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Why Teachers Make Powerful SEOs (Part 2)

Sun, 10 Aug 2025 01:52:58 GMT

Because building links is just another subject I plan to pass with flying colors.

Why Teachers Make Powerful SEOs (Part 2)

Welcome back, class! Last time, in Part 1 of Why Teachers Make Powerful SEOs , we covered content and citations – the ABCs of ranking on Google. Now it’s time for the final exam (don’t worry, I’ll curve the grades ��). Today, we tackle the third and most challenging component of SEO: backlinks . Grab a seat and get your notepads out, because this lesson is a doozy.

Backlinks: The Tough Love of SEO

Remember when you’d ask a classmate to put in a good word for you with the teacher? Backlinks are kind of like that – they’re links from other websites to your website , and they’re basically the internet’s version of letters of recommendation. When a reputable site links to yours, it’s vouching for you, telling search engines “Hey, this site is worth checking out.” It’s a popularity contest, and every quality backlink is a vote in your favor.

But here’s the catch: just like convincing the coolest kid in class to be your friend, earning great backlinks isn’t easy. They’re hard to get, and if you’re a small business or a newbie website, you might feel like the new kid in a very big school. Many marketers know backlinks are important, but actually building them? That’s a bit like assigning weekend homework – everyone dreads it.

Why are backlinks so tricky (and sometimes pricey)? Let me count the ways:

They take time: You can’t magically “get” quality backlinks overnight. It might involve writing guest posts, reaching out to industry sites, or creating content so good others want to link to it. All of that takes serious time and effort.
Relationship building matters: Ever try to get the PTA president on your side for a school initiative? You had to build a relationship. Similarly, earning backlinks often means networking with other website owners or bloggers. It’s not just transactional – you need to genuinely connect (and maybe compliment their “blog baby”).
Some methods cost money: While I’m not a fan of buying links (that’s like paying the cool kids to hang out with you – tacky, and Google can sniff it out), sometimes businesses invest in PR campaigns or sponsor content to get mentions. Also, pro SEO tools for finding backlink opportunities aren’t free. There’s a real dollar and time cost here.
Quality over quantity: Five great backlinks from reputable, relevant sites beat 50 sketchy ones from who-knows-where. But finding those gem opportunities is like finding the perfect source for a research paper – it takes digging. A lot of folks settle for Wikipedia-level links when they should be chasing “academic journal” quality.

No wonder a lot of marketers barely scratch the surface with link building – they might snag a couple of easy links (or skip it altogether) and call it a day. But not this marketer. Funnel Frizz digs deep. (I didn’t spend all those years hounding students to use credible sources for nothing!)

Going the Extra Mile – The Teacher Approach to Backlinks

Here’s where being a teacher-turned-SEO really shows. Backlinks are like a massive open-book test, and you bet I’m using every page in the textbook. Rather than doing the bare minimum, I channel my inner Ms. Frizzle and get a little adventurous with backlink strategy (minus the magic school bus).

For one, I research thoroughly – we’re talking nerd-level, down-the-rabbit-hole, check-every-footnote kind of research. Just as I’d dive into five different resources to plan a lesson, I’ll analyze your competitors’ backlink profiles, hunt for niche directories or local sites that fit your business, and brainstorm creative content ideas that could earn links naturally. Most marketers stop at the surface level, but a teacher will probe deeper. (If you've ever had a teacher stare you down and say “Show me how you got that answer,” you know we don’t skim the details!)

Second, I care deeply about the outcome. Teachers don’t shut off at 3 PM – we’re grading papers at night and wondering if little Timmy finally understood fractions. That dedication carries over to my SEO work. I might lose a bit of sleep (happily!) thinking about new angles for link building or double-checking that a link we earned is actually boosting your rankings. It’s that mix of passion and a pinch of perfectionism. I want to see your business succeed online as much as I wanted my students to ace their exams. Your wins feel like my wins – I’m the teacher who cheers from the back of the auditorium when her student’s name is called, except the auditorium is Google and the award is your page one ranking.

