A lot of business owners think SEO is some mysterious marketing thing.
Something technical.
Something confusing.
Something you either ignore or pay someone else to “handle.”
But after talking with Mariah Magazine, it is pretty clear that most owners are not just missing SEO.
They are missing how their customers actually search.
A good website does not mean people can find you
Mariah started as a website designer and developer.
But she kept running into the same problem with clients.
The website looked good.
The client was happy.
But then came the real question:
“Cool, the website looks great, but like, how do I get found on Google?”
That is where a lot of business owners get stuck.
They think a better website automatically means more visibility.
It does not.
A good website matters.
But if your customers cannot find it, it is just sitting there.
SEO gets overcomplicated on purpose
One thing Mariah said really stood out.
A lot of SEO content is either too advanced for normal business owners or intentionally vague so people feel like they have no choice but to hire an agency.
She said:
“Most of the content out there teaching business owners about SEO is either advanced SEO people talking to other advanced SEO people… or SEO agencies trying to be vague and overwhelming.”
That line hits because a lot of business owners have felt this.
You ask a simple question.
You get a confusing answer.
Then somehow the solution is always a monthly retainer.
Do not blindly outsource what you do not understand
This was one of the biggest takeaways from the episode.
Mariah is not against getting help.
But she is big on business owners understanding enough to know what they are paying for.
Because if you do not understand the basics, it is easy to waste money.
Especially with SEO.
She also made it clear that anyone guaranteeing instant results should be a red flag.
When I asked about companies promising page one rankings, she said:
“It’s bullshit.”
Simple enough.
Nobody can fully control Google.
And if someone promises they can, business owners should pay attention.
Customer intent changes everything
This was probably the most practical part of the conversation.
Mariah talked about how business owners often chase the wrong keywords because they think like the business owner, not like the customer.
Her example was a public speaking coach who wanted to rank for “powerful speaker.”
The problem?
Google saw that phrase as stereo equipment.
Not public speaking.
That is why intent matters.
You are not just choosing words.
You are trying to understand what your customer actually means when they search.
Start with your Google Business Profile
This was one of the simplest tips from the episode.
If a local business owner is starting from zero, Mariah said to start with the Google Business Profile.
“I would create a Google Business Profile.”
It is free.
It helps local visibility.
And it gives Google and AI tools more context about your business.
That is a huge missed opportunity for a lot of local businesses.
AI does not replace real expertise
We also talked about AI and content.
Because a lot of business owners are using AI to crank out blog posts.
Mariah’s point was not that AI is bad.
It is that AI needs real input.
Your thoughts.
Your perspective.
Your experience.
Your actual voice.
Otherwise, you just end up with the same generic content everyone else has.
Final thought
This episode was not really about ranking on Google.
It was about being found.
Being understood.
And making sure your website actually matches how people search for what you do.
Because most business owners are not lazy.
They are just guessing.
And guessing is expensive.