If you’re working as a personal trainer in a specific location as opposed to online, you need to make sure that people in your area can easily find you. Local SEO can help you do just that.
By optimizing your personal trainer website to appear high in search results, you can make sure that your business is visible when people in your area search for the services you offer.
Ready to get started with local SEO? Below, we’ll explain what it is and share our top tips for mastering it for personal trainers.
What Is Local SEO?
Any business targeting audiences online needs to understand and leverage the power of SEO. The higher you rank in users’ search results for your product or service, the more likely they are to visit your website and look into your business.
SEO techniques help place you higher in related search results to improve your visibility and boost traffic. Local SEO is a more specific set of SEO practices that focus on delivering relevant search results for localized queries.
SEO techniques help place you higher in related search results to improve your visibility and boost traffic. Local SEO is a more specific set of SEO practices that focus on delivering relevant search results for localized queries.
Many search engines today make searching for businesses, products, and services within a specific area possible. Google, for example, uses GPS location services to pinpoint search results within an area. People may also make it clear in their search that they are looking for a nearby option by adding keywords like “personal trainer New York” or “personal trainer near me”.
As a location- or region-specific service provider, you want to be amongst the top options for searchers to pick from in the results. Using local SEO strategies like the ones we share below can raise your rankings in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This can increase awareness of your business and service and expand your reach so that you can gain more clients.
7 Top Local SEO Tips For Personal Trainers To Help You Get More Clients
Here are seven ways that you can get started with local SEO for personal trainers:
1. Check Your NAP Details
First and foremost, it is important to make sure that you have consistent information online. If you’ve been operating as a personal training business, your information may be available on several directory websites already. However, you may have changed primary addresses in time or switched to a new name as your business has grown.
It’s important to remove any inconsistencies. For example, you shouldn’t appear as “Health Life Trainers” in one instance and “Healthy Life Trainers” in another. To get a great start on local SEO, ensure your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) details stay consistent across the internet. Then search engines won’t confuse you or list you as two different businesses.
You can do this by checking previous listings through a simple Google search. If there are inconsistencies, consider using a citation service like Moz Local or Whitespark to help you manage and optimize your business listings.
2. Add Yourself To Google My Business
It is absolutely essential to include your business and details on Google My Business. Set up your Google Business listing and you’re more likely to rank highly in Google search results for personal trainers in your area.
The listing is free, fast, and simple to create. Add your NAP information, logo, website links, and working hours. Google should verify your information within 48 hours. It’s that simple.
The listing is free, fast, and simple to create. Add your NAP information, logo, website links, and working hours. Google should verify your information within 48 hours. It’s that simple.
A Google My Business listing gives your business free exposure and makes it appear more credible and trustworthy.
3. Encourage Reviews & Ratings
Your Google My Business listing will also open up another avenue of local SEO for your personal training service. The listing automatically creates a space for clients to leave reviews and ratings. These can help to significantly enhance your search engine rankings.
You may be a fantastic trainer with a loyal clientele. But if Google doesn’t know that, then you won’t rank as the best in search results. Your Google listing is a place where people who have used your services can leave reviews. Not only does this input from your clients establish a good reputation and image for potential clients, but good reviews also tell Google that you should be higher in their rankings.
If you do get negative reviews, make sure to address them politely. Openness and the ability to take feedback and improve your service will position you well in the eyes of anyone reading your reviews.
4. Build Local Links
To master link building for local SEO, approach local businesses to link to your personal training website. These don’t have to be businesses in your industry but they should align with your values or have a similar target audience. You can also get links from community platforms and organizations like local sports clubs, schools, events, churches, etc.
While these may not be high-ranking or fantastic websites by SEO standards, their localized audience makes them vital to any local SEO strategy for personal trainers.
You can also build local links by submitting your business to local directories. Compile a list of directories and submit your information. Remember to send in consistent details to avoid confusion.
5. Create Local Content
Following on from the previous point, generating content specific to your location can help encourage other businesses to link to your website.