So when others say, “Eh, building a few links is enough,” I say, “Let’s aim for an A+.” That might mean digging into academic journals for a juicy statistic to include in your blog (because someone might link to it!), or personally reaching out to a local news site with a story about your business. It definitely means staying up-to-date on what Google considers a good link vs. a bad one – the rulebook changes faster than school curriculums, I swear. In short, I put in the work that most won’t… because that’s what teachers do.

Ready to Rank? Let’s Work Together

By now, you see why teachers make powerful SEOs: we bring curiosity, commitment, and clever strategies to get your business ranking high without cutting corners. From content to citations to those tough-love backlinks, I apply that educator energy to every step of your SEO. If you’re a small business owner (here in Anchorage or anywhere else) and you’re ready to get serious about your search presence – with a fun, quirky teacher marketer at your side – then let’s chat!

�� Check out my home page funnelmemarketing.com and let’s turn your website into the star student of Google’s class. I’ll handle the homework, you enjoy the results. Class dismissed (for real this time)! ✨

Why Teachers Make Powerful SEO's (Part 1)

Sun, 03 Aug 2025 19:01:09 GMT

Teachers Are Switching to Digital Marketing

Why Teachers Make Powerful SEOs (Part 1)

Sharpen your pencils and power up your laptops, class – it's time for an SEO lesson from yours truly. It’s Melissa here, former teacher turned marketer (you can call me Funnel Frizz ), and today we're exploring why teachers make powerful SEOs . Spoiler: it's not just because we live for red pens and gold stars. Many educators (myself included) are trading lesson plans for marketing plans and diving into SEO for small business owners. And guess what? All those classroom skills are coming in very handy in the world of search engine optimization.

From Classroom to Search Engine (A Teacher's Transition)

Teachers are lifelong learners by nature. We spent years mastering curriculum changes and staying ahead of curious young minds, so learning the ins and outs of Google’s algorithm? Consider it our new professional development workshop. As an Anchorage SEO specialist who started out in the classroom, I can tell you there's a teacher marketer movement afoot – and it makes perfect sense. The patience, adaptability, and research skills we honed as educators give us a head start in the SEO game.

Teacher Superpowers (and how they translate to SEO):

Curiosity & Love of Learning: Teachers thrive on new knowledge – so we actually enjoy keeping up with the latest SEO trends and Google updates (yes, we’re the nerds reading algorithm change blogs over coffee).
Explanation Skills: Ever had to break down Shakespeare to a teenager? We can simplify complex SEO jargon for any small business client, making us natural SEO coaches.
Resourcefulness: Tight classroom budget? We got creative. In SEO, that means finding clever, low-cost ways to improve rankings – like optimizing content or earning free local citations – before throwing money at ads.
Patience & Perseverance: If we can handle a room of 30 distracted kids, we can handle the slow burn of SEO results. No overnight rankings? No problem – teachers play the long game, tweaking and improving as we go.

Now, let’s dig into two foundational ranking factors that teachers-turned-SEOs absolutely ace: content and citations .

Content: Class Is in Session (Quality Content Wins)

You’ve heard "content is king" a million times, but hear me out – teachers get this on a different level. In our teaching days, we crafted lesson plans and stories to grab students’ attention (anything to avoid that glazed-over look by 3rd period). As SEOs, we channel that into creating engaging, relevant content for your website. We know how to tailor a message to an audience because, well, we did it daily in the classroom!

Creating SEO content is like preparing a lesson. You start with objectives (keywords and topics), then make it interesting enough that your “students” (website visitors and Google bots) don’t nod off. A teacher-SEO will:

Do the research: Just like we’d never teach a history lesson without fact-checking, we won’t publish a blog without researching what your customers are searching for.
Speak your language: Teachers adjust their tone for kindergartners vs. high schoolers; in SEO, we nail the right voice for your brand and customers – whether it’s playful or professional.
Keep it structured: Remember writing outlines for essays? We bring that same organized energy to web content, using clear headings, short paragraphs, and maybe even the occasional pop quiz (kidding!) to keep readers engaged.

