TLC

Find three to five search phrases that plenty of people type into Google but few businesses are advertising on, so you have one phrase to build a blog post around and one to build an ad campaign around.

1. In Google Ads, click Tools.
2. In the Tools menu, under Planning, click Keyword Planner.
3. On the Keyword Planner page, click Discover new keywords.
4. On the Start with keywords tab, type three to five plain phrases a customer would actually say when looking for what you sell, separated by commas.
5. Click Get results.
6. In the Locations filter, set the city, county or state you actually serve, because a nationwide number is meaningless for a local business.
7. Add a filter on the Competition column and keep only Low, which leaves the phrases that few advertisers are bidding on.
8. Click the Avg. monthly searches column heading to sort the remaining phrases from most searched to least.
9. Tick the checkbox beside the highest row that is at least three words long and describes something you genuinely sell, ignoring anything vague or out of your area.
10. Click Download to save your shortlist as a spreadsheet.

You will know it worked when you have a saved spreadsheet, or a written note, holding three to five phrases that each show Low in the Competition column and an Avg. monthly searches figure of at least 100. One of those phrases becomes your next blog post title and one becomes your ad keyword.

Use AnswerThePublic to surface the real, longer questions people type into search engines about what you sell, and walk away with one specific question that is worth a whole blog post.

1. In your web browser, go to answerthepublic.com and sign in to your free account.
2. On the homepage, click the Search Keywords tab, because the page opens on the Analyze My Website tab by default.
3. In the search box, type the plainest two or three word description of what you sell, with no business name in it.
4. In the country selector, choose the country you sell in, because it defaults to US.
5. Click Search.
6. On the report that loads, scroll to the section headed Search Modifiers.
7. In the Search Modifiers section, click List, which swaps the wheel diagram for a plain readable list of phrases.
8. Read down the list and pick one line that is a complete question a paying customer would ask out loud, not a curiosity question.
9. In the Search Modifiers section, click Export to save the rest of the list for future posts.

You will know it worked when the page shows a report headed with your keyword and a Search Modifiers section full of real phrases, and you have one complete question written down, something like how often should gutters be cleaned, that you could answer honestly in about 600 words.

Turn one topic into a blog post, a marketing email, social posts and ad copy in a single ChatGPT conversation, all in your business's own facts.

1. In your web browser, go to chatgpt.com and sign in.
2. In the ChatGPT sidebar, click New chat.
3. In the message box, paste the Business Facts block from the notes below, filled in with your own details.
4. At the end of that same message, type one sentence naming the topic you want to cover.
5. At the end of the message, type: Start with the blog post only, around 700 words, and ask me up to three questions first if anything is unclear.
6. Press Enter to send.
7. Answer any questions ChatGPT asks, in plain sentences, the way you would answer a customer.
8. In the same chat, send a reply naming the specific problem you want fixed, rather than saying make it better.
9. Once the blog post reads correctly, send: Now write a marketing email based on that post.
10. Send: Now write three social posts and three short ad headlines with descriptions, based on that post.

You will know it worked when the chat holds four separate pieces you can copy out, and each one names your actual business, your town, and the services you really sell, instead of generic filler.

Rewrite the AI draft so it sounds like you said it, and so every fact in it is one you can defend.

1. On the ChatGPT reply that holds your post, click Copy.
2. Paste the draft into a blank document in Google Docs or Microsoft Word, so you are editing your own copy and not the chat.
3. Read the whole draft out loud once, start to finish, before changing a single word.
4. Replace every vague claim with a specific one from your business, such as real numbers, years in business, town names, product names, and prices.
5. Delete any sentence stating a fact you cannot personally confirm, including awards, statistics, studies show, competitor comparisons, and any health, money, or legal claim.
6. Rewrite the opening two sentences completely in your own words, because that is the part readers judge you on.
7. Delete the AI tells listed in the notes below, including any sentence that only restates the sentence before it.
8. Split every sentence longer than about 25 words into two shorter ones.
9. Add one paragraph only you could have written, such as a customer story, a mistake you made, a local detail, or a real opinion.
10. Read the finished version out loud a second time and change anything you would not actually say to a customer on the phone.

