If you run a service-based beauty business, your growth depends on clients actually finding your business and walking into your physical location for an appointment. So, how do you get the word out about your top-notch beauty services?
One of the most cost-effective ways to market local businesses is by helping them rank higher in local search results from Google and other search engines. In fact, professional local SEO techniques can have up to a 400% ROI for small businesses.
Local SEO matches your specific offerings with potential clients actively searching for beauty services in your geographic area. By targeting relevant skincare and beauty keywords, you position your business as the obvious choice and attract more local customers.
How to Use Local Search Marketing to Effortlessly Attract Local Clients
Search engines exist to give searchers what they’re looking for. They rank websites according to relevance for particular terms. So, if a customer wants to find a local skin clinic for microdermabrasion, they might search for “aesthetic clinic in Chicago.” Your goal is for your business to show up at the top of the search engine results page (SERPs) for that term.
Of course, there are many more combinations of search terms. For example, this potential client might be looking for an “affordable aesthetic clinic” or “microdermabrasion near Wicker Park.” These are generally called long-tail keywords because they’re longer and more specific. Your clinic SEO needs to include both long-tail and short-tail keywords to maximize your rankings and appear at the top of local search results. The most important terms to focus on are the ones related to local relevance. “Wicker park skin treatments” will be a more valuable term because it helps you resonate with your local audience.
Your SEO team should optimize your website to rank for the most relevant terms for two reasons. First, they generally have less competition than a broader term, like “skincare services.” Second, they are a better match for the real-world intent of your actual ideal client.
The Best Way to Rank for “Near Me” Searches
When someone conducts a search online for a local service, they are highly motivated to take action soon. Up to 46% of Google search queries now have local intent, and 28% of local searches result in a purchase. This is why search engine optimization for beauty brands is so much more effective than traditional marketing efforts, like direct mailings or business cards. By using local SEO, you are specifically marketing to the customers who are already actively looking for you!
To appear in local searches for services you provide, there are a few foundational updates you need to make:
- Verify your name, address, and phone (NAP) — you’d be surprised how often this is incorrect, leading to frustrated clients and lower local Google rankings.
- Conduct competitor research to identify the keywords other clinics or spas are ranking for, and explore opportunities for your business to capture search traffic.
- Incorporate location-based keywords into your website copy. If your salon is in a particular neighborhood, make sure you state that.
- Optimize for mobile display and voice search. Forty-four percent of people prefer searching on their phones, and 16% prefer voice search.
- Make sure your technical SEO is flawless — fix bugs, tags, titles, and coding.
- Claim and update your listings on maps and local directories.
This list is the basic overview of crucial local SEO tactics. Next, we’ll go a bit more in-depth with specific local SEO tips that will help you dominate local searches.
Proven Beauty Salon SEO Strategies
There are a few key strategies we use to maximize your local visibility. For brick-and-mortar businesses like salons, spas, skincare clinics, and aestheticians, your holy grail is the Google local map pack.
If you run a local Google search, you’ll see a map with the top three services listed. Your goal is for your business to be included in that “map pack” of three listings for your niche.
Along with the local SEO services we listed above, the single best way to get there is through your Google Business Profile.
Google Business Profile Optimization for Skincare Businesses, Beauty Brands, & Med Spas
Much like the Yellow Pages of the pre-internet days, your Google Business Profile (formerly called “Google My Business”) is your public business listing. If you want your salon or clinic to be found, you absolutely must optimize this listing. It includes you in the massive Google ecosystem of businesses and effortlessly delivers organic salon leads quite literally to your doorstep.
Luckily, the listing itself is a free service provided by Google. You simply need to claim the business page if you haven’t already done so.
Next, make sure your NAP information is consistent with your website and social media profiles. This is one of the first things Google checks when ranking you.
Link your website and a “book now” button to your profile so clients can effortlessly make an appointment.
Adding high-quality, relevant photos is also a must for the beauty niche. Make sure you get permission before sharing client photos, of course.
Google Business Profiles include a rankings and reviews feature, and most customers check these reviews before making a decision. You can request that satisfied clients leave a five-star review along with their comments — examples like “Stacey was great, I love my new highlights, and the salon was super comfortable!” are exactly the kind of feedback you want.
