She’s been booked out months in advance with a full client roster for 14 years in business. And she doesn’t pay for ads or manage a large team. Here’s the organic marketing strategy that made it possible. I recently sat down with Jess Freeman, a web designer and SEO strategist, to hear how she does it.
Organic marketing isn’t about finding the one “right” channel. Instead, it’s about understanding which methods actually work for your business, and then doubling down on organic marketing strategies that compound over time.
In this episode, we dive into:
- Where her clients actually come from (and why it’s different than you’d expect)
- How SEO became her form of self-care marketing
- Why being found on ChatGPT is becoming more important (and NOW is the time to capitalize on it!)
- What Threads is best for as a business owner
- The blogging rhythm that actually works without burnout
Let’s dig into what’s actually working.
How to Get Clients Without Relying on Email Marketing
Here’s what most service providers won’t admit: email marketing might not be their primary client source.
Jess has had an email list for 12 years. She’s hired copywriters. She’s used templates. She’s done everything the marketing industry says you “should” do with email. And it hasn’t converted for her business—at least not in a meaningful way that justifies the effort.
So a few years ago, she made a decision: Instead of continuing to fight a tactic that wasn’t working, she accepted it and moved on.
Even without email marketing, she has a wait list of paid clients spanning months. This doesn’t mean Jess ditched email entirely. She still maintains her list. She still sends regular emails. She has automation in place. But she’s reframed what her email list actually is—a touchpoint for brand visibility, not a client acquisition engine.
When Jess looked at her actual data, three sources consistently brought clients:
- SEO. People finding her through search engines (both Google and AI LLMs) and organic content discovery.
- Referrals. Existing clients and partners recommending her to others.
- Instagram. Direct relationship-building on where her clients spend time.
This isn’t a one-size-fits-all prescription. What works for Jess might not work for your business and your ideal audience. Notice what channels work for you (by looking at the data!), and double down on those.
The Organic Marketing Method That Built Her Wait List
Organic marketing means no paid advertising budgets. The approach is simple: Show up consistently. Answer the questions your people are actually asking. Build genuine relationships. Let the work speak for itself.
Organic marketing compounds over time. A blog post about “good dietitian website examples” and another one about “why I don’t recommend wix for business owners” published years ago still brings her qualified leads because it answers a real question people are searching for.
These three pillars don’t fight for attention. They work together, reinforcing each other. SEO builds authority. Referrals bring trust. Authentic connection on Threads turns collaborators into partners.
Over 14 years, this approach has created something remarkable: A business that stays booked out and she’s never wondering where her next client will come from because they’ve already put down a deposit to work with her months in advance.
How Consistent Blogging Built Her Booked Out Business
Most service providers don’t realize that SEO doesn’t require daily showing up or constant hustle. It requires consistency and specificity.
Jess’s primary organic marketing strategy is content marketing—specifically, blogging. And the results speak for themselves. Hundreds of people visit her website every single day because of SEO, even on days when she’s not actively marketing.
Why does this work? There are three primary reasons:
Shelf Life. A social media post has days of visibility. A blog post has years. She can write about why Wix isn’t ideal for business owners, publish it, and continue getting leads from that post years later. Meanwhile, an Instagram Reel from last month is already forgotten.
Specificity. Google (and AI language models) love specificity. A generic “ultimate guide to web design” gets lost in the noise. But a detailed post about “good dietitian website examples” gets found by actual dietitians who are thinking about redesigning their websites. They read the post, realize they need help, and reach out.
Background work. Unlike social media, SEO doesn’t require you to show up every day to see results. Once a blog post is ranking, it’s working for you passively. This is why Jess calls SEO self-care marketing. When she’s busy with client work or life events, she doesn’t panic about not posting on Instagram. She knows hundreds of people are finding her through SEO.
Don’t Use AI For Keyword Research
Before you start creating content, you need to know which keywords are actually worth targeting. This is where many service providers make a costly mistake: They use ChatGPT, Claude, or another LLM to find keywords.
Don’t do it.
Here’s why: AI language models don’t know keyword competitiveness or search volume. When you ask them for SEO keyword ideas, they’re just telling you if a term is relevant—not whether it’s actually being searched for or whether you can realistically rank for it.
Jess tested this extensively. She put a list of 75 keywords that ChatGPT suggested into a real SEO research tool. Only three were actually relevant. One was too competitive to rank for. Another had just 10 searches per month (essentially worthless).
AI is useful for brainstorming ideas and variations. But then you still must research each one using a real keyword research tool (like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Ubersuggest) to see actual search volume and competitiveness data. The SEO tool needs to validate the LLMs ideas.
