₦airaland Forum

I went to a co-working space for the first time, and as I was drowning in my usual sea of open tabs, a guy saw my screen. Unfortunately for me, I happened to be on an SEO copywriting page desperately searching for proof that AI hadn’t stolen all our jobs yet.

Now, this guy had already come earlier to ask, “Are you into tech?” I don't know why, I don't have the look of a tech bro, and I can’t even type Hello World to save my life.

I said, “No.” Trying to sound as social as possible (because apparently, people say I’m not social. But between you and me, I think I’m the coolest person ever).

But this time, he hit me with a question that left me momentarily brain-dead: “What does SEO do?”

“Huh, what?” I sat there, blinking like a Wi-Fi router on low signal. Mind you, I know what SEO does. I could give an hour-long TED Talk on it with zero preparation. But in that moment, all my knowledge flew away like a bird that just got hit with a catapult.

I mumbled something like “Ranking… Google… First page…” probably in that order, or maybe not. I blacked out.

But now, I’m in my favorite place on earth (behind my laptop), where I don’t have to mumble, fumble, or embarrass myself socially.

And since you didn’t ambush me at a co-working space, I’ll explain SEO properly, assuming you’ve never heard of it before. Unlike that guy, who claimed to be a developer (frontend? backend? middle-end? I didn’t ask).

So, What Exactly Is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. And what’s the biggest search engine? Google. (Although these days, people are searching more on ChatGPT. But let’s not get into that rabbit hole.)

Side note: Using ChatGPT or even Google AI for research can be misleading. If you’re looking for new or highly specific information, stick to Google. At least, for now.

Back to our gist.

SEO is the art of making sure that when someone types a keyword into Google, your website is one of the first things they see.

And SEO isn’t just for Google, it works on YouTube, Amazon, and any website that ranks content or products.

So, next time you search “What are the first signs of pregnancy?” and a bunch of websites pop up, just know they didn’t get there by accident. There’s a whole SEO battle going on behind the scenes.

Okay, So Your Website Is on Google’s First Page… Now What?

I know what you’re thinking: “Nice, but where’s the money?”

Hold on. Seek first the knowledge, and the money will follow (probably).

Let’s start with the backbone of SEO...keywords.

You probably stumbled on Nairaland when you searching for something a long time ago. Whatever you typed then into Google is called a keyword

It's why you don't want to mess up your keywords research, else you will basically waste your time, energy, and maybe even your client’s money.

The Art of Picking the Right Keywords

SEO is not a gamble. You can’t pick random keywords and hope for the best.

For example, let’s say your name is Bill Gates (not the rich one, just a regular guy named Bill Gates). And you want to rank on Google so that when people search for “Bill Gates,” they see your smiling (or frowning) face.

I have one word for you: Don’t. Seriously Don't

You’re never going to outrank the Bill Gates. Unless you change your name or invent something bigger than Microsoft, maybe call it Macrohard.

Because "Bill Gates" is an example of a high-difficulty keyword. It’s too competitive.

A simple trick is to search for the keyword on Google and see who’s ranking for it. If big names dominate the first page (Forbes, Wikipedia, CNN, etc.), run like a gazelle escaping a lion.

On the other hand, if your name looks like a randomly generated Wi-Fi password, ranking for it might be a waste of time, because nobody is searching for it.

The sweet spot for SEOs is Low-difficulty, high-volume keywords. Finding them is an art. And mastering that art is what separates good SEOs from broke SEOs.

Now, Let’s Talk Money

Remember the money box I mentioned? Let’s open it—poco-a-poco.

One reason you want high-volume keywords is that more eyeballs = more opportunities to make money.

But here’s the catch: Not all eyeballs are equal.

If you want to make actual money, look for low-difficulty, high-volume, high-CPC keywords.

Wait. CPC? I know, it sounds like APC, but trust me—they have nothing in common.

CPC means Cost Per Click.

You know those annoying ads on websites that make you want to download AdBlocker? That’s how many sites make money.

And those ads aren’t just there by chance. Someone pays Google to show them, and every time someone clicks, Google makes money.

So, as an SEO, you want to write about topics that advertisers are willing to pay big money to run ads on. That’s how you cash out.

Final Words

I know this is a lot to take in, but it's only a brief introduction to the SEO world. Once you break through the initial struggle, SEO starts to feel like second nature.

And who knows? Next time someone asks you, “What does SEO do?” You won’t mumble. You’ll drop wisdom.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even be the one getting paid for it.

How do we make money off it? Or learn about it or offer it as service

Jacktheripper:
I went to a co-working space for the first time, and as I was drowning in my usual sea of open tabs, a guy saw my screen. Unfortunately for me, I happened to be on an SEO copywriting page desperately searching for proof that AI hadn’t stolen all our jobs yet.

Now, this guy had already come earlier to ask, “Are you into tech?” I don't know why, I don't have the look of a tech bro, and I can’t even type Hello World to save my life.

I said, “No.” Trying to sound as social as possible (because apparently, people say I’m not social. But between you and me, I think I’m the coolest person ever).

