If you’re reading this, you need SEO.

And if the fact that your website isn’t ranking for shit has been simmering on the back burner of your brain for months (or years), but you keep telling yourself you’ll figure it out later… Guess what? Later is now!

In this episode, I sit down with Mariah Magazine, SEO strategist and the only person who makes metadata sound sexy. We’re debunking myths, dragging design decisions that tank your rankings, and explaining how you can make SEO work in your favor.

Also… Mariah Magazine is not her real name, but you’ll have to listen to the episode to hear all about that story.

TOPICS & TANGENTS

— Why blog posts aren’t automatically the SEO magic trick you think they are

— The “SEO sandwich” every website needs

— Keyword logic 101: let the phrase tell you where it goes

— Why basic AI-generated blogs are a terrible idea

— Contact form etiquette (and Sara’s ex’s Hollister points)

— What MySpace usernames have to do with SEO

POINT OF THE STORY

You can’t rig Google with random keywords. Good SEO is real writing — for real people — so you show up as the BEST answer to the question they’re asking.

GIVEAWAY

This week’s giveaway is different! Tag me @btlcopy and Mariah Magazine @mariahmagazineco on your Instagram story while you’re listening, and one lucky winner will get our $149 Copy x SEO Masterclass for FREE!

AND — count how many times we drop the F-bomb in this episode. DM me the number, and you could win a prize!

Love you, mean it. 🖤

MARIAH LINKS

— Follow Mariah on Instagram

— Check out her website

— Tune in to the Curiously Guided podcast

— DIY SEO Course

— Use the code SEOLOVE10 for $10 off in the SEO for Designers Workshop

— For even more resources click here!

— Mariah’s walkout songs: song 1 + song 2

BTL LINKS

— Use code "MILLIONAIRE" for $100 off my website copywriting course, Site Series Sprint.

— Join the Point of the Story community on Slack.

— Leave feedback or episode requests in our Suggestions Box.

— To stay up to date with all things Point of the Story, follow on Instagram and Substack.

— Follow me on Instagram, Threads, and Substack.

— Subscribe to my newsletters Tuesday Table of Contents for one marketing tip, once a week and Millionaire Moment for the insider tea on how I plan to make $1 mil in sales by my 31st birthday.

— Check out my website betweenthelinescopy.com.

OTHER LINKS

— Blog post: Showit vs Squarespace: Which Should You Choose in 2025?

— Sara and Mariah’s Copy x SEO Masterclass

— Blog post: How To Write Your Contact Page (Cuz, Yeah, It Matters)

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro

00:25 Meet Mariah Magazine, SEO Strategist

02:20 The MySpace Name That Became a Brand

08:16 Rapid-Fire Squirrel Brain Questions

17:53 It’s Not Just About Blog Posts

21:20 The Different Kinds of Search Intent

25:13 Why Story-Driven Blog Posts Win at SEO

30:06 The Keyword Will Tell You Where It Belongs

36:36 Keywords for Your Homepage vs. Services Page

38:37 Why SEO Feels So Complicated

44:10 Mariah’s SEO Icks

51:38 The SEO Sandwich

53:01  Closing

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.