When you’re looking for a restaurant, a physiotherapist or a cinema, what’s the first thing you do? You probably go on Google and find a business with a bunch of 5* reviews, right?
It's what we all do and it's also what your potential clients do when they’re looking for a personal trainer? It’s very likely that they too are googling around looking at personal trainers and gyms within their local area.
In this article, we’re going to be looking at how you can optimise your “Google My Business” account, so your fitness business can appear on Google Maps.
In this article, we’re going to be looking at how you can optimise your “Google My Business” account, so your fitness business can appear on Google Maps.
Is this relevant to online personal trainers?
Yes. Here's why. Every online personal training client is local to at least one personal trainer, right? That local personal trainer may as well be you when it comes to serving clients in your area.
Plus, the best source of leads for your online training business are people who already know, like and trust you... Locals.
Plus, the best source of leads for your online training business are people who already know, like and trust you... Locals.
Step 1. Create Your Google My Business Account
The first step is to create your Google My Business account. Once you’ve created your profile, ensure that all the information is relevant and up-to-date. This is important. Google loves business profiles that are comprehensive.
Google says that businesses with photos get 42% more requests and 35% more clicks to their website - so adding these details is a great way to improve conversions.
Here's one we set up for the Sport Dietitian in Edinburgh.
- Add a business profile picture
- Add as many images as you can in the other categories
- Add your physical address
- Add your hours of operation
- Add links to your website
- Add a telephone number
Google says that businesses with photos get 42% more requests and 35% more clicks to their website - so adding these details is a great way to improve conversions.
Here's one we set up for the Sport Dietitian in Edinburgh.
Step 2. Ask Your Current Clients To Give Reviews
Google uses reviews to help it decide which businesses are worth showing in search results.
Makes sense when you think about it. It's their job to show the best results and the fitness business with the most reviews is a good sign that business is a good result.
Ask your current clients to leave reviews on your Google My Business page, as it is a form of word-of-mouth marketing and can help new people find you online. Google also recommends responding and engaging with your reviews, as it shows your existing and potential clients that you value their business.
Makes sense when you think about it. It's their job to show the best results and the fitness business with the most reviews is a good sign that business is a good result.
Ask your current clients to leave reviews on your Google My Business page, as it is a form of word-of-mouth marketing and can help new people find you online. Google also recommends responding and engaging with your reviews, as it shows your existing and potential clients that you value their business.
Step 3. Implement Marketing Strategies to Improve your SEO
A massive 67% of map users use Google Maps. That makes ranking high a critical element for future clients to find you. When your Google My Business page has a good ranking, it demonstrates legitimacy and authority for your business.
Ranking higher in your local search will also improve the odds of your potential clients landing on your webpage or contacting your business. Therefore, it’s essential to get it right. Here are three tips we recommend you implement.
Ranking higher in your local search will also improve the odds of your potential clients landing on your webpage or contacting your business. Therefore, it’s essential to get it right. Here are three tips we recommend you implement.
- 1. Get links back to your site from friends, local businesses or other relevant and reputable websites.
One of the most effective ways to get your fitness business ranking is building “backlinks”. These are links that drive traffic to your site from external webpages.
You may want to ask friends and clients that own businesses in your local area. You may also be doing some charity work and may be able to get a press release from an online newspaper.
READ: How to Get More Backlinks for Your Personal Trainer Website
- 2. Submit your fitness business website to local business directories.
Another great way to build backlinks and get some traffic to your website is to list your fitness business with local business directories. Some great options include yelp.com, local.com, yell.com, bingplaces.com and thomsonlocal.com - 3. Keep track of performance via Google's Insights tool.
Google has it’s very own Insight Tool that can help you track your analytics. Sign into your Google My Business Account, click on the location you want to manage and then select “insights”. It allows you to see how many people have viewed your business, how they are finding your listing and whether they have requested directions.
Overall, having your fitness business listed on Google Maps will create more awareness of your personal training services and can generate more enquiries.
Optimising your Google My Business account and using the 3 marketing strategies consistently will help you drive more traffic to your fitness website and result in more leads.
Remember though, SEO is a marketing tool that works on the long-term. Once you decided to start implementing it, stick to it consistently for at least a few months to reap the benefits.
Feeling stuck? Get in touch for some advice or to have us do this for you.
Optimising your Google My Business account and using the 3 marketing strategies consistently will help you drive more traffic to your fitness website and result in more leads.
Remember though, SEO is a marketing tool that works on the long-term. Once you decided to start implementing it, stick to it consistently for at least a few months to reap the benefits.
Feeling stuck? Get in touch for some advice or to have us do this for you.
