If the word “SEO” makes your eyes glaze over or your brain immediately decide you’re not techy enough, you’re in the right place. Because here’s the truth, SEO isn’t just for big websites or digital marketers. It’s for teacherpreneurs, too. And it can make a serious difference in how people find your business.

Whether you’re writing a blog post, pinning to Pinterest, creating an Instagram caption, or uploading a product to your website, SEO (search engine optimization) plays a role in who sees it, and how often. The good news? You don’t need to master every technical detail. But you do need to understand the basics so you can start thinking like the search engines and like your ideal customer.

Let’s dig into what SEO actually means for you and your business, and how to start using it in ways that feel doable and helpful.

What Is SEO, Really?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and at its core, it’s the process of making your content easier to find. When someone types a question, phrase, or keyword into a search bar, whether on Google, Pinterest, or even TPT, they’re looking for something. SEO helps your content show up in those results.

But SEO isn’t just about keywords. It’s about understanding what your audience is searching for and how they’re searching for it. It’s matching your content to their language so they find you instead of scrolling right past.

Why SEO Matters for Teacherpreneurs

As a teacherpreneur, you’re creating helpful content and resources for other educators. But no matter how great your products are, they won’t help anyone if they can’t be found. That’s where SEO comes in.

Using SEO helps you:

• Bring consistent traffic to your blog or website

• Grow your email list with targeted visitors

• Increase visibility for your products and content

• Reduce dependence on social media algorithms

Basically, SEO lets your content keep working behind the scenes, even when you’re not actively promoting it.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re posting all the time but not gaining traction, learning to think with an SEO lens could be the shift you need.

SEO Is Everywhere (Not Just Google)

One of the biggest myths about SEO is that it’s only for Google. But that’s not true at all.

Search engine behavior is built into nearly every platform we use:

• Pinterest is a visual search engine. Keywords matter a ton.

• TPT has its own internal search, and yes, it reads your titles and descriptions.

• Instagram is now searchable by keywords and alt text, not just hashtags.

• Blogs are crawled by Google and other search bots.

• Even your podcast show notes or YouTube descriptions are searchable.

So. . . if you’re creating content in any of those places (or all of them), understanding SEO basics gives you a massive advantage. It’s the difference between “I hope people find this” and “I’m helping the right people find this.”

Learning to Think in Keywords

The heart of SEO is the keyword. A keyword is the word or phrase someone types into a search bar when they’re looking for something. Words or phrases like “sight word practice,” “how to teach fractions,” or “lessons for middle school science” are all keyword examples.

If you sell resources, write blog posts, or share tips on those topics, using those exact phrases in your content helps search engines match you with the right audience.

This doesn’t mean stuffing the same word over and over into your content. It means weaving those keywords in naturally, into titles, descriptions, headings, and image alt text, so the algorithm and your readers know what the content is about.

The best place to start is by putting yourself in your audience’s shoes. Think about what that person might type into the search bar that your blog post or product would be a good fit for. What searches do you want to show up for? When you think in terms of the starting search, you can quickly identify the keywords.

Not All Keywords Are Created Equal

Here’s where things get a little nuanced. The best keyword for your blog post might not be the best keyword for your Pinterest pin. The language teachers use in Google search might look different from how they browse inside the TPT platform.

That’s why keyword strategy takes a little testing. What works on one platform might need to be adjusted for another. A well-established blog post might show up for a broad keyword, where a new product might need a keyword phrase that is more specific.

Let’s take the keyword “sight word practice.”

• On Pinterest, a pin might say: Fun Sight Word Practice Ideas for Kindergarten.

• On your blog, the post could be titled: 3 Sight Word Practice Strategies That Actually Work.

• On social media, you might phrase it as: Looking for sight word practice that isn’t boring? Try this tip.

• In your product listing, it could be: Sight Word Practice Pages for emergent readers.

The core idea is the same, but you’re adjusting how you use it based on how the platform works.

Helpful Tools for Finding Keywords

The good news? You don’t have to guess what people are searching for. There are tools that can help you find popular and relevant keywords. These are a few of my favorites:

• Ubbersuggest: A beginner-friendly keyword research tool that helps you discover new keyword ideas, see search volume, and analyze what’s ranking on Google. It’s great for blog planning, competitor research, and getting a feel for what your audience is searching for online.

• Keywords Everywhere: A Chrome extension that shows search volume and keyword suggestions as you browse Google, Pinterest, and YouTube. It is a paid tool but an inexpensive one. The information is the same as you will find on Ubbersuggest, just in a different format. I use this one because it just clicks better in my brain. 😁

• Your Data Playbook SEO Tool: Designed specifically for TPT sellers, this tool gives real data about what buyers are actually typing into search on TPT. It's the perfect way to choose keywords for your product listings. (#affiliatelink)

• TPT Search Bar: Start typing your product skill into the TPT search bard and see what auto-fills. What shows up are the top search terms that teachers are actually using on TPT.

• Pinterest Trends: Search a term and see how it trends over time.

These tools can give you a clearer idea of what your audience is looking for, so you can match your content to their needs.

SEO Is a Long Game (and That’s a Good Thing)

Unlike social media, SEO doesn’t usually give you instant results. But the upside is that it builds over time. A well-optimized blog post can bring in traffic for months or even years after you publish it.

Think of SEO like planting seeds. You may not see a huge harvest right away, but if you keep planting (and optimizing), the growth adds up. It becomes a sustainable traffic source that supports your business even when you take a break from posting.

So, Where Should You Start?

If you’re ready to start thinking more intentionally about SEO, here are a few simple places to begin:

• Start with your audience: What are they searching for? What problems do they need solved?

• Choose one keyword per piece of content: Keep it focused and clear.

• Use that keyword in your title, intro paragraph, and headings.

• Add alt text to your images with relevant keywords (great for Pinterest and blog posts).

Above all, remember that learning SEO doesn’t happen overnight. You’re not behind - you’re building a new skill that will pay off in the long run.

And if this still feels overwhelming? You don’t have to figure it out alone. Whether you need keyword research, SEO blog support, or someone to optimize your Pinterest strategy, we’re here to help.

→ Check out our services to see how we can help your content get seen by the right people.