Did you know over 93% of online experiences start with a search? For estheticians, using SEO can make a big difference. It boosts your online presence and brings more visitors to your site, which can lead to potential clients and sales. This is the preferred method I have used to grow my business to over 10 employees and nearly 7-figures in annual revenue, year after year, all in a small city in Central Illinois.
SEO matters a lot for local businesses but more importantly, for my esthetician friends. It helps your beauty business stand out on Google and above your local competition. A website that’s well-optimized pops up higher in searches. This means more local people looking for services like Brazilian waxing or facials will find you.
As I scour Facebook Groups with questions new esty’s are asking, the most common one is “how do I get clients”. My friend, I can’t stress enough the benefits of a well-built and optimized website will do for you. It is hands down, the most affordable way to consistently drive new clients (and repeat) to your business. Just look at this graph from my own spa website.
Quick Tips To Boost Your Rankings
Sometimes all you need to do is just get started. I wrote this blog to offer some quick tips, but SEO is an ongoing strategy that requires a lot of work, focus and strategy. For today, I am going to start with some simple things you can do to boost your search engine rankings.
To do well online, use keywords that mention your location throughout your website. For example, if you have a page on your website for Korean Facials, you can have a line on your webpage that says “If you’re looking for Korean Skincare in Rockford, then you’re in the right place.” Your content should be top-notch and useful, so follow up with that sentence. Remember, using too many keywords makes your text hard to read.
Also, claim your Google My Business listing and make it great. Do all the suggested tasks it recommends for setting it up. Google wants you to be interactive with them, and they will reward you for it. You can also install Google Maps onto your website of your location.
Key Takeaways
- Effective search engine optimization for estheticians boosts online visibility.
- Optimize your website to achieve higher search engine rankings.
- Integrate location-specific keywords to attract local clientele.
- Avoid keyword stuffing and focus on creating high-quality content.
- Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing for improved local search results.
Understanding Local SEO for Estheticians
Local SEO helps you bring in clients from your area, and that will help you grow your business like crazy. It uses special words and Google’s maps for your benefit. It’s also 100% free to do, if you do it on your own. You don’t need to hire an SEO specialist and pay a high monthly fee. When you implement a few tactics, it is always there. There is one caveat though. A website is NEVER done. There will be updates you will do over time, and I do recommend adding in more content that helps serves your customers in the form of blogs, additional pages about your services, FAQ’s and more.
I’m going to say this once, building an optimized website will hands down bring you more customers, with less work, than maintaining a social media presence. I do believe they go hand in hand, but a website is where most people will go to find your business over social media. I can go for months without one social media post, but yet my business will still drive in thousands of visitors monthly to my website and about 60+ new monthly clients through my doors.
Google Business (GB) Optimization
Make your info on Google Business (GB) shine to stand out. Fill it with the right details, like your open hours and contact information. Good pictures also matter. Ask happy clients to leave reviews. That boosts how often you show up when people look for services like yours.
Utilizing Location-Specific Keywords
Useful words in your website can bring locals to you. Things like “top esthetician in [your city]” help a lot. Such words get your business noticed more. This makes it easier for locals to find you than your competition. I don’t do this for every page on my website, but I do recommend using this strategy on multiple pages.
Conducting Effective Keyword Research
One key part of SEO is finding the right keywords. This process helps us pick words that people search for and connect them to your services. Let’s look at how to do this well.
Identifying Relevant Keywords
Use Google Keyword Planner or another free keyword planner online to find what people look for online. It’s important to pick words that are popular but not used too much by others. This way, your work shows up more often on search pages. However, many of your relevant keywords will be the services that you offer and FAQ’s around them. This will also build domain authority, as you are writing more content that your target market is looking for. Domain authority means you are the expert in your area because you have taken the time to write about it.
Analyzing Competitors
Looking at what your competition uses for keywords is also crucial. This check lets you see what they’re doing right or wrong. It helps you stand out better online. Who comes to the top of your local searches? You can also look at competitors that rank high in other markets as well.
What are they doing? Why is their seo performance standing out? What words and sentences are you reading on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERP’s). I don’t recommend every copying anyone, but you also don’t have to re-invent the wheel.
