The Makers Mob Guide to SEO: Ranking Without the BS

Create Content That Ranks Without Losing Your Soul

Want to know why most people fail at SEO? They’re too busy trying to game the system instead of building something worth finding.

Here’s what nobody in the SEO world wants to admit. It’s not that complicated. The people selling you courses and “proven systems” want you to think it’s some mystical art that only they understand. But it’s not.

Think about it. Google has one job. Find the best content for whatever someone is searching for. That’s it. Everything else is just noise.

What Actually Matters in SEO

Your Content Has to Be Good

Not “good enough to rank.” Not “optimized for search engines.” Actually good. The kind of content that makes someone go “damn, this was helpful” instead of closing the tab and trying the next search result.

What does “actually good” look like?

It answers the question people are really asking
It’s written by someone who knows what they’re talking about
It provides examples and details others miss
It’s clear, useful, and worth reading

Your Site Has to Work

Google isn’t going to send people to a site that’s broken. Would you? Here’s what that means:

Pages load fast (nobody waits 10 seconds for your wisdom)
Nothing breaks when people click around
Mobile works as well as desktop
People can actually find what they’re looking for

People Need to Find What They Want

When someone lands on your page looking for an answer, they better find it. This means:

No keyword stuffing that makes content unreadable
No AI-generated fluff that says nothing
No hiding the answer behind 17 popup forms
Just clear, useful information that actually helps them

Links Still Matter

But chasing random backlinks is a waste of time. Those sketchy “guest post opportunities” in your spam folder? Delete them. Instead, focus on:

Creating content worth linking to
Building stuff people actually want to share
Making real connections in your industry
Being someone worth referencing

The Reality Check

Most SEO advice focuses on tricks and hacks because that’s easier to sell than “create something worth finding.” But here’s what we’ve learned after years of ranking sites in different niches:

The sites that win at SEO long-term aren’t the ones with the best tricks. They’re the ones that consistently create content people actually want to read and share.

This isn’t just theory. We’ve used this approach to rank sites in everything from crafting to digital marketing. The principles stay the same even when the topics change.

In the next sections, we’ll break down exactly how to do this for your site. No mystical secrets. No overcomplicated systems. Just clear steps to create content worth ranking.

The SEO Process That Actually Works

Most SEO processes feel like beautiful prisons. So many rules and requirements that you forget you’re supposed to be creating something worth reading. Here’s how we do it instead.

1. Pick Topics That Matter

Stop chasing whatever keyword tool tells you to chase. Instead, ask yourself:

What problems can I actually solve?
What unique perspective can I bring?
What questions am I qualified to answer?
What topics get me excited to create?

The best SEO opportunities aren’t always the obvious ones. Sure, that keyword has 10,000 monthly searches. But if you can’t create something better than what’s already ranking, why bother?

Instead, look for:

Topics where your experience gives you an edge
Questions nobody else is answering well
Problems you’ve actually solved
Areas where current content is lacking

2. Create Content That’s Worth Reading

Your content should do at least one of these things:

Teach something better than everyone else
Show something nobody else is showing
Solve a problem in a way nobody else is solving it
Bring a perspective nobody else is bringing

What does this look like in practice?

Use real examples instead of theory
Share specific details others skip
Include screenshots or visuals that clarify points
Add context that helps people understand why things matter

3. Make It Easy to Read

Nobody wants to wade through a wall of text to find an answer. Here’s how we make content scannable:

Break Up Text

Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max)
Clear headers that tell a story
Bullet points for lists
White space between sections

Use Visual Hierarchy

Important points get their own lines
Examples get indented
Key takeaways get highlighted
Steps get numbered

Make It Flow

Each section leads naturally to the next
Important information comes first
Examples follow concepts
Conclusions tie everything together

4. Optimize Without Being Weird

SEO doesn’t mean stuffing keywords until your content sounds like a robot wrote it. Here’s what we do instead:

Titles That Work

Include your keyword naturally
Make people want to click
Deliver what you promise
Stay under 60 characters

Meta Descriptions That Matter

Actually describe your content
Include your keyword if it fits naturally
Make it compelling (this is your ad copy)
Keep it under 155 characters

Internal Linking That Makes Sense

Link to relevant content on your site
Use natural anchor text
Help people find related information
Create content clusters around topics

5. Track What Works

You don’t need fancy tools to know if your SEO is working. Watch for:

Which posts start showing up in Search Console
What topics bring in consistent traffic
Which content people actually read
Where you’re getting natural links

Then double down on what’s working. If your how-to guides are ranking but your listicles aren’t, guess what you should create more of?

The Implementation Plan

Here’s how to put this into action:

Pick ONE topic cluster to focus on
Create 5-10 pieces of cornerstone content
Build supporting content around each piece
Interlink everything naturally
Track what ranks and what doesn’t
Adjust based on real data
Repeat with your next topic cluster

Don’t try to do everything at once. Better to do one topic cluster really well than ten clusters poorly.

Remember: This isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about creating something worth finding and making it easy to find. Everything else is just details.

What Most People Get Wrong About SEO

After watching thousands of people try to crack the SEO code, we’ve noticed some patterns. Here are the mistakes that keep killing people’s chances of ranking.

Chasing the Algorithm

You know what’s exhausting? Trying to keep up with every tiny change Google makes. Here’s why this approach fails:

The Never-Ending Hamster Wheel

Google makes thousands of updates per year
By the time you hear about a change, it’s old news
What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow
You’re always playing catch-up

The Real Problem

While you’re busy chasing algorithm updates, you’re not focusing on what actually matters: creating content people want to read and share.

The Better Approach

Focus on timeless SEO principles
Create genuinely helpful content
Build a site people actually want to use
Let Google figure out the rest

Creating Content Just to Rank

This is probably the biggest mistake we see. People write posts because some keyword tool told them to, not because they have something worth saying.

