SEO for Salons: Get your salon to the top of Google

Getting your salon to appear at the top of Google and land on the first page of search results isn’t something that happens overnight. It’s more than simply designing a website, launching it, and waiting for the magic to happen. 

The truth is, a lot goes into trying to get your salon website on top of Google. You must be strategic in your website design and planning, copywriting, user experience, keyword research and continuously stay on top of trends to stay relevant.

Why having a search-engine-optimized salon website for Google matters

When you think about how people find a top salon, clothing store, etc., you don’t picture anyone flipping through the yellow pages anymore. It’s the internet. It’s the world wide web. Google is the go-to way to search for and find anything and everything under the sun. 

In fact, 90% of customers used the internet to find local businesses in the last year. Yes, this includes salons. What does this mean exactly?

This means that to encourage people to visit your salon, it will have to start with having a search-engine-optimized website.  Unfortunately, Google doesn’t promote salon websites to the top if they are low quality, offer no value to the audience, and are out-of-date, with no changes made in months or years. 

There are numerous things you can do to help increase the likelihood of your salon’s website ranking on Google’s first page. It’s been shown that websites that pop up on the first page get 33% of all Google traffic. So, the more you show up, the more traffic to your website and more opportunities to convert website visitors into customers.

Now that you know the benefits of having a search-engine-optimized salon website let’s talk about how to get you there. 

1. Proper SEO Matters

You first want to ensure that your SEO (search engine optimization) and keywords align with what your potential customers search for on Google when looking for a salon. It doesn’t matter if you’re a salon just starting out, have been around for a few years, or are a higher-end salon serving celebrities – SEO matters.

When you include keywords that describe your location, products, services, and industry, you’re more likely to appear in the search results. For example, say you’re a salon specializing in hair extensions in Dallas, Texas. You want to ensure you include these keywords in the content on your website. So when someone searches “hair extensions in Dallas, Texas,” your website is more likely to appear in the search results. 

Proper SEO and keywords should appear across your salon website and content. If you’re unsure what your ideal customer is searching for on Google, you can use websites like Google Trends to find this out. You can also learn what words or phrases are being searched on Google the most in your industry. This helps ensure you update your SEO and keywords regularly to stay relevant. 

Don’t skip out on conducting SEO and keyword research. It’s absolutely one of the most important aspects of getting your salon to the top of Google. 

2. Optimize and Update Your Website Regularly

Google likes to see websites continuously change and stay relevant with the times. Therefore, it’s more likely to push your salon website to higher search results if it finds the information on your website and its content relevant and valuable to the audience searching for a salon such as yours.

If you create your website, add information and pictures, and then never check it or update it again, Google will not recognize your website as relevant or functional. After all, it prioritizes showing the audience not only the most useful but the most pertinent information. So, to show Google you’re staying on top of your salon website and the times, you can do a few things:

• Update information such as contact information, location, reviews, employee information, service, and product information, etc. You don’t constantly have to change this information, but ensure you’re going on and keeping it up-to-date. 
• Add keywords relevant to the times. For example, if it’s the holiday season, add relevant keywords to reflect what’s happening worldwide and tie them into your products and services. When you’re consistent with what’s going on, Google recognizes this. 
• Change out the images you have on your website. We’re not saying this has to be done every other week, but switching out photos to show off different parts of the salon, the employees, new products, etc., can help show Google your present. 

3. Create a Blog Strategy With Fresh Content

One of the best ways to get your salon website to the top of Google is to have a blog with high-quality content and information. 

People are more likely to read a blog for information than other outlets. In fact, 81% of consumers say they trust the information and advice they read on blogs. Also, businesses with a blog saw 55% more website traffic than businesses without one and have been shown to increase conversion rates by an insane 600%.

Having a blog on your website is a great way to add value to your customers by sharing your expertise, tips, and tricks. Plus, you can create a relationship with your audience and utilize SEO and keywords to appear in Google search results. This is another way that your ideal client can find your salon online. Ideally, you will be able to develop blog ideas based on your target audience and what your salon offers that will be considered valuable, informative information. 

Some topics can and may include:

• Best products for specific needs or issues your salon offers in person and online.
• Something you learned along the way in building your salon. 
• The best styles, products, services, etc., based on the season, events, or just for fun. 

Whatever the type of content you decide to share in your blog for your salon website, be sure to include keywords that your ideal customers are searching for and show how your salon can help.

4. Register Your Salon with a Google Business Profile

Registering, claiming, or updating your Google Business Profile will help put your salon website at the top of Google both organically and locally, especially if Google Maps is included. Having a Google Business Profile, or Google My Business Account, is becoming one of the most powerful tools you can use to get your salon website and brand noticed and visible on Google. 

One thing to remember with your Google Business Profile: make sure you are optimizing it regularly with any new information and photos, and ensure all the information they ask for is filled in. This is another excellent way to use SEO and keywords, including the essential information for your salon, such as business hours, contact information, etc., share customer reviews, and build your credibility.

If you do not know how to set up your salon with a Google Business Profile, you can find a step-to-step guide here.

5. Ensure Your Salon Website is Omni-Device Friendly

What exactly does it mean to have your salon website be omni-device friendly? That your website can be searched for on any device, mobile, or desktop without any issues. 

Since 2016, over 50% of all searches have happened on smartphones, with no signs of this slowing down. So if someone searches for a local salon on their phone and your website pops up, the speed, quality of the content, and overall design should look as professional as it does on a desktop. What you don’t want is to have someone click on your salon from their phone and have a difficult time navigating your site or finding how to book an appointment.

When that happens, you lose out on a potential customer, and Google will notice the issue (it’s called ‘bounce rate’). No matter what device a person uses to check out your site, it should look incredible across all channels. 

Our favorite website builder that allows you to create stunning user experiences for both mobile and desktop versions of your site is Showit. We use this platform exclusively for our clients (and it doesn’t require any coding – literally, everything is drag and drop – so even our clients can use it with confidence).

The Bottom Line

The best way to increase your chances of getting your salon website to the top of Google searches is to improve your SEO, research keywords to implement them throughout your website and content, and keep your website relevant. There are many different tools out there to help increase your salon website’s chances of being seen, and these will help get you there. 

If you’re wondering how your salon website stacks up to get to the top of Google’s search results based on these tips, contact us for a complimentary discovery call. We’re happy to look at your current website and offer feedback and advice on what we think can help your salon. If you know your website can use some help, apply to work with us here.