Breaking Down SEO Myths: How Small Businesses Can Compete with AI and Strategy

Featured conversation with Amanda Kern, founder of Emerald Creative Content

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the world of search engine optimization or wondered if your small business can compete without a massive marketing budget, our latest podcast conversation with Amanda Kern will change your perspective entirely.

Amanda, founder and CEO of Emerald Creative Content, brings a refreshing approach to an industry that's often shrouded in technical jargon and expensive promises. As one of the few women in a field that's 80-90% male-dominated, she's carved out a unique niche by combining creative content with strategic SEO thinking.

The Journey from Copywriter to SEO Expert

Amanda's story begins with curiosity. While working as a copywriter, she received detailed briefs from SEO agencies specifying exactly where keywords needed to appear, how often, and in what format. But then came the challenging part: "Make it creative and readable so people actually enjoy it."

"It was sort of like putting a puzzle together," Amanda explains. "After a while, I got really curious about how these formulas were created, why these keywords, and how this content fit into helping businesses grow."

That curiosity led to a mentorship opportunity with a woman-owned SEO agency, and eventually to the creation of Emerald Creative Content—a different kind of marketing agency that views everything through the lens of search engine optimization.

Busting the Biggest SEO Myth

Here's the truth that might surprise you: SEO isn't primarily about technical website tweaks or expensive backend optimization. While technical SEO matters, Amanda emphasizes that it's actually "such a small component of a much larger puzzle."

The real foundation of effective SEO? Something Google calls EEAT—Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness.

"The best thing a business owner can do is know what you're an expert in," Amanda advises. "What makes you an expert in your industry, and how can you showcase that expertise through your content consistently?"

This means if you can commit to posting expert content on YouTube, your website, or social media regularly, you're already building the most important foundation for SEO success.

AI: Friend or Foe for Small Business SEO?

With artificial intelligence tools becoming ubiquitous, many business owners are asking two critical questions: Will AI replace the need for SEO? And how can I use AI without losing my authentic voice?

Amanda's answers might surprise you.

SEO isn't dead—it's evolving. AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity still need to crawl the web for content, just like Google does. "If you're able to rank your content organically for Google, you will inevitably end up ranking in ChatGPT and in Perplexity," she explains.

In fact, Amanda's clients are already seeing traffic in Google Analytics from ChatGPT, complete with hyperlinks back to their websites when their content is cited.

The Smart Way to Use AI for SEO:

Amanda uses AI daily in her business, but with clear boundaries:

• Research and data processing: "It's incredible for doing research and processing large amounts of data and compressing them into a bite size that you can wrap your brain around."
  
  

• Ideation support: When staring at a blank page, AI can help shake ideas loose and break down complex concepts.
  
  

• Industry exploration: AI can help you understand new industries or concepts quickly.
  
  

Where to draw the line: Never let AI do the final thinking or articulate your final ideas. "What AI does is take all the data that's already out there and regurgitate what everyone else has already talked about. Google doesn't want to see that, and frankly, humans don't want to see that either."

The Reality of SEO Timelines

One of the most valuable insights Amanda shared relates to expectations. SEO requires patience, but the timeline is more predictable than you might think:

• 3 months: You'll start seeing movement in organic traffic

• 6 months: You'll begin seeing business impact and revenue growth

• Long-term: Compound growth as your authority builds

"It's sort of like when you go on a health journey," Amanda explains. "You can't expect to see results overnight. You have to be consistent about it."

The key is committing to at least one SEO-focused activity per week—whether that's optimizing a page on your website or posting a new blog. Do this consistently for three months, and you'll start seeing results.

From $250K to $1M: Real Results

Amanda's approach isn't just theory. She's watched clients grow from $250,000 to over $1 million in annual revenue, with business owners telling her, "We couldn't have done it without our SEO growing. That's where we get the majority of our traffic and leads."

This long-term organic strategy builds on itself over time, creating sustainable growth that doesn't disappear when you stop paying for ads.

Getting Started: Your First Steps

Feeling overwhelmed? Amanda's advice is simple: "Doing something for your SEO is better than doing nothing."

Start by:

1. Identifying your expertise: What makes you uniquely qualified in your industry?
   
   

2. Creating consistent content: Share your knowledge through blogs, videos, or social media posts
   
   

3. Building content clusters: Group related content around your main services or products
   
   

4. Being patient but persistent: Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint
   
   

"You're going to feel really overwhelmed the deeper you go," Amanda acknowledges. "Just make your list, create time in your week and month, and over time you'll start to get the hang of it."

The Human Touch in an AI World

Perhaps most importantly, Amanda's business has thrived by emphasizing what AI can't replicate: the human touch. While some clients worried that AI would replace creative services, Amanda found that businesses increasingly value "real human artists, real human graphic designers, real videographers who studied this craft and have tons of experience putting that final polish on things."

This human element extends to content creation. Your original voice, ideas, and perspective are exactly what search engines—and your customers—are looking for.

Ready to Get Started?

If you're ready to stop feeling overwhelmed by digital marketing and start building your online authority, remember Amanda's key message: focus on consistently demonstrating your expertise, use AI as a tool (not a replacement) for your thinking, and be patient with the process.

The businesses that start building their SEO foundation today will be the ones reaping the compound benefits tomorrow.

Want to dive deeper into this conversation? Listen to the full interview with Amanda Kern on the ALC Changemakers Podcast. You can also connect with Amanda at emeraldcontent.com or on LinkedIn, and she's offering free SEO audits to help you get started.

What's your biggest SEO challenge? Reply to this newsletter and let us know—we love helping fellow business owners navigate the digital marketing landscape!