I got started in the “search engine optimization” industry back in 2005 when all you needed to do was stuff your pages with keywords (using white text so nobody could see it), and then backlink spam your way to the top.

Things have changed a bit since then.

My current e-Commerce company grew to 8-figures in our first full year of business. 

My last SEO agency, Black Fin, was featured on the 2017 INC 5000 list at #821. 

Some people like to go fast. 

My company’s mission is to help exceptional companies (those with industry-leading products/services + awesome GlassDoor ratings) dominate their industry in Google.

My personal mission is to build a portfolio of companies worth over $250 million while being an exceptional dad and husband. 

Today, I help business owners, in-house marketers, and other SEOs with their growth strategies.

I have been quoted on INC, Forbes, Entrepreneur.com, CIO, and hundreds of other outlets. 

Portfolio:
→ Chief Marketing Officer of Joy Organics, a leader in the CBD industry, setting the standards for manufacturing, testing, and quality.
→ Founder of Blackfin (sold), the top three in Google for "Law Firm SEO", "Law Firm Marketing", and more for a decade.

Results: 
→ Went from $0 to $10,000,000 in the first full year of Joy Organics by utilizing SEO and affiliate marketing.
→ Thousands of first page rankings. Many are in very competitive niches. 

If you want to elevate your brand like I did, DM me.

-------

I get SEO Results when others can't.

If you want to level up your search presence with SEO visit my personal site:
→ GO HERE: https://gerrid.com/ 

Twitter: @iamgerrid
Instagram: @iamgerrid
YouTube: @iamgerrid
TikTok: @iamgerrid

Your SEO is lying to you.
Traffic is not the goal.

Most businesses chase rankings.
And celebrate pageviews.
But pageviews don't pay invoices.

One site. 50,000 visitors. 3 leads.

Another site. 3,000 visitors. 40 leads.

Same game. Different strategy.

The difference?
Buyer intent.

Stop creating content for the curious.
Start creating content for the ready.

Swipe to see exactly how. →

♻️ Repost if this shifts your thinking.

Gerrid Smith

Helping Exceptional Companies Grow Faster With SEO Since 2005 | 8-Figure Brand Builder | I ❤️ Competitive Niches | I Get SEO Results When OTHERS Can't. DM Me.

 SEO is not about traffic

Follow for Growth Marketing Tips | $250 Mil Generated | Host of the Growth Boss Podcast 🎙

Your website is invisible to Google.
Here is the fix.
 
Most new website owners do the same thing.

They build a site, publish some pages, and wait for traffic.
It never comes.

Not because the site is bad.
Because it was never set up to be found.
 
Google does not reward effort.
It rewards structure, relevance, and trust.
And trust takes setup.
 
Here is what a proper SEO setup actually looks like:
 

1. Research your keywords before writing a single word
2. Set up Google Search Console and Analytics on day one
3. Build a site structure Google can crawl and understand
4. Optimize every page around one primary keyword
5. Create content that answers what your customers are already searching
6. Fix your technical SEO so Google can index your site fast
7. Build your first backlinks with zero budget
 
Most sites skip steps 1, 3, and 6.
Then wonder why nothing is ranking after six months.
 
I have been doing this since 2005.
I took my own brand from zero to $10 million in the first year using this exact process.

The setup is not complicated.
It just has to be done in the right order.
 
Save this carousel and come back to it every time you launch a new page.
 
Which step are you starting with this week? Drop it below.

The 7-Step SEO Setup for New Websites

AI does not just read your website.

It reads your reviews too.

Most businesses think SEO lives on their pages.
But AI also learns from public feedback and reputation signals.

Reviews create patterns.
And AI summarizes patterns.

If 200 people say you are fast and great with small businesses,
that becomes your identity.

If they say you are slow and hard to reach,
that becomes your identity too.

AI reflects consensus.

When a buyer asks,
“Who is the best local SEO expert for small businesses?”

AI is more confident recommending brands with consistent positive signals.

So here is where to start:

Audit your last 50 reviews.
Look for repeated phrases.
That is your real positioning.

Encourage specific reviews.
Ask clients to mention the problem you solved and the result they saw.

Then align your website with those patterns.
Consistency builds AI trust.

AI summarizes what people repeatedly say about you.

What are your reviews teaching AI about your brand right now? 👇

📌 Save this if AI visibility matters to your business.
🔁 Share this with someone who ignores their reviews.

#seo #aiseo #reputationmanagement #digitalmarketing

Reviews and AI Search Explained

If I had to start SEO from zero today,
I would ignore the advanced tactics.

No complex link schemes.
No automation hacks.
No overthinking algorithms.

I would focus on fundamentals.

