Episode 168: Good Enough SEO

Is SEO really a technical skill?

If you’ve ever thought SEO was only for tech-savvy people, you’re not alone. Many small business owners believe you need to understand code or server settings to improve your website’s visibility. The truth is, that belief is more marketing than reality — it’s what the SEO industry wants you to think.

Today, most modern website platforms like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress take care of the heavy lifting for you. They manage the technical aspects that used to require expertise — things like mobile responsiveness, page speed, and site structure. That means you can focus on what actually matters: helping Google’s users find value in your content.

Why Google doesn’t need your website to be perfect

Imagine you’re Google for a moment. Your job is to connect people with the most helpful results as quickly as possible. Would you care if a site is coded perfectly, or would you prioritize sites that users enjoy and trust?

The answer is clear — Google wants to send searchers to pages with good content and a solid user experience, not necessarily the ones with flawless technical scores.

In other words, a site that earns an “A” grade (90+ SEMrush score) is good enough. You don’t need to chase a perfect 100/100. What matters is that your site loads reasonably fast, works on mobile devices, and doesn’t have broken links or missing images.

What “Good Enough SEO” looks like

Your website should:

• Load quickly (under 3 seconds)

• Display correctly on desktop and mobile

• Have working links and images

• Use clear navigation and readable content

• Earn trust through accurate, useful information

That’s it. When those basics are in place, you’ve achieved “good enough SEO.”

Trying to perfect every technical element often leads to frustration without meaningful improvement in rankings or traffic.

The SEMrush Challenge: How to reach ‘Good Enough’

To make this process simple, Chris created the 5-Day SEMrush Challenge — a guided series that helps you use a free SEMrush trial to audit and improve your website. Over the course of a week, you’ll identify errors, fix the ones that matter, and bring your site to an A-level score.

You’ll also learn:

• How to use SEMrush’s free tools effectively

• What issues actually impact your visibility

• How to downgrade after your trial while keeping a permanent free SEMrush account that runs monthly audits automatically