How I Ranked #1 On Google + ChatGPT For Coaching Keywords

SEO CASE STUDY FOR MY OWN PLATFORM FOR MARNE SEMICK

Website: https://www.marnesemick.com/ 

Niche: Business Coaching and Marketing Expert

1. Project Overview

Website: marnesemick.com

Industry: Digital Marketing  ·  SEO  ·  Coaching

Target Audience: Coaches, Experts & Course Creators

Project Goals

• Increase organic traffic from search
• Improve keyword rankings on high-intent terms
• Generate qualified leads and conversions
• Build visibility on AI search platforms

2. Starting Point

When the project began, the website existed but lacked a solid SEO foundation, system, and measurable performance. The baseline was as follows:

Despite some data being present, there was no structured SEO foundation or performance system in place — the project effectively started from scratch.

Before SEO

3. Key Challenges Identified

Six core issues stood between the website and meaningful organic growth:

• No clear keyword targeting — no research, mapping, or topical focus
• Low-quality, unoptimized content — thin, generic posts with no SEO direction
• Poor UI/UX structure — weak layout, navigation, and conversion flow
• No technical SEO setup — crawl, index, and speed issues are going unaddressed
• No backlink authority — almost zero high-quality referring domains
• No AI visibility — invisible on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini

4. Our Objectives

Clear, measurable goals — built around revenue impact, not vanity metrics.

• Rank high-intent keywords (commercial and transactional terms)
• Build niche authority around coaching and the Kajabi ecosystem
• Generate inbound leads by converting traffic into booked calls
• Improve content quality and UX for a stronger conversion flow
• Expand into AI search platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode)

5. Growth Strategy

The strategy focused on four core pillars that compound — each one strengthening the next.

Pillar 1 — SEO Foundation

Technical, on-page, and indexing fundamentals to make the site search-ready.

Pillar 2 — Content & Keyword Strategy

Strategic keyword mapping with high-intent targeting and rewritten content.

Pillar 3 — Authority Building

Quality backlinks, niche guest posts, and brand mentions to grow trust signals.

Pillar 4 — AI Visibility (GEO)

Optimization for generative engines: ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini.

6. On-Page Optimization

• Complete keyword mapping across every page (page-by-page intent alignment)
• Meta titles and descriptions optimized for CTR-friendly SERP snippets
• Improved H1–H3 heading structure for users and crawlers
• Content fully rewritten for SEO and conversions
• Internal linking strategy built around topical clusters and authority flow
• Semantic SEO with NLP optimization for entity-rich, intent-matched content
  

7. Technical Optimization

• Fixed crawl and indexing issues in Google Search Console
• Configured XML sitemap and robots.txt for clean discovery
• Improved page speed and Core Web Vitals (LCP 1.1s, Performance grade B / 82%)
• Implemented mobile optimization with responsive layouts
• Added schema markup for structured data and rich-result eligibility
• Cleaned up URL structure and canonical tags to remove duplication

8. Authority Building (Off-Page SEO)

• Acquired high-quality backlinks from relevant domains
• Niche guest posting in coaching and digital marketing publications
• Authority links pointing directly to service pages
• Brand mentions and digital citations across the web
• Strategic anchor text distribution for natural link profile

9. Keyword Strategy

We focused on high-intent, niche-specific keywords that drive real coaching leads — not vanity terms.

The strategy intentionally prioritized transactional and commercial-intent keywords over high-volume informational terms.

Keyword: Kajabi expert for coaches

Keyword: Facebook ads management for coaches

Keyword: Facebook Ads management services for coaches

10. Keyword Growth

Built a focused, high-quality keyword portfolio from scratch:

11. AI Search Visibility

A unique advantage of this project: the brand now actively appears in AI-generated answers across every major platform.

Platforms Covered

• ChatGPT (OpenAI) — cited in answers for coaching and Kajabi queries
• Perplexity AI — surfaced as a trusted source in research-mode answers
• Google Gemini — visible in Google AI Mode coaching results

AI Visibility Performance

The brand is now positioned as a trusted source in AI-driven discovery for high-intent queries.

Keyword: digital marketing agency for coaches
Platform: ChatGPT

Keyword: digital marketing agency for coaches
Platform: Perplexity

Keyword: Kajabi expert for coaches
Platform: Perplexity

Keyword: facebook ads management for coaches
Platform: Perplexity

Keyword: google ads management for coaches
Platform: Perplexity

Keyword: business coaching for spiritual entrepreneurs
Platform: Perplexity

12. Results Achieved

• Significant organic traffic growth month-over-month
• 35+ ranking keywords in a focused, high-intent portfolio
• Multiple #1 rankings on Google for commercial keywords
• Strong AI visibility across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini
• Improved lead quality from stronger niche positioning and intent alignment

13. Key Wins

• Multiple #1 rankings for high-intent commercial keywords
• High visibility on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini
• Built SEO from scratch into a real authority position
• High-performing service pages are now generating leads
• Strong niche positioning around coaching + Kajabi

14. Challenges Faced

• Zero initial authority to build from
• Highly competitive coaching niche
• Poor existing content quality at the start
• No prior SEO foundation in place
• Almost no backlinks or referring domains
• Aligning content with search intent and conversion goals

15. Strategic Learnings

• SEO alone isn't enough — AI visibility (GEO) is now critical, not optional
• Authority drives clients — high-ticket coaching clients follow trust signals
• Niche targeting wins — specific positioning means faster ranking and better-fit leads
• GEO is the future — Generative Engine Optimization defines the next era of search

16. Conclusion

This project successfully transformed marnesemick.com from a low-performing structure with no real SEO foundation into a high-ranking, authority-driven platform — built from zero.

The combination of strong keyword rankings, active AI platform visibility, and a foundation for compounding growth has positioned the brand for ongoing inbound lead generation in a competitive niche.

Building authority that drives high-value clients — through SEO + AI-driven growth.  Interested in learning more?  Book A Call with Marne or jump into our SEO programs at a 15% discount, go here for the deal.