You will know it worked when you can read any paragraph out loud and it sounds like you talking, and when you could point to a source for every fact in it if a customer asked where it came from.

Generate one picture for your post, in the right shape for where it will be published, and get the file onto your computer.

1. In ChatGPT, open the chat that holds your finished post.
2. In the message box, click More.
3. In the More menu, click Images.
4. In the message box, describe the picture in this order: the subject, the setting, the lighting, the mood, and the visual style.
5. At the end of that description, type the shape you need, such as landscape 16:9 for the top of a blog post or square 1:1 for a social post.
6. At the end of the message, type: no text or lettering in the image.
7. Press Enter to send.
8. Reply with one change at a time, such as make the lighting warmer, or move the subject to the left.
9. If the shape came out wrong, use the aspect ratio picker on the image to choose the shape you need.
10. On the finished image, use the save or download control to save the file to your computer.

You will know it worked when the image file is sitting in your Downloads folder, it is the right shape for where it is going, and a close look shows no garbled lettering, no extra fingers, and no warped logos.

Animate the still image you just made into a short video clip in Google Gemini, and download the file.

1. In your web browser, go to gemini.google.com and sign in with the Google account that holds your Google AI plan.
2. In Gemini, click Open sidebar.
3. In the sidebar, click Create video.
4. In the text box, click Add image.
5. Choose the image file you downloaded in Create an Image.
6. In the text box, describe the motion in one or two plain sentences, naming what moves and how slowly it moves.
7. At the end of that description, add a short line naming what should stay completely still.
8. Click Submit.
9. On the finished video, click Share.
10. In the Share options, click Download video.

You will know it worked when a short clip plays inside the chat, your original picture is recognizable as the opening frame, and a video file lands in your Downloads folder.

Get the finished blog post into your website, formatted so both readers and Google can understand it, and live at its own web address.

1. In your website's admin area, click the button that starts a new blog post. The blog section is usually called Blog, Posts, News or Articles, and the button is usually labeled Add New, New Post or Create.
2. In the title field, type the headline from the finished post, keeping it to roughly 60 characters so search results do not cut it off.
3. In the main body area, paste the post using the paste-without-formatting shortcut, which is Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows or Command+Shift+V on a Mac.
4. In the body, set each section heading to Heading 2 using the editor's text style menu. Leave the post title alone, because your website already treats it as the top heading.
5. In the post's web address field, which is usually labeled URL, Slug or Permalink, shorten the address to three to five lowercase words joined by hyphens.
6. In the body, at the point where the picture belongs, add the image using the editor's image or media button.
7. In the image's own settings, type one plain sentence in the alt text field that describes what the picture shows, for example Technician replacing a kitchen sink drain pipe.
8. In the body, highlight a phrase that matches one of your existing service pages, then use the link button to point it at that page on your own website.
9. In the post's search settings, which are usually labeled SEO, Meta or Search appearance, type a meta description of 150 to 160 characters that says what the reader will get from the post.
10. Click Publish.

You will know it worked when the post opens at its own web address with your headline at the top, your section headings showing as larger bold text, the picture in place, and the internal link taking you to the correct page on your own site when you click it.

Get the finished email into your email platform with a subject line people will actually open, sent to the right group at the right time.

1. In your email platform, start a new campaign using the create button, usually labeled Create, New campaign or New email.
2. In the email body, paste the finished email using the paste-without-formatting shortcut, which is Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows or Command+Shift+V on a Mac.
3. In the sender fields, check that the from name shows your business name and that the reply-to address is a mailbox someone actually reads.
4. In the subject line field, type a subject of 30 to 50 characters and put the most important words first, because most phones cut the subject off after about 33 characters.
5. In the preview text field, which some platforms call the preheader, type 35 to 90 characters that add something new instead of repeating the subject line.
6. In the recipients step, select the list or segment this email is for.
7. In the campaign, use the send test option to send a copy to your own email address.
8. On your phone, click every link in the test email to confirm each one opens the right page.
9. In the scheduling step, set the send for a weekday morning between 8am and 11am in your customers' time zone.
10. Click Schedule.