A fully optimized Google Business Profile that ranks in the Maps Pack can become an ongoing source of organic leads for your salon or clinic — meaning you spend less time and money actively searching for new clients.
Bing Places for Beauty and Hair Salon Founders
Though Google dominates the search engine world in market share, you shouldn’t pass up easy wins from other search engines. Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo all have their own equivalents to Google Business Profiles. Making sure that your NAP details are consistent on these platforms helps you generate leads from the people who prefer alternative search engines.
Bing generates over 12 billion searches a month, and most of these users do not use Google. Unless your business is brand-new, you probably already have a Bing business listing. Once you claim it, you can update all your NAP info and link your website and a “book now” button, just as you did for your Google Business Profile.
A completely optimized Bing profile will contain your locally targeted keywords, appealing photos of your location and services, and a complete list of services. This will bring in local customers using search engines other than Google and boost local domain authority across the web.
Google Local Service Ads for the Beauty Industry
Many salon owners ask, “Do I need paid ads to get clients?” It depends. Investing in SEO is essential to get your beauty website and online business reputation in good shape. Once you have effective SEO strategies in place, then the search engines effectively do your lead generating for you, using SEO to attract interested clients from your specific area.
Once you have your organic strategy running smoothly, you might be completely booked! If you’re ready to expand, then local service ads are the logical next step.
These ads appear above the organic search results on a SERP. They usually have a small “promoted” or “sponsored” label underneath them, so searchers know the link has been paid for. It’s a great way to enhance your local presence if you’re in a highly competitive area or niche. For example, a small town in Ohio might only have three hair salons, so ranking organically won’t be a problem. If your salon is in Chicago, however, you might have to work a little harder to compete against the hundreds of other locations.
Local SEO Strategies Offer Scalable Growth
One of the great things about local SEO is that it keeps performing even as your brand grows. As long as you ensure your website is optimized for local search terms, it will continue to rank for your geographic region. The longer your optimized profiles are online, and the more people share the information on their own sites, the higher your domain authority becomes. By continuously adding in more customer reviews, your authority with Google, Bing, and across the web will continue to grow.
If you’re interested in affordable, sustainable growth for your beauty business, you can start out by requesting a free Local SEO analysis from SEO Design Chicago. We’ll review how your website and social channels are currently performing in attracting local foot traffic to your business. Then, we’ll discuss a customized strategy with you to set up ongoing growth.
FAQs
What is local SEO for beauty salons and skincare clinics?
Local SEO for beauty salons and skincare clinics is the process of updating each element of your online presence to ensure that it matches the search intent for local clients looking for your particular services.
How does Google Business Profile optimization help beauty brands attract more clients?
Your Google Business Profile is essentially your public listing for your business. When customers are researching local services, they should see a fully-completed profile that has accurate name, address, and phone (NAP) details, along with appealing photos, a detailed list of services, and positive reviews of your business. Your profile should also link to your beauty brand website and include a “book now” button to attract more clients by making it extremely easy for them to make an appointment with you.
What’s the best way to rank in a “skincare clinic near me” search?
The best way to rank in a “skincare clinic near me” search is by ensuring your business shows up in the Google Local Pack, which features a map with the top three business listings that are most relevant to the customer’s search. To do this, you need to fully optimize your Google Business Profile and skincare clinic website SEO to make sure that you are matched to the right keywords and geographic region for your ideal clients.
Do med spas need local SEO and Google Local Service Ads to compete?
Local SEO is critical for med spas to be easily found by motivated searchers. Local SEO is important for gaining organic leads. Once that strategy is fully optimized, you can add in Google Local Service Ads for med spas to further boost your profile, especially in highly competitive areas like large cities, where clients have multiple options.
Can Bing Places and other local directories really bring more clients to beauty brands?
Bing accounts for about 25% of total search engine traffic, and many of these users do not use Google. Optimizing your Bing Places profile means you have access to this audience. Additionally, keeping local directory listings updated with accurate NAP details and optimizing them for local keywords can also improve your overall local search ranking in Google, increasing the likelihood that your business information will be shown to interested customers.
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