As a massage therapist, you know that SEO is integral to the business. It can be the difference between being found by potential clients and remaining hidden in a sea of competitors.
But many massage therapists don’t know where to start when it comes to optimizing their websites for search engines. In this article, we will discuss why SEO is essential for your business and even give you some basic tips for optimizing your website for SEO.
Let’s talk about SEO in general.
First off, let’s cover what SEO is.
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines. The higher the ranking, the more likely people to find the website. And, as you’re probably aware, the more people that see your website, the more business you’re likely to get. What’s better, it’s not just about getting more website visitors but also about getting the right kind of visitors – people who are interested in what you offer.
Several factors go into SEO, including keywords, backlinks, and site structure. It’s an entire industry, and it would take too long to cover everything here. But you get the idea – SEO is vital if you want your website to be successful.
Now, let’s talk about SEO for a massage therapist specifically.
Why would a massage therapist need SEO?
If you’re a massage therapist, chances are you have a website. And if you have a website, you probably want people to find it. That’s where SEO comes in.
Optimizing your website for search engines can improve your chances of appearing in the search results when people are looking for a massage therapist in your area.
Think of it like this.
Someone needs some relief from their aching muscles, and they turn to Google for help. They pull out their phone and start typing “massage therapist,” and Google does the rest. It knows where the searcher is and what they’re looking for, so now Google will display the results.
This person sees a list of massage therapists in their area. They see phone numbers, locations, websites, total reviews, etc. History shows us that they’ll most likely click on the first or second result they see. Naturally, you want to be one of those first few results.
And that’s where SEO for a massage therapist comes into play.
You can do several things to improve your ranking on search engines, and we’re going to cover some of them now.
Tips for implementing SEO on your own.
As I’ve mentioned, countless factors contribute to a website’s ranking on search engines. You don’t need to implement all of them, but the more you can do, the better. Here are some things to get you started—
Use keywords throughout your website.
This is probably the most important thing you can do for your website’s SEO. When people search for a massage therapist, they will use specific keywords. You need to make sure those keywords are included on your website. Use them in the titles, descriptions, headings, and throughout the content itself. Don’t simply stuff keywords where they don’t make sense, but use them in a way that flows naturally. How would you speak to one of your clients on the table? That’s how you should write your website copy as well.
Get listed on directories.
Directory listings are essential for local SEO. When people search for a massage therapist in their area, they often use directories like Google My Business, Yelp, or Angie’s List. Make sure you’re listed on these platforms so potential clients can find you. There are hundreds of various directories, so you don’t need to be listed on all of them. Just focus on the big ones, and you’ll be fine.
Optimize your website for mobile.
More and more people are using their phones to search for businesses, so your website must be optimized for mobile devices. This means having a responsive design that looks good on all screen sizes. Ever been to a website on your phone, and it’s just a mini version of the desktop site? That’s not good.
Use images and videos.
People are visual creatures, and they respond well to images and videos. Adding some visuals to your website will make it more engaging, and people will be more likely to stick around. Take some photos of your massage studio, or even better, add a video tour. Show your potential customers what they can expect when they see you.
Get reviews.
Reviews are essential for any business but crucial for local companies. When people search for a massage therapist, they often see reviews from other clients. The more reviews you have, the more likely people will choose you over the competition.
So, how do you get more reviews? The simplest way is to just ask your clients. After their massage, let them know that you would appreciate it if they left a review on your Google Business Profile or Yelp. You can send emails after someone’s first visit or even include a link in your email signature. The key is to make it super easy for people to leave a review.
Add Schema markup.
This is a bit more technical, but it’s not too difficult. Schema markup is code you can add to your website that helps search engines understand your content better. It’s basically like adding meta tags, but it’s a bit more complex. If you’re not comfortable adding code to your website, you can always outsource this to someone to do it for you.
These are just a few things you can do to improve your website’s SEO. If you implement even a few of these tips, you should significantly improve your ranking. And that means more clients.
Hire it out and focus on the massages.
At the end of the day, you’re a massage therapist, and SEO might not be your thing. And that’s okay! You can always hire someone to help you with your website’s SEO. It’s not as expensive as you might think, and it’s worth having someone who knows what they’re doing handle this for you.
SEO is essential, but ultimately, your goal is to focus on giving your clients the best possible massage. So, if you don’t have the time or energy to invest in SEO, that’s perfectly fine. Just hire someone to help you out, and you’ll be on your way to ranking higher in no time.