Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can seem quite overwhelming when you first encounter it. But for salons, it’s now more important than ever to have a good online presence.
Once you start delving into the world of online marketing, we wouldn’t blame you for not knowing where to start. After all, it’s a competitive world out there – and that’s especially true for salons who are trying to find their feet in the online world.
At Salons Direct, we know that as a professional, you’ll want to spend your time creating amazing services for your clients – not spending your time trying to understand the world of SEO.
But if done right, SEO will allow more searchability, which in turn means more visibility – which could mean you get to welcome a whole new client base to your salon. Potential clients can’t experience your services without knowing you exist!
That’s why we’ve decided to fill you in on what you need to know, along with what to focus on first for a step in the right direction. Get your marketing hats on! Read on to find out what salons need to know about getting to the top of Google with SEO…
Keywords
The use of keywording plays a pivotal role when trying to get Google to rank your website higher on the search results page.
Using keywords on your website doesn’t have to be overly complicated. All you have to do is remember that Google is looking for the most relevant answers to the user’s question. So, in other words – the more precise and relevant your information is, the more likely you are to rank higher on the search results page.
But how do you know which keywords to use? There are many free resources online that’ll help you to understand what keywords you should use.
A popular option is Google’s Keyword Planner tool, but if you’re not overly keen on the idea of spending time trying to understand keyword tools – you could always look into what information your competition has and pick out some similar keywords.
Good content
There’s a reason why people say content is king! If your salon competition is ranking high on the Google search results page, and you can’t understand why – chances are they have a strong content strategy.
What do we mean by content? Well, content can take many forms, but one of the most popular forms of content online is blogs.
SEO optimised content allows Google to gather enough information to know whether or not you offer relevancy to the user. If it’s a yes – you can expect increased visibility to go up significantly. If not, we’re afraid that it’ll be an uphill battle to get your website seen.
It’s not enough anymore to just display what services you have available, or your contact information. Having content allows people to appreciate and see the personality of a business shine through.
So if you haven’t done so already, start getting content on your website. Provide insightful and useful information, and it’ll generate traffic so that people can see how great your salon is. Building trust with your customers will turn into conversions and repeat visits, you just have to give them something to come back for.
Create a Google My Business account
Creating a Google My Business account is a quick and easy way to manage your online presence as a salon. You’ll appear on search maps, you’ll be able to verify your salon, and you’ll also be able to access information about how viewers interact with your page.
Verifying your business allows you to build trust with users, as you’ll be seen as a legit business. It’s free and easy to set up, and it’ll do wonders for your SEO.
You will also be able to control what business information you put out there, including contact information, important updates, and where you’re based – or if you’re on the move, where you’re able to travel for services.
Share-worthy content
Some businesses can really struggle with this aspect, but for a salon, you have a fantastic opportunity to showcase your talents as professional creatives.
As professionals, you’ll always be creating amazing finishes for your clients. Start thinking of these as content opportunities to show potential clients what you can do for them.
As we mentioned earlier, the more quality content you put out, the higher your chances are of ranking at a better spot on Google’s search results page. Your work is an incredible content opportunity – so take pictures and document what really matters!
That doesn’t mean to say content that takes a more informative approach doesn’t do well – because it does.
Another great form of share-worthy content is to start showcasing the products you use in-house, recommendations, tutorials – anything educational.
If you’re educating or providing something valuable to a visitor’s search query, there’s a high chance that they’ll share your content (especially on social media) which in turn means more traffic generated. Think of it as the online version of “word of mouth”.
Mobile browsing
So Google is smart. Really smart. They’ve actually figured out how to interpret whether a visitor had a positive experience on your website – or a negative one.
If you think about it, almost everyone has a phone – and almost everyone uses their phone to google queries, browse the internet or spend time on social media platforms. What we’re trying to say is that we have access to the online world at the click of a button, and it’s with us at all times.
It’s essential that your website is mobile-friendly. Potential customers don’t want anything complicated, so if you allow them to use your website with as much ease as possible, the chances are Google will pick up on this – improving your SEO.
Be active on social media
Technically, social media doesn’t contribute directly to your SEO ranking. But it can definitely help, and there’s a definite cross-over. Let us explain.
So social media can help with optimising your SEO, because being active on social media increases your salon brand awareness, along with your exposure. Think of it as the more you put out, the more chance you’ll get at people seeing what you have to offer.
If you’re well known, more people will start searching for your salon. If people are searching for your salon, The folks at Google will pick up on this – and you’re going to stand more of a chance of ranking higher.
Have a FAQ section
Having a frequently asked questions section is handy for the visitor to get the answers they require, quickly. Having this section will give you more wriggle room, as opposed to just adding keywords in.
Google favours websites with this section, as it’s seen as a more relevant response to search queries. You’ll be able to write more detailed answers to what users are searching for, which will generate more targeted traffic to your website.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading our tips and advice on how to get to the top of Google. You don’t have to be an SEO specialist to pull off these techniques, so start adding them to your salon’s marketing strategy and watch your salon exposure grow.
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