You want more gym memberships so you probably want to target a local audience with your marketing efforts, right? So where do most people go when they’re looking for something local to them?
Answer = Google Maps.
Here are 3 key steps to take to make sure that your gym is ranking higher in Google Maps.
1. Claim your Google Business Profile
If you haven’t already done so, do it now. Claim your gym’s Google Business Profile (formally know as Google My Business) and make sure it’s complete.
Just search for your business name in Google or Google Maps, then claim and verify your business. Once you’re logged in, you can go ahead and add your gym’s details.
Google Business Profile (GBP) is owned by Google so it’s a solid signal to Google that your gym not only exists, but is shouting as loudly as possible about where you are and what you offer.
As part of the ranking process, Google will cross-reference your GBP alongside other directories and of course, your gym’s website to determine the position you will rank in for certain keywords.
2. Make sure your gym’s Web presence is optimised for local organic search
Claiming your GBP is great, but it’s not a ‘one and done’ job. You need to make sure that it’s up to date alongside your larger web presence.
So we’re talking all external content, social media, other web directory listings and the big one, your website.
Local SEO for gyms is so, so important.
It’s one of the most effective ways that you can target your LOCAL ideal client, so make sure your gym’s website has keywords like ‘gym in Tunbridge Wells’ (insert your own town name of course!) and is up to date with the basics like optimised meta descriptions, title tags and general page structure so that Google knows that your gym means business… and can easily crawl your site.
Bonus tip = Google will reward gym websites that lead a searcher to their answer with as minimal clicks and fuss as possible. So this means making your gym’s website fast to load and easy to navigate on a mobile device - as that’s the main method of search these days.
3. Get your current gym members to write reviews
Recent reviews are golden to Google. They show the Google bots that your gym is operational and successful, meaning that you get extra brownie points when Google is considering where to rank you on a search page.
Google will looks at how many reviews your gym has, when they were and if your gym is responding to them. And yes, even those not so happy ones!
So next time you’re fist bumping and high fiving your gym members out of the door, ask them if they wouldn’t mind popping a review onto Google for you.
It's always worth a try!
What else do you need to do to rank higher?
As it goes with Google, there are other elements other than this list to think about to make sure that your gym ranks higher in Google Maps - but these 3 steps are a solid place to start.
Marketing your gym is all about consistency and is a full time job, so it’s always worth considering a fitness marketing agency or help from your existing team (other coaches etc.) to help lighten the load.
For more information and help on local SEO for gyms and other marketing tips for gyms, make sure you’re following me on Instagram. Don’t forget to take a look at my other blogs to help you with your gym marketing.