Fitness training certification and education

Optimizing for peak performance: How technical SEO fueled major gains for a fitness industry leader

Summary

Strengthening technical SEO foundations to drive growth

When a leading fitness trainer educator and certifier transitioned to a new CMS platform, unexpected technical challenges hindered their ability to attract and convert customers. The migration introduced structural SEO issues that impacted visibility, engagement, and ultimately, revenue. Instead of focusing directly on conversion rate optimization (which focuses on improving conversion of the traffic already landing on your site), we took a step back to reinforce the site’s technical SEO foundation, resolving critical errors that were constraining traffic and preventing growth. Through targeted SEO improvements, we helped stabilize performance, recover lost traffic, and drive measurable, meaningful business impact.

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Problems such as canonicalization errors, broken links, and trailing slash inconsistencies made it difficult for search engines to properly crawl and index pages, limiting online visibility and stunting business growth.

The Problem

Technical SEO roadblocks limited visibility and conversions

Our client, a well-known fitness trainer educator and certifier, aimed to increase enrollment conversions on their website. However, a recent migration to a new CMS platform introduced significant technical SEO issues that negatively impacted site performance. Problems such as canonicalization errors, broken links, and trailing slash inconsistencies made it difficult for search engines to properly crawl and index pages.

The consequences were clear: organic traffic was in decline, key certification pages were struggling to rank, and potential customers were having a harder time finding the information they needed. If customers couldn’t find this critical information to inform their decision-making process, they weren’t going to convert. This wasn’t just an SEO problem for our client; it was a business problem. Addressing these technical SEO hurdles was essential to regaining visibility, improving user experience, and ensuring long-term success in an increasingly competitive market.

The Approach

Prioritizing technical SEO stability and best practices for sustainable growth

With critical technical SEO issues blocking our client’s ability to drive conversions, we shifted our immediate focus from direct conversion rate optimization to stabilizing their SEO foundation. Our approach was structured around three key phases:

1. Identifying and addressing quick wins

We began by conducting a thorough audit of the site, identifying the most pressing issues that were impacting search performance. The blog section, a key destination for users seeking information about trainer certification, surfaced as a key area for improvement, with broken links and inconsistent URL structures limiting organic reach. By resolving these errors, we saw immediate gains in visibility and engagement.

2. Fixing high-impact technical errors

To strengthen the site’s overall SEO health, we tackled systemic technical challenges, including:

Canonicalization fixes: Ensured proper canonical tags were in place to prevent duplicate content issues and consolidate ranking signals
Broken link repairs: Addressed internal and external broken links to improve user experience and crawlability
Trailing slash optimization: Standardized URL structures to reduce unnecessary redirects and indexing confusion

3. Boosting high-value pages for maximum impact

Beyond general technical fixes, we focused on optimizing key certification program pages. Two of the most popular program pages were underperforming due to discoverability challenges. Through targeted improvements—including metadata optimizations, structured data enhancements, and content refinements—we significantly increased impressions and engagement on these critical pages.

The Results

Measurable gains in visibility, engagement, and revenue

Our technical SEO strategy delivered significant improvements across key performance indicators:

Blog page click-through rate (CTR): Increased by over 34%, reaching all-time highs in just 90 days
Certification program page impressions: Grew by 50%, with two popular program pages seeing remarkable gains of 300% and 83%, respectively
Traffic recovery: Stabilized organic performance, reversing the decline and establishing a positive growth trajectory
Cost savings: The improvements resulted in an estimated $3M revenue loss prevention, demonstrating the business impact of a technically sound SEO strategy

These results highlight the power of technical SEO as a fundamental driver of digital growth. By resolving critical SEO issues, we enabled our client to not only recover lost traffic but to build a foundation for future conversion rate optimizations, establishing a stronger position for future success.

in cost savings

$ 0 M

improvement in blog CTR

0 %

increase in impressions

1 %

The takeaway: A strong SEO foundation enables long-term success

By addressing technical SEO challenges head-on, we empowered our client to regain lost visibility and drive sustainable growth. More than just a short-term fix, this work laid the foundation for continued success in an increasingly competitive market. With a stable, technically sound website, they are now well-positioned to further optimize for conversions, expand their reach, and continue building their authority in the fitness certification space.

This engagement is a testament to the fact that technical SEO isn’t just about rankings and keywords: it’s about enabling business growth, improving user experience, and maximizing long-term value.

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