Clear niche.
Clear pages.
One keyword per page.
Intent matched properly.
Simple titles.
Fast site.
Real questions answered.

Most beginners fail because they try to scale before they are structured.

SEO rewards clarity first.
Authority second.
Consistency always.

Momentum over volume.
Foundation over tricks.

If you build this right for 90 days,
you will be ahead of most sites chasing shortcuts.

Which part of your foundation needs fixing first? 👇

📌 Save this if you are building SEO from scratch.
🔁 Share this with someone overcomplicating SEO.

#seo #seostrategy #seotips #digitalmarketing

 SEO Checklist for Beginners 2026

Ads give you speed.
SEO gives you stability.

Both grow a business.
But they work very differently.

Ads bring traffic the moment you turn them on.
SEO builds traffic that can last for years.

That is why beginners often struggle with the choice.

If you need customers now, start with ads.
They help you test offers, messaging, and keywords quickly.

If you want long-term growth, invest in SEO.
A single page can bring leads long after it is published.

The smartest approach is not choosing one.
It is using both.

Use ads to learn what converts.
Then build SEO around what works.

Speed first.
Stability second.

Which one are you focusing on right now, SEO or ads? 

📌 Save this if you are deciding where to invest first.
🔁 Share this with someone starting their first online business.

SEO vs Ads

Most beginners struggle with SEO for the same reason.
They skip the basics.

Here are the 4 mistakes I see the most in 2026:

Ignoring search intent.
Ranking does not happen just because you used the keyword.
Your content has to match what the searcher actually wants.

Publishing too much content too fast.
More pages do not equal more traffic.
Thin or repetitive content weakens authority.

Targeting keywords that are too competitive.
New sites chase big keywords first.
Momentum usually comes from smaller, niche searches.

Neglecting technical foundations.
Slow pages, broken links, and messy structure can block rankings.
Even great content struggles on a weak site.

SEO works best when the foundation is strong.

Which of these mistakes did you make when you first started? 

📌 Save this as a quick SEO checklist.
🔁 Share this with someone just getting started in SEO.

SEO in 2026 is not technical.
It is psychological.

Google watches what people do.
Not what you say about yourself.

You can have clean code.
Perfect keywords.
Strong backlinks.

But if your page does not hold attention,
it will not hold rankings.

If users bounce, hesitate, or feel confused,
Google sees it.

Ranking now is about behavior.
Clarity.
Relevance.
Trust.

Solve the problem fast.
Keep people engaged.
Make the answer obvious.

Because in 2026, attention is the real ranking factor.

What is one page on your site that needs to be clearer? 👇

📌 Save this as a reminder that user behavior drives rankings.
🔁 Share this with someone still optimizing only for keywords.

#seo #seostrategy #seotips #digitalmarketing

Small teams are now dangerous.
AI is the reason why.

For years, big companies dominated.

More people. More budget. More power.

Small teams couldn't compete.

That era is over.

One person with AI can now do the work of an entire department.

Research. Content. Analysis. Strategy.

All of it.
The leverage is massive.

Speed beats size.
Execution beats headcount.

Swipe to see exactly how small teams are winning. →

♻️ Repost if you're building with a small team.

AI makes small teams dangerous

Ranking content and converting content are not the same thing.

One brings traffic.
The other brings customers.

Most businesses focus only on the first.

Content that ranks focuses on:
Keywords
Search intent
Headings and structure
Topic depth

It is built to attract visitors.

Content that converts focuses on:
A clear problem
A specific audience
Trust signals
A strong next step

It is built to turn visitors into buyers.

The best strategy is not choosing one.
It is combining both.

Start with a real search question.
Explain the options clearly.
Show who your solution is best for.
Give people a clear next step.

Traffic without conversions is just noise.
Conversions without traffic cannot scale.

Good SEO does both.

Which one does your content focus on more right now? 👇

📌 Save this if you want SEO that actually drives revenue.
🔁 Share this with someone chasing traffic but missing conversions.

That smile gets me every time. 

He had no idea how cute he looked and that made it even better.

I hope he never loses that.

Good Sunday to all of you.

If AI had to describe your business in one sentence…

Would it get it right?

Most brands are not ignored because they are small.

They are ignored because they are hard to define.

AI recommends what it understands.
And it understands what is clear, consistent, and specific.

That means:

Clear category definition
Specific problem statements
Defined audiences
Consistent descriptions everywhere
Simple language
Structured pages
Clear outcomes
Focused topics
Dedicated service pages
Real-world context
Obvious differentiation

If your positioning shifts from platform to platform, AI loses confidence.

If your services are broad, AI cannot match you to a clear use case.

Clarity creates confidence.
Confidence creates visibility.

Run the summary test.
Ask ChatGPT to explain what your company does.
If it sounds generic, your messaging needs work.

