The Three Types of Keywords Every Consultant Should Know
Not all keywords are equal. Understanding the three main types helps you prioritize which ones to target first and where to use them on your site.
Service Keywords (Highest Intent)
These are searched by people ready to hire. They know they need a consultant and are looking for one right now.
Examples:
- "marketing consultant for startups"
- "nutrition coach online"
- "business strategy consultant [city]"
- "freelance tax consultant near me"
- "leadership coaching for managers"
Service keywords belong on your homepage, service pages, and Talkspresso profile. These pages should describe exactly what you offer, who you help, and how to book.
Problem Keywords (High Intent)
These are searched by people who have the problem you solve but may not know they need a consultant yet. They're researching solutions.
Examples:
- "how to price consulting services"
- "my team has low morale what do I do"
- "how to create a content strategy from scratch"
- "cash flow problems in small business"
Problem keywords are perfect for blog posts. Answer the question thoroughly, demonstrate your expertise, and include a clear path to book a session with you. Every post becomes a doorway from Google to your booking page.
Comparison Keywords (Medium Intent)
These are searched by people evaluating options. They might be comparing you to alternatives or deciding whether consulting is worth it.
Examples:
- "is hiring a business coach worth it"
- "coaching vs consulting which is better"
- "[competitor] alternative"
- "how much does a marketing consultant cost"
Comparison keywords work well as blog posts or FAQ sections. They attract people deep in the decision-making process who just need a nudge. A well-written comparison post that positions your offer clearly can convert at surprisingly high rates.
You don't need expensive SEO software to do solid consultation keyword research. Here are five free methods that work, listed in the order you should use them.
1. Start With What You Already Know
Before touching any tool, write down the answers to these questions:
- What do clients call the problem you solve? (Use their words, not industry jargon.)
- What did your last five clients Google before they found you? (Ask them.)
- What questions do prospects ask on discovery calls?
- What services do you offer, described in plain language?
This brainstorm gives you seed keywords: the starting points you'll expand using tools.
2. Google Autocomplete
Open Google in an incognito window and start typing your seed keywords. Google will suggest completions based on what people actually search.
Type "marketing consultant" and you might see:
- marketing consultant for small business
- marketing consultant near me
- marketing consultant pricing
- marketing consultant for startups
Each suggestion is a real search term with real volume. Write them all down.
3. People Also Ask
Search your main keyword and look at the "People Also Ask" box that appears in results. These are actual questions real people type into Google.
For "business consultant," you might see:
- What does a business consultant actually do?
- How much should I pay a business consultant?
- When should I hire a business consultant?
- What's the difference between a coach and a consultant?
Every one of those is a blog post waiting to be written. Click on a few questions and Google will load more, giving you a nearly endless list of content ideas pulled directly from real search behavior.
4. AnswerThePublic
Go to answerthepublic.com, enter your niche keyword, and get a visual map of every question, preposition, and comparison people search for around that topic. The free version gives you limited daily searches, but even one or two sessions produces dozens of keyword ideas.
5. Google Search Console
If your website is already live, Google Search Console is the most valuable free keyword research tool available. It shows you exactly which queries your site already appears for, your average position, impressions, and click-through rate.
Look for keywords where you rank on page two (positions 11 to 20). These are your biggest opportunities. You're already close to page one. A focused effort on optimizing those pages can push you into the top ten where the traffic actually is.
For coaches and consultants using Talkspresso, your profile pages are already optimized with structured data and clean URLs. Connect your domain in Search Console to see which keywords are driving impressions to your booking page.
How to Evaluate and Prioritize Your Keywords
After the research phase, you'll have a list of 50 to 100 keywords. You can't target all of them at once. Here's how to narrow it down.
Search volume matters, but don't obsess over it. A keyword with 50 monthly searches that perfectly matches your ideal client is far more valuable than one with 5,000 searches that attracts tire-kickers. For consultation businesses, even 20 to 50 monthly searches can produce real bookings because the conversion intent is high.
Check the competition. Google your keyword and look at the results. If the top ten results are all from Forbes, HubSpot, and Harvard Business Review, that keyword is too competitive. If you see other independent consultants, small firms, or niche blogs ranking on page one, you have a realistic shot.
