What Do Dating and SEO Have in Common?

Guest post by Suzy Stanton from Wish Freelance Writing

SEO are three letters that often bring small business owners out in a cold sweat. But they’re thee letters that have a big impact on how hard your website works for your business and how easily it connects you with your dream clients.

SEO is search engine optimisation. In a nutshell, it’s making sure your website uses the right words, is easy to navigate and is packed full of content that showcases what you do so that it attracts the attention of Google, who shows your site high up in search results and encourages your dream clients to find you.

It’s a business term that has a reputation as being complex, time consuming, boring and expensive to get support with. So, this blog post is going to bust those myths and add a bit of fun into SEO by showing how it’s actually got a lot in common with dating!

What is SEO Anyway?

Search engine optimisation is all about getting your website in the best possible shape so it attracts the attention of Google. When people are scrolling on their phones at 2am trying to find the solution to their problem, search engines show them the websites they thinks are best matched to do that.

If someone is searching for tips on how to get their toddler to sleep all night, and you’re a toddler sleep expert, you need to make sure your site contains the words parents use when they’re searching for support.

Having a beautiful website that’s full of the most amazing products or services won’t bring in more sales if it’s hiding at the bottom of page five of search results. Because, let’s face it, no one looks beyond page one in Google results.

So, at its core, SEO is all about attraction – just like dating. Attracting the right people, keeping them interested and then building a lasting relationship with them.

Attracting the Right People

Think about what you do before a first date.

You put on an outfit that makes you feel amazing, maybe style your hair, use your favourite fragrance, wear your new shirt, or add a touch of your favourite lipstick. Why? Because first impressions matter – you want to feel confident and attract the right kind of person.

Stained clothes, lipstick that’s smudged or bitten nails won’t have the same impact as shining hair and a natural glow.

Your website works the same way. Words are your best outfit. And search engines are the matchmakers, introducing you to potential customers. So make sure you spend some time researching what your main keywords are. These not only reflect what you do, but they’re the words and phrases people type into Google when they’re looking for a solution to their problem.

But just having the right words isn’t enough – they need to be in the best places to make an impact. Your tagline, headings and headlines, image and meta descriptions and in the body of your copy and content are some of the areas they need to go.

The important thing to remember about keywords though, is to not add them unless they form a natural part of the sentence. They need to stick out to search engines, but not the person reading the text. A blog post that’s stuffed with keywords that don’t form a natural part of the sentence, will put people off reading it. And if they bounce off to another site because of it, they’re unlikely to come back.

Dating and SEO: Don’t Let the Spark Fade

In dating, that initial spark only lasts so long. The real magic happens when you get to know each other – learning about shared interests, values, and whether you’re truly compatible.

Your website works the same way. Once you’ve attracted visitors, you need to keep them engaged with valuable content that makes it easy for them to learn about you, your business, and how you can help them.

Think about what happens after a great first date. If you’re interested, you’ll want to keep the conversation going – asking questions, sharing experiences, and figuring out whether there’s a real connection. 

What makes them tick? What do they do for a living? What are their annoying habits? Are they so annoying that they’re a deal-breaker? Are you on the same page in terms of the future? Are you both looking for fun/companionship/want commitment/something else?

That’s exactly how website visitors behave when they’re deciding whether you’re compatible. If they have to dig deep into your site to find out what you do, how you help, or what your prices are, they’ll click away fast.

Once the initial spark has worn off, if we discover there’s not a lot else there we move on to someone else, just as potential customers and clients will if there’s nothing on your site to keep them interested.

Keep your Audience Interested

Once your words have sparked the initial attraction to your website, your content needs to keep visitors engaged to show your new reader what you’re all about. 

Your website should:

• Clearly communicate who you are and what you offer
• Be easy to navigate so visitors can quickly find what they need
• Offer value through content that builds trust and credibility
• Make it simple for people to take the next step – whether that’s booking a call, signing up for something, or making a purchase

If they have to go looking to find out what you sell, what your pricing is, what you’re all about, they probably won’t bother. They might give it a few clicks and then if they haven’t found what they’re looking for, they’ll move on.

From First Dates to Long-Term Commitment

When you feel like you’ve met “the” right person, the excitement of the early days settles into something deeper. You’ve gotten to know them, you trust them, and you can see a future together.

That trust doesn’t happen overnight – it’s built through consistency, shared experiences, and following through on promises.

The more you get to know that person, the more you learn about what makes them who they are. 

Your website works the same way. Search engines act as matchmakers, introducing you to potential customers. But they’ll only do that if they trust your site.

If your content is relevant, valuable, and authoritative, search engines will show it to more people. If not, they’ll move on – just like a bad date.

Dating and SEO: Building your Authority & Trust

Search engines initially play a huge part in the way you build a relationship with potential clients.

Once the words on your website have dazzled them, they act as a matchmaker and show them to the people they think are looking for what you sell.

The key to long-term SEO success is proving your credibility. Two big factors in this are:

1. Keeping visitors on your website longer – The more engaging your content, the more time people spend on your site, signalling to search engines that you offer valuable information. You need to have content that keeps readers engaged so they click on a link and read some more.
2. Getting quality backlinks – When reputable websites link to your content, it tells search engines that your site is trustworthy and worth recommending. The more quality backlinks you have, the more authority your site (and you) has and the higher up in search result pages it appears.

But just like building trust in a relationship, this takes time and consistency.

How I Can Help

I’m Suzy, an SEO Copywriter, and have a range of resources and services that support small business owners to ensure their website attracts their dream clients and increases sales. You can find out about my DIY resources and 1-2-1 services from my website. Or why not join my newsletter, The SEO Club and get access to my keywords masterclass for free.

For more help on attracting the right people through your website, check out our other blog posts.

Featured image by Growtika on Unsplash (How cute is that robot!?!)