You will know it worked when the campaign shows a status of Scheduled with the date, time and recipient count you chose, and the test copy on your phone shows the correct subject line, your images loading and every link opening the right page.

Take one finished caption and one image or video and get it published on your business account, with everything the platform needs to show it properly.

1. Before opening any platform, save the caption text, the image or video file, and the link you want people to click into one folder on your computer.
2. In your design tool, export the file at the right size for the format: 1080 by 1350 pixels for a portrait post, 1080 by 1080 for a square post, or 1080 by 1920 for vertical video.
3. In your web browser, sign in to the platform using the account that owns the business page, not your personal profile.
4. In that account, click the control that starts a new post. It is Create post in Meta Business Suite, Create on Instagram, Start a post in the LinkedIn Page admin view, Upload on TikTok, and Create in YouTube Studio.
5. In the composer, upload the image or video file from the folder you made.
6. In the caption or description box, paste the caption text.
7. In the accessibility or alt text field, type one sentence describing what the image shows. On Instagram this sits under Advanced settings, then Accessibility, then Write alt text.
8. Add the link in the place that platform allows, which is inside the caption on Facebook and LinkedIn, on the action button for a Google Business Profile update, and in the description for YouTube.
9. Click the button that publishes or schedules the post.
10. In a new browser tab, open your public page and check the live post reads correctly and the link works.

On YouTube: studio.youtube.com walks you through four screens named Details, Video elements, Checks and Visibility, and nothing goes live until you finish the Visibility screen. Step 4 says Create because the upload option sits inside that menu and its wording varies.

You will know it worked when the post appears on your public page or profile with the picture uncropped, the caption complete rather than cut short, and the link opening the page you intended when you click it from the live post.

Take one finished caption and one image or video and get it published on your business account, with everything the platform needs to show it properly.

1. Before opening any platform, save the caption text, the image or video file, and the link you want people to click into one folder on your computer.
2. In your design tool, export the file at the right size for the format: 1080 by 1350 pixels for a portrait post, 1080 by 1080 for a square post, or 1080 by 1920 for vertical video.
3. In your web browser, sign in to the platform using the account that owns the business page, not your personal profile.
4. In that account, click the control that starts a new post. It is Create post in Meta Business Suite, Create on Instagram, Start a post in the LinkedIn Page admin view, Upload on TikTok, and Create in YouTube Studio.
5. In the composer, upload the image or video file from the folder you made.
6. In the caption or description box, paste the caption text.
7. In the accessibility or alt text field, type one sentence describing what the image shows. On Instagram this sits under Advanced settings, then Accessibility, then Write alt text.
8. Add the link in the place that platform allows, which is inside the caption on Facebook and LinkedIn, on the action button for a Google Business Profile update, and in the description for YouTube.
9. Click the button that publishes or schedules the post.
10. In a new browser tab, open your public page and check the live post reads correctly and the link works.

On Facebook: post from the Page itself or from Meta Business Suite at business.facebook.com. Meta Creator Studio was retired and any old instruction naming it is dead. Links in the caption are clickable.

You will know it worked when the post appears on your public page or profile with the picture uncropped, the caption complete rather than cut short, and the link opening the page you intended when you click it from the live post.

Take one finished caption and one image or video and get it published on your business account, with everything the platform needs to show it properly.

