Your well designed coaching or educational website will convince the world of the value of your services, causing your calendar to burst at the seams, and your cup to runneth over. But first, potential clients must become aware that you exist.
A major component of this effort is organic search results, and to excel in this department, it’s important to understand search engine optimization (SEO). The world needs you, they just don’t know it yet. Heed these five hot tips and improve your search results significantly.
If any of this information is overwhelming or confusing, we’d love to talk! Just click the button below to book a time with our team.
Table of Contents
Target the Right Keywords for the Coaching Industry
A central aspect of SEO is targeting keywords people are searching for. Google results are, of course, based upon the words or phrases entered by the searcher. Before you can optimize your site for these search terms, you must identify them.
People who know exactly what they’re looking for often use specific search terms such as ‘life coach’ or ‘fitness instructor’. Not to be overlooked, however, are terms relating to problems, solutions, or situations. Examples could include ‘how to get hired’ or ‘why can’t I get in shape?’
The key to search term success is to pick your battles wisely. Ranking high for universally coveted terms such as ‘life coach’ will require a massive expenditure of both time and money in competing against companies ranking for the same term. Don’t despair because people use many different search terms and a high ranking is achievable for many of them. Tools such as Google Ads Keyword Planner or SEMRush Keyword Magic Tool help you determine how frequently various terms are searched, and how steep the competition is.
Remember: Consider intent. Is someone searching a particular term truly likely to be interested in your services, or are they looking for something else? For a strong clue, simply Google the term yourself and examine the types of results Google provides.
Embed the Keywords Throughout Your Website (But Don’t Stuff)
Now that you’ve chosen a couple of keywords or phrases for each page of your website, it’s time to put them to use.
Referred as On-Page SEO, there are many areas that you can include them, but consider following areas:
- Page title
- Page URL
- Meta Description
- Page headings and subheadings
- Alt text for any images
- Throughout the content (naturally)
Remember: Don’t be guilty of ‘keyword stuffing’. Google runs a sophisticated operation, and if you’re simply cramming keywords into your text by repeating the same word over, they will know, and will punish you. Read what you’ve written. If it doesn’t sound natural to you, Google won’t like it either. Consider using synonyms of the keyword if it will sound more natural.
Add New and Useful Content to Your Coaching Website
Is it not reasonable to assume that a busy restaurant is better than an empty one? Google works the same way. New content, be it blogs, videos, or otherwise, is an indication that your website is a happening spot, worthy of their recommendation.
Coaching websites are the perfect place for inspirational, informational, educational content, so don’t be shy! Stay on top of trends or areas of concern by following forums, using tools such as answerthepublic.com, or by simply listening to your clients! Always include a catchy title that also utilizes keywords. (Say, ‘Attn Coaches! 5 Hot Tips to Boost Your SEO’, for example).
Not only will this treasure trove of useful material help your SEO efforts, it will position you as a knowledgeable, helpful, and trustworthy expert.
As you amass a wealth of content, remember to hyperlink your other postings, which shows Google (and readers!) that you’re not just a one off, but a comprehensive learning resource.
Remember: Choose topics that are relevant to your service offerings, and conclude your postings with a call to action. (Spoiler alert, that’s how this post ends)
Solicit Backlinks (Tastefully)
When other websites add links to your content, this sends a signal to Google that you’re a worthy destination, earning you a little boost. (With that in mind, should you ever mention SEO, feel free to link this posting!)
As a coach, you’ve probably got plenty to say, so a little networking can help you position yourself as an expert, gaining you exposure and links as a podcast guest or reliable quote source. Remember to keep it classy. Avoid spamming people with backlink requests, or setting up dummy blogs to plug your website. Instead, focus on being a valued member of your industry’s community, providing testimonials, and participating through avenues such as LinkedIn and Facebook.
Remember: The links should be relevant, so please avoid purchasing backlinks or striking up link trades with a hundred different websites and turning your content into an unreadable backlink bulletin board.
Don’t Ignore User Experience or Technical SEO
Being easy to get along with will help your website make friends. To accomplish this, there are many technical SEO tactics that you can follow, including ensuring that it’s mobile friendly, that it loads quickly, is free of broken links, is easy to navigate, and that Google can crawl and index it.
A great user experience also increases engagement and time spent on the website.
Remember: Websites should look great on all screens, including mobile. Browse your site using all of your devices and take notes on the experience.
Getting Started
Search engine optimization is a comprehensive and ongoing process. That’s why all of our design projects include a keyword study during the early stages to get things started on the right foot. We also offer maintenance and content creation packages to keep the ball rolling.
Get your coaching website noticed and grow your business today