How to Check Your Website’s SEO Health—and Why Ongoing Optimization Matters
Is your website working as hard as it should be? From SEO to speed and social media alignment, regular performance checks are essential to online success. At Rise Above It Marketing, we go beyond basic audits with hands-on optimization — weekly, not monthly. This guide walks you through powerful tools like SEMrush, GTmetrix, and Website Grader to assess your site’s health and highlights how we help brands fix what’s holding them back.
When’s the last time you gave your website a check-up?
Just like your health, your website’s performance and visibility need regular monitoring—and not just a couple times a month. At Rise Above It Marketing, we believe SEO and performance optimization isn’t something you “set and forget.” It’s something we touch weekly—if not daily—to keep our clients at the top of their game.
Whether you’re a business owner trying to understand where you stand or a marketing manager doing a quick diagnostic, these tools will give you a clear picture of what’s working—and what needs help.
Top Tools to Grade Your Website SEO & Performance
Here are some powerful (and mostly free) tools you can use to quickly assess your digital presence:
1. SEMrush Site Audit
This powerhouse tool does more than scan your site—it uncovers technical issues, crawl errors, duplicate content, missing meta data, and gives you a health score. Bonus: You can also track keywords, backlinks, and competitor activity.
Rise Above It Fix: We go beyond the report and actually resolve the errors that affect your rankings—weekly.
2. SpyFu
SpyFu is like having a peek into your competitors’ playbooks. It shows you what keywords they rank for, how much they spend on ads, and which backlinks help them perform.
Rise Above It Fix: We use these insights to position your brand ahead in the SEO game with smarter content and ad strategies.
3. GTmetrix
Site speed impacts both SEO and user experience. GTmetrix evaluates load times, page structure, image sizing, and gives performance scores. A slow website can kill your conversion rate.
Rise Above It Fix: We optimize everything from image compression and code structure to plug-in performance, ensuring your website is lightning fast.
Check how we scored here: GTmetrix Report
4. Pingdom Website Speed Test
Another excellent site speed tool with a global testing network. It measures how fast your site loads from various regions and breaks down what’s slowing it down.
Rise Above It Fix: We ensure optimal load times for users wherever they are—and monitor it weekly.
5. HubSpot’s Website Grader
Perfect for a high-level snapshot. It evaluates SEO, mobile responsiveness, performance, and security in seconds.
Take your website for a spin: Website Grader
Rise Above It Fix: After reviewing the grades, we implement structured changes—from metadata to site architecture—to improve scores quickly.
Bonus: Social Media Check-Up Tools
Your website is only part of the equation. Strong digital brands also have aligned, optimized, and consistent social media.
Metricool – Track engagement, follower growth, post-performance, and optimize content timing.
Later’s Instagram Analyzer – Helps uncover what types of content and hashtags are actually working.
[Canva Pro Brand Kit Audit] – Use your Brand Kit to maintain visual consistency and analyze what’s being used (or not).
Rise Above It Fix: We audit your brand presence across all channels and standardize design, tone, and performance to improve consistency and credibility.
Why Weekly Optimization Matters
Most agencies plug in your SEO settings, set up a couple pages, and circle back once or twice a month—if that.
At Rise Above It Marketing, we don’t take shortcuts. We believe SEO and performance are living, breathing functions of your business and should be treated as such. That’s why we:
Monitor and fix errors weekly (sometimes daily)
Update and optimize content regularly based on search trends
Adjust backlinks and keyword focus as competition shifts
Track social, traffic, and conversion data to make real-time improvements
Need Help Interpreting Your Results?
These tools can highlight what’s wrong—but not how to fix it. That’s where we come in.
Whether your site scored a C+ or is simply underperforming in search, Rise Above It Marketing can help you fix the root causes, create a stronger content strategy, and boost your visibility across all platforms.
Let’s elevate your brand, one audit at a time.
From Idea to Impact: How to Master Storytelling, Storyboarding & Scriptwriting for Video
Great video content doesn’t start with a camera — it starts with a story. At Rise Above It Marketing, we guide brands through the full creative process, from story development to scriptwriting and visual storyboarding. Whether you’re creating a 15-second social reel or a 5-minute brand film, this guide breaks down how to plan and write video content that connects, converts, and performs across platforms.
Video content isn’t optional anymore — it’s essential. Whether you're launching a new product, introducing your brand, or educating your audience, a great video starts with one thing: a compelling story.
At Rise Above It Marketing, we know that strategy matters as much as style. That’s why our video creation process begins with storytelling and ends with a script and storyboard that connect emotionally, visually, and strategically.
Whether you’re creating a 15-second social teaser or a 5-minute brand film, here’s how we approach storytelling that sticks.
