![Coach: use SEO so everyone can find you on internet [SEO checklist]](http://onlineyougrow.com/cdn/shop/articles/cov-seo-checklist-5_99cd0202-14cf-4301-a5c6-083dc43d6a61.png?v=1715867256&width=1100)
SEO isn't just for tech giants and e-commerce sites—it's a powerful tool that top coaches around the world use strategically to attract clients.
We understand that you're busy focusing on your clients and the thought of optimizing your online presence might feel like an added burden.
But here's the thing: you don't need to be an SEO expert or spend a fortune to make it work. Just a few simple steps can significantly improve your online visibility and bring more clients to your coaching practice.
To assist you, we have created a free SEO checklist - and for a comprehensive action plan, please check our pack of marketing tactics and strategies for coaches.
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What is SEO for coaches exactly?
Simply put, SEO is all about making your coaching website more attractive to search engines like Google.
When someone searches for "best life coach in [Your Town]" or "career coaching services," SEO helps your coaching practice show up in the results. The goal is to get your website higher up on the search results page so more people can find and connect with your coaching services.
Why is SEO Important for Coaches?
SEO is incredibly important for coaches, and here’s why:
- Increased Online Visibility:
The higher your website ranks on search engines, the more people will see it. This means more potential clients discovering your coaching services online, especially when they're looking for guidance and support.
- Higher Rankings on Search Engines:
Most people don’t look past the first page of search results. By optimizing your site, you can climb those rankings and stand out from the competition. Imagine someone searching for "top business coach near me" and finding your practice right at the top!
- Attracting More Local Clients:
SEO isn't just about getting anyone to your site—it's about getting the right people. Local SEO helps ensure that when someone nearby searches for coaching services, your practice pops up. This means more local clients and more opportunities to make a difference in your community.
Key Components of SEO
Now, let’s break down the main parts of SEO specifically for your coaching practice:
On-Page SEO
This involves making sure the content on your website is optimized. It includes things like:
- Keywords:
Using the words and phrases people are searching for in your titles, descriptions, and content. For example, if you offer career coaching, make sure you use phrases like "career coaching services" or "professional development coach" on your site.
- Content Quality:
Providing useful, engaging, and fresh content about your coaching practice. Share your coaching philosophy, success stories, upcoming workshops, and tips for personal and professional growth.
- Meta Tags:
Using meta titles and descriptions that are relevant and appealing to searchers. For instance, a meta description for your homepage could be "Achieve your goals with [Your Coaching Practice Name], the top-rated life coach in [Your Town]."
Off-Page SEO
This focuses on actions taken outside your website to impact your rankings:
- Backlinks:
Getting other reputable websites to link to your site, which signals to search engines that your site is trustworthy and relevant. This could be from industry blogs, local news sites, or professional associations.
- Social Media:
Being active on social media with your coaching practice’s page can drive traffic to your site and improve your online presence. Share client testimonials, coaching tips, and upcoming events to engage with your audience.
Technical SEO
This ensures your website meets the technical requirements of search engines:
- Site Speed:
Making sure your website loads quickly. No one likes to wait, especially potential clients looking for your services!
- Mobile-Friendliness:
Ensuring your site looks and works well on mobile devices. Many people search for coaching services on their phones while on the go.
- Secure Website (HTTPS):
Having a secure website that users (and search engines) can trust. This is especially important if you have an online booking or payment system.
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Which keywords should you target for your coaching business?
Coaches, like you, must target specific keywords in SEO because it helps your website appear in search results when potential clients look for the type of coaching or expertise you offer. This increases the chances that people will find and engage with your coaching services.
For example, if you specialize in career coaching, targeting keywords like "best career coach" or "career coaching near me" helps attract clients searching for those terms. This makes it easier for people interested in career development to find your services online.
Here are some keyword ideas for you. If you want a more developed strategy with actionable steps, go check out our strategy pack for coaches.
| Keyword | Competitiveness Level | Tips and Initiatives |
|---|---|---|
| Best [Coaching Type] in [Your City] | High | Optimize your website with testimonials, gather client reviews, list on local directories, and use local SEO strategies. |
| Where to find [Coaching Service] | Medium | Create blog posts or pages on your website highlighting your services, use keywords naturally in content, and engage with local influencers. |
| Coaching with good reviews near me | Medium | Use client testimonials, gather positive reviews, and ensure your Google My Business profile is complete. |
| Best place for [Coaching Type] in [Your City] | Medium | Feature specific coaching types prominently on your website (e.g., life coaching, business coaching), use local SEO tactics, and promote success stories on social media. |
| [Your Coaching Type] coach in [Your City] | High | Highlight unique aspects of your coaching, create SEO-friendly content about your services, and engage with the local community online. |
| Top-rated [Coaching Type] near me | High | Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews, optimize your website for mobile, and ensure accurate information on local listings. |
| Affordable [Coaching Type] in [Your City] | Low | Highlight affordable options and packages on your website, use keywords related to value, and promote deals on social media. |
| Where to find [Coaching Service] near me | Medium | Use local SEO strategies, create content around popular coaching topics, and ensure your website is optimized for mobile users searching nearby. |
| Popular [Coaching Type] in [Your City] | Medium | Use social media to share success stories, engage with local influencers, and gather client testimonials to build credibility. |
| Best [Coaching Type] for families in [Your City] | Low | Create family-friendly content, highlight services for families on your website, and host family-themed workshops to generate buzz. |
What really matters when you do SEO for a coach
Actually, we think that SEO often follows the 80/20 rule, meaning that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. For coaches, like you, this means it's crucial to focus on the right strategies to maximise impact without feeling overwhelmed.