1. Before opening any platform, save the caption text, the image or video file, and the link you want people to click into one folder on your computer.
2. In your design tool, export the file at the right size for the format: 1080 by 1350 pixels for a portrait post, 1080 by 1080 for a square post, or 1080 by 1920 for vertical video.
3. In your web browser, sign in to the platform using the account that owns the business page, not your personal profile.
4. In that account, click the control that starts a new post. It is Create post in Meta Business Suite, Create on Instagram, Start a post in the LinkedIn Page admin view, Upload on TikTok, and Create in YouTube Studio.
5. In the composer, upload the image or video file from the folder you made.
6. In the caption or description box, paste the caption text.
7. In the accessibility or alt text field, type one sentence describing what the image shows. On Instagram this sits under Advanced settings, then Accessibility, then Write alt text.
8. Add the link in the place that platform allows, which is inside the caption on Facebook and LinkedIn, on the action button for a Google Business Profile update, and in the description for YouTube.
9. Click the button that publishes or schedules the post.
10. In a new browser tab, open your public page and check the live post reads correctly and the link works.

On Instagram: posting from a desktop browser at instagram.com is supported, so old guidance saying you must use a phone is out of date. Links in captions are never clickable, so send people to the link in your bio. Meta favors 4:5 portrait.

You will know it worked when the post appears on your public page or profile with the picture uncropped, the caption complete rather than cut short, and the link opening the page you intended when you click it from the live post.

Take one finished caption and one image or video and get it published on your business account, with everything the platform needs to show it properly.

1. Before opening any platform, save the caption text, the image or video file, and the link you want people to click into one folder on your computer.
2. In your design tool, export the file at the right size for the format: 1080 by 1350 pixels for a portrait post, 1080 by 1080 for a square post, or 1080 by 1920 for vertical video.
3. In your web browser, sign in to the platform using the account that owns the business page, not your personal profile.
4. In that account, click the control that starts a new post. It is Create post in Meta Business Suite, Create on Instagram, Start a post in the LinkedIn Page admin view, Upload on TikTok, and Create in YouTube Studio.
5. In the composer, upload the image or video file from the folder you made.
6. In the caption or description box, paste the caption text.
7. In the accessibility or alt text field, type one sentence describing what the image shows. On Instagram this sits under Advanced settings, then Accessibility, then Write alt text.
8. Add the link in the place that platform allows, which is inside the caption on Facebook and LinkedIn, on the action button for a Google Business Profile update, and in the description for YouTube.
9. Click the button that publishes or schedules the post.
10. In a new browser tab, open your public page and check the live post reads correctly and the link works.

On LinkedIn: switch to the Page admin view first, then use the Start a post field in that view, otherwise you will post as yourself by accident. Verified against LinkedIn Help: super and content admins post from the Page admin Start a post field, and scheduled posts are managed from the same place. Links are clickable and pull a preview card.

You will know it worked when the post appears on your public page or profile with the picture uncropped, the caption complete rather than cut short, and the link opening the page you intended when you click it from the live post.

Publish a short update to your Google Business Profile so it shows on your listing in Google Search and Google Maps.

1. Sign in to Google using the account that manages the business listing.
2. In the Google search box, type your business name, then press Enter.
3. In the management panel that appears with your search results, click Promote.
4. In the Promote menu, click Add update.
5. In the post editor, type your announcement in the description box.
6. In the post editor, add a photo or a short video of what you are announcing.
7. In the post editor, choose a button such as Learn more, Call now, Book or Order online.
8. In the post editor, paste the web page address the button should open.
9. In the post editor, click Post.

On Google My Business: there is no longer a separate dashboard experience for most single-location businesses. Search your own business name in Google while signed in as the owner and use the option to add an update. See the Google My Business task for the full flow.

You will know it worked when the post shows in the management panel marked Live, usually within a few minutes. On a phone it then appears on your listing under Updates, and on a computer under From the owner. A status of Pending means Google is still reviewing it, which is normal for a short while. Not approved means it broke a content rule, and the profile will tell you which.

Build and publish one paid ad in Meta Ads Manager so it runs on Facebook and Instagram with a daily spending limit you control.

