How to Optimize SEO for Business, According to Dawn Kubicek

Dawn Kubicek traces her career in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) back to when Google first launched in 2001. Over the years, the data-loving entrepreneur has gleaned hard-earned insights about SEO and algorithms. Today, Kubicek heads up Leaders in Digital, an all-female London- and Dubai-based SEO consultancy that serves clients in MENA and London. 

“SEO is always changing, which is why I love it,” Kubicek tells Inc. Arabia. “There’s a misconception that SEO is just a technical backend for developers, but SEO is omnichannel. It relies on data and strategic consulting,”

Kubicek explains that one of the keys to optimizing your site is looking at the quality of leads and conversions rather than just the quantity.

“It’s very difficult for entrepreneurs to stay on top of the latest SEO trends, so my advice is always to bring an SEO expert on board before you build your website,” Kubicek tells us.

Dawn Kubicek, founder and CEO of Leaders in Digital. 

If you don’t have the budget to bring in experts, Kubicek recommends following reputable blogs like Search Engine Journal and attending workshops and masterclasses--although she notes that some of the jargon sounds foreign to people who aren’t in the industry.

One of the most common misconceptions that Kubicek encounters is that AI can replace content agencies or SEO strategists. From her experience, AI just produces more data, making it paramount to have experts on hand to help you navigate it carefully.

Kubicek offers seven insights that can help entrepreneurs with their SEO. 

1. SEO doesn’t happen overnight

“One of the biggest misconceptions about SEO is that it happens quickly, but that’s not true,” says Kubicek. “SEO takes time and strategy and needs to happen across platforms.”

This means optimizing content beyond just Google Search to include all of Google’s marketing products and partner sites, including Google My Business, Google Ads, LinkedIn, Pinterest, X, and YouTube. “Google Marketing includes everything, so you can’t just rely on search to get leads,” she says.

“The other misconception is that paid ads outperform SEO long-term, but that’s not true. In the long term, paid ads are detrimental. If you want to optimize your online presence, SEO is the best place to start--but you have to be patient,” she adds.

2. Track your metrics

Before beginning your SEO journey, Kubicek recommends tracking your metrics by setting up Google Analytics and other tracking platforms to learn more about where your leads and sales are coming from.

“Clients come to us that want to do SEO, but they don’t track their rankings or their traffic and they don’t know where their leads and sales are coming from, so the first thing I tell any entrepreneur is to set up Google Analytics,” says Kubicek. Once you have it set up, keep monitoring to see how you’re ranking.

Kubicek tells us that, using tools like Semrush to track keyword rankings can help make sure that your website is attracting the right audience.

3. Google likes human content

While AI is on the rise and AI-generated content has flooded the internet, the truth of the matter is that Google likes human content, says Kubicek.

“We ran internal tests comparing AI-generated content to human-generated content to AI-inspired content that was human-generated. We found that human content that used AI for inspiration performed best when it came to lead quality and conversions,” says Kubicek.

Kubicek notes that this follows one of the fastest-growing trends in search, which is voice search. “Voice search by default sounds human, so it’s important to keep that in mind when you’re creating content,” she says.

4. Google loves fresh content

 “Google loves content and it loves fresh new content. Writing one new news blog every month can benefit your website. But make sure that you follow Google’s guidelines, so write nice, big paragraphs and have some keywords in the paragraph. Make sure it’s something that your audience would want to hear--tips are always popular,” she says.

Kubicek stresses that news shouldn’t be about sales, but should focus on tips and value-giving.

5. Use long-tail, conversational keywords

While classic conventions recommend using short keywords, Kubicek recommends using concise, long-tail, conversational keywords. This not only mimics voice search--it also helps you to target your audience more precisely.

6. Attend SEO masterclasses and workshops

If you can’t bring on experts, the next best thing is to get some face time with them by attending workshops and masterclasses about SEO. Getting training in SEO and connecting with other entrepreneurs going through similar challenges can help you navigate SEO more effectively.

7. Make ChatGPT work for you

“People are saying that ChatGPT is going to take over SEO, but it’s just complimenting it,” says Kubicek, noting that many people use ChatGPT in the same way that they use Google Search.

“If you want your organization and services to appear on ChatGPT, that comes down to SEO, because GPT sources its content from Google--even its AI content,” she adds. 

So how do you rank on ChatGPT?

Kubicek recommends tweaking your SEO strategy to communicate about different people in the business, including content about your CEO rather than just talking about the business. She also recommends communicating about awards that your business may have received and creating content on platforms like LinkedIn and in collaboration with partners.