As a side tip, if you have issues with comparison with local competitors, look at other markets for ideas. I do this all the time. I’m in Peoria, Illinois, but will look at other communities in my state, and other states for ideas. For example, I recently added medspa services to my business and I want my website to rank #1 for laser hair removal. I went over to Google and typed in “laser hair removal Milwaukee” and “laser hair removal Downer’s Grove”. Both of these searches led me to websites where I was able to look at how many pages they had on laser hair removal.
I was able to set a plan on what I needed to do to make my website stand out better and that included adding those keywords to my homepage, adding an FAQ to my laser hair removal page and adding in the word Peoria to my laser pricing page. I have seen more hits to my pages as well as an increase in calls and customers for these services.
Aligning Keywords with User Intent
Make sure the words you pick match what people want. This could be anything from learning, to setting up appointments, or finding prices. Connecting your words to their needs draws more people to your site. For example, if someone keeps calling you and asking the price of your Brazilian wax treatments, and is it listed in a place that is easy to see?
This happened to me years ago. The price was on my waxing pricing page, but decided to create a whole new page just for Brazilian waxing and I had my price right at the top. This stopped the calls immediately with that question and gave my business more clients at a faster rate. I had more leads to my company just because I listened to what people were asking me and created new content around it.
Don’t just stuff keywords into your text. It has to feel natural for readers and help you rank well online. By focusing on what users really want and checking out your rivals, you can make a plan that brings more visitors to your site.
- Use Google Keyword Planner to find high-volume, low-competition keywords.
- Analyze Competitors to identify effective keywords they’re targeting.
- Align Keywords with User Intent to create relevant page content that meets customer needs.
In the end, doing good keyword research not only gets you seen more but also helps you talk to your audience better. Your website is often the first opportunity to make a good impression and allows you to establish trust.
Importance of Content Optimization
Good content optimization is key for a top-notch esthetician website. By using keywords naturally, you make sure your content fits with what search engines like. And your readers will find it interesting too.
Google recently updated their Search Quality Rater Guidelines with E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). What it pretty much says, with experience, you’ll build your expertise, authority and trust with the consumer as you add more quality content to your website.
Blogging for SEO and Engagement
Blogging is great for both SEO and talking with your audience. Write about beauty, skincare, and wellness to become a trusted source. With the right keywords, you’ll get more visitors who may become regular clients. You can also use your blogs for email’s and social media content.
This boosts engagement and helps your site do better in searches. I’m writing this blog for my peers, so I can boost my rankings for my educational classes and products I sell on another website. It’s a heck of a lot cheaper than paid advertising.
Optimizing Meta Tags
Optimizing meta tags helps your search engine visibility. It makes your website stand out in search engine results. This will boost your site’s rankings and drive more traffic to pages on your website. Meta Tags are hidden content you add on the back end of your website for every page on you site.
To make meta tags work well, start with your title tags. They should be short, tell what’s on the page, and have key words. This helps your page be more visible in searches.
Your meta descriptions are also very important. They should grab attention and tell what’s special about your content, using few words. This can get more people to visit your site. It’s a good way to stand out and attract more visitors.
“Meta tags should be optimized to reflect the core focus of your content succinctly and effectively.”
Here’s a simple guide for making your meta tags better:
Meta Tag Optimization Tips Title Tags Include primary keywords, keep it concise and relevant, limit to 60 characters Meta Descriptions Incorporate keywords naturally, highlight unique content, stay under 160 characters.
Not sure what to say for your meta tags? Use chatgpt and type this in for a prompt “create a meta title and description for this webpage: (insert link).” It can help you create a better tag. Always use your best judgement when writing content. ChatGPT is an assistant, not the perfect writer.
Improving Image Optimization
Image optimization is key for better search results and a smooth user experience. Focus on good file names and alt tags. Also, check your file sizes and formats. Doing these things will make your site look better and run faster.
Utilizing Descriptive File Names and Alt Tags
Give your images names that describe them using keywords. This not only helps with searches but helps search engines understand your content. Also, adding alt tags with keywords helps everyone, especially those using screen readers.
Managing File Size and Format
Keep your file sizes small for fast page loads. Big images slow down your site and hurt your search rank. Pick the right format too. JPEG is good for photos, PNG for clear images, and WebP for a mix of quality and small sizes. This keeps your site fast and looks good.
