8-Second Branding Guest: Gresham Harkless, CEO/Founder CB Nation and Blue 16 Media
Find out how CEOs and small business owners can increase visibility online with Top SEO Tips for maximizing Search Engine Optimization from Blue 16 Media Founder Gresham Harkless Jr. and 8-Second Branding Podcast Host, Goody PR Founder and 8-Second PR Author Liz H. Kelly.
During this educational exchange, Gresham explains how CEOs can overcome the biggest SEO challenges and increase a brand’s organic search results. You will learn how to attract your niche target market to your website and engage them your quality content, products and services.
Gresham emphasizes the importance of understanding the psychology of what your customers are searching online, why you should build your long-term SEO strategy like a house, and the importance of the user journey.
You will also learn how Gresham does website audits, including a report for Kelly’s Goody PR agency that has red, yellow and green lights for different elements. His Blue 16 Media’s audit evaluates your website’s title tags, meta tags, keywords and more. He also emphasizes the importance of having quality backlinks for SEO from media mentions from public relations campaigns. And lastly, you’ll hear about the importance of Google Analytics for making strategic SEO decisions.
Listen here: 8-Second Branding Podcast @VoiceAmerica Business Channel & all major podcast platforms @ApplePodcasts @GooglePodcasts @iHeartRadio and more https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/136004/how-ceos-can-increase-visibility-with-top-seo-tips
Show Notes: 8-Second Branding – Top SEO Tips for CEOs
1:00 min – Introduction to Gresham Harkless, CEO/Founder of CBNation & Blue 16 Media
1:40 – 2 lands where Gresham focuses are Digital marketing company (Blue 16 Media) and Business Owner Resources (Blogs, Content, Podcasts)
2:30 – Examples of Gresh’s resources are CEO Blog Nation and I am CEO Podcast
3:00 – What is the biggest challenge for CEOs to get visibility?
3:46 – How CEOs can increase visibility online using SEO tools – with examples
4:45 – Examples of how to think from a psychological standpoint to determine what questions their target audience will be asking
5:15 – SEO is about Organic Search versus Paid Search
6:20 – Understanding the psychology of what the user is searching
6:50 – Building SEO is a long-term game and is like building a house by building a foundation
7:25 – Why people trust organic search more versus an ad
8:00 – Case Study example of CEO with a CPA / Tax Strategy company – who wants to attract high-end clients with a high net worth
8:50 – Example is great because people say the “riches are in the niches”
9:34 – Paint a picture of exactly who you want to attract
9:50 – How to think about the pages on your website differently based on your desired audience / customer
10:10 – How to develop keywords based on typically questions from your clients that can help you develop your website content
11:30 – How to optimize your website for location
12:00 – How your SEO keywords can offer a real opportunity is to attract people who don’t know you
13:20 – How to develop a website with Great SEO
13:42 – How to build a website with keywords to attract your ideal client
14:29 – Google is in the business of helping people find what they need as quickly as possible
15:30 – Do you need a site menu, and how does that work?
17:55 – What page is the most visited traffic?
19:00 – What can you add to the About page to build that connection and trust?
22:30 – How do you help CEOs by doing an audit of their website?
24:00 – How Blue 16 Media’s website audit looks at your title tags and meta tags
25:08 – How Page Speed impacts your SEO
26:00 – How Backlinks from other websites can really help with your SEO (including quality backlinks from media mentions from public relations articles from great sources)
27:30 – If you need a website audit, go to Blue16Media dot com, fill out the Contact Us form, and mention you heard of this SEO audit on the 8-Second Branding Podcast
29:50- How to bring value to your target market (example CB Blog Nation)
30:00 – Take advantage of opportunities to be on podcasts
30:20 – How PR stories / earned media can help with your SEO
32:00 – Why you should do every interview for SEO purposes because you never know what niches they may have
33:40 – Why you need Google Analytics on your website so you can make the best strategic decisions with data
34:50 – Anything else – where can they find you? IamGresh.com
GUEST BIO – Gresham Harkless, CEO/Founder
Gresham “Gresh” W. Harkless Jr. is the founder of CBNation and Blue 16 Media. CBNation (CEO Blog Nation) is a Business to Business (B2B) Brand focusing on increasing the business success rate by providing visibility and resources for CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners. CEO Blog Nation is a community of blogs for entrepreneurs and business owners.
Started in much the same way as most small businesses, CEO Blog Nation captures the essence of entrepreneurship by allowing entrepreneurs and business owners to have a voice. Gresham’s Blue 16 Media provides website design, social media, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) services for entrepreneurs, startups and business owners. CBNation consists of blogs (CEOBlogNation.com), podcasts (CEOPodcasts.com) and videos (CBNation.tv). Blue 16 Media helps change lives through media and technology including a digital marketing agency that provides digital marketing services focused on web design and SEO for small to medium-sized businesses. Central to his marketing philosophy is that You are a Media Company: Developing a Marketing Strategy to Connect with Your Target Market and Reach Your Goals.
Gresham is a proud graduate of Howard University and Georgetown University. He is also a graduate of the 2020 Leadership Center for Excellence Young Professionals Program ’16 and recognized by the Alexandria Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s 40 under 40. For more information on Gresham Harkless, follow @CEOBlogNation or visit CBNation.co and/or Blue16Media.com.