Creating helpful guides or blog articles about local trends, issues, events, etc. establishes common ground with them and provides valuable information. They can see your relevance to local audiences and may be more likely to collaborate with you.
With more content on relevant local topics, you can also drive more local organic traffic directly to your website. And if you have good content, people will be more likely to stay longer on your site, checking out your services and other blog posts. This is a good indicator to Google that your site offers value, which can improve your rankings.
Creating helpful guides or blog articles about local trends, issues, events, etc. establishes common ground with them and provides valuable information. They can see your relevance to local audiences and may be more likely to collaborate with you.
With more content on relevant local topics, you can also drive more local organic traffic directly to your website. And if you have good content, people will be more likely to stay longer on your site, checking out your services and other blog posts. This is a good indicator to Google that your site offers value, which can improve your rankings.
6. Optimize For Local Keywords
Local keyword optimization is another essential element to consider for your personal trainer website and when creating local content.
46% of Google searches have local intent but what are people looking for? What do they type in their searches?
Keyword research helps you find the words and phrases people include in their local searches that are relevant to your personal training business. You can then use them on your website pages and in your blog content so that you will start ranking for them.
46% of Google searches have local intent but what are people looking for? What do they type in their searches?
Keyword research helps you find the words and phrases people include in their local searches that are relevant to your personal training business. You can then use them on your website pages and in your blog content so that you will start ranking for them.
There are several SEO tools you can use to help you do this including Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, Semrush, and more.
Make sure you target keywords relevant to your business and location, such as “personal trainer Michigan” or “best personal trainer New York.”
7. Make Sure Your Site Is Mobile-Friendly
Think about how many times you’ve searched for a service “near me” on your smartphone and you will realize the importance of having a mobile-friendly website. 82% of mobile customers do exactly this when looking for services and almost 70% use their mobiles to help their shopping journey.
Because of this, it is vital to have a mobile-responsive website. If people search for your services, tap on your website, and then exit because it doesn’t function well, it will show Google and other search engines that your mobile user experience is poor. In turn, this will impact your ranking.
To make sure your website is mobile-friendly, you should check that the font is legible on any device and that your text formatting also works well for mobile. In addition, optimize your media and layout and make sure that it is responsive so that it adjusts to different screen sizes.
Because of this, it is vital to have a mobile-responsive website. If people search for your services, tap on your website, and then exit because it doesn’t function well, it will show Google and other search engines that your mobile user experience is poor. In turn, this will impact your ranking.
To make sure your website is mobile-friendly, you should check that the font is legible on any device and that your text formatting also works well for mobile. In addition, optimize your media and layout and make sure that it is responsive so that it adjusts to different screen sizes.
The more usable your website is across devices, there more likely visitors will stick around even when using their smartphones.
The format and design of your website also play a significant role in mobile usability. Consider design elements like using generous white space, choosing legible fonts, and having concise paragraphs to make mobile access more comfortable.
You can also promote access through your mobile-friendly website by creating interactive contact options. Add a clickable contact that automatically dials your business number. Include a map or Google Maps embed that opens your address directly on their phone. Link to your social media platforms where they can contact you directly and instantly or add an email contact form they can fill out.
With these mobile-focused contact options, you make it easier for website visitors to reach out in an instant.
Final Thoughts
If your personal trainer business operates at a physical address (or several), you need to use local SEO strategies to help drive potential clients in that area right to your door.
With these seven tips above, you can help your website rank higher in localized search results, which will improve visibility and boost awareness of your business.
Keep in mind that local SEO is an ongoing effort though. You need to make sure that you maintain consistency, keep your business details up to date, create fresh content, and consistently encourage reviews. This will help you keep up with search engine algorithms and show that your business is active and growing.
With these seven tips above, you can help your website rank higher in localized search results, which will improve visibility and boost awareness of your business.
Keep in mind that local SEO is an ongoing effort though. You need to make sure that you maintain consistency, keep your business details up to date, create fresh content, and consistently encourage reviews. This will help you keep up with search engine algorithms and show that your business is active and growing.
