Does this sound familiar?
You Google your niche and spot another coach dominating page one. Her blog looks polished, her site’s everywhere, and you think:
“Should I just copy what she’s doing?”
Short answer. No. Copying won’t make you visible. It’ll keep you invisible.
Because you’re not her. Different offers. Different audience. Different goals.
And with AI Overviews rewarding originality, only content that’s truly yours gets surfaced.
This post is your reminder: stop mimicking, start owning your strategy.
Why Copying SEO is a Growth-Limiter in 2025
You’ve heard it a thousand times before:
- Why reinvent the wheel?
- Follow the breadcrumbs
- Etc etc
Copying a competitor’s SEO strategy might feel efficient, like a shortcut. If she’s ranking already and you follow in her footsteps, surely you’ll end up where she is, right?
Wrong.
Copying has always meant problems: plagiarism, a watered-down brand voice, and chasing keywords with zero context. None of that has ever helped you stand out.
And right now, in the AI age we’re living in, the risks are even higher.
Google’s new AI Overviews (SGE) massively favour content that’s original, authoritative, and well-structured.
According to Business Insider, AI summaries are already pulling heavily from trusted sites like Wikipedia and LinkedIn. If your content looks like a carbon copy of someone else’s? You won’t ever make the cut.
On top of that, Google’s EEAT framework (experience, expertise, authority, trust) has sharpened. Pages that read like duplicates, lack unique insights, or lean too heavily on generic AI text are being flagged and filtered out.
Bottom line?
Copycat SEO doesn’t just fail to get you found. It actively keeps you invisible.
Search Intent Has Shifted (and Why That Matters)
A few years ago, SEO advice was simple: pick a keyword, sprinkle it across your site, and cross your fingers.
That doesn’t work anymore. It hasn’t for a while.
Search has evolved significantly in the last few years. Today, Google and AI tools don’t just scan for keywords, they’re analysing user search intent.
They’re asking:
- What problem is this person (who’s searching) trying to solve?
- What action do they want to take next?
- Does this page actually help them do that?
Here’s what I mean: your peer might rank for a broad term like “business coach UK.” That looks impressive, but if your dream client is searching more specifically for “UK business mentor for women scaling to 7 figures,” you’ll never catch her, because you’re chasing the wrong search intent by copying your competitor’s keyword strategy.
And that’s the real shift here:
Keywords alone = vanity traffic.
Search intent-aligned content = high-quality leads who are already looking for exactly what you do.
If you’re not sure how to figure out what your clients are searching for, my Smart Girl’s Guide to Writing SEO Content breaks it down step by step. It shows you how to align your content with search intent so you’re not just visible, but visible to the right people.
Visibility vs Vanity
There’s a big difference between looking good in search results and being found by the right people.
Vanity SEO is chasing broad, shiny keywords that make you feel accomplished but don’t bring in the right leads. Think ranking for “business coach UK.”
Why’s that a problem? Because while those keywords look like a win, they’re too vague. They attract everyone and anyone: people shopping around, people with no budget, people looking for free advice. It looks impressive on paper, but those clicks rarely convert into paying clients.
Visibility SEO is different. It’s about showing up in the exact moment your dream client is Googling her problem, with content that feels like it was written just for her.
Take my client Laura Forsyth, for example.
Instead of chasing generic terms like “business coach UK,” we honed in on exactly what her dream clients were searching for: “business growth mentor Northumberland.”
Within eight weeks, she wasn’t just ranking; she dominated page one. That’s the power of visibility-focused SEO.
And here’s the kicker: the more niche, specific, and aligned your content is, the more trust you build with both Google and AI search. Broad, generic content gets buried. Authority-driven, intent-matched content gets surfaced.
So the question isn’t what keyword makes me look good?
It’s what search query makes me the obvious choice?
8 Practical 2025 SEO Actions (Instead of Copying) YOU NEED TO DO
So, if copying competitors isn’t the way, what should you actually do?
Here’s how to step out of comparison mode and build an SEO strategy that’s yours, and actually brings in clients who are ready to buy.
1. Audit What’s Already Working for You
Before you look at anyone else, check your own house.
Open Google Search Console → Performance → Queries. You’ll see the exact phrases people are already typing before landing on your site.
If you’re a coach, maybe you’re unexpectedly getting traffic from “mindset coach for women in business” instead of the broad “business coach UK.” That’s a signal. Double down on that phrasing, refine the page it’s tied to, and make it stronger.
👉 This way, you’re amplifying what’s already working, not chasing someone else’s playbook.
Not sure how to use Google Search Console? Not a problem, I walk you through it all here: How to use Google Search Console
2. Look at Competitors for Gaps, Not Copy-Paste Ideas
Yes, study competitors, but don’t mimic their keywords. The opportunity is in the gap, not the duplicate.
While you’re browsing their library, ask yourself:
- What’s ranking for them that I can do better?
- What’s missing that my clients are still Googling?
For example, maybe every other consultant in your space has a blog called “How to Grow Your Business”.
Fine.
But none of them are talking about “How to Grow Your Business Without Working 70-Hour Weeks.” That’s your angle.
3. Refresh Old Content with Proof & Perspective
Your old content is an untapped asset, but only if you update it to demonstrate your expertise, authority, and trust (EEAT). Here’s how you do that in 2025:
- Add fresh insights: what’s changed in your industry this year?
- Add proof points: reference trusted reports (like HubSpot, McKinsey, or Harvard Business Review) to back up your advice.
- Add practical takeaways: turn theory into steps your reader can act on immediately.