But this time, he hit me with a question that left me momentarily brain-dead: “What does SEO do?”

“Huh, what?” I sat there, blinking like a Wi-Fi router on low signal. Mind you, I know what SEO does. I could give an hour-long TED Talk on it with zero preparation. But in that moment, all my knowledge flew away like a bird that just got hit with a catapult.

I mumbled something like “Ranking… Google… First page…” probably in that order, or maybe not. I blacked out.

But now, I’m in my favorite place on earth (behind my laptop), where I don’t have to mumble, fumble, or embarrass myself socially.

And since you didn’t ambush me at a co-working space, I’ll explain SEO properly, assuming you’ve never heard of it before. Unlike that guy, who claimed to be a developer (frontend? backend? middle-end? I didn’t ask).

So, What Exactly Is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. And what’s the biggest search engine? Google. (Although these days, people are searching more on ChatGPT. But let’s not get into that rabbit hole.)

Side note: Using ChatGPT or even Google AI for research can be misleading. If you’re looking for new or highly specific information, stick to Google. At least, for now.

Back to our gist.

SEO is the art of making sure that when someone types a keyword into Google, your website is one of the first things they see.

And SEO isn’t just for Google, it works on YouTube, Amazon, and any website that ranks content or products.

So, next time you search “What are the first signs of pregnancy?” and a bunch of websites pop up, just know they didn’t get there by accident. There’s a whole SEO battle going on behind the scenes.

Okay, So Your Website Is on Google’s First Page… Now What?

I know what you’re thinking: “Nice, but where’s the money?”

Hold on. Seek first the knowledge, and the money will follow (probably).

Let’s start with the backbone of SEO...keywords.

You probably stumbled on Nairaland when you searching for something a long time ago. Whatever you typed then into Google is called a keyword

It's why you don't want to mess up your keywords research, else you will basically waste your time, energy, and maybe even your client’s money.

The Art of Picking the Right Keywords

SEO is not a gamble. You can’t pick random keywords and hope for the best.

For example, let’s say your name is Bill Gates (not the rich one, just a regular guy named Bill Gates). And you want to rank on Google so that when people search for “Bill Gates,” they see your smiling (or frowning) face.

I have one word for you: Don’t. Seriously Don't

You’re never going to outrank the Bill Gates. Unless you change your name or invent something bigger than Microsoft, maybe call it Macrohard.

Because "Bill Gates" is an example of a high-difficulty keyword. It’s too competitive.

A simple trick is to search for the keyword on Google and see who’s ranking for it. If big names dominate the first page (Forbes, Wikipedia, CNN, etc.), run like a gazelle escaping a lion.

On the other hand, if your name looks like a randomly generated Wi-Fi password, ranking for it might be a waste of time, because nobody is searching for it.

The sweet spot for SEOs is Low-difficulty, high-volume keywords. Finding them is an art. And mastering that art is what separates good SEOs from broke SEOs.

Now, Let’s Talk Money

Remember the money box I mentioned? Let’s open it—poco-a-poco.

One reason you want high-volume keywords is that more eyeballs = more opportunities to make money.

But here’s the catch: Not all eyeballs are equal.

If you want to make actual money, look for low-difficulty, high-volume, high-CPC keywords.

Wait. CPC? I know, it sounds like APC, but trust me—they have nothing in common.

CPC means Cost Per Click.

You know those annoying ads on websites that make you want to download AdBlocker? That’s how many sites make money.

And those ads aren’t just there by chance. Someone pays Google to show them, and every time someone clicks, Google makes money.

So, as an SEO, you want to write about topics that advertisers are willing to pay big money to run ads on. That’s how you cash out.

Final Words

I know this is a lot to take in, but it's only a brief introduction to the SEO world. Once you break through the initial struggle, SEO starts to feel like second nature.

And who knows? Next time someone asks you, “What does SEO do?” You won’t mumble. You’ll drop wisdom.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll even be the one getting paid for it.

I didn't understand anything about what you wrote. Please come down to my layman's level. I'm curious to know how this works please.

Jonwesley:
I didn't understand anything about what you wrote. Please come down to my layman's level. I'm curious to know how this works please.

Rule No. 1 of life: No one will ever truly reveal how they make millions—don’t fall for the illusion.

Ibkay32:
Rule No. 1 of life: No one will ever truly reveal how they make millions—don’t fall for the illusion.

I'm not selling anything. Anybody that wants to learn more should Google the rest.

Jonwesley:
I didn't understand anything about what you wrote. Please come down to my layman's level. I'm curious to know how this works please.

Which part bro??

Jacktheripper:
Which part bro??

You didn't give relatable examples...actionable plans.

Jacktheripper:
Which part bro??

Kindly begin from the beginning or break it into parts. I really want to learn more about making money online to break from poverty. Thank you

I’ve seen good results since I started focusing on getting links from different types of websites, not just blogs. Stuff like profile links, forums, and niche edits help it look more real to Google. This guide explains it better: https://crowdo.net/blog/how-to-build-a-diverse-healthy-link-profile

Mixing things up that way made a big difference for my rankings after being stuck for weeks.