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Top SEO Keyword Research Strategies For Online Coaches

Updated: Aug 18, 2024



You've landed here because you've been on a hunt for answers about keyword research. You might have typed stuff like "how to do keyword research" into Google - hoping for clear directions.


In this guide, I’ll help you cut through the confusion. I'll give you the info you need. It will be clear, easy, and free of technical jargon.

In this post, we will be covering:


Oh, and if you want to dive deeper into writing killer blogs that attract your dream clients and boost your website traffic, check out my SEO Amigas Heroes Clubonly $97 a month! 🎉


So, let's dive in!


Why Is Keyword Research Important?

If you've been blogging for your coaching business for a while or are just getting started, understanding keyword research is like getting into your dream clients' heads, because you can find out exactly what your dream clients are typing and make sure those keywords are written throughout your website.


If your keyword research is done right you will;

  • Attract the right visitors

  • Increase website visibility

  • Save time guessing what to write about next

  • Have a competitive advantage because your research will allow you to know exactly What your audience is searching for - if it makes you too keep you updated of what your audience really want.



Think of keywords as the questions your ideal audience is asking. For instance, if you write about career coaching, potential keywords could include "how to switch careers in your 30s," "resume tips for career changers," or "best careers for work-life balance."


So, why are keywords important? Because if you don't know what your dream clients are searching for, they won't find your website. It's like having a store with no sign = no customers!



What to Do Before You Start Doing SEO Keyword Research For your Online Coaching Business


Before diving into keyword research and spending hours searching for the top keywords, do two crucial things first.



Keyword Relevancy

When considering keyword relevance, focus on the foundation of your coaching business— your core offering.


Let's take my example:

I come across two sets of keywords:

  1. “Best SEO strategies for coaches”

  2. “SEO for LinkedIn”

Both offer a great chance to drive traffic. But, will writing about both lead those visitors to sign up for one of my SEO Programs?

No, and here's why:

Because one of them isn't relevant to my core offer.


One easy method I use in my SEO strategies is a scale system from 1 to 3 (1 = low, 2 = moderate, 3 = high).


For every keyword you find, ask yourself:

“On a scale of 1 to 3, how relevant is this keyword to my core offer?”

In my case, “Best SEO strategies for a coaching business” would be a 3 because it’s a part of my offer.


Search Intent Optimization

When your dream clients search online, they want to reach to specific goal. This is called search intent.


There are four types of search intent:

  1. Informational

  2. Navigational

  3. Transactional

  4. Commercial


For search intent I want you to focus on transactional and commercial keywords. Why? Because they have the hightes probability of converting.


If you only rank for navigational keywords, that's a good sign you need to work on your content and keyword strategy. This guide will help you with that.


Example of Transactional Keywords

Your dream client is looking to complete a task or complete a purchase.


They already know what they want to buy, and they just want to jump right to your service page.

Common keywords used:

  • Buy ....

  • Cheap...

  • Deal...

  • Discount...

  • Sign up...

  • Product/service names...


Example of Commercial Keywords

Your dream client is looking to compare and research your services with the intent to buy soon.


Common keywords used:

  • Best..

  • [service] review.

  • Top...

  • [service 1] vs [service 2]

  • [service] for [title]

  • Pros and Cons of ...


Example of informational Keywords

Your dream client is looking to gather information or learn about a topic.


Common keywords used:

  • How to...

  • Best way to...

  • Why...

  • Tips...

  • Benefits...

Use informational keywords to built topic authority, drive brand awareness, and support your commercial keywords and transactional keywords.


Example of Navigational Keywords

  • "(you website) login"

  • "(brand name) home page"


Knowing search intent helps you choose the right keywords. This means your content meets what your dream clients are looking for.


Now that you grasp the concept of search intent, keyword research becomes even more powerful!


I use step-by-step training with templates. It shows how to find and add these keywords to each blog inside my monthly membership, SEO Amigas Heroes Club.


How To Start Your SEO Keyword Research?

Now that we've laid the groundwork and understand what steps to take before diving into keyword research, let's start by utilizing what we already have at our disposal before looking elsewhere for keywords.


