Jason McKenzie started his own lawn care business when he was 11 years old. At the same time, he started programming on a Pentium 90.
As my business grew, I began to understand the importance of marketing and reaching more customers, which led me to study marketing in college. He also began to notice a correlation between Google search results and a company's new customer acquisition.
MacKenzie took a deep dive into the technology behind search engine algorithms. Now 39, he has written a book titled “Small Business, Big Visibility: Local SEO Made Easy,” which teaches businesses how to get the most out of search engine optimization. Rule business: SEO.
Specifically, Mackenzie focuses on local SEO, helping small businesses reach their local markets.
The author took a break from his business, Boise Web, to talk to the Idaho Business Review about the book and what it teaches those who study it.
Idaho business reviews: What made you want to write this book?
Jason McKenzie: Around 2009, I became very interested in search engine optimization. He was one of my big driving forces. At the same time, I realized how many people in the industry don't understand what that means. And the people who were coming into the industry at the time were pretty methodical, which always made me feel really uncomfortable. For years, I didn't know what to do. And it bothered me. I've seen small business owners who are really making an impact and struggling every day to feed their families, companies that lock them into contracts, collect huge sums of money, and give them nothing. has appeared. Finally, I realized that I had all the knowledge. If I can give these managers that knowledge, they can do it themselves or at least find someone with good morals. Educated business owners don't make the mistake of hiring them, so we do the real work. Unscrupulous people. Enabling small business owners to make smart business decisions was at the heart of what inspired me to write this book.
IBR: Why did you include a workbook at the end of each chapter, rather than just a how-to book?
JM: If you're a busy person, like a business owner, you can read, “Oh, I have to do X,” and by the time you finish reading that chapter, you'll have forgotten most of what you were told to do. . A short workbook summary at the end of each chapter gives students a refresher and a bit of accountability so they can check the box and say, “Yes, I actually did what I was supposed to do.” I try to be able to say it. To. ” So the real goal is not just to teach them what they can do to be successful, but to empower them to be successful.
IBR: How has SEO changed over the years since you've been in the industry?
JM: A few years ago, SEO was an industry-wide, if not perfect, question of how to trick search engines into ranking higher. And in today's world, search engines have gotten smart enough that people have finally realized that it's better to be an expert, have authority, and build trust than to try to outdo a search engine. This gives any business a great brand foundation. SEO is actually about bringing the best brands to the forefront that resonate with your target audience, rather than trying short-sighted tricks that may or may not work or cause problems. This was a great transition because it helps you build a better business when working on SEO today.
IBR: Will it help weed out some of the unscrupulous characters that existed in the industry?
JM: Well, unfortunately, many of these characters are still selling the same stuff they did in 2009. This appalls me. We think this book is more important than ever because they are charging more than ever and still delivering. No results.
IBR: What changes did you see in the latest Google algorithm update?
JM: Google releases new updates all the time, but the biggest change is that Google has tried to figure out how to deal with this AI content. In 2022, Google made a statement that all content not written by humans would be considered spam by Google, but it has since softened its approach. In 2023, he changed his position and said, “We can now say that any high-quality content is good.” The question now is what constitutes high-quality content. That's because it's clearly not in Google's long-term plan to eliminate AI content that benefits end consumers. They have changed their positions, and as recently as March, they started punishing bad AI content more strictly. However, we do not penalize quality content.
IBR: What is the biggest mistake companies make when it comes to SEO and marketing?
JM: Search engine optimization makes people focus and obsess over the least important things. That's because it's something you often hear that you need to worry about. When I wrote this book, I knew that most business owners would only get halfway through the book anyway, so I put the most important things at the beginning of the book with the least important things. Once you get halfway through the book, the most important information will be covered.
There are a few things that once became buzzwords. People throw around words that sound really technical and nice, like optimizing images, optimizing alt tags, carving links, etc., but the reality is, you have a 55-gallon drum and you're trying to fill it. Suppose you are For SEO, it's like taking out a dropper and dripping. Some of the core principles may require big gallons, but you end up throwing away a gallon and doing more each time.
That's probably the biggest mistake I see in the SEO world.
One of the biggest mistakes in the marketing world is that people don't take the time to recognize who their ideal customer is. That means you don't take the time to understand what your customers are thinking, how to communicate with them, and where to communicate with them. I often see companies trying to take a shotgun approach to marketing. There, they post a lot of useless information on numerous platforms, trying to be everywhere when their customers aren't there or looking. For them in that place.
IBR: What are the biggest challenges businesses face when trying to get their name in front of consumers?
JM: For many small business owners, the biggest challenge they face is knowing what to do with the time and resources they have.
IBR: What tips would you give to small business owners just getting started with SEO?
JM: If you're a local business serving your local area, the most important thing you can do is set up, fully fill out, and maintain a Google Business Profile. It's more important than having a website in today's world. This is because Google uses as its primary source of information. Now your website is a perfect match for it and Google will know that you have a great website with the same content that is also listed on your Google Business Profile. It's very well integrated, and Google is pushing even harder to make it happen. However, step one is to make sure your Google Business Profile is complete and up-to-date with accurate information.