What is one thing you can simplify this week? 👇

📌 Save this as your AI clarity checklist.
🔁 Share this with someone trying to get cited by AI tools.

#geo #seo #aiseo #seostrategy #seotips #digitalmarketing

 The AI Content Checklist for Beginners

AI did not kill SEO.
It killed lazy SEO.
 
Every business owner I talk to right now is saying the same thing.
My traffic dropped.
My rankings disappeared.
AI is ruining everything.
 
But here is what is actually happening.
AI did not change what Google rewards.
It just made it impossible to fake.
 
The businesses winning in search right now are not fighting AI.
They are feeding it exactly what it needs.
Trust signals.
Real expertise.
Structured, citable content.
 
Here is the strategy that works with AI, not against it:

1. Understand that AI models cite sources they can verify, not sources that just rank
2. Build your E-E-A-T foundation: experience, expertise, authority, and trust on every page
3. Write for search intent, not search volume. One page, one job.
4. Build topical authority with pillar pages and content clusters, not random posts
5. Get your brand mentioned on third-party platforms AI already trusts
6. Add structured data so AI can read and cite your content without guessing
 
I have been doing SEO since 2005.
I took a CBD brand from zero to 10 million in year one.
I ran a law firm SEO agency that made the INC 5000 at number 821.
 
And the strategy that worked then is the same one that works now.
Be so credible that AI has no choice but to surface you.
 
You cannot game trust at scale.
You have to earn it.
 
Which of these six strategies are you missing right now?
Drop it in the comments below.

Save this for your next content strategy session and share it with a business owner who thinks AI ended their chances in search.

AI did not kill SEO

Snapped this one yesterday. Just me and my boy managed to get in the photo.

Good day and happy hearts. This is what weekends are for.

“SEO doesn’t work for my industry.”
No.

Your messaging doesn’t work.

Most small business sites say nothing specific.
And Google doesn’t rank confusion.

Do you agree?

Me and my boys outside again.

Honestly this has become our thing and I love it.

No better way to spend a Sunday.

How are you spending yours?

Most businesses think Google Maps rankings are random.

They are not.

There are specific signals that move rankings.
Most businesses just never learn what they are.

In Episode 78, Todd Anderson breaks down what actually drives Google Maps visibility.

We cover:

→ What has changed in the Google Maps ecosystem
→ The real levers behind Google Business Profile rankings
→ Grey and black hat tactics agencies quietly use
→ How review velocity impacts local rankings
→ Which citation tools are still worth using
→ Hidden keyword strategies beating competitors
→ And how AI bots are already running parts of SEO agencies

Todd Anderson is a former mechanical engineer turned SEO expert and the founder of Cascade Web Solutions.

He has ranked dozens of businesses in competitive blue-collar niches across the U.S. and audited more than 500 companies to uncover major growth opportunities.

If Google Maps drives leads for your business, this episode is worth your time.

Watch the full episode now.
Search Growth Boss on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any streaming platform.

#localseo #googlemaps #googlebusinessprofile #localseostrategy #blackhatseo

If your marketing only works when you boost posts,
you do not have a brand.

You have a budget.

Real brands create demand without paid reach.
People search for them by name.
They get mentioned without being pushed.

When spend stops and everything goes quiet,
that is not brand equity.

That is rented attention.

Paid ads can amplify a brand.
They cannot replace one.

Are you building demand
or just buying visibility? 👇

📌 Save this as a reminder to build something that lasts.
🔁 Share this with someone who confuses ad spend with brand strength.

#branding #marketingstrategy #businessgrowth

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

Where will discovery start more often in 2026?
Vote below:

Most pages never rank.
This is why.
 
It is not about word count.
It is not about how many times you use a keyword.
It is about structure.
 
Google crawls your page like a map.
It needs to know what the page is about, who it is for, and why it should be trusted.
If the structure is wrong, none of the content matters.
 
Here is exactly how to build a page Google can read and rank:
 
1. Clean URL slug with your target keyword
2. One H1 that leads with the keyword
3. Keyword mentioned in the first 100 words
4. H2 headings that break the page into clear sections
5. H3 subheadings that support each H2 with more detail
6. H4 headings for deep detail on longer pages
7. Images with descriptive alt text that includes the keyword
8. FAQ schema so Google can pull your answers into search results
9. A CTA at the bottom when the reader is at peak intent
10. An author bio that builds E-E-A-T and trust

Quick note: this is a guide, not a rulebook.

Not every page needs H3s and H4s.
A short service page might only need an H1 and two H2s.

The goal is always clarity, not complexity.
Use the structure your content actually needs.

Share this with a business owner who is still wondering why their content is not showing up on Google.

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