| Action / Initiative | Why It Matters / How It Helps Attract New Clients |
|---|---|
| Optimize Google My Business profile | Ensures your coaching services appear in local search results, provides essential information (hours, location, services), and collects reviews to build trust. |
| Gather and respond to online reviews | Positive reviews build credibility and trust. Responding to reviews shows you value client feedback, encouraging more people to seek your coaching services. |
| Create high-quality content with targeted keywords | Helps your website rank higher in search results for relevant queries, attracting clients looking for specific types of coaching or expertise. |
| Optimize for local SEO | Ensures your coaching services show up in local searches (e.g., "life coach near me"), driving inquiries from nearby potential clients. |
| Ensure website is mobile-friendly | Most users search for services on their phones. A mobile-friendly site provides a better user experience, leading to higher engagement and conversions. |
| Use high-quality images of coaching sessions and testimonials | Attractive photos and testimonials entice potential clients, showcasing your expertise and the positive impact of your coaching, which can significantly influence their decision to contact you. |
| Include detailed service descriptions with keywords | Allows search engines to index your services, helping you appear in searches for specific coaching needs, and makes it easy for clients to understand what you offer. |
| List your coaching services on local directories | Increases your online presence and backlinks, improving your search engine ranking and making it easier for clients to find you. |
| Engage with local bloggers and influencers | Generates buzz and word-of-mouth, reaching a wider audience and attracting clients who trust these local voices. |
| Promote workshops and special coaching programs | Creates a sense of urgency and excitement, encouraging potential clients to sign up for unique coaching experiences. |
| Utilize social media to share updates and engage with clients | Builds a community around your coaching practice, keeps clients informed about new offerings, and drives traffic to your website. |
| Ensure accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all platforms | Prevents confusion, helps search engines trust your business information, and improves your local SEO ranking. |
| Offer online booking and consultations | Makes it convenient for clients to schedule sessions or consultations, leading to increased bookings and client engagement. |
| Create blog posts about your coaching methods and success stories | Attracts visitors to your site through informative and engaging content, improving SEO and showcasing what makes your coaching unique. |
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What is always useless when you do SEO for a coach
We have studied a lot of coaching businesses when we built our strategy pack and we saw a lot of SEO-related initiatives that don't help attract new clients. We explain here why they might be a waste of time or even counterproductive.
| Action / Initiative | Why It Doesn't Matter / How It Doesn't Help Bring New Clients |
|---|---|
| Using meta keyword tags | Search engines no longer use meta keyword tags to rank pages, so focusing on them doesn't improve SEO for your coaching business. |
| Keyword stuffing in service descriptions | Overusing keywords in service descriptions makes them hard to read and can be penalized by search engines, turning away potential clients. |
| Paying for backlinks from unrelated websites | Backlinks from non-coaching related or low-quality websites don't improve your SEO and can even hurt your ranking if considered spammy by search engines. |
| Using exact match domains like bestlifecoach.com | Having an exact match domain has minimal impact on SEO and can appear spammy, especially if it doesn't reflect your brand well. |
| Creating multiple pages for the same service offerings | Duplicate content confuses search engines and can dilute your SEO efforts. Focus on one high-quality page for each unique service or topic. |
| Using Flash for booking or testimonial pages | Flash is outdated, not supported by many devices, and negatively impacts SEO. Modern alternatives like HTML5 should be used instead. |
| Focusing only on desktop optimization | Many clients search for coaching services on mobile devices. Ignoring mobile optimization leads to poor user experience and lower search rankings. |
| Using automated link-building tools | These tools often create low-quality or spammy links that can be penalized by search engines, hurting your coaching business's SEO efforts. |
| Ignoring structured data for services | Structured data helps search engines understand your services better. Ignoring it means missing out on potential SEO benefits like rich snippets. |
| Not updating your service offerings regularly | Outdated service information can frustrate clients and harm your SEO. Regular updates keep content relevant and maintain search rankings. |
| Using irrelevant stock photos on your site | Low-quality or irrelevant images can negatively impact user experience and SEO. Use high-quality photos of your actual coaching sessions and events. |
| Over-optimizing anchor text in links | Using exact match keywords for every link appears unnatural and can be penalized by search engines. Use varied, natural anchor text instead. |
| Ignoring page load speed for your website | Slow-loading pages frustrate users and can lead to higher bounce rates, negatively impacting your coaching business's SEO. Ensure your site loads quickly. |
| Using too many ads above the fold on your homepage | Too many ads at the top of the page can be off-putting for users and may be penalized by search engines, impacting your SEO negatively. |
Should you pay someone for the SEO of your coaching business?