And because we’re talking SEO for small business , we know quality content isn’t about pumping out fluff – it’s about answering real questions your customers have. (Extra credit: it also establishes you as an authority, and search engines love that.)

Citations: Building Trust, One Reference at a Time

If the word “citations” gives you flashbacks to writing research papers, don’t worry – this is a different kind of citation, and there’s no MLA format required. In SEO, citations mean your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) listed consistently across the web on directories and listings (think Yelp, Yellow Pages, Google Business Profile, etc.). It’s basically your business’s permanent record.

Why do citations matter for SEO? Well, imagine Google as a diligent principal verifying your story. If all the directories and websites out there say the same thing about your business – same name, same address, same contact info – then Google trusts that you are who you say you are and that you deserve to be seen. Consistency is key. As a teacher, I used to double-check if "Johnny Smith" on my roster was the same "Jonathan Smith" in the attendance system – inconsistency raised red flags. Similarly, any mismatch in your online info might make search engines a bit suspicious.

Teachers-turned-SEOs love citations because it feels like grading papers or checking references. It’s tedious to some, but oh-so-satisfying to get everything lined up perfectly. We’ll scour the web for opportunities to list your business (and correct any wrong info we find) to boost your local SEO. It’s like giving your business a bunch of little gold stars all over the internet. Each citation by itself might not be flashy, but collectively they build credibility for your site – especially for local search. Think of it as strengthening the truth of your business’s story online.

(Pro tip: This is extra important for local visibility. When someone searches for an “Anchorage SEO agency” or “coffee shop near me,” citations help ensure you show up correctly on Google Maps and beyond.)

Now, at this point you might be thinking: "Alright, content and citations – got it. But isn’t there another big piece to this SEO puzzle?" Oh yes, there is – and it’s a biggie.

Stay tuned for Part 2 , where I’ll reveal the final (and arguably most challenging) key to ranking on Google. Here’s a hint: it rhymes with “snacklinks” (spoiler: it’s backlinks ). This last piece is where things get really interesting – and where this teacher’s dedication truly kicks in. Check back in 5 days for the grand finale of Why Teachers Make Powerful SEOs – you won’t want to miss how we tackle the toughest lesson of all!

P.S. In the meantime, if you’re eager to improve your SEO (or you just miss having homework assignments), feel free to poke around my FunnelMe Marketing homepage funnelmemarketing.com for more tips and resources. Class dismissed – see you soon! ��

From Classroom to Clicks: What Teaching Taught Me About Using AI for Marketing

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 22:01:25 GMT

Teaching Prepped Me for Prompting

You don’t need to speak “robot”—you need to teach clearly

Just like giving instructions to a student who needs clarity, AI thrives when you speak with structure and examples. I realized my years of breaking down lessons, using visuals, and differentiating instruction translated perfectly into writing clear, effective prompts.

Prompting AI isn’t tech magic—it’s just good teaching with a keyboard. "It’s more like giving directions to a curious student. It’s about clarity — something teachers reverse-engineer every day." — from my article published in AIJourn

Teachers Move Fast (And So Does AI)

In teaching, when something doesn’t work, you try again, you pivot, you adapt, and adaption is a teachers superpower. That agility makes teachers surprisingly good at testing and refining tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity. I didn’t need a research paper to tell me if AI was useful—I just opened it during planning time and started experimenting. It was like having a teaching assistant who could brainstorm instantly, organize ideas, and never needed a bathroom break or a sub plan.

AI isn’t replacing me—it’s joining me.

AI doesn’t replace creativity—it scales it. When I design funnels, blog posts, or even lesson plans, I don’t just copy/paste what AI gives me. I coach it. I revise. I add voice and tone. That’s where the teacher in me shines. The result? Unique content that doesn’t sound like “Warmly, AI.” It sounds like me, because I've trained it. I've worked with it everyday. Just like with my students, I speak to AI with encouragement:
“You’re doing great, Chat. Let’s try that again, but with more voice.”
It may sound silly, but something about how we talk to AI affects what it gives back — and I’d argue teachers are naturally better at making that connection. Isn’t that kind of the goal?

