SEO (search engine optimization) can feel confusing and technical, especially when you are just beginning to blog. But here is the good news. SEO does not have to be complicated to be effective. A few simple steps can help your content show up in search results, reach more of the right people, and build your online presence over time.

SEO is essentially how search engines like Google make sense of your content. It works in two directions. On one side, it helps search engines understand and trust your content so they know when it’s appropriate to recommend your contend to someone (and feel confident doing so). On the other side, it helps real people find your website and blog with more ease. When SEO is working well, it becomes a quiet bridge between your work and the people who are already searching for exactly what you offer.

I always tell my clients that we write blogs for people, not algorithms. But when you know how to use SEO wisely, you can take advantage of simple, low-effort SEO wins that help your content work even harder for you. And if you’re one of my clients, this post is simply a refresher. We walk through all of this during your Showit Tour after we launch your website, and now you have it here as a resource to revisit anytime you need it.

This is where a simple tool like the free version of Yoast SEO, paired with AI, becomes incredibly helpful.

AI is an amazing tool when used intentionally and thoughtfully. It should support your writing, not replace your voice or the heart of your message. The process below allows AI to fill in some SEO details for you while keeping your content rooted in your own expertise.

What Yoast SEO does

If you’re blogging with Showit/WordPress, you’ll want to install the Yoast SEO plugin. You can do this by logging into your blog, clicking “Plugins” in your left menu, searching for Yoast, and clicking “Activate.” It will be active from here on out. And if you’re a client of mine, I’ve already done this for you.

Yoast has both a free and paid version. The paid version offers additional features for around $118 per year, but if you are already using an AI writing tool like ChatGPT, even the free version, you likely do not need the Yoast paid upgrade. The free version paired with intentional use of AI is more than enough for most small businesses, especially if you plan to blog less frequently, or about once a month. And if you are using the paid version of Yoast, you probably don’t need the rest of this blog but it might be a nice refresher. 

Once installed, Yoast evaluates your blog post’s SEO health using red, orange, and green indicators. Red means there is room to improve, orange means you’re on the right track, and green means that setting is strong. These indicators don’t determine how you rank; they simply help you follow proven best practices and help your blog article build more trust with search engines. And the goal is not to turn every dot green. Some are difficult or unrealistic based on your topic (or will simply take more time than it’s worth to get to turn green). Focus on the easy wins, and you’ll be in great shape.

The easiest SEO wins inside Yoast

Here are quick improvements Yoast checks for (and most are very simple):

• Your blog is at least 300 words long
• You have added at least one image
• You have at least one inbound link (to one of your own blogs or pages)
• You have at least one outbound link (to another helpful website)
• You assigned a category to your pos
•  You used headings and subheadings to break up your content

These are all things that happen within your blog content.

Yoast also gives you an area to fill in:

• A focus keyphrase
• An SEO title
• A slug
• A short meta description

Your focus keyphrase, SEO title, slug, and meta description are helpful behind-the-scenes descriptors. They don’t show up in your actual blog content, but they guide search engines in understanding and recommending your post.

These don’t require technical knowledge, they are simply ways to help search engines better understand your content.

Why we save these SEO settings for the very end

I always encourage clients to write their full blog post before filling in any SEO fields. Your message evolves as you write. You clarify ideas, refine examples, and often discover a clearer angle. By waiting until the end, AI can read your finished post and create SEO settings that genuinely match the heart of your content. This gives you stronger, more accurate SEO and saves you from rewriting things later.

Using AI to generate your SEO settings

Once you’ve written your blog (more on that here), copy and paste the entire post into ChatGPT and ask it to create:

• Your focus keyphrase
• Your SEO title
• Your slug 
• Your meta description

Here is what each one means

Focus keyphrase

This is the main phrase someone might search with.

en looking for your topic. It helps Google understand the central theme of your post.
Example: “how to prepare for a coaching session,” “beginner yoga tips,” etc.

SEO title

This is the title that appears in Google search results. It can match your blog title or be a refined version of it.

Slug

This is the part of your URL that comes after the slash. It should be simple, short, and include your keyphrase.

Example: yourdomain.com/prepare-for-coaching-session

Meta description

This is the short summary that appears under your title in a Google search. It should briefly explain the value of your post and encourage someone to click by including a call to action. Think of it as an inviting little doorway into your content.

A quick note: If what AI writes for your meta description comes back with a warning in Yoast (as a red or orange light), it’s usually because it’s too long. There’s a balance to aim for, not too short, not too long. Adjust the length by trimming anything that isn’t truly needed.

After ChatGPT generates these for you, paste them into the Yoast fields in your WordPress editor. You’ll likely see several green dots appear right away.

Where to learn more about blogging

If you want to dive deeper into writing and organizing your blog, here are a few guides to support you:

•  How to choose blog topics your audience truly wants to read
• Writing your first blog: a clear, simple way to begin
• Blog categories made easy: how to choose categories that lead readers down the right rabbit holes
• How to prep beautiful blog images in minutes

And if you’re one of my clients, I walk you through how all of this ties together during your Showit Tour so blogging feels simple and sustainable. If this level of support is what you’re looking for, I invite you to book a discovery call with me.