The 7-Minute SEO Reality Check (For Real Businesses)

Your SEO Isn’t Working—Because Your Strategy Is Stuck in 2016

Use this 7-minute audit to fix the 5 biggest leaks in your content visibility

You’re writing. Posting. Publishing. But your traffic? Flat. Your leads? Trickling in—if at all.

If you’re relying on content to grow, here’s the hard truth: You don’t need more content. You need a reality check—and a strategy built for today’s AI-powered search environment. Let’s get one thing clear: SEO isn’t dead, but the old way of doing it is. If your content isn’t showing up in Google or AI overviews, it’s usually because of one of five avoidable problems.

This quick 7-minute audit will reveal which ones are killing your visibility—and how to fix them.

Step 1: Can You Name Your Top 3 Target Keyphrases?

Time: 1 minute

No, not “leadership, “marketing” or “growth.” I’m talking about exact keyphrases that match real user intent and searches.

Think:

• “how to automate donor follow-up emails” (nonprofit ops manager)
• “best CRM tools for early-stage SaaS startups” (founder)
• “how to manage creative teams remotely” (marketing VP)
• “grant writing checklist for community orgs” (freelance grant writer)
• “how to become a travel content creator in 2025” (personal brand builder)

AI Overviews Tip: These are the kinds of queries showing up in SGE summaries, Bing Copilot carousels, and Perplexity follow-ups—get them right, and you ride the wave.

Reality Check Question: What 3 problems are your ideal clients typing verbatim into Google or AI?

If you’re guessing, Google and ChatGPT are guessing too. That’s why you’re not being recommended.

Step 2: Does Your Homepage Tell Search Engines What You Do—Fast?

Time: 1 minute

Your homepage is a signal and needs to deliver on it. It can’t just be about aesthetics.

Google and AI search need to understand your positioning fast. Your first 50 words matter more than your mission statement. Your homepage should say: “We help this audience solve this specific problem using this method.”

Examples:

• “We help overstretched HR teams simplify onboarding with automated, inclusive training portals.”
• “I help autistic entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses without masking or burnout.”
• “We equip local libraries with free marketing toolkits to grow community engagement.”

Reality Check Question: In your hero section or opening paragraph , could an AI model or human instantly tell what you offer, for whom, and why it matters?

If it’s buried under fluff? You’re not only losing ranking and referrals, you’re training AI models to ignore you.

Step 3: Are You Ranking for the Right Stuff?

Time: 1 minute

Open Google Search Console, Ubersuggest, or Ahrefs. Look at your top 5 search queries.

Now ask:

Reality Check Question: Do these terms lead people toward your product, service, or cause? Do those search terms align with your actual offers, outcomes, or expertise?

Examples:

• Ranking for “conference icebreakers” is great… unless you’re a cybersecurity firm.
• Ranking for “grief journal prompts” makes sense if you’re a trauma-informed coach—not if you sell team productivity dashboards.
• Ranking for “low-code platforms for finance teams”? Perfect fit for your B2B SaaS startup.

In the age of AI, topical authority beats keyword tricks. If you’re not known for something specific, you won’t be summarized, surfaced, or suggested.

Step 4: Does Your Content Actually Match Search Intent + AI Intent?

Time: 2 minutes

Pull up your last 3 blog posts or articles.

Ask:

• Would someone actually search for this phrase?
• Does this post solve one clear problem or wander?
• Do the H2s look like answers—not just clever subheadings?
• Would a skimming AI model or human find it clear, structured, and aligned?

Examples of strong AI- and search-optimized posts:

• “What to Include in a Client Onboarding Packet (With Free Template)”
• “How to Write an RFP Response That Wins Corporate Contracts”
• “Fundraising Event Ideas for Small Nonprofits on a Tight Budget”
• “How to Track SEO ROI as a Content Team of One”
• “Inclusive UX Design Tips for EdTech Platforms”

Weak posts look like:

• “Reflections on My Founder Journey”
• “Why We Love Community”
• “What We’ve Been Up To This Quarter”

Reality Check Question: Is your content answering, teaching, or guiding readers—or just broadcasting? Will they find it skimmable, helpful, and direct—or is it wandering through your origin story before ever delivering value?

AI doesn’t reward cute. It rewards clarity and structure. If your content isn’t being cited in AI overviews, it’s likely too vague or self-centered to earn trust.

Step 5: Do You Have a Real Content System—or Just Random Posts?

Time: 2 minutes

SEO (and AI) are cluster thinkers. They group related content together to determine your expertise. That means your content must live in intentional clusters, not isolated one-offs.

Reality Check Question: Do you have one pillar page per core service or product supported by 3–5 interlinked posts each?

For example:

Pillar Page: “Consultant Positioning Strategy”
Supporting Posts:

• • 7 Mistakes Coaches Make in Their About Pages
  • How to Build a Trust Funnel in 3 Days
  • The Positioning Stack Worksheet
  • Why Clarity > Branding in Early-Stage Growth

Pillar Page: “Team Communication for Hybrid Work”
Supporting Posts:

• • “5 Tools That Make Hybrid Standups Easier”
  • “How to Run Inclusive Remote Meetings”
  • “The Real Cost of Slack Miscommunication (and What to Do)”
  • “Best Practices for Async Collaboration Across Time Zones”

Pillar Page: “Grants for Arts Organizations”
Supporting Posts:

• • “5 Common Grant Mistakes Small Arts Orgs Make”
  • “How to Track Grant Deadlines Without Losing Your Mind”
  • “Grant Template Library: Emails, Budgets, and Outcomes”

Without content clusters and internal links, you’re shouting into the void. No clusters = no credibility in AI or Google’s eyes.

Score Yourself

Final Thought

You don’t need more noise. You need content that knows what it’s doing.

Here’s what works in 2025:

• Clarity in your message
• Content that teaches something useful
• Systems that organize—not overwhelm
• Topics that answer real, diverse audience questions—fast

No matter your business type, if your content doesn’t help humans and show up in search + AI? It’s not finished.

This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things—in the right way—with just enough fire to cut through the fog.

You’ve got 7 minutes.
Use them to start showing up—for the people who are already looking for you.

—Sterling Phoenix