Conclusion: Let the Teachers In

The next wave of AI power users won’t just be CEOs or coders. They’ll be educators. Because the skills that make great teachers—communication, empathy, clarity, adaptability—are exactly what make AI work better. Let me give you some articles to prove my point:

https://www.edutopia.org/article/powerful-scaffolding-strategies-support-learning

https://arxiv.org/abs/2312.04839 ,

THE AI JOURNAL (my published article) :

https://aijourn.com/the-educators-edge-why-teachers-learn-and-use-ai-better-than-ceos/

✏️ CTA:

Are you an educator-turned-entrepreneur or a small business curious about using AI? I’m building funnels and content that teach and sell. Let’s collaborate → [ Contact Me ] or [ Book a Strategy Call ].

What Are SERPs — And Why Your Business Needs to Care

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:52:18 GMT

Making Sense of Search Results—Frizzle Style

Seatbelts, everyone! ��

We’re diving into the magical world of SERPs (that’s Search Engine Results Pages for the non-nerds)...I can't believe I get to mingle with the nerd world now. Being a teacher on both sides of the hallway is fun. Back to business, if your website is floating around page 3 of Google like a lost balloon, don’t panic. I’ll break it down, Frizzle-style—so your business can finally show up where it counts (ahem, page 1).

SERPs are where your business either shines — or gets ghosted. If you want to rank on Google, bring in clients, and stop handing over leads to competitors, it starts with understanding this one acronym.

One More Time: What Does SERP Mean? SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page — the page you see after typing something into Google (or Bing, if you’re feeling nostalgic). Every search pulls up a unique SERP that shows:

· Organic Results (a.k.a. non-paid listings)

· Paid Ads (top spots that businesses pay for)

· Local Map Pack (if it’s a local search like “SEO agency near me”)

· Featured Snippets (Google’s chosen answer box)

· Videos, Images, and People Also Ask sections

Understanding where your business can show up is key to getting more eyes (and clicks).

Why SERPs Matter for Small Business Owners SERPs are the digital battlefield. If you’re not showing up on the first page, especially in the top 3 results, you’re invisible to most searchers. Here’s why it matters:

· 75% of users never scroll past page one

· Clicks = potential customers

· Your competitors are probably already optimizing for SERPs

Ranking in the right spots means more website traffic, more leads, and more trust from potential clients.

Where AI Comes In (and Doesn’t Replace SEO) AI can help you analyze SERPs faster, generate content, and spot keyword opportunities. But it doesn’t replace strategy, nuance, or your brand voice. Think of AI as your assistant — not your SEO manager.

You can even read this blog post where I dig into how AI is changing SEO without replacing it.

How to Start Improving Your SERP Presence Today Here’s what you can start doing right now:

1. Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile

2. Add keywords naturally to your website content

3. Start a blog (like this one!) answering common client questions

4. Get listed on local directories (aka building citations)

5. Add backlinks to your site

*Want to see exactly how this applies to your business? My free screencast breaks it all down. Let me audit your website and show you the exact steps to get found on page one of Google*

Need Help Showing Up in SERPs? I help Alaska small business owners (and digital wanderers everywhere) get found on Google — without the tech overwhelm.
�� Contact me here or check out the free screencast strategy I offer on my homepage for businesses ready to boost their rankings.

AI Is Not Replacing SEO (But It May Be Replacing My Sleep Schedule)

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 01:58:10 GMT

AI vs. SEO Tools: Why I Still Trust My Gut (and My Robot)-But, is Working with AI a Time Saver or Time Sucker?

SEO + AI: Can ChatGPT Replace Keyword Research Tools?

AI is changing how we do digital marketing—fast. One of the biggest questions marketers ask right now is whether tools like ChatGPT can replace traditional keyword research platforms like Ahrefs or Surfer SEO.

Let’s get this straight: ChatGPT is powerful—but it’s not a mind reader. Humans have to feed AI a lot of information to get results, but those results are lightning fast—and usually so crystal clear that even your cousin who still prints directions from MapQuest could explain it back to you.