The Blogging Rhythm That Works
Jess’s current blogging rhythm is once a month. This works for her because she’s spent 14 years building SEO authority. Her website has hundreds of optimized posts, so she doesn’t need to create constantly to stay relevant.
But if you’re just starting with SEO, or if you’re ramping up your efforts, the approach is different:
Initial phase (months 1-3): Aim for 1-2 blog posts per week. This tells Google that your site is active and worth paying attention to. Think of it like dating someone: if you only go on one date a month, it’s going to take forever to build a relationship. But if you’re intentional about spending time together regularly, you build trust and momentum much faster.
After 2-3 months of consistent publishing, you can slow down. Move to every other week or once a month. The foundation is already building.
Make it sustainable. Don’t start a blogging practice you can’t maintain. That’s why Jess recommends repurposing existing content. If you’re already recording podcast episodes or having conversations with clients, turn those into blog posts. You don’t have to start from scratch. You’re taking content you’re already creating and giving it a longer shelf life.
The mental shift is important: Blogging isn’t another marketing task. It’s your marketing foundation. Every post is an asset that continues to work for you. This is why consistency matters more than perfection or frequency.
Why ChatGPT and AI Are Recommending Her Content (And How You Can Get There)
The future of search is changing. And Jess is already seeing the results. A few months ago, a potential client reached out. They said, “I was talking to ChatGPT about needing help with my website, and it recommended you.” No email list. No social media follow. Just a straightforward recommendation from an AI.
This is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) in action, and it’s becoming more important as people use ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and other language models to find answers.
How does GEO actually work?
When you ask ChatGPT for specific expert advice, it references sources from across the web. If your content directly answers the question, ChatGPT will cite you. If your content is detailed, specific, and helpful, it becomes a natural recommendation.
Friends have sent Jess screenshots of her appearing in Google AI Overviews. She’s not using fancy plugins or signing up for exclusive AI tools. She’s simply writing good content that answers real questions.
Here’s what makes content recommendable to AI:
Specificity. General content gets lost. Specific, niche content gets cited. “How to build a website” is too broad. “Good dietitian website examples” is specific enough that an AI can confidently recommend it.
Answer the actual question. Don’t bury the answer. If someone asks “What makes a good therapist website?” your content should answer that clearly. AI language models are looking for direct, useful answers.
Show your expertise. Jess’s content includes real examples, data points, and specific recommendations. This builds trust and makes her content more likely to be recommended.
The implications are huge. As more people use AI to find experts, your content becomes your visibility. And the same content that ranks on Google is the foundation of the content that gets recommended by AI. So when you build SEO, you’re also building AI discoverability.
Why Honest, Relatable Content on Threads Built Her Referral Network
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Threads is the most underrated marketing platform right now. (Here’s all the reasons why!)
Jess said she’s only gotten 1-2 direct clients from Threads. But that’s not why she’s there. Threads isn’t her sales channel. Threads is where she’s building relationships, finding collaborators, and connecting with her community.
On Threads, people are more honest. They share the struggles, the frustrations, the real behind-the-scenes moments that they’d never put on Instagram. It’s the water cooler of the internet—casual, relatable, unfiltered.
When Jess posted about feeling frustrated at an industry event where more successful (financially) friends didn’t have time to meet with her. Instead of staying quiet, she joked about hosting “The Ordinary Business Conference” where everyone had to make less than $300K a year and couldn’t have more than X followers.
The post wasn’t designed to go viral, but the honesty resonated. People in her DMs said things like, “I have event experience. I want to help make this real.” Other business owners chimed in, saying, “Yes, I feel this.” A year later, she actually launched the Ordinary Business Summit…born entirely from Threads connections and community support.
Why Threads works for her:
It’s where her people are. There are lots of “ordinary” business owners who want a more authentic platform.
The algorithm favors engagement, not follower count. Threads shows your content to people based on who engages with topics you post about, not based on how many followers you have. This means a thoughtful, relatable post can reach thousands of people without a massive audience.
It’s where partnerships happen. Jess has gained collaborators, referral partners, and friends through Threads. These aren’t transactional relationships. They’re real connections with people who understand her values and what she’s building.
Authenticity is the strategy. You don’t need to optimize for Threads. You just need to show up as yourself. Talk about the real challenges of running a business. Share the moments that don’t make it to Instagram. Let people see who you actually are.
Conclusion
14+ years of consistent client bookings. Pays herself a comfy salary every month. Is able to take a nap on a random Tuesday afternoon. And it was all built without paid ads or a large team. Jess Freeman has proven that organic marketing works in a way that lasts and fits her lifestyle.
Organic marketing requires consistency, specificity, and authenticity. It requires showing up regularly and answering the questions your people are actually asking. It requires building real relationships and trusting that good work gets recommended.
