Why Stubborn Keywords Stall Your Growth - And What To Do Instead

keywords search seo Jul 20, 2026

Words have power-being stubborn about the keywords you want to connect with can stall your growth

If you’re a newer entrepreneur, you’ve probably been told to “pick your keyword” for SEO.

So you choose one big phrase that feels important, like:

“business coach”
“health coach”
“life coach”
“copywriter”
“weight loss program”

Then you try to optimize everything for that one keyword.

At first, it feels focused and committed.
But over time, it can quietly become the thing that stalls your growth.

In this post, I want to show you the difference between being hard‑headed with your SEO vs being tenacious, and how a small mindset shift can make your content start working harder for you.

The problem with being “hard‑headed” about one keyword

Here’s what hard‑headed SEO often looks like:

You decide “I must appear for this one big, competitive phrase.”
You pour all your time and energy into that single keyword.
You feel defeated every time you check your Search Console and nothing’s changed.

The result?

You post less because “it won’t make a difference anyway.”
You ignore other topics and questions your audience is actually asking.
You start believing SEO “doesn’t work for you.”

You’re not wrong for wanting visibility.
You’re just putting all your effort into one very narrow, very crowded doorway.

What tenacity really looks like in SEO

Tenacity in SEO is not about refusing to let go of one keyword.

Tenacity means:

Staying committed to being found by the right people
Being flexible in the path you take to get there

Instead of obsessing over one giant keyword, you:

Get curious about your actual audience
Look for longer, more specific phrases they might type
Create multiple pieces of content that meet them where they are

Examples of tenacious keywords:

Instead of “business coach”
→ “business coach for new course creators”
→ “business coach for first‑time entrepreneurs”
Instead of “email marketing”
→ “how to set up email marketing for a new business”
→ “email marketing checklist for beginners”
Instead of “weight loss”
→ “weight loss plan for busy moms over 40”
→ “simple weight loss tips for beginners with no time”

These phrases may have fewer searches individually, but:

They’re less competitive
They’re more aligned with real problems
They often bring in visitors who are much more ready for help

How to shift from hard‑headed to tenacious: a simple process

Here’s a beginner‑friendly way to put this into action:

Start with your main topic.
Example: business coaching, email marketing, bookkeeping, wellness, etc.
Add who it’s for.
Example: “for beginner entrepreneurs,” “for new business owners,” “for busy moms,” “for freelancers.”
Add the specific situation or problem.
Example: “setting up tech,” “writing first sales page,” “starting email list,” “losing weight with no time.”

Put those together and you get phrases like:

“email marketing setup for new service businesses”
“simple bookkeeping system for first‑year business owners”
“how to set up an online coaching business as a beginner”

Now, instead of trying to force everything through one big keyword, you create content around these more specific, real‑life phrases.

Tenacious content in action

Once you have a few specific phrases, build content around them:

Blog posts answering those exact questions
Podcast episodes or livestreams talking about that situation
FAQ pages covering the nitty‑gritty details
Client stories or case studies that mirror those scenarios

Each piece of content becomes another door into your world.

You’re still committed. You’re still showing up consistently.
But now your content is meeting people in lots of specific places instead of just one crowded intersection.

A quick mindset check

If you’ve been feeling like:

“I’ve been trying SEO for months and nothing’s happening.”
“I can’t compete for these big keywords.”
“Maybe I’m just not cut out for this.”

Pause and ask:

"Am I being hard‑headed about one keyword…
or am I being tenacious about helping real people find me?"

Tenacity:

Follows the data (what people actually search for)
Listens to your audience’s language
Adjusts the strategy instead of forcing one path

That’s when SEO stops feeling like a fight and starts feeling like momentum.

Your next step

Take 10 minutes and write down:

Your main topic (what you help with)
Who you help (be specific)
3–5 real situations or problems they’re in right now

From that list, you’ll start to see longer, more specific keyword ideas appear.

Use those as the starting point for your next few pieces of content.

You don’t have to abandon your big, long‑term keyword goals.
You just don’t have to chain yourself to a single phrase to grow.

Choose tenacity over hard‑headedness, and let your SEO strategy evolve with you and your audience.

Where Do You Go From Here?

Choosing great keywords isn't about finding one perfect phrase.

It's about understanding the people you want to help, the questions they're asking, and creating content that makes it easier for them to discover you.

If you're wondering where to begin—or you're not sure whether you've built the right foundation for a successful SEO strategy—the SEO Readiness Quiz is a great place to start.

In just a few minutes, you'll discover where you are today and identify your strengths toward becoming easier to find online.

Then, when you're ready to put that insight into action, you can use your reserved free seat at the SEO Roadmap Workshop to help you turn your quiz results into a simple, realistic SEO strategy. Together, we'll identify what matters most for your business, what can wait until later, and how to make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed.

You don't have to learn everything at once.

You just need to know your next step.

You absolutely can do this.

Small Steps. Real Progress.