Our SEO Strategy

Expert Marketing Studio implemented a comprehensive SEO strategy combining technical SEO, on-page optimization, content marketing, keyword strategy and authority building.

Rather than treating SEO as a collection of individual keywords, we developed a broader strategy designed to establish Erickson as an authoritative online resource for professional coaching education.

---

1. Comprehensive SEO & Website Audit

We began with a detailed audit of the website to identify technical, structural and content-related opportunities.

The audit covered:

• Website architecture
• Indexability
• Crawlability
• URL structure
• Meta titles
• Meta descriptions
• Heading structure
• Internal linking
• Duplicate content
• Canonicalization
• XML sitemap
• Robots.txt
• Image optimization
• Page speed
• Mobile usability
• Core Web Vitals
• Structured data
• Content quality
• Keyword targeting
• Existing rankings
• Organic traffic trends

This initial analysis helped us identify the areas where SEO improvements could deliver the greatest impact.

---

2. Keyword Research & Search Intent Mapping

One of the most important parts of the campaign was understanding what prospective coaching students were actually searching for.

Instead of focusing only on high-volume keywords, we categorized keywords according to search intent.

Informational Intent

Examples included:

• What is coaching certification?
• What is ICF accreditation?
• How to become a professional coach
• What does an ICF coach do?
• ACC vs PCC certification
• Coaching certification requirements

Commercial Investigation

Examples included:

• Best coach training programs
• Best ICF coach training
• ICF accredited coach training
• Professional coach certification programs
• Online coach certification
• Executive coach certification

Transactional Intent

Examples included:

• ICF coach training enrollment
• coach training course
• coaching certification course
• The Art & Science of Coaching
• ICF accredited coaching course

This intent-based approach allowed us to create a more effective SEO funnel—from users discovering coaching as a profession to users actively comparing and enrolling in programs.

---

3. On-Page SEO Optimization

We optimized important pages to make them more relevant to target search queries while maintaining a natural, user-focused experience.

Our on-page optimization process included:

• SEO-focused title tags
• Meta descriptions
• H1/H2/H3 optimization
• Keyword placement
• Semantic keyword integration
• Content restructuring
• Search-intent alignment
• Image ALT optimization
• Internal linking
• CTA optimization
• Content readability improvements

We also focused on improving the relationship between related pages.

For example, pages covering ICF accreditation, coach certification, coach training and The Art & Science of Coaching™ could be connected through strategic internal links.

This helped search engines better understand the website’s topical relationships while also helping visitors discover relevant information.

---

4. Building Topical Authority

The coaching industry contains thousands of websites competing for similar search terms.

Simply targeting individual keywords was therefore not enough.

Our strategy focused on developing topical authority.

We identified major content clusters around:

Coach Certification

• Professional coach certification
• ICF certification
• ACC certification
• PCC certification
• MCC pathway
• Coach certification requirements

Coach Training

• Coach training programs
• Online coach training
• Professional coaching courses
• Life coach training
• Executive coach training

ICF Accreditation

• What is ICF accreditation?
• ICF coaching credentials
• ICF certification requirements
• ICF Core Competencies
• ACC vs PCC
• ICF accreditation pathway

Coaching Career

• How to become a coach
• Coaching career opportunities
• Professional coaching career
• Coaching skills
• Benefits of becoming a coach

This cluster-based strategy allowed individual pieces of content to support one another and strengthened the overall relevance of the website.

---

5. Content Marketing Strategy

Content became one of the most important components of the SEO campaign.

Rather than producing content simply for search engines, we focused on answering the questions prospective coaches were asking before choosing a training provider.

Our content strategy addressed topics around:

• ICF accreditation
• Coach certification
• Coaching careers
• Professional coaching
• Coaching methodologies
• Leadership development
• Executive coaching
• Coach training
• Certification pathways
• Coaching skills
• Benefits of professional coaching

The objective was to move users through the entire search journey.

Discover

“What is professional coaching?”

↓

Research

“How do I become a certified coach?”

↓

Compare

“What are the best ICF accredited coach training programs?”

↓

Evaluate

“Which coaching certification is right for me?”

↓

Convert

“Enroll in an ICF-accredited coach training program.”

This approach helped connect informational SEO with commercial business objectives.

---

6. Internal Linking Optimization

A large website can contain significant amounts of valuable information, but search engines and users need clear pathways between related pages.

We implemented a strategic internal-linking structure connecting:

Educational Content → Certification Information → Training Programs → Course Pages → Enquiry/Conversion Pages

Relevant anchor text was used to establish contextual relationships between pages.

This helped:

• Improve website navigation
• Distribute internal authority
• Help search engines discover important pages
• Strengthen topical relevance
• Increase user engagement
• Support important commercial pages

---

7. Technical SEO Improvements

Technical SEO formed the foundation of the campaign.

