How to approach link building/content in my weight loss coaching niche in a large scale way

[BobGW]

Hello,

I run a weight loss coaching business, bobweikel.com

that is in it's early stages. I'm still working on making it graphically appealing

I want to increase my number of national clients - it's coaching done over the phone or skype.

I'm needing help analyzing my niche, specifically

keywords, article content topics, link building tactics.

I want to put a lot of time into it. Eventually I want to scale it up and hire other weight loss coaches and even SEO help.

How do I get this dream going through gaining national clients online? There's not much traffic locally.

I'm enough of an authority that, with enough time, I can create kickass content on the topics of weight loss and also the topic of NLP (NLP is the type of coaching I do, but it's little known)

I'd like to add 5 best-of-the-web articles and a blog.

Looking for advice. Would like to dream big.

Tools I normally use (though I'm open to anything): OSE, Link Prospector, Excel Pivot Tables, Buzzstream, iPhone 5S video camera with tripod, youtube video embed, keyword discovery

[lautman]

I completely agree with Remus' suggestion about changing the focus of your site and making it personal about you.  From an inbound marketing perspective, I would work hard at making a site that is visually appealing and engenders trust from the visitors.  While keywords are important, get away from simply listing them on a page.  There are so many people interested in getting help with weight loss, that I would think that you could start engaging on social channels.  The key will be to stand out - like Remus said.  Look for forums or Facebook groups dedicated to weight loss, but be patient, don't go in an start posting links to your site.  Be helpful.  Answer questions.  The kinds of questions people ask in those settings are a great source of potential keywords to build website content and blog posts around.

[zoicaremus]

Hi Bob,

Great job you're doing! I'm certain you will be able to help a lot of people.

I have some suggestions that could help you bring it to the next level. They are more like core/concept ideas:

1. Focus more on you - at a personal level

Right now the website looks more like a business - Bob provides... Bob has hundreds of hours... has helped so many thousands of people... Bob has dedicated ... I would make it more personal. I would focus to grab the user's attention with:

I belive in... this is why I do it... and try to gather an audience around me who believes the same.

There's nothing wrong with the current approach. But I think it will be very hard to get a snowballing effect and grow it to the next level. I know that you already mention beliefs there - which is good - but it's done more like the "corporate way". After a quick look over the website there's nothing actually sticking into my mind. There's a bit about NPL, weightloss, and an actual example. I know you have a lot of experience, you just have to rethink how to present it - and make it stick.

If you want to dream big - I think that this 3 books will help you a lot - Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die - by Chip Heath, Dan Heath, Start With Why by Simon Sinek and Linchpin by Seth Godin.

2. Use the story

Great stories succeed because they are able to capture the imagination of large or important audiences (I will let you guess who said this - not my quote). With so much experience you must have a lot of stories. Start using them, they will help you a lot!