Each update tells Google: this isn’t an echo of someone else, this is lived expertise.
4. Build Authority Beyond Your Own Website: Lean into PR and Partnerships
Google and AI aren’t just looking at your site anymore. They’re asking: who else trusts you?
That means:
- Guest posts (like my blog swap with Sarah Longfield).
- Thought-leadership articles on industry platforms (like my take on Taylor Swift for Female Entrepreneur Magazine)
- Partnerships with businesses your dream clients already trust (like my live with Pippa Goulden from The PR Set)
Google and AI engines read these mentions outside of your own website as credibility signals, a digital word of mouth. The more you show up in trusted spaces, the stronger your visibility in search becomes.
5. Optimise for Answer Engines, Not Just Search Engines
Your next client might not click a Google result at all. They might ask AI.
Welcome to the age of AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation).
What is that?
AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity all favour content that directly answers questions in a clear, conversational way.
To be included in those answers, you need content that’s structured for questions.
Start simple:
- Add FAQ sections to your service pages.
- Use People Also Ask questions as blog headers.
- Write in a conversational, straight-to-the-point style.
If someone types “How do I find a coach to help me scale to 7 figures?”, you want your answer to be the one AI pulls.
6. Use Structured Data & Schema
Schema markup might sound complicated, but it’s quite simply the language search engines speak. It’s basically a way of labelling your content so search engines (and AI tools) instantly understand what is on your page!
Think of it like adding a table of contents to your site for Google. Why does it matter? Because it massively increases the chances of you showing up in:
- Rich snippets (the answers, FAQs, and how-tos at the top of Google).
- AI Overviews (Google’s new summary answers that are pulling traffic away from traditional search).
For a coach, consultant, or online service provider, that visibility could mean your FAQs get pulled directly into Google results, or your step-by-step method is showcased above competitors.
How to do it (and you don’t need to be techy to do this):
- Add FAQ schema to your service pages. Example: if you’re a business mentor, FAQs like “What’s included in a 1:1 coaching programme?” can show up directly in search.
- Add How-To schema if you have content that teaches a process. Example: “How to create a digital course launch plan.”
- Make sure your headings are clear, keyword-aligned, and follow a proper hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3). Search engines use this structure to piece your content together.
Tools that make this plug-and-play:
- Merkle’s Schema Generator (copy + paste code into your page).
- WordPress plugins like RankMath or Yoast (add schema automatically without touching code).
💡 The takeaway: schema is not an “extra.” In 2025, it’s part of how Google and AI decide who makes it into their curated answers. If you’re not using it, you’re already behind.
7. Get the Tech Right Without Overthinking It
The basics still matter: even the most beautiful website won’t convert if it’s slow or clunky. Google knows it, and your dream clients feel it too. That’s why Core Web Vitals (Google’s user-first ranking signals) STILL matter.
What does that mean?
- Site speed: your pages should load in under 2.5 seconds. Check your site speed with PageSpeed Insights. It’s free, and it gives you a clear traffic-light style scorecard.
- Interactivity: your site should respond instantly when someone clicks (aim for under 200ms).
- Stability: no shifting layouts, no surprise pop-ups jumping around.
Why does this matter for you? Because high-level clients don’t hang around. If your coaching page takes 6 seconds to load, they’ll click away and book the competitor who made it easier.
👉 Think of it like hospitality: if your website is the digital front door to your business, Core Web Vitals are how you make sure it opens smoothly, quickly, and without a squeak.
8. Build Authority, Not Echoes
Copying fails because it strips you of what makes you stand out.
The easiest way to avoid being a copycat? Create content that only you could have written.
Instead of copying what someone else has done, ask:
- What’s the perspective only I can bring to this conversation?
- What’s the nuance in my client’s journey that nobody else is addressing?
Maybe that’s your experience working with women scaling past £500k. Maybe it’s your clarity around balancing growth with lifestyle. Maybe it’s how you package your frameworks into something that feels simple, not overwhelming.
That’s the content that builds trust, ranks in search, and makes clients say: she gets me.
What This Means for 6/7 Figure Female Founders
If you’ve invested thousands in a gorgeous brand identity and custom-built website, why would you leave it invisible to the very clients you’re trying to attract?
That’s like hosting a luxury retreat and forgetting to send out the invitations. Owning a Ferrari and never taking it for a spin. Etc etc.
Your SEO strategy has to match the standard of your offers. Just as your high-ticket programme or coaching container is tailored to your client, your SEO needs to be tailored to your business.
That means:
- Using your voice and personality so your content can’t be mistaken for anyone else’s.
- Leaning on your experience and results, ie the things only you can say, to signal authority.
- Designing a strategy that focuses on qualified leads and client experience, not vanity rankings or copying the competition.
Because at your level, visibility isn’t about chasing clicks. It’s about attracting the right clients at the right time and positioning yourself as the obvious choice.
The Bottom Line: Don’t Copy, Lead
You’ve already outgrown the DIY stage. You’ve built a brand, invested in design, and crafted offers that deliver real transformation.
So don’t undercut that work by copying someone else’s SEO playbook. That’s not strategy, it’s hiding.
The businesses that thrive in 2025/26 are the ones that treat visibility the same way they treat their coaching, their programmes, their services: personalised, intentional, and original.
Because the question isn’t “How do I rank like her?” It’s “How do I make sure I’m found by the people ready to pay me for what only I can do?”
If you’re ready for a strategy that’s as tailored as your business, let’s talk. Book a free 20-minute discovery call, and we’ll map out what visibility could look like for you.