When we write about Constellation Thinking, yes, we want it to rank but we also want it to have an impact on those that come to read it.

Otherwise, why would they come back? Why would Google send them to us?

What This Looks Like

Rewriting what’s already ranking
Creating thin content around random keywords
Publishing stuff nobody actually needs
Focusing on quantity over quality

Why It Fails

Google’s not dumb
Readers can tell it’s fluff
Nobody links to mediocre content
It wastes your time and resources

What to Do Instead

Only create content you’re qualified to create
Focus on topics where you can add real value
Write for humans first, search engines second
Make sure every post serves a purpose

Ignoring User Experience

SEO isn’t just about content. If your site’s a pain to use, it doesn’t matter how well-optimized your posts are.

Common UX Fails

Slow loading times
Aggressive popup forms
Confusing navigation
Poor mobile experience
Auto-playing videos
Cluttered layouts

Why This Matters

Google measures user behavior
High bounce rates hurt rankings
Poor experience kills conversions
Bad UX drives away links

The Fix

Make your site fast
Keep it clean and clear
Test on mobile first
Remove unnecessary distractions
Focus on readability

Following Outdated Advice

SEO changes fast, but some people are still following playbooks from 2015. Here’s what’s changed:

Old School SEO That Doesn’t Work

Exact match domains
Keyword density formulas
Mass directory submissions
Article spinning
Link exchanges
Gateway pages

What Works Now

Comprehensive topic coverage
Natural language optimization
Quality over quantity
User intent focus
Mobile-first design
Brand building

The Tactical Mistakes

Beyond the big strategic errors, here are some tactical mistakes that kill SEO efforts:

Content Structure

No clear hierarchy
Missing or poor H1 tags
Unorganized information
Lack of internal linking
No featured snippets optimization

Technical Issues

Broken links
Missing meta descriptions
Poor URL structure
No XML sitemap
Duplicate content
Missing alt text

User Intent

Wrong content type for keywords
Missing crucial information
Not answering the actual question
Focusing on wrong aspects

The Path Forward

Instead of making these mistakes, focus on all of this stuff.

Building Authority

Google and other search engines love topical authority. Treat your site as if it was a library and create Topic Clusters filled with resources so that those who visit feel as though they get everything they need.

Create comprehensive resources
Show real expertise
Back claims with data
Include original insights

Serving Users

Answer questions completely
Make content actionable
Provide clear value
Stay updated and relevant

Technical Excellence

Keep your site fast
Make navigation intuitive
Ensure mobile works perfectly
Fix technical issues quickly

Remember: SEO isn’t about tricks or hacks. It’s about creating something worth finding and making it easy to find. Focus there, and you’ll avoid most of these common mistakes.

Your No-BS SEO Action Plan

If you’ve read everything up to this point, you might be thinking “okay, but what do I actually DO first?” Let’s break this down into exactly what you need to do to get started.

The Foundation (Week 1-2)

Get Your Site Right

Install WordPress (we use it for a reason)
Get good hosting (SiteGround if you’re starting out)
Install Rank Math SEO plugin
Make sure your site loads fast
Get your SSL certificate set up

Set Up Your Tools

Get Google Search Console running
Set up Google Analytics
Connect to Rank Math
Create a simple tracking sheet

Content Foundation (Week 2-3)

Pick Your First Topic Cluster

Choose something you actually know about
Find 5-10 related subtopics
Map out how they connect
Plan your internal linking structure

Create Your First Posts

Write your main topic post first
Create supporting posts that link to it
Focus on quality over quantity
Don’t publish until you have at least 5 posts ready

The Publishing Plan (Week 4-8)

Week 4

Publish your main topic post
Publish 2 supporting posts
Set up internal links between them
Submit URLs to Google Search Console

Week 5-6

Publish remaining supporting posts
Add more internal links
Start monitoring Search Console
Look for quick win opportunities

Week 7-8

Review your first rankings
Update posts based on Search Console data
Start planning your next topic cluster
Begin building your content calendar

The Growth System (Ongoing)

Weekly Tasks

Check Search Console for new rankings
Look for content update opportunities
Monitor site performance
Fix any technical issues

Monthly Tasks

Review top performing content
Plan next topic cluster
Update older content
Check competitor rankings

Quarterly Tasks

Full content audit
Update outdated information
Check site speed
Review overall strategy

When Things Don’t Work

Because they won’t always work. Here’s what to do when:

Your Posts Aren’t Ranking

Wait at least 3 months before panicking
Check if they’re indexed
Look at similar ranking content
Make your content better

Traffic Drops

Check for technical issues first
Look for algorithm updates
Review affected content
Update or improve as needed

Competitors Outrank You

Study what they’re doing better
Find gaps in their content
Create something better
Focus on your unique angle

The Real Secret to SEO Success

Here’s what we’ve learned after years of doing this:

Consistency Beats Perfection

Regular, quality content wins
Keep showing up
Build topic clusters over time
Stay focused on your plan

Quality Beats Quantity

One great post beats five okay posts
Focus on comprehensive coverage
Make each piece count
Don’t publish just to publish

Systems Beat Tricks

Build repeatable processes
Create content templates
Document what works
Scale what’s successful

Your Next Steps

Start with ONE topic cluster
Create 5-10 high-quality posts
Link them together properly
Publish consistently
Track what works
Double down on success
Repeat with new clusters

Don’t try to do everything at once. You don’t need to be everywhere or rank for everything. Pick your battles, do them well, and build from there.

Remember what we said at the start? SEO isn’t complicated. It’s just work. But it’s work that pays off if you do it right and stick with it.

Now you know exactly what to do. The only question is, are you going to do it?