1. Start with the Story — Not the Shot List
Every powerful video starts with a clear, emotionally resonant message.
Ask:
What do you want the viewer to feel?
What should they remember?
What action should they take after watching?
This is where brand strategy meets narrative structure. Your story should align with your core values, customer pain points, and ultimate goals — not just be pretty visuals on screen.
Our Process:
We help brands craft video narratives using classic storytelling frameworks (like problem > solution > transformation) to ensure a clear and memorable message.
2. Build a Visual Blueprint with Storyboarding
Once the message is locked, it’s time to bring it to life visually.
A storyboard is your video’s visual roadmap — a series of frames that outline how the script translates into on-screen moments. It helps clients (and production teams) visualize the sequence, pacing, transitions, and tone before the camera starts rolling.
Storyboarding also helps:
Identify visual gaps early
Align everyone on set design, motion, and mood
Speed up production and avoid costly edits later
Tools We Use:
From pencil sketches to tools like Canva, Boords, or Frame.io, we storyboard based on the style and complexity of each project.
3. Write a Script That Speaks (and Converts)
Scriptwriting isn’t just about words — it’s about rhythm, tone, and call to action. A good script mirrors your brand voice while moving the story forward naturally.
Our scriptwriting strategy includes:
Opening with a hook
Breaking complex ideas into conversational bites
Ending with a clear CTA (call to action)
Matching pacing to platform (short-form for social, long-form for storytelling)
We script with the platform in mind:
Short-form (0:15–0:60): TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts
Mid-form (1–2 min): Product explainers, testimonials
Long-form (2–5+ min): Brand videos, trade show loops, educational content
Bonus: We also prep for VO (voiceover), on-camera dialogue, and add direction for pacing, pauses, and tone in our annotated scripts.
4. Optimize Your Story for Each Platform
Not all platforms play by the same rules. What works for YouTube won’t always work on Instagram. A polished commercial may not connect in a lo-fi TikTok space.
That’s why we build stories with multi-format adaptability:
Vertical vs. horizontal orientation
Captions vs. audio-forward
Silent scrolling vs. thumb-stopping first frames
We don’t just write for a screen — we write for every screen.
5. Create with Strategy and Soul
At Rise Above It Marketing, we combine creative direction with marketing precision. Every frame we storyboard and every script we write is designed to drive emotion and action.
Our video services include:
Brand and promotional storytelling
Product explainers
Trade show loop videos
Recruitment and culture spotlights
Custom reels and shorts for social
Whether you’re pitching to investors, speaking to customers, or recruiting talent — your story deserves to be told with clarity and creativity.
Ready to Bring Your Brand to Life on Screen?
Let’s turn your message into a visual experience. We’ll help you script, storyboard, and produce video content that informs, inspires, and performs.
Your Website is Your Business Asset—Own It!
Your website is more than a digital brochure—it’s a core business asset you should fully control. In this blog, we break down why it's critical to own your hosting and domain, the risks of letting agencies manage them, and how to protect your online presence with smart ownership strategies. Learn how to check who controls your website, avoid costly rebuilds, and secure your brand's digital future. Read more and take control today.
Your website is the digital storefront of your business, and just like a physical location, you need to own it outright. Yet, many businesses unknowingly allow agencies or developers to register their domain name and host their website on private servers, putting them at risk of losing control over their online presence.
In this blog, we’ll explain:
✅ Why you should always own your website hosting and domain
✅ The risks of letting agencies control your hosting
✅ How to check where your website is hosted
✅ The importance of securing multiple domains for your brand
Why You Must Own Your Hosting and Domain
Many business owners assume that when they hire an agency or web developer to build their website, they automatically own everything. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. If someone else controls your domain and hosting, they essentially own your website.
Here’s why you should always register your domain and hosting under your own account:
1. Full Control & Super Admin Access
If an agency registers your domain or sets up hosting under their account, you are at their mercy for any changes, upgrades, or migrations. Without super admin access, you might not even be able to retrieve your data if they decide to stop working with you.
2. Prevent Digital Lock-In
Some agencies intentionally move clients’ hosting to their private servers, making it difficult (or impossible) to transfer your site elsewhere without rebuilding it from scratch. This “digital lock-in” forces you to keep using their services indefinitely, even if they become too expensive or fail to meet your needs.
3. Avoid Unnecessary Downtime or Site Loss
If an agency shuts down, goes bankrupt, or refuses to renew your domain, your website could go offline overnight. Owning your domain ensures you control renewals, updates, and security.
4. SEO Benefits & Brand Protection
If an agency controls your hosting and decides to move your website, it can cause major SEO damage—such as broken links, lost rankings, and decreased traffic. Owning your domain allows you to properly manage redirects, hosting changes, and SEO strategy.