Ensuring Mobile-Friendliness of Your Website
In today’s world, having a mobile-friendly website is key. People use their phones more than other devices. For estheticians, it’s important that their websites work well on all mobile devices. Making your site easy to use and quick to load will help it rank higher in search results.
Responsive Design Implementation
A website with responsive design looks good and works well on any screen. So, whether you’re looking at it on a phone, tablet, or computer, it’s always easy to read and use. This helps make your website better for visitors and search engines.
Page Speed Optimization
It’s really important for your site to load quickly, especially on phones. When a page loads fast, it keeps visitors interested. To make your site load faster, you can do things like making images smaller and using less JavaScript.
Improving page speed and design for mobile users does a lot. It makes your site easier to find and use. Plus, it helps search engines see your site as a good option. This means your website will perform and show up better, making everyone happy.
Leveraging Search Engine Optimization for Estheticians
SEO can really help your esthetician business. It makes your online presence better, more professional and gets you higher on search results. This means more people can find you and maybe become clients. This is FREE to do, and when done well, will keep you high in the rankings for years to come.
It makes your online stuff work better and helps local people see you. Being at the top helps beat others, making your business super strong online. Plus, it builds trust with people who visit your site. People are going to spend good money to come see you, and they want to know, like and trust you before they even come in your doors.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
SEO can be great, but watch out for some mistakes. Don’t use too many keywords. It makes things hard to read and search engines may not like it. Also, don’t forget to make your site work well on phones. This keeps your ranking high and visitors happy. Steer clear of these errors to win with SEO. Most modern website builders should have mobile friendly design built in.
Utilizing Blogging to Boost SEO
Blogging is a great way to get ahead in the digital world. It lets you make exciting and helpful posts. This can help your website show up more in searches. Also, it keeps people interested in what you’re offering. It adds more valuable content to your website traffic and if other websites are not doing this, you are more likely to outrank your competitors. From my experience, it is still very easy to rank a local esthetician business online.
Creating Informative and Engaging Content
Start by making content your clients want to know about. It should really speak to your audience. I built my spa website, Vanilla Sugar Face and Body, from the questions my clients were asking me. Like “how long does my hair have to be for a Brazilian wax”? Including helpful tips makes your blogs and content easier to find. This can lead to more people checking out your website.
Write about things that grab your readers’ attention. This will make them want to come back for more.
Sharing Blog Posts on Social Media
Share your blog posts on social sites and within your email marketing campaigns. This helps bring more visitors to your page. It also shows search engines that your content is useful. Doing this, you can use blogging and social media to boost how easily people find you online. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn are great for this.
Conclusion
Using SEO can really help your beauty business grow. Making your website, images, and tags better is key. It will help you get more clients looking for services like eyelash extensions, hydro facials or waxing. This means you can grow your business in the long run.
Getting help from an SEO expert is a smart move. They can make your website better and help with marketing online. This way, more people looking for beauty services will find you, growing your client base. If you’re looking a boost in your SEO, I offer one-to-one coaching. My coaching is for the person who already has a basic website up and isn’t getting the traffic they want or looking to massively outrank everyone. It includes an audit of your website, an overview of your goals and actionable plans.
Focusing on making your website better or promoting niche services, like waxing, is important. A good SEO plan helps you stand out in the beauty industry. It leads to a strong online presence and a big growth in your business. Within 6 months of focusing my brand new website on Brazilian waxing, I was at the top of Google. My business exploded at this point and I hired my first employee, an assistant, and then my first esthetician a few months after that.
Your SEO Checklist
When I coach clients, using a checklist is one of the best things we can do to take actionable steps. I learned that information overload is a real thing. This actionable checklist is simple to use and can help you make sure you are crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s. If you don’t know how to do anything you can reach out to me for some 1-1 coaching or try Googling it.
- Optimize your Google Business page.
- Use keywords in your page names.
- Use your town name, or local area on multiple pages. Example: “best waxing in (city)” as a header or in your meta data.
- Create individual pages for the different services you offer. A “Menu” only page will not help you get found on a google search.
- Start your blog. Share your journey. Write content around the services you offer.
- Optimize your meta tags.
- Name your images, and add Alt Tags.
