The fitness industry is thriving. People are spending more on gym memberships, and the industry’s revenue is soaring. But with more demand comes more competition. Gyms and fitness studios are popping up everywhere, and each one wants to fill its schedule with clients.
Sound familiar? If you’re feeling the squeeze, you’re not alone. Building your client base is tougher than ever, and marketing consistently is essential. But here’s one thing you might be overlooking: your gym’s presence on Google.
Let’s talk about what a strong Google presence really means and how it can help your gym business grow.
What is Local SEO On Google?
For business owners, the term “local SEO for gym” might not be familiar. SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization,” which means using different strategies to share your business information and services on Google. In this way, your gym business website and its services will be on the top of Google for your customers.
Why Local SEO is Important for Gyms?
You realize that you are not the only gym owner in the market. There are thousands in your city. Now imagine everyone has to sell their services. So, which gym will Google pick to show at the top? The best in the area.
You need to have a credible and good Google profile so that customers can trust your gym business.
You are making a big mistake if you run a gym business without local SEO. The competition is fierce. Your business should be one of the most recognizable profiles in your area. That is why you must create a complete Google profile to sell your gym business effectively.
A Simple and Effective Guide to Implement Local SEO
Local SEO for gyms is a long process with many steps to achieve good results. Let’s carefully understand each step for a good strategy for SEO for fitness gyms.
Google Business Profile (GBP)
As the name suggests, build your business profile on Google. No business exists if it’s not on Google.
According to Google, customers are 70% more likely to visit and 50% more likely to consider purchasing from businesses with a complete Business Profile.
A Google business profile is like an online information hub for your business. It lets you build your gym business profile and ensures it is live and available in a specific area.
Now, Google will show your gym business in two ways;
Local Pack
When you search for a gym, it shows nearby gyms in your area with addresses. It is called a local pack. With a proper gym SEO profile, Google will place your gym right on the page for customers.
Organic Results
These are the blue links that appear on Google after a search query. These include websites with helpful content to satisfy users’ queries and questions. Organic results appear just below the local pack.
Google brings up the best business websites that provide helpful solutions to customers’ questions at the top of the page.
How to Set Up A Good Google Business Profile?
You need to do two things for your GBP. First, create a Google business profile and optimize it. Follow the below steps to set up your Google profile;
Profile Set Up:
- Go to Google Maps and add your business to it.
- Create your professional Google business account.
- Verify the gym business account with a phone number for account security verification.
Profile Optimization:
- Add your gym business name.
- Add your business’s category. Choose your business category precisely, whether it is a gym, fitness studio, or spa.
- Add your location, the physical location of your gym.
- Add the gym website.
- Add a phone number dedicated to your gym business communication.
- Verify your business profile so it becomes visible on Google.
- Add the operational working hours of your gym.
- Add the products and services of your gym business.
- Add a business description.
- Add photos and videos of your gym facility.
- Ask customers to submit reviews on your Google profile.
- Attach recent or famous social media posts on it.
- Set up a Google Ad on your profile.
- Add a direct messaging option to your Google profile.
- Add FAQs for your customers.
On-Page SEO for Fitness Gyms
How can you rank yourself on top in the pool of gyms in your area?
To create an effective business stream, you need a website that perfectly showcases and sells your gym business.
Steps for Optimizing Local SEO Strategy:
On-page SEO refers to how relevant your content is for your audience and new customers. The goal is to maintain a consistent content calendar to keep your gym website valuable for Google queries.
Keyword Research for Local Searches
Every day, people search for many things on Google. The words they write on Google show their search intent and queries. Gym owners can use different tools to find keywords from Google and identify their consumers’ needs.
Keywords are a great way to set the direction of your content for your customers. For every search they put up regarding gyms, you would know what you need to answer and sell to your customers next.
Value-Driven Blog Posts
Got the keywords? You know the questions. Now, answer them in detail.
Blog posts are a great way to connect with your audience. You need to create interesting and thoughtful content to build your online presence.
Create good content that boosts page SEO in Google.
Seo for gyms will tell you what type of content people search in your area.
With the help of local searches and optimized page SEO, the search engine results page will bring your gym website to the top.
Create a Client Success Story
It’s a great strategy for building confidence and trust in your customers. You can feature client success stories on your website to quantify your gym business’s worth.
Address and Phone Number
Make sure that all pages of your website have clearly written address and phone number of your gym facility.
Off-Page SEO for Fitness Gyms
Off-page refers to the technical parts of your website. The outside or backlinks for your gym business increase its visibility on Google. The goal is to maintain a solid local SEO for crossfit gym, and it includes;
Technical SEO:
- Fixing Content Issues
- Gym Website Structure
- Accessibility and Usability
- Speed and Performance
- Crawlability and Indexability
- Mobile Friendly Website
Local Backlinks:
Engage your fitness business with local influencers to boost your services and online presence on social media and GBP.
Sponsor or partner with other health-related organizations and activities to appear in the media.
Local Citations:
Get yourself listed in local directories. Most gym owners ignore this step, but it is a good way to improve their business name in the market.
Submit and show your gym business information on local directories like Yelp and Gym Navigator for more visibility.
NAP Consistency:
NAP means (Name, Address, and Phone Number) information. Ensure your gym’s vital information is consistent across all platforms. This includes the website, social media, and social directories.
Track and Adjust
You have completed your Google profile and performed search engine optimization. Now, it’s time to track the analytics and develop new ways to showcase your content on Google. Don’t drain all your energy on GBP; keep a robust social media presence to boost your gym business profile.
Keep adjusting your performance through valuable insights from your customers.
Quick Wrap Up
After this detailed guide, you must make some good effort to keep a solid gym business profile on Google. With a properly listed name on Google and by optimizing your Google business profile, you will be at the top of your gym business race. By running with the right strategy, you will definitely hit your target.