I grew up in Southeast Alaska. Every spring we spent a chunk of time in the woods building emergency shelters, learning basic survival skills, and even testing our swimming skills. Parent volunteers would half-shove us into the harbor and we’d awkwardly side-eye each other as we flapped into the “help” position in our bright red survival suits. Middle school in Southeast Alaska is no joke.
“Just try your hardest to be seen!”
Year after year, as we built survival shelters with layers of moss in the cavities of fallen trees, we’d hear the same familiar tink of a teacher’s whistle in the distance reminding us not to wander.
Parent volunteers, teachers, and the incredibly courageous Search and Rescue volunteers would stress the importance of building a dry shelter, finding water, and finding some way to be noticed. Build a fire, blow a whistle if you have it, write SOS on the beach in rocks. Use shiny, neon material as flags. Just try your hardest to be seen! If you’re not seen, you won’t be rescued.
What is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?
Imagine that the internet is like the thick, green forests of Baranof Island. In some spots, the trees and the moss are so thick, you can’t even see the sky. Without a compass, it can be impossible to orient yourself – even if you know the woods like the back of your hand.
SEO is like the loudest, clearest whistle in the forest, helping you get found right away.
When someone is using the internet (and remember, it’s a forest in this analogy) and they search for “best coffee in Driggs, Idaho” or “plumber near me”, SEO is a set of tools and strategies we use to help your coffee shop in Driggs, or your plumbing service come up right at the top of the search results.
Why SEO Matters for Small Businesses and Organizations
Large organizations tend to have larger marketing budgets. Rural nonprofits, family-owned companies, local organizations – their budget can’t match a larger organization’s and frankly, we don’t think they should have to in order to succeed.
SEO helps level the playing field. Instead of competing on who can spend the most, it rewards clarity, relevance, and trust. With the right strategy, a rural nonprofit or family-owned business can show up alongside—or even ahead of—larger organizations simply by clearly communicating who they serve and how they help. When you’re visible to the right people at the right time, you do not have to have a massive marketing budget to be successful.
SEO: The “Rules” of the Internet
It’s just like this lesson we learned during Survival Week in Sitka. I don’t know if it’s based on a true story or just a myth parents told us to keep us line – but we always heard about a backcountry camper who got lost in the woods. Search and Rescue looked for them for days and in the end, the rescue was successful. The camper had been just a few yards from the rescue team the entire time – they just hadn’t known the rules of survival in the Alaska Wilderness.
Learning the “rules” of the internet (SEO) is an absolute game-changer. We’d love to help your organization get found first. Reach out today to set up a meeting.
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