Cathleen Voss Consulting

Grow Your Barn, Riding Club, or Equine Supply Business with Targeted SEO

As an SEO consultant with a specialized focus on the equine industry, I understand the unique challenges and opportunities faced by equine retailers, horse trainers, boarding barn owners, and riding clubs. Unlike generic SEO providers, my deep knowledge of horseback riding apparel, tack, and supplies—terms like show breeches, Western saddles, dressage bridles, girths, horse boots, and bit types—enables me to create laser-focused strategies that resonate with your ideal customers.

Why Specialized Equine Knowledge Matters for SEO Success

Equestrian businesses rely on precise terminology and a deep understanding of rider needs to connect authentically with their audience. My knowledge extends beyond broad keywords into the niche vocabulary used by serious riders and barn managers, such as side zip tailored sportsmans, standing martingales, astm helmet, and western cinch. This rare expertise means your website content will naturally appeal to true equestrian shoppers, boosting your search rankings and engagement.

Most digital marketing firms lack this insider equine language, resulting in generic, less effective campaigns. My consulting bridges the gap between SEO best practices and equine industry nuances, giving you a competitive advantage.

Only 1 in 500 SEO consultants specializes in the equestrian market

Equine marketing expertise among SEO consultants is exceptionally rare. While the U.S. equine industry includes over 120,000 businesses, fewer than 0.5% of the 360,000+ SEO consultants nationwide specialize in serving this niche. This means that only about 1 in every 500 SEO consultants focus exclusively on marketing for equine businesses such as riding clubs, trainers, boarding barns, and equine retailers. This specialization requires a nuanced understanding of the equestrian market, making professionals in this field uniquely positioned to help equine brands stand out in a competitive industry.

Insights from Years of Listening to the Equestrian Customer

Over several years, I have conducted hundreds of market research and website usability interviews with horse owners, pro riders, veterinarians and barn managers. These interviews have focused on their online habits, preferences, and frustrations. I leverage this direct customer knowledge when crafting your website’s content and SEO strategy, ensuring:

• Your site mirrors the language and buying signals of riders searching for quality tack and apparel.
• Navigation and user experience meet expectations for busy barn owners prioritizing quick information access.
• The content anticipates questions about product durability, riding disciplines (e.g., hunter/jumper, Western pleasure), and barn safety.

This customer-centric approach results in higher conversions, repeat visits, and brand trust.

During my years working for a large equestrian retailer (SmartPak Equine, now SmartEquine) I had the benefit of traveling to horse tradeshows and competitions to reach more prospective customers. I conducted market research at shows such as Equine Affaire Massachusetts, the National Reiners Breeders Cup (NRBC), the Arizona Sun Circuit, the Pomona Horse Show, and the Tulsa Reining Classic.

Services Designed for Equine Businesses

• Local SEO and optimized Google Business Profiles to capture barn boarding and riding lesson searches
• Content strategy focused on equine-specific pages: tack catalogs, trainer bios, lesson programs, and equestrian event calendars
• Schema markup customized for horse-related listings such as available horses, riding camp schedules, and trainer certifications
• Building and managing customer reviews from satisfied riders and boarders to enhance reputation
• Continuous keyword research incorporating trending equestrian brand names and supplies terminology
• AI Search readiness audits focusing on the chatbot prompts most relevant for equestrians

Proven Results with Equestrian Clients

I overhauled SmartPak (now SmartEquine)’s article library to trim under-performing blogs, and reorganize their expert blogs to match their main shopping categories for topical authority. Additionally, I added a supplement category and sub-categories to the blog to reinforce to search engines the business’s level of expertise in this priority category for them. The results led to 40% growth in Organic traffic year-over-year.

I also led the redesign of SmartPak’s Horse Supplement Buying Wizard to improve user experience by adding customization options like a budget slider and supplement swaps. These CRO-driven changes resulted in a 70% increase in conversion rate and an 82% boost in revenue, demonstrating my ability to significantly enhance online sales and customer retention through focused optimization strategies.

Long-term and Current Experience with Horses

Not only did I work for an equine company for 9 years, I’m also deeply involved with horses on an almost-daily basis. I learned to ride when I was in my 30s and enjoyed taking lessons and going on trail rides.

Now that my kids are older, I let them have all the fun and reserve my riding time for family vacations.

When I’m not bringing my kids to the barn, I’m working at one. I’m fortunate enough to have a part-time job cleaning stalls at a boarding barn 3 days a week. As any horse person will tell you- mucking is living the dream. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with horses in this way and getting fresh air and exercise while I’m at it.

Ready to Treat Yourself to an Equine Business SEO Boost?

Let’s discuss how specialized, equine-savvy SEO consulting can fill your stalls, boost lesson registrations, and grow your brand organically. My consulting packages are scalable, so I can meet you where you’re at, and you can add services as needed.

Curious about other services? Contact Me for a free informational call.