Check Your Current Rankings

For this step, you need to have Google search console connected to your website. If you haven't done it yet, follow this guide on how to install Google Search Console.


There's a hidden gem inside your Google search console that lets you see which keywords you're currently ranking for.


This helps you brainstorm ideas to improve existing content. It also helps you create new pieces. Both should align with your audience's needs and search intent. They are a chance to drive more traffic to conversion pages.


If you're not ranking for any keywords besides your brand name, then start with seed keywords.




Finding Your Seed Keywords

Seed keywords are the basic terms that best describe your core offer. Think of them as the foundation of your content.


For example:

For a career coach, a seed keyword could be "online career coaching." "Job search Coaching"


Generally, seed keywords have high search volume, and while you might think that adding your seed keyword will automatically get you tons of traffic, it's not true. They are broad and hard to compete with, especially if you're a new website or have an unoptimized website.


Instead go for these type of keywords explain on the next section.


Low Hanging Fruit and Long-Tail Keywords


These are my favorite types of keywords. They make my clients quickly improve their website’s search engine visibility and rank higher and faster on search results.


They are longer and more specific keywords that your dream clients are more likely to use when searching for your coaching program.




Why are they great?

They are easy to rank and have low competition. They also have high conversion potential.


Here are a few methods for finding these keywords:

  • Taking a look at your current rankings

  • Services related to your core business

  • What phrases do your clients use to describe your services?

  • Are you targeting more than one audience?


Long-Tail Keywords: Related Terms and Synonyms


Going back to the previous career coaching blog example: focusing ONLY on the "career coach" keyword in your content might be too broad and competitive. That's where long-tail keywords come in.


Long-tail keywords:

  • Are longer and more specific than your main/seed keyword.

  • Target a narrow niche within your broader career coaching topic.

  • Are less competitive, making it easier to rank for them.

  • Attract a more targeted audience actively searching for specific information.


These long-tail keywords are often formed by exploring related terms and synonyms connected to your seed keyword.


For example:

Long-Tail Keywords for career coaches:

  • "Best online career coaching for mid-career professionals"

  • "Interview coaching for entry-level graduates"


By leveraging related terms and synonyms, you can expand your keyword list and create more specific long-tail keywords tailored to your dream clients' needs and preferences.


Where To Find These Types of Keywords

Leverage Google Suggest (Autocomplete)


Begin by typing your main keyword into the Google search bar.

As you type, Google will suggest phrases based on common searches.

These suggestions are a treasure trove of related terms and potential long-tail keywords.


Analyze "People Also Ask" and "Searches Related To" Sections


  • After performing a search on your main keyword, scroll down to the bottom of the search results page.

  • You'll find two sections: "People Also Ask" and "Searches Related To."

  • These sections provide valuable insights into specific questions users have. They cover topics users are interested in. They serve as sources of inspiration for long-tail keywords.


Use Your Clients' Direct Feedback:

Use direct feedback from your clients, including insights from conversations and sales calls. Pay attention to their questions, concerns, and the language they use to describe their situations and your services.


Incorporating your clients’ feedback is invaluable for generating content ideas and identifying keywords. You'll likely compile a long list of keywords to write your next blog. 


But, I go further. I get inspiration from my competitors' keyword rankings. which I'll explain how in the next section.



Analyzing Your Competitors: How to find and learn from competitors' keywords


You should always pay attention to what your competitors do well, especially keyword rankings. It's not about copying exactly what they're doing; it's about understanding what strategies work in your industry and using them as inspiration to fill the gaps.


Identify content topics they may not be covering or outdated information.


Look for specific problems that no one is addressing. Finding these gaps allows you to stand out and gain an advantage over them.


Play detective and observe details like blog structure, media used, types of CTAs, and how and where they use keywords.


Gather as much data as possible to identify gaps you can leverage and start writing content about. Perhaps they cover a topic but miss out on discussing a specific challenge faced by your dream clients that you could address. 


Use this opportunity to stand out, especially in topics where everyone else is writing similar content.


How Long Does Keyword Research Take?

