your paragraphs, blog posts, and product or service descriptions. Make sure your writing sounds natural and helpful to your readers.

Pro tip: Always write for people first, not just for Google. Clear, helpful, and engaging content will keep visitors on your website longer and motivate them to take action.

3. Improve Site Speed and Mobile Experience

How fast your website loads and how it looks on different devices matter a lot—both to your visitors and to Google.

Imagine you’re browsing on your phone and the site takes forever to load, or the buttons are too small to tap. You’d probably leave and look for another option, right? Google is very smart, and notices this too and will rank slower, hard-to-use sites lower in search results.

What you can do:

• Compress your images: If your images are large and heavy this can slow down your website. To help with this you can use tools or plugins that help you reduce the image size without losing its quality.
• Test your website speed:  You can use free online tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to see how fast your site loads and get specific tips to improve it.
• Make it mobile-friendly: Make sure your website seamlessly adjusts to any screen size—from desktop to tablet to smartphone. This way, visitors get a smooth experience no matter how they access your website.

Improving these technical basics keeps visitors happy and helps Google show your site to more people.

4. Use Internal Links

This is an often-overlooked but a powerful (and easy) SEO tactic. Internal links are simply links that connect one page of your site to another. They guide visitors deeper into your content and help search engines understand the structure of your site.

Why does internal linking matter?

• It helps visitors easily find related content or services, keeping them on your website longer.
• It helps search engines understand the structure of your website and which pages are important.
• It distributes “link juice” or SEO value across your website, boosting the ranking potential of multiple pages.

Examples:

• Link from your homepage to your services page.
• Mention a blog post and link to it from your about page.
• On your blog, include links to related articles or free resources.

For example, if you write a blog post about “How to Build Confidence,” link to your coaching service page somewhere in the post. This guides both readers and search engines, improving your website’s overall SEO.

5. Create Valuable Content Regularly

In my opinion, one of the best ways to grow your SEO and connect with your audience is by creating valuable, consistent content, especially through blogging.

Search engines love fresh content, and so do people. Updating your website regularly tells Google that your site is active and relevant.

Why? Because:

• Every new blog post is a new page for Google to index and show in search results.
• It gives you a chance to target different keywords and topics your clients care about.
• Content that answers questions, solves problems, or tells your story builds trust and authority.

How to do it:

• Write blog posts on topics your audience cares about (think FAQs, how-tos, tips, or behind-the-scenes insights).
• Update older blog posts with new information or better keywords.
• Add new testimonials, photos, or examples of recent work.

• Refresh your homepage copy every now and then with updates or seasonal offers.

The key is to post regularly, and you don’t need to publish content every week—but some consistency goes a long way. Even one blog post a month can make a difference.

What if you put a note in your calendar every month to spend some time creating or updating content? This small, consistent task will make a big difference, trust me.

Related post:

5 benefits of blogging for business and how to do it right

August 2024

6. Make Your URLs Clean and Simple

Small tip, but very impactful too. A clean URL helps both your audience and search engines.

Instead of something like:

www.yoursite.com/page?id=123

Go for:

www.yoursite.com/mindset-coaching

Why it matters:

Short, descriptive URLs are easier to read, share, and remember. Plus, they help search engines understand what the page is about. You can include a keyword in the URL too—just don’t overdo it.

Final Thoughts & Recap

Let’s quickly recap what we’ve covered: 

• SEO helps you get found online—it’s how your dream clients discover you when they’re Googling for help.
• It’s not just for techies—you don’t need fancy tools or coding skills to start seeing results.
• Google loves clarity and structure—pages that focus on one topic, use keywords naturally, and are easy to navigate.
• Content matters—fresh, useful, and relevant content signals that your site is active and helpful.
• Internal links, clean URLs, and consistency are your new best friends.

Getting your website to show up on Google might feel like a mystery at first, but it’s really just about helping search engines (and people!) understand who you are and how you can help. And the best part? You don’t need to do it all at once.

SEO is a long game—it builds over time with small, consistent steps. And it doesn’t matter if  you’re just getting started or you’ve had your website for a while, there’s always something you can do to make it more search-friendly.

If you think you need some extra help with your SEO plan don’t hesitate to get in touch with us and let’s talk about it!