Most importantly, organic marketing works even when you’re not actively marketing. When you take a day off, a weekend, a vacation—your blog posts are still bringing in leads. Your Threads connections are still paying dividends. Your referral relationships are still generating opportunities.
Ready to spot the gaps in your messaging that might be blocking conversions? Join my free “Why Isn’t This Converting?” 5-Day Challenge and discover how to position your expertise in a way that attracts aligned clients.
FAQ
Do I really need to stop using email marketing?
No. Email marketing is helpful, but it’s not necessarily the only path. For some service providers, email is their primary client source. For others, like Jess, it’s a supporting touchpoint. Look at your actual data. Where do your clients come from? If email is working, keep it. If it’s not, don’t force it. Redirect that energy to channels that are actually bringing results.
How long does it take to see results from SEO blogging?
This depends on how much SEO authority your website already has. If you’re starting from scratch, expect 3-6 months before you see meaningful organic traffic. If you’ve been building SEO for years, new posts can start ranking within weeks. The key is consistency. Publish regularly, be specific, and answer real questions. Results will follow.
Can I really get clients from ChatGPT and AI recommendations?
Yes. You get clients from AI recommendations when your content is specific and helpful enough that an AI thinks it’s worth citing. Focus on creating content that directly answers the questions your ideal clients are asking. Write about your niche in detail. Show your expertise.
How often should I blog if I’m just starting out?
Aim for 1-2 blog posts per week for the first 2-3 months to build momentum and signal to Google that your site is active. After that, slow down to what’s sustainable for you—every other week or once a month. Consistency matters more than frequency. It’s better to publish once a month forever than to burn out after two months.
Is Threads actually useful for getting clients?
For Jess, Threads is more useful for building relationships and partnerships than for direct sales. She’s gotten 1-2 direct clients from Threads, but countless referral partners and collaborators. If you want to build community, find partners, and increase your visibility organically, Threads is valuable. Show up as yourself, be relatable, and let the connections happen naturally.
What if my niche is too broad for specific blogging?
Specificity is what helps you rank, what helps AI recommend you, and what helps you attract aligned clients. For example, “web design” is too broad. “Web design for therapists” or “Web design for health practitioners” is specific. Own your specific audience. The key is understanding what your audience is searching for and answering those questions in your content.
Can I use AI writing tools to speed up blog writing?
Yes, but with caution. AI tools are great for generating ideas, outlines, and first drafts. They’re less useful for capturing your voice and your specific expertise. The best approach is to use AI for brainstorming and structure, then rewrite in your own words. Your unique perspective and experience are what make your content worth citing. Don’t let AI remove that. Here are 8 Smart Ways To Use ChatGPT For Copywriting That Converts Better While Still Sounding On Brand.
How do I know if organic marketing is working for me?
Track these metrics: organic traffic to your website, the sources of your new clients (where they found you), engagement rates on Threads or Instagram, and how long clients stay with you (lifetime value). If you see organic traffic increasing, new clients mentioning they found you through search or Threads, and clients staying longer, organic marketing is working.
What if I don’t have 14 years to build organic marketing?
You don’t need 14 years to see results. After 3-6 months of consistent, specific blogging, you should see organic traffic. After 1-2 years, you’ll likely have enough content that organic becomes a reliable lead source. The timeline depends on your starting point, how specific your niche is, and how consistently you publish. Start now, and you’ll benefit sooner than you think.
Ready to build your own organic marketing strategy? Start with your audience. What questions are they asking you directly? What pain points do they mention? Turn those conversations into blog posts.
Join my free 5-day challenge and get clear on how to position your expertise so the right clients find you.
Connect With Our Guest, Jess Freeman of Jess Creatives and The Ordinary Business
Jess Freeman is a web designer and SEO strategist who has been helping experts build websites that actually match their expertise for over 14 years. If you work with health professionals—therapists, dietitians, physical therapists—or if you’re a coach or consultant looking for a web designer who understands both design and search engine optimization, Jess is who you need. She builds beautiful websites that get you found, trusted, and booked. You can connect with her on Threads and Instagram at @JessCreatives, where she shares honest, relatable takes on running a business without the hustle.
Jess is also the host of The Ordinary Business podcast, where she’s having real conversations with business owners who are making less than $300,000 per year and want to stay there. Because success isn’t always about scaling to seven figures. Sometimes it’s about building a business that pays the bills, leaves room for your family, your health, your hobbies, and the freedom to take a Friday off. The Ordinary Business is one of the few podcasts I actually listen to these days—the realness is unmatched. If you want to hear more about sustainable business models and what it really looks like to run a thriving service business without the burnout, listen to The Ordinary Business podcast on Apple Podcasts.
