Ask the Expert: Jade Pruett, SEO Expert & Entrepreneur

Welcome to Ask the Expert, a series where I sit down with creative industry leaders and ask them all the questions so you don’t have to spend hours and hours Googling to find answers! Meet Jade Pruett, the Founder of HelloSEO, a Columbia-based SEO agency focused on boosting visibility and authority for subject matter experts and service-based business leaders online. 

In the most simple terms, what is SEO?

JP: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and it’s essentially a series of strategies aimed at improving a website’s visibility on search engines like Google all with the goal of appearing higher in search results.

PS – you can get a free SEO score report on my website!

Tell us about a successful SEO project you worked on or are proud of.

JP: I worked with a pelvic floor specialist in Minnesota and within just three days of implementing our SEO strategies, she achieved the top ranking in her area on Google search results, which helped her connect with her target audience and drive conversions.

Ah, AMAZING! Okay, how do you approach keyword research and selection for a new SEO project?

JP: Keyword research involves getting extremely specific about the search habits of the target audience. We look at market research to identify relevant keywords and phrases. We also assess the authority of the website and consider things like domain strength and backlink profiles to inform our keyword selection process.

What strategies do you use to optimize on-page elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and headers? Do these things matter?

JP: YES! On-page optimization is crucial for SEO success. At HelloSEO, we create compelling meta titles and descriptions to increase click-through rates. Business owners should always make sure that their headers are optimized for relevant keywords to improve search engine visibility.

Let’s talk about your link-building strategy. What do you recommend and how should people create quality backlinks?

JP: Our link-building strategy revolves around acquiring quality backlinks through digital PR efforts. We secure media placements to position our clients as experts in their fields of expertise and use authoritative backlinks that increase their SEO performance.

How do you measure the success of an SEO campaign?

JP: We prioritize a few metrics. Rankings on search engine results pages, organic traffic growth, and conversion rates are some of the most important because they provide insights into the effectiveness of our strategies.

People say blogging is dead (a lie!). What role should content marketing (like blogging) and content optimization play in an SEO strategy?

JP: Content marketing and optimization are major players in our SEO strategy. By creating high-quality content that addresses the questions and needs of your target audience, you enhance visibility and authority in search results. This can include blogging and optimizing other content types.

What beginner tips do you recommend for improving SEO?

JP: For beginners, it’s important to understand technical SEO. Also, regularly creating content that addresses common user questions and taking advantage of experts’ Power Hours can bring pretty significant results. 

What’s one resource you recommend to any business owner? 

JD: “They Ask, You Answer” by Marcus Sheridan—I recommend this book to all my friends in the entrepreneurial space!

Connect with Jade on LinkedIn and Instagram or check out her website!