Like any skill, keyword research takes practice. If you're new to the process, it might take some time to get the hang of it. On average, a beginner can take from 5 to 10 hours to do thorough keyword research for a single blog post.


But, once you establish your foundation and develop a system, this time can be reduced to 2 to 3 hours per post. Keep in mind that efficiency comes with practice, so be patient with yourself as you learn the ropes.


For step-by-step guidance and templates to gather keywords, join my SEO Amigas Heroes Club membership.


How To Organizing And Prioritizing Your Keywords Research

Efficiency is key when it comes to keyword research. Establishing systems can streamline your process, ensuring that research doesn't consume the majority of your time for each blog post.


To organize and prioritize your keywords effectively, you can use your own dataset and apply a scale system to evaluate the relevancy and potential of each keyword.


Here’s how you can do it:

  • Begin by gathering keywords from various sources such as Google Suggest, "People Also Ask," competitors' keywords, client feedback, and frequently asked questions. Consolidate these keywords into one comprehensive dataset.


  • Use the scale system describe in this guide. Check each keyword by its importance to your main topic. Also check by its potential to drive traffic and how competitive it is.


  • Group related keywords into clusters around your main theme or topic. These clusters will help you take a more focused and strategic approach to your content creation.


  • From your keyword clusters, make content topics. They should cover many related keywords in each cluster. For example, if one of your keyword clusters is "career change tips," your topics might include "How to Successfully Change Careers After 40" or "Top Strategies for a Midlife Career Change."



Use a system to collect, evaluate, and organize your keywords. This will help you prioritize your keyword research and make content that fits your SEO strategy.


For step-by-step guidance and templates to gather keywords efficiently, join my SEO Amigas Heroes Club membership.


How to Track Success From your SEO Keyword Research

Continuous improvement is essential for staying ahead in the SEO game. While I aim for a consistent approach, the level of monitoring and analysis required varies based on factors such as:

  • Stay informed about industry news, trends, and updates that may impact your keyword strategy.


  • Use website analytics tools to track which keywords are driving traffic to your blog. This data can highlight keywords that are performing well and areas where improvement is needed.


  • Monitor your website's search engine results page position alongside competitors' rankings. This helps you stay proactive in adjusting your keyword strategy to maintain or improve your ranking.


For peace of mind, track performance for the first month after publishing your blog. Then, do it every 3-6 months, depending on how competitive your keyword is. Monitor your keywords often. This ensures your content stays strong. Adjust as needed to beat the competition.


FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)


Is There A Specific Place Around My Blog That I Should Place My Keywords?

Yes, you should strategically place your target keywords in key areas of your blog for optimal SEO impact. Use your header tags (H1, H2, etc.) to focus your target keywords prominently in titles and subheadings throughout your content. This helps search engines understand the main topics of your blog and improves the relevance of your content to the targeted keywords.


Inside my membership, I provide templates for blog structures that include keyword mapping, ensuring your content is effectively optimized for SEO.

How Many Keywords Should I Focus On For Each Blog?

What Is Keyword Stuffing?

Should I Use ChatGPT For Keyword Research?

What Are The Best SEO Keyword Research Tools I Can Use?


Sonia Urquilla

SEO Coach for Online Female Coaches

My mission is to simplify SEO for you, making it effective and stress-free.

I’ve noticed many female coaches feel overwhelmed by SEO and stop blogging.


I’ve helped clients increase impressions by 180%, rank #1 on Google, and generate leads.


That's why I created the SEO Amigas Heroes Club, a membership program that provides step-by-step training with templates to help you find and integrate high-converting keywords into your blog.




Wrapping It Up

You've made it through this entire ultimate guide to How To Find High Converting SEO Keywords For Online Coaches, and it's time to pat yourself on the back and grab a cookie.


Implementing these strategies and techniques discussed here isn't just about finding keywords; it's about transforming your blog into a magnet for your dream clients, so they can't stop binging on your content and inquire to work with you.


Want a simple, no-fluff & no-jargon approach to writing killer blogs that bring in dream client traffic & leads? Join SEO Amigas Heroes Club—only $97 a month! 🎉


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