In order for a gym or fitness center to grow, it needs clients. You need people to know where you are and what you offer to help them reach their fitness goals. While there are many online marketing strategies that gyms, personal trainers, and fitness centers can use, one of the first areas you need to focus on is your Google Business Profile.
A Google Business Profile tells people and the search engines where you are and what you offer. It is free and fairly easy to claim, but it also needs to be optimized to be as effective as possible and to generate search engine traffic. Here are some Google Business Profile SEO strategies for gyms that will help you showcase the strength of your facility and its services and draw the right traffic to your page.
Start with the Basics: Claim and Verify Your Profile
Before you can optimize your Google Business Profile, you need to claim it. Here’s how to do it:
- Sign into Google Maps
- Search your business’s address, then click “Add your business” on the left
- Follow all of the instructions to sign up for your Profile
After claiming, you need to verify your Profile. Here’s how:
- Search your business name on Google Maps
- Click on your name, and click “claim this business” then “manage now”
- Choose the verification option that works best for you
- Follow the instructions to verify your business
Once your business is verified, your company’s local ranking on Google should improve. It also gives you a chance to manage reviews and see metrics about your Profile. This makes your gym or fitness center feel more credible when people are searching.
Make It Right: Establish Complete and Accurate Business Information
Now that you have verified your Profile, you need to make it complete and accurate. The most important way to do this is to make your name, address, and phone number information consistent with your website and other directory listings. The NAP, as this metric is known, must match other online citations to boost your local search ranking.
To make your business NAP consistent, make sure you use the same phone number across all listings. You may have multiple numbers for your business, but pick one to use for each listing. Also, make sure the spelling of your address and any abbreviations it contains stay consistent. If you make a change to any of the data in your NAP, make sure you modify all listings.
Keep it Compelling: Write an Engaging Business Description
You have the opportunity to write a business description for Google, so make this a compelling, engaging description. Add fitness-related keywords as well as local geotags to boost your local search results. However, don’t make this description too long. Google only displays the first 250 characters, so make those the most important characters. You are limited to 750 characters total, so be very careful about what you add.
This description needs to have any unique fitness offers you provide that your competition doesn’t. If you have relevant background or experience, put that in the description. Make it as specific and unique as possible to draw the right kind of attention.
Grab Attention: Use High-Quality Visual Content
The web is largely a visual place, so add photos and videos for your business. Quality photographs of your fitness equipment, headshots of your personal trainers, and visuals of the exterior of your building are all helpful.
Before adding visual items to your page, make sure they follow the guidelines:
- Use JPG or PNG format.
- Size images between 10 KB and 5 MB.
- Optimize the resolution to be up to 720 px tall and 720 px wide, but at least 250 px tall and 250 px wide.
- Choose a picture that is clear, in focus, well-lit, and professional.
- Avoid filters and over edited photos.
In addition to posting photos, make sure you keep them updated. If something changes and there is a photo that’s outdated or no longer accurately presents your business in the best light, take it down. You want to showcase your best and most current offerings, so people know exactly what to expect when they visit your facility.
Be Responsive: Manage and Respond to Customer Reviews
Your Google Business Profile is a place where people will post reviews. If you have happy customers, you should be encouraging them to do so. The more reviews you have, the more valid your business appears both to Google and to potential members.
When you ask people to add reviews, ask them to be specific. Have them mention the fitness services they used and encourage them to put local terms in their review. This will boost your local results.
After receiving reviews, respond to them. Even negative reviews can help your business if you can respond in a positive and professional manner.
Get Local: Implement Local SEO Strategies
Your Google Business Profile offers multiple places where you can implement your local SEO strategies. In your business description, add local keywords to signal to the search engines where you are located. As you build your Profile, add relevant service areas outside your main city or town. Incorporate location-specific information wherever possible to build your online presence.
When you have local SEO woven into your Google Business Profile, you increase your chances of being included in the Local Pack, the Google Map results listed at the top of the search engine results page when people search for a local business. These listings are some of the most valuable and effective, and you need local SEO in a solid Google Business Profile to get listed.
Stay Updated: Utilize Google Posts for Updates
Your Google Business Profile offers the option to add posts. These can be text, photos, or videos. They can help promote your business and any special offers you’re giving potential customers.
Google Business posts can include up to 1,500 characters. They show up alongside the other Profile information shared in Google search results or maps. You can post updates, photos, reviews, offers, events, services, products, and FAQs, and all provide an opportunity to engage with people searching for fitness services in your area.
To make Google posts work for you, make sure your post fits within the following guidelines:
- Text: Up to 1,500 characters
- Images: JPG or PNG in a 4:3 aspect ratio, up to 5 MB and 1200 px x 900 px in size
- Video: 720p resolution minimum, up to 30 seconds, and no more than 75 MB
Post engaging, timely content, and keep it updated. If you have a special offer, post it, and then take it down once it expires. Use Google posts consistently to keep your customers informed and your business active in their minds.
Showcase Your Best: Implement Attributes and Services
On your Google Business page, you can add attributes. These let you highlight the unique features of your facility. Whether that is the classes you offer or the equipment you have, show people what makes you special. You can add attributes in the following categories:
- Accessibility
- Crowd
- Planning
- Highlights
- Amenities
- Activities
- Services
- Languages
- Payment options
- Dining options
In addition to attributes, build up the services section to add details about the services you offer. Again, focus on what makes your fitness business unique from the competition.
Begin Conversations: Encourage Customer Interactions
Finally, make your Google Business page engaging by encouraging customers to ask questions. Respond to questions and reviews in a timely manner. The more engaging you are, the more appealing you will be. In addition, having a page that has much customer engagement will build a sense of community and loyalty, and that will help drive your success.
Manage your Google Business Profile More Easily with Surefire Local
Though it may seem like a small part of your local SEO, your Google Business Profile plays a huge role in your online marketing. Surefire Local is an all-in-one marketing platform for gyms and other small businesses that makes it easier to stay on top of all of your marketing platforms. It has multiple tools to help you implement effective Google Business Profile SEO strategies for gyms. Through the Surefire Local platform, you can:
- Schedule and post updates
- Manage your business information, including NAP
- Ensure NAP matches other directory listings
- Upload optimized photos
- Request new reviews
- Respond to reviews
- Post and answer questions
- Monitor engagement with your customers
- Encourage and respond to customer interactions
Surefire Local also provides tools to manage social media pages, website local SEO optimization, online advertisements, and analytics, all in one streamlined platform. To see how you can use Surefire Local to maximize your Google Business Profile for your gym or fitness center, attend a demo to watch how easy it is to implement.