Well, we will be transparent. Here’s the thing: SEO can get pretty complex, and having some support can really make a difference. Imagine trying to juggle coaching your clients, developing personalized plans, keeping up with industry trends, and then on top of that, diving into the world of search engine optimization. It’s a lot, right?
Having someone handle your SEO means you can focus on what you do best—coaching your clients. SEO experts know the ins and outs of getting your website to rank higher on search engines. They stay updated on the latest trends and algorithms, which means your site will be optimized correctly and consistently. This can lead to more people finding your coaching services online, and ultimately, more clients seeking your expertise.
- But here’s the kicker: there are a lot of low-hanging fruits in SEO that you can tackle on your own, even if you don’t know much about it.
You will find a lot of low-hanging fruits that cost nothing, are quick to implement, and will make your coaching website much more visible in strategy pack for coaches.
Simple actions like optimizing your Google My Business profile, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, and using relevant keywords can significantly improve your online presence. These tasks don't require deep technical knowledge but can make a big impact.
So, should you increase the marketing budget of your coaching business and pay someone to manage your SEO? If you can do it, it’s a worthwhile investment. But don't underestimate what you can achieve on your own. Start with the basics, see the results, and then decide if you need more specialized help.
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Useful tools coaches can use for their SEO
Here are some essential tools that our team has collected and listed, to help you enhance your coaching business's online presence and SEO.
| Tool | How It's Useful |
|---|---|
| Google My Business | Ensures your coaching business appears in local search results and Google Maps, provides essential information (hours, location, services), and collects client reviews. |
| SEMrush | Helps identify the best keywords for your coaching services, analyze competitors, and track your search rankings. Provides insights to improve your content and visibility. |
| Yext | Manages your coaching business's listings across multiple directories, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information to boost local SEO. |
| Google Search Console | Monitors your coaching website's performance, identifies issues, and provides data on search traffic and keywords to optimize your SEO strategy. |
| Yelp | Collects client reviews and ratings, which improve your coaching business's online reputation and visibility in local search results. |
| BrightLocal | Offers tools for local SEO audits, citation building, and review management, helping your coaching business improve its local search presence. |
| Moz | Provides keyword research, link building, and site audit tools to enhance your coaching business's SEO efforts and improve search engine rankings. |
| Ahrefs | Analyzes your coaching business's backlink profile, identifies top-performing content, and tracks keyword rankings to boost your SEO strategy. |
| Screaming Frog SEO Spider | Crawls your coaching website to identify technical SEO issues, such as broken links and duplicate content, helping improve site health and rankings. |
| AnswerThePublic | Generates content ideas by showing what people are searching for related to your coaching services, helping you create relevant and engaging blog posts and pages. |
| Canva | Helps create visually appealing social media posts and graphics for your website, which can improve user engagement and indirectly boost SEO. |
| Hotjar | Provides insights into user behavior on your coaching website through heatmaps and session recordings, helping you optimize user experience and reduce bounce rates. |
Copy the SEO tactics of the best coaches
We understand why many coaches might shy away from SEO and marketing.
Managing a coaching business is already a full-time job, and the concept of SEO can seem vague and foreign. The terminology can be confusing, and it often feels like marketing is a luxury only big corporations can afford.
Plus, there's the constant worry about costs and whether any marketing efforts will actually pay off. We get that you prefer to focus on immediate, tangible improvements to your coaching practice rather than dive into something that seems complicated and uncertain. No need to deteriorate your coaching budget here.
That's why we've created a "marketing pack" specifically for coaches like you.
Our pack is designed to address all these concerns head-on. It includes easy-to-follow guides that break down SEO and marketing into simple steps, so you don't need to be a tech expert to understand. We offer cost-effective strategies that fit within tight budgets, and our step-by-step plans ensure that you can implement a good marketing strategy for your coaching business without feeling overwhelmed.
Plus, we've included real-life examples and tips that have worked for other small coaching practices, so you can see the tangible benefits before you even start.
Our goal is to make marketing accessible and practical, helping your coaching business thrive without adding extra stress to your already busy life.
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