Our optimization efforts focused on improving the website’s ability to be efficiently crawled, understood and indexed by search engines.

Key areas included:

• Crawlability
• Indexation
• XML sitemap optimization
• Robots.txt analysis
• Canonical URLs
• URL consistency
• Redirect management
• Broken-link identification
• Duplicate-content analysis
• Mobile optimization
• Page performance
• Core Web Vitals
• Structured data
• Image optimization

The goal was to create a technically sound website that could support long-term organic growth.

---

8. Local & International SEO

Erickson operates in a highly international market.

The organization has a global history dating back to 1980 and delivers coaching education across numerous markets and languages. Its website also provides information about online and in-person training opportunities in different locations.

This created an important international SEO opportunity.

Our strategy considered:

• Location-based search intent
• Country-specific searches
• International keywords
• Local landing pages
• Regional training opportunities
• Geographic relevance
• International content architecture

The objective was to help prospective students discover relevant Erickson programs regardless of where they were located.

---

9. Authority & Off-Page SEO

On-page optimization alone is not sufficient for highly competitive search results.

We therefore incorporated authority-building activities into the SEO strategy.

Our off-page approach focused on improving the website’s overall authority and digital footprint through:

• Relevant backlinks
• Brand mentions
• Industry-relevant placements
• Content promotion
• Digital PR opportunities
• Educational resource promotion
• Competitive backlink analysis

The focus was on quality and relevance rather than simply increasing backlink volume.

For a globally recognized coaching organization, maintaining a natural and authoritative backlink profile was particularly important.

---

10. E-E-A-T Focused SEO

Because coaching education involves professional development, certification and career decisions, trust is extremely important.

Our SEO strategy therefore emphasized Google’s broader quality principles around:

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness.

We strengthened signals around:

• Erickson’s 1980 founding
• Professional coaching expertise
• ICF accreditation
• Faculty expertise
• Global presence
• Alumni community
• Training methodology
• Professional credentials
• Educational resources
• Brand reputation

This approach aligned the SEO strategy with what prospective students needed to see before trusting a coaching education provider.

---

Ranking Improvements

One of the most significant outcomes of the campaign was the improvement in visibility across a broader range of relevant search queries.

Instead of relying on branded searches alone, the SEO strategy targeted non-branded, high-intent searches related to coaching education and certification.

This created opportunities for Erickson to reach people who may have been unfamiliar with the brand but were actively searching for professional coach training.

---

From Traffic to Qualified Prospects

For Expert Marketing Studio, SEO success was not defined simply by increased traffic.

The real objective was to attract the right traffic.

A visitor searching for:

“ICF accredited coach training”

has substantially stronger commercial intent than someone simply searching for:

“what is coaching?”

Therefore, our strategy prioritized keywords that could connect users with Erickson’s programs and services at different stages of their decision-making process.

This helped position organic search as a valuable acquisition channel rather than simply a source of website visits.

---

Why the Strategy Worked

The success of the campaign was driven by combining several SEO disciplines instead of relying on a single tactic.

Strong Brand Authority

Erickson’s history and international reputation provided a powerful foundation for organic search growth.

Strategic Keyword Targeting

We targeted keywords based on search intent rather than focusing exclusively on search volume.

High-Quality Content

Content was developed around real questions and concerns of prospective coaches.

Technical Foundation

Technical SEO improvements helped search engines efficiently crawl and understand the website.

Topic Clusters

Related content was strategically connected to build stronger topical relevance.

Continuous Optimization

SEO was treated as an ongoing process involving monitoring, analysis, testing and refinement.

---

The Bigger Impact

Erickson Coaching International already had an impressive offline legacy.

Founded in 1980, the organization has played a significant role in the development of professional coaching education globally. Its flagship The Art & Science of Coaching™ program is ICF-accredited, and Erickson has continued to expand its international training ecosystem.

Our role at Expert Marketing Studio was to help translate that established authority into stronger digital visibility.

The objective was to ensure that when people searched online for professional coach training, ICF accreditation and coaching certification, they could discover Erickson through relevant, informative and high-intent search results.

---

Conclusion

The Erickson Coaching International SEO campaign demonstrates how a strong brand can use search engine optimization to transform its existing authority into sustainable digital growth.

By combining technical SEO, keyword research, content strategy, on-page optimization, topical authority, internal linking, international SEO and authority building, Expert Marketing Studio developed an SEO framework designed for long-term performance.

The result is more than increased search visibility.

It is a stronger digital pathway connecting people searching for professional coaching education with one of the industry’s longest-standing training providers.

Expert Marketing Studio

We don’t just drive traffic. We build search visibility that supports business growth.

Our SEO strategies combine technical expertise, content marketing, search intent and data-driven optimization to help ambitious brands build sustainable organic visibility.

Looking to grow your website’s organic traffic and qualified leads?

Contact Expert Marketing Studio to discuss your SEO growth strategy.