Behind the Scenes of My Content Marketing Strategy: SEO Optimization for Small Business Success

When it comes to long-term growth, nothing beats the power of content marketing and SEO. As a website designer who specializes in Showit and Squarespace “Website in a Day” experiences, I’m here to pull back the curtain and show you the exact content strategy that drives consistent traffic, builds trust with my audience, and keeps my business running—even during three-month maternity leaves.

This post walks you through how I use SEO optimization for small business visibility, the platforms I use, and how I align my content with my launch calendar. Spoiler alert: this strategy might not give you the instant gratification of an Instagram post, but it will build your audience, increase website traffic, and support sales over time. Let’s dive in.

Why SEO Optimization for Small Business Matters

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the backbone of my marketing strategy. Unlike social media posts that fade after 24 hours, well-optimized blog content can continue bringing in leads for years. That’s why I prioritize content that feeds Google and my audience.

SEO marketing benefits include:

• Long-term visibility
• Higher website traffic
• Passive lead generation
• Increased trust and credibility
• Better ROI compared to paid ads

Whether you’re a solopreneur or scaling your team, investing time in SEO content is one of the smartest things you can do.

My Main Tool for Planning Blog Content: Trello

I’m a paper planner girl at heart, but when it comes to my content calendar, digital tools win out. I use Trello to organize my strategy by month. This allows me to:

• Set clear goals (e.g., launch a course, run an affiliate promo)
• Create a “pre-launch runway”
• Strategically map content to support those goals
• Keep everything in one place for potential team members

Planning Month-by-Month Content

Each month in Trello starts with a clear goal—usually aligned with one of my offers. Here’s a snapshot of how that looked over the past few months:

January: Blog Bonanza

I published 10 blog posts. While it was productive, it also highlighted a problem: I let every audience question become content without much strategy. Many of these videos weren’t optimized for YouTube, and transforming them into SEO blog posts took longer than expected. Lesson learned: too much spontaneous content = burnout.

February: Launching Beyond The Template

With my DIY Squarespace course as the focus, I shifted to one blog per week (okay, usually more). These were focused on:

• Quick website design tips
• Case studies from past students
• Squarespace-specific how-tos

LEARN MORE ABOUT BEYOND THE TEMPLATE

March: Continued Course Promotion

Kept it consistent and strategic. Each blog post helped prep my audience to feel confident investing in their DIY site.

April: Affiliate Launch for Aspiring Designers

Different audience, different content. I shared:

• How to find your niche as a designer
• Interviews with pros in the field
• Tips for launching a freelance design business

(Missed the Bootcamp? Paige hosts this 2 times a year in April and September so stay tuned!)

May: Local Collaboration + Flash Sale

This month included a local collab where we paired website and brand photography services. Blog topics included:

• Why custom photos matter for your website
• Behind-the-scenes of a branding shoot

I also ran a flash birthday sale. While it didn’t bring in sales (transparency!), I did write several related blog posts to help with SEO visibility for my SEO course and website template.

June: Optimize, Optimize, Optimize

This month, I’m not launching anything new, so I’m focusing on updating older content. This is one of the biggest SEO marketing benefits: a well-optimized blog post from 2023 can still bring traffic today if you keep it updated.

Building a Pre-Launch Content Runway

A major part of my strategy is building content that supports upcoming offers. I don’t just throw up a blog post and hope for the best. I reverse-engineer:

1. What am I selling next month?
2. What questions will people have?
3. What blog posts, YouTube videos, or emails will help them feel prepared?

For example, before launching my Beyond The Template course, I shared how to build a Squarespace site fast, common mistakes to avoid, and DIY design tips. This content attracts the exact person I want to serve and builds their trust in my expertise.

Repurposing Content with the PIGFEL System

Creating long-form content (like this blog) is just the beginning. My PIGFEL system (which stands for: Pinterest, Instagram, Google Business Listing, Facebook, Email and LinkedIn) helps me stretch one blog post across all platforms:

• Create a YouTube video and embed it in the blog
• Use the blog as the basis for an email newsletter
• Share snippets across Instagram, Facebook, Google Business, and Pinterest

This strategy not only saves time but amplifies the seo marketing benefits of every piece of content I produce.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS SYSTEM

Preparing for a Black Friday Summit

Looking ahead, I’m co-hosting a Black Friday Summit with Dolly DeLong and Mark Kucirek. My content runway includes interviews and blog posts about:

• Website pop-up strategies for Black Friday
• Pinterest marketing (spoiler: it’s amazing for holiday prep!)
• Email sequences for seasonal sales

This early planning lets me position myself as a trusted expert before the August Summit begins. And with so much evergreen content already out there, it’s just about optimizing and sharing.

Final Thoughts: What SEO Strategy Looks Like in Real Life

Here’s what I hope you take away:

• SEO content marketing doesn’t give an instant hit, but it pays off big time over months and years.
• Using tools like Trello helps you stay consistent and organized.
• Align your content with your offers (course, service, affiliate, etc.) to get real business results.
• Leverage each piece of content in multiple ways to maximize reach and visibility.
• Keep optimizing old content! That’s one of the biggest SEO marketing benefits of all.

Whether you’re creating one blog a month or launching a full suite of offers, building a content plan that supports SEO optimization for small business growth will give you the sustainability, scalability, and sanity you need to thrive.

Want help getting started with your own SEO strategy? Check out my free training and grab the PIGFEL system—it breaks all of this down in a simple, rinse-and-repeat format. Your future self (and website traffic) will thank you.

Ready to turn your content into a traffic machine? Download the PIGFL SEO System now.