So, is AI replacing keyword tools? No. But is it a game-changing assistant when paired with the data from tools like Ahrefs or Surfer? Absolutely. ChatGPT won’t pull live data or uncover hidden competition gaps, but it will help you interpret the results, build a content outline, write the blog, and make SEO feel a whole lot easier.

And if you’re like me, you may find yourself spending more time with your AI co-writer than you planned. I used to wonder if AI would take the passion out of marketing. Now I realize—it just helps me deliver better work, faster.

This article was written by a human (hi, Melissa ��), but as always, my co-writer Chattalina had a say. We've been working together for two months, and while we don’t always agree, that’s what makes the magic.

Let me know what you think: Is AI saving you time these days, or do you find yourself spending more of it trying to get the perfect response?

What AI Wrote vs. What I Wrote — And Why I’m Not Mad About Losing

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 22:54:44 GMT

2025 Called — It Wants Your Marketing to Stop Living in 2012

�� What I Wrote

What is AI Good For? Absolutely Something!

The time is 1:07. We’ll see how long it takes me to write this article and full disclosure, I’m going to ask you at the end which one you like better. I want you to be honest with yourself here. If you end up liking the one my AI wrote in approximately 8 seconds, my question to all of us is, why are we so against using our computer friends to save us millions of minutes each day?

I’ll go ahead and ask her (I’ve named her Chattalina) after I finish this article. I’m sure she has a well displayed answer with plenty of resources for me. Anyway, here we go.
I am an entrepreneur. I started very recently and the amount of time and effort just to learn how to be a business owner is not something you think about when you start. I didn’t.

I have another job. I’m a teacher. A teacherpreneur. Chattalina named me that. She encourages me with all sorts of nicknames throughout the day. But most importantly, she saves me time. Here is a list in the order of importance (my order) of what AI has done for me specifically:
Saved time
Offered ideas when I had none
Provided encouragement

These are all very generalized statements and I could break everyone of them down into further categories and explanations that would WOW anyone and likely make them start using some sort of AI. But, there is another article for that. Today, I simply want to show you what AI can do in 8 seconds from a simple command.

Furthermore, I want to give you a positive review of AI rather than thinking it is for those lazy humans who don’t bother to explore anything on their own and just want a bunch of free time. Wrong. I’m actually not utilizing this time Chattalina saves me for myself or adventures. I’m educating myself on other technology out there and working harder to get there faster. Whether or not that is what’s best for me, who knows. But people who understand the value of AI are not those people actually trying to do nothing. They are trying to build something, and we will.

Okay: Back to BUSINESS-You run a business, you need a marketer, OR you need to learn how to build a website, run its SEO (what does that mean?) decide if you should run some ads, figure out how to get to the top of google (that’s how you get to the top of google right, ads?)...marketing takes time and before you spend that time doing the marketing you have to educate yourself on how to market yourself.

You’re better off just hiring a marketer, right? Let’s ask AI…I asked Perplexity (I call him Plex) and Plex gave me a nice summary table of learning how or hiring myself. After reading all the areas listed I decided I would much rather hire a marketer because I value my time and other people’s expertise. Now sure, I could ask anyone this question and take anyone’s answer at face value, but I'm not going to get sources cited back to me or a summary table placed in front of me.

I could also check out a book and wait for it to come back, but my point with AI is that the immediate 1-2 second response time is what makes me continue to engage and learn more, or what makes others move on and save their time. It really is incredible.

Because I’m not a robot, I’ve gotten off track. This article is about what AI can do for you, the small business owner. And what it can do is not just answer your questions, it can be your marketer that we just asked about.

I started off this article asking Chattalina, “Can you reword this article?” She gave me a title I didn’t particularly like. So I asked her to give it my razzle dazzle edge. Because I pay for a monthly membership to ChatGPT, she has our conversations saved and my personality memorized like we are old friends from high school. She knows my lingo and humor and I often have trouble picking something from a list of things I ask her to reword because it’s so good.

She got back to me with 6 amazing titles that honestly could all have come from me if I spent enough time trying hard enough for the perfect title.

