As an online coach and business owner you likely have heard the term SEO thrown around a lot. You might even be wondering why you should care because let’s be honest, your to-do list is already never ending.

I get it and so I’m going to give you an detailed yet understandable breakdown of what SEO is, basic steps to get it setup and advanced tactics to level it up.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is all about optimizing your website to make it more visible and relevant to search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Duck Duck Go (yes it’s real) and so on.

When someone types words into the search bar of their search engine. The engine opens it’s virtual filling cabinet and starts crawling through all available websites to find the most relevant and useful information.

SEO helps you rank high on the search engine results page (SERP) for specific keywords and phrases related to your business. The higher you rank, the more visibility and traffic you get.

It’s also important to remind you that when you search “strength training program” in Google, more than websites appear. YouTube videos, Instagram posts, books from Amazon…etc. SEO is not limited to your website and many of the tactics we will review can be applied to your other business accounts.

What is SEO – TLDR

If you want to be found when someone searches for specific keywords, you need quality SEO tactics to rank above your competition on the search results page.

SEO is not limited to your website and other sites like YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram all have their own internal version. These other platforms also appear in the search results page so it’s important to not isolate SEO principles to just your website. Basic principles do crossover.

How Online Coaches Can Implement SEO Without Starting a Blog

Myth: You have to start a blog to rank well. LIES! Blogging is valuable and has it’s place but it’s not the end all be all. I repeat: Starting a blog is not the only way to implement SEO.

You can start by optimizing your existing pages, creating high-quality content, employing strategic keywords, and enhancing user experience. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Conduct Keyword Research

SEO depends on relevant keywords. It’s these keywords that search engines use in their internal filing system to find you and present you to those searching.

Research and select the keywords and phrases that describe your business, your services, and the content you provide. Our favorite online tools are Google Keyword Planner and Moz Keyword Explorer. Use them to research what people are actually searching for.

Next step: Use these relevant keywords and phrases throughout your website copy and other content.

Optimize Your Website Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Your page titles and meta descriptions are the first things that people see on the SERP. Make sure that they clearly describe your content with relevant keywords in 60 characters or less. Optimize them to make them more clickable and compelling.

Example of a meta description from a client. This meta description was written for her homepage.

Boob to Food is your all-in-one resource for family and baby nutrition guidance, education, and inspiration. We’ll help make the shift to solids easy with wholesome foods that benefit your little one’s well-being.

Next step: Write thoughtful keyword-rich meta descriptions and add them to your website.

Create High-Quality Content

Are you currently posting on Instagram? Uploading YouTube videos? Creating pins on Pinterest? Then you’re already creating content! High-five friend.

Content not only attracts potential customers but also helps improve your rankings. Be sure your content is well researched, engaging, and informative. Use relevant keywords through your content, descriptions, tags, categories…etc. but also ensure to not stuff them to the point it feels forced.

Next steps: Sprinkle those keywords throughout your content naturally.

Improve Website User Experience

Make your website easy to use, navigate and mobile-friendly. If you just read those three words and cringed then let us help you!

This helps improve your website traffic, dwell time, and engagement rates. Make sure your website is easy to navigate and read by cleaning your website of unnecessary information. Maybe you’re reading that list and feeling overwhelmed. Don’t worry, we can take care of that for you! Book your free 1:1 Design Roadmap call with Lizzy to chat about what’s holding you back and your next steps.

Next steps: Create a seamless website experience for your leads and visitors.

Our Top Tips to Build Upon Your Current SEO

If you already have implemented the basic SEO techniques and are interested in leveling up your game, here are our favorite advanced tips you can use:

Build Backlinks

Backlinks are the links on other high-authority websites that link back to your website. This is essential for improving your ranking in a search engine. Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to research the top-ranking websites that are related to your business and reach out to them about linking to your site (remember to keep it personalized!)

Monitor Your Analytics

Install a website analytics tool like Google Analytics (it’s free!) and HotJar to help you monitor your website performance. Analyze your visitor’s behavior, most viewed pages, and the traffic source. This information is helpful in guiding you on what to improve and what to prioritize (for higher traffic.)

SEO can seem overwhelming, but once you understand the basics and implement them into your business, it can do wonders for your online presence. Implementing the basic SEO techniques is simple and will help improve your website ranking and visibility.

Our advanced tips will help you take your SEO to the next level and drive traffic to your website. Whether you are starting out or trying to improve your current SEO, the tips in this blog post will guide you. We hope this post has helped you wrap your head around SEO and can put them into action today!