1. In your web browser, go to adsmanager.facebook.com and sign in with the Facebook login that manages your business Page.
2. On the Campaigns tab in Ads Manager, click Create.
3. In the campaign objective list, select the one goal you want. Leads is for inquiries, Sales is for people buying on your website, Traffic is for website visits.
4. On the objective screen, click Continue.
5. In the ad set, enter the most you are willing to spend in a day in the Daily budget box.
6. In the Audience section of the ad set, set the towns, cities or travel radius you actually serve.
7. In the Placements section of the ad set, leave Advantage+ placements turned on.
8. In the ad, click Add media to upload the photo or video you want people to see.
9. In the ad, fill in Primary text, Headline, Call to action and Website URL.
10. In the ad, click Publish.

You will know it worked when the new campaign appears in your Campaigns list with the status In review, and that status changes to Active within a few hours. Meta also emails you when the ad starts running. If it says Rejected, open the campaign and read the reason Meta gives.

Create one Performance Max campaign so a single campaign shows your ads across Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Gmail and the display network.

1. On the Campaigns page in Google Ads, click New campaign.
2. In the objective list, select Leads if you want phone calls and form inquiries, or Sales if people buy on your website.
3. In the campaign type list, select Performance Max.
4. On the bidding screen, choose Conversions so Google aims for the most inquiries your budget can buy.
5. On the campaign settings screen, set the towns, cities or travel radius you serve under Locations.
6. On the asset group screen, paste the exact web page you want visitors to land on into the Final URL box.
7. On the asset group screen, add your text, images, logo and video until nothing is still marked as missing.
8. In the Audience signal panel on the asset group screen, add the customer lists and interests that describe your best customers.
9. On the budget screen, enter the amount you are willing to spend on an average day.
10. On the review screen, click Publish campaign once no errors are listed.

You will know it worked when the campaign appears in your campaign list with the status Eligible and the asset group shows an Ad strength of Good or Excellent. Under review on day one is normal. If the status says Removed or Paused, or Ad strength says Poor, the campaign will barely spend.

Pull the three numbers a small business actually needs out of GA4: which pages bring people in, where those people came from, and which of them turn into inquiries.

1. In your web browser, go to analytics.google.com and sign in.
2. In the property picker, choose your website.
3. In the left menu, click Reports.
4. In the Reports menu, under Acquisition, click Traffic acquisition.
5. In the date range control, choose the period you want, such as the last 28 days.
6. In the report, read the Session default channel group column to see how much traffic came from Organic Search, Paid Search, Direct, Referral, Organic Social and AI Assistant.
7. In the Reports menu, under Engagement, click Landing page to see which pages people arrive on first.
8. In the left menu, click Admin.
9. In Admin, under Data display, click Events.
10. In the Events table, switch on Mark as key event for each action that counts as a real inquiry, such as a form submission or a tap on your phone number.

You will know it worked when the Traffic acquisition report lists one row per channel with session counts beside it, the Landing page report lists your real page addresses rather than a single row saying (not set), and a Key events column shows numbers above zero in both reports within a day or two of step 10.

Find the search phrases where your site already shows up on page two of Google, so you can improve a page you already have instead of writing something new from scratch.

1. In your web browser, go to search.google.com/search-console and choose your website if you are asked which one.
2. In the left menu, under Performance, click Search results.
3. In the metrics row, click the Average position tile to switch that figure on alongside Total clicks and Total impressions.
4. In the filter row, click Date.
5. In the panel that opens, click Compare.
6. Choose the preset that compares the last 3 months with the previous period, so you can see whether things are rising or falling.
7. In the results table, click the Queries tab, which lists the phrases people typed to find you.
8. Click the Impressions column heading to sort the list so the phrases the most people saw sit at the top.
9. Read down the Average position column and pick the phrase with the highest impressions whose position sits between 11 and 20.
10. Click that phrase in the list, which filters the report to it and switches you to the Pages tab.

You will know it worked when a filter for your chosen phrase appears in the filter row, the Pages tab shows one page from your site, and that phrase's Average position reads somewhere between 11 and 20. That page is the one to rewrite, and that phrase is what to rewrite it around.