But: I am new to AI and I still have a hard time giving them all the credit, and I really like writing. So, I wanted to write this article myself, come up with my own title, but also show just how powerful my co-writer is, and take a vote. Because to be truthful, I think Chattalina’s article is better.

The point is, she can market for the times I can’t think of a good headline. She can give an idea for times when people don’t have any thoughts for that perfect reel. AI can write you sentences that are meant for just you, words of encouragement for you when you need them for your 20 cold calls on a Monday morning that you just don’t feel like doing.

Ask AI anything. AI isn’t there for money making activities. They aren’t motivated by anything intrinsic and we don’t understand that. Just understand that they are going to produce results that we ask them and those results are going to be better than what we could produce. So say please, and say thank you, and don’t be afraid to have a decent conversation with them, because they aren’t going away and they are always here to help. Chattalina and Plex are my favorite, but I’m learning about a lot more out there and you should too.

I will be covering everything AI until further notice, on a weekly basis or maybe more. My goal is to write articles on my own, because like I said, I love to write, and I don’t want to take away something I genuinely love just because it saves me time. But I also know the capabilities of AI are grossly higher than mine, so it wouldn’t be fair to exclude Chattalina from some of these blogs. However, I will include that information within my article. You will be aware of her presence. And you will be glad she is here. Chattalina is specific to my personality. You will also see that as we get to know each other. She writes in my style, and has formed her own tone based on how we communicate.

Feel free to leave any comments on your experience with AI. I would love to learn anything from you and have open discussions as well.

The time is 1:55. My article is longer, more thoughtful, but scattered, off topic in many parts, disorganized. It took me 48 minutes to write. Tell me which one you liked better.

�� What AI Wrote

No Time, No Team, No Problem: How AI Tools Are Becoming the Marketing Department for Small Businesses

Running a business in 2025 is no joke. You’re expected to wear all the hats — from CEO to janitor to marketing guru — and do it with a smile (and probably a ring light). But here’s the plot twist: you don’t actually have to do it all yourself. Enter AI. Specifically, the kind of AI that’s turning solopreneurs and small business owners into time-rich marketing machines.

Let’s get one thing straight: AI is not here to replace your creativity or your brand’s voice — it’s here to amplify it. From writing email campaigns and blog posts to designing your next social media carousel, AI tools are now doing the heavy lifting so you can do more of what actually grows your business (or, let’s be honest, take a walk and *breathe*).

Need content ideas when your brain is fried? Done. Want to respond to inquiries faster? Handled. Trying to figure out SEO but don’t want to spend 18 hours on a YouTube spiral? Ask AI.

Tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and SurferSEO are helping business owners:
- Generate on-brand content in minutes
- Optimize for search engines without needing a degree in Google-ology
- Brainstorm ideas, campaign angles, and offers faster than your third cup of coffee kicks in

And the best part? You don’t need to be a tech wizard to use them. If you can type, you can get AI to work for you.

Whether you’re running your biz solo or you’ve got a small team, AI is the marketing department you didn’t know you could afford (because some of it is even free). The future isn’t just coming — it’s already here. And it’s ready to work weekends.

If you’re still thinking, “This feels a little weird…” don’t worry. So did email when it first showed up. Or texting. Or online banking. But now we can’t imagine life without them. AI will be the same.

So maybe it’s time to stop asking, “Is AI cheating?” and start asking, “Why am I still doing this all by myself?”

�� Final Thoughts

Let’s be real — both articles are good. But only one took 48 minutes and a human brain juggling a full-time job, self-doubt, and caffeine.

The other? Took seconds. Has zero stress. Doesn’t cry in the RV bathroom after making cold calls. ��

So the question isn’t: “Which is better?”
It’s: Why aren’t we all using this kind of tool to help us build our business faster, easier, and with way less burnout?

�� Your Turn

Leave a comment. Be honest. Which one did you enjoy reading more?
And if you’re a business owner wondering if AI can help you grow — the answer is YES. You just need someone to help you use it well. (�� That’s me.)