How to Check Who Owns Your Website Hosting & Domain
If you’re unsure whether you fully own your hosting and domain, use these free tools:
✔️ SiteChecker – Checks hosting provider & site health
✔️ Who-Hosts-This.com – Identifies hosting provider
✔️ Hosting-Checker.net – Checks IP, provider & hosting details
Simply enter your domain, and these tools will show where your website is hosted. If it’s under an agency’s name instead of your own, it’s time to regain control.
Understanding Hosting Types & Transferability
Not all hosting platforms allow easy migration. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Non-Transferable Hosting (Avoid These!)
Certain website builders and platforms do not allow you to transfer your site, meaning you’re locked into their ecosystem:
❌ Wix
❌ Squarespace
❌ Shopify (partially transferable but limited)
If you ever want to switch hosting providers, you’d have to rebuild your site from scratch.
2. Transferable Hosting (Recommended)
These hosting services allow you to move your website freely:
✔️ SiteGround
✔️ Bluehost
✔️ WP Engine
✔️ HostGator
✔️ Cloudways
✔️ Kinsta
Always choose a hosting provider where you fully own your account and can migrate your website if needed.
Why Purchase Multiple Domains for Your Business?
Securing multiple domains ensures brand protection and SEO security.
✅ Prevents competitors from using similar domains (e.g., mybrand.com vs. mybrand.net)
✅ Protects against typosquatting (e.g., mybusiness.com vs. mybuisness.com)
✅ Allows future expansion (e.g., mybrand.co, mybrand.shop)
✅ Improves local SEO (e.g., mybrandflorida.com)
It’s a small investment that prevents big problems later.
Skiing, Marketing, and the Art of Navigating the Mountain
Marketing a business is a lot like skiing—always evolving, full of challenges, and exhilarating when everything clicks. From the sweat of preparation (layering up, adjusting strategies) to the thrill of momentum (carving through trends, gaining traction), both require adaptability, resilience, and a willingness to fall and get back up. Just like summiting a peak, growing a brand comes with moguls to navigate, quiet moments of reflection, and the rush of success when everything flows. The journey is just as rewarding as the destination.
There’s something about skiing that never gets old—no matter how many seasons you’ve logged, there’s always more to learn, more terrain to explore, more elements to master. One day, it’s a bluebird sky and fresh powder. The next, it’s an icy traverse that tests your edges and patience. Sound familiar? Because running a business—marketing a business—is a lot like tackling the slopes.
The Layers, The Sweat, and The First Drop
Every skier knows the struggle of overheating before you even get to the lift—stuffing yourself into layers, wrestling with boots, adjusting goggles, and somehow misplacing one glove every single time. It’s a process, one that guarantees some sweat, a little frustration, but eventually, the payoff of that first run.
Marketing is no different. The preparation, the trial and error, the constant adjustments—it’s all part of the process. You tinker with strategies, update your messaging, test new tools, and just when you think you’re set, something shifts. A new trend emerges. Algorithms change. Your audience evolves. And so, you layer up again, ready to adapt.
The Uphill Climb & The Inevitable Fall
There’s a moment on the slopes when you stop and listen—on the chairlift, the world goes quiet. You take in the expanse of mountains, the untouched runs, the possibilities. But then comes the reality check—the moguls, the steep bowls that look way bigger from the top than they did on the map. The wipeouts that shake your confidence.
Marketing has those same moments of pause and panic. You can plan the perfect campaign, anticipate results, and still hit unexpected bumps. Sometimes you’re gracefully carving through opportunities, and sometimes you’re digging yourself out of a crash, wondering what went wrong. But just like on the mountain, you get back up. You shift your weight, adjust your form, and keep going.
The Thrill of the Summit & The Glide of Momentum
Every skier chases that perfect run—the one where the turns feel effortless, the powder lifts beneath you, and the mountain opens up in a way it never has before. Those moments are rare, but when they happen, they remind you why you started in the first place.
Marketing your business has those moments, too. When the strategy clicks, when the leads roll in, when your brand takes off. But success in marketing, much like skiing, isn’t just about reaching the summit. It’s about knowing when to push for more and when to coast and enjoy the ride.
The Après-Ski Reward
And then there’s the coldest beer you’ve ever had at the end of the day. The celebration, the stories about near-misses and epic runs, the moments of shared success. In marketing, it’s the satisfaction of knowing you pushed through the hard parts, found the right path, and earned that win.
So, whether you’re carving down a mountain or carving out your brand’s place in the world, remember: it’s always a challenge, always a process, always worth it.
Now, go grab that beer. 🍻