Prioritize buying intent. "What is consulting" is informational. "Business consultant for e-commerce brands" is transactional. Rank the transactional keywords first. They're closer to a booked session.
Map every keyword to a page. Each keyword needs a home. Service keywords go on service pages. Problem keywords become blog posts. If a keyword doesn't map to an existing or planned page, it's not actionable yet.
A simple spreadsheet with four columns works perfectly: keyword, monthly search volume (estimate from Keyword Planner), competition level (low/medium/high based on your Google review), and target page.
Turning Keywords Into Content That Ranks
Finding keywords is half the job. The other half is creating content that actually ranks for them.
One primary keyword per page. Don't try to cram three keywords onto one service page. Each page should target one specific keyword and be the best, most thorough answer on the internet for that search.
Put your keyword in the right places. Include it in the page title (title tag), meta description, H1 heading, first 100 words, and naturally throughout the content. Don't force it. If the keyword doesn't fit naturally in a sentence, rewrite the sentence.
Write for the reader, not for Google. The best SEO content is simply the most helpful content. Answer the searcher's question completely, provide real examples and specific advice, and make it easy to read. Google's ranking algorithm has gotten remarkably good at identifying genuinely useful content.
Length matters for blog posts. Aim for 1,200 to 2,000 words for problem keyword posts. This gives you room to cover the topic thoroughly and signals depth to Google. For service pages, 400 to 800 words is usually enough.
Link internally. Every blog post should link to at least one service page and one or two other relevant blog posts. This helps Google understand your site structure and passes ranking authority between pages. For example, a post about how to price consulting calls should link to your actual consulting service page.
Tracking Your Results and Iterating
Consultation keyword research isn't a one-time project. It's an ongoing process that gets more effective the more data you collect.
Set up Google Search Console immediately. This is non-negotiable. It's free, it shows you exactly what's working, and it reveals opportunities you'd never find otherwise.
Check rankings monthly, not daily. SEO moves slowly. Checking rankings every day leads to anxiety and bad decisions. A monthly check-in gives you meaningful trend data.
Double down on what works. If a blog post starts ranking on page two for a keyword, invest more in that post. Update it with fresh data, add more detail, improve the headings, and build a few internal links to it. Moving from position 15 to position 8 can triple your traffic for that keyword.
Expand your keyword list quarterly. Every three months, revisit your keyword research. Check Search Console for new queries you're appearing for, research new problem keywords based on recent client conversations, and look for seasonal or trending terms in your niche.
Connect keywords to bookings. The ultimate measure of keyword research success isn't rankings or traffic. It's booked sessions. Ask every new client how they found you. When you hear "I found you on Google," note which page they landed on. This tells you which keywords are actually driving revenue, not just pageviews.
Your Consultation Keyword Research Action Plan
Here's exactly what to do this week to start getting found by clients on Google.
Day 1: Brainstorm and research. Write down your seed keywords. Run them through Google Autocomplete, People Also Ask, and AnswerThePublic. Aim for a raw list of 50 to 100 keywords.
Day 2: Evaluate and prioritize. Check competition for each keyword by Googling it. Cut anything too competitive. Organize the rest into service, problem, and comparison buckets. Pick your top 15 to 20.
Day 3: Map keywords to pages. Assign each keyword to an existing page or plan a new one. Your homepage and service pages should target service keywords. Plan blog posts for problem and comparison keywords.
Day 4: Optimize your existing pages. Update title tags, meta descriptions, H1 headings, and body copy on your homepage and service pages. If you have a Talkspresso profile, update your bio, service titles, and descriptions with your target keywords.
Day 5: Write your first blog post. Pick the problem keyword with the clearest intent and the least competition. Write 1,200 to 1,500 words answering the searcher's question completely. Include your keyword in the title, headings, and opening paragraph. End with a CTA to book a consultation.
Going forward: Publish one blog post per week targeting a new keyword from your list. Check Search Console monthly. Update your keyword list quarterly. Within three to six months, you'll start seeing consistent organic traffic from clients who are actively searching for exactly the kind of help you offer.
The consultants and coaches who invest in keyword research now will own the search results in their niche six months from today. Everyone else will still be posting on social media and hoping the algorithm cooperates.
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