Can Personal Trainers Benefit from Local SEO?

Did you know a Visual Objects report finds about 76% of people will check out a business’s online presence before visiting it? Statistics like these serve as a reminder that nearly all business owners need a web presence now.

A personal trainer is no exception. However, merely creating a website isn’t enough to attract customers. A web presence only benefits a personal trainer if potential customers engage with it. That’s why personal trainers need local search engine optimization (SEO) services.

What is Local SEO for Personal Trainers?

A personal trainer’s web presence can serve many purposes. Examples include:

• Providing customers with information about their services
• Providing contact information
• Providing information about credentials and qualifications

However, the main reason for a personal trainer (or any other small business owner) to maintain a web presence may be to attract new customers in the first place. A website is more likely to do so if its pages rank high in results pages when users perform relevant searches.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this! Forbes reports that approximately 92% of search click traffic may come from the first page of Google search results. If a personal trainer’s web content appears on the second page when users perform relevant searches, users may be unlikely to find such content.

SEO involves improving search rankings by optimizing the various elements of a website that contribute to said rankings. Local SEO specifically involves tailoring a website and web presence so its content ranks high when users perform region-specific searches.

Someone looking for information about personal trainers online probably isn’t looking for personal trainers from anywhere in the globe. They’re going to search for personal trainers in their area, because those are the only personal trainers who can serve them.

A local SEO strategy accounts for this reality. Benefits of local SEO for personal trainers include:

Saving Time and Money

A personal trainer is technically a small business owner. As a small business owner, they can’t devote time and money to any investments that aren’t likely to yield a significant return.

A general SEO strategy might help a personal trainer’s content attract attention from users across the globe. For a worldwide business like Microsoft, that’s ideal. For a personal trainer, who can only serve customers in their area, such a result yields no major benefit for their business.

A local SEO strategy helps a personal trainer attract the attention of internet users who actually have the potential to become paying customers. Thus, it allows them to avoid wasting time and money on marketing efforts that don’t help their business grow.

Connecting With Customers

A personal trainer works one-on-one with their customers. For a personal trainer, ensuring customers feel comfortable working with them is essential.

A local SEO strategy may help a personal trainer establish base level trust by focusing their web content on local topics. A personal trainer may make a stronger impression on potential customers if their website indicates they’re from the region and know it as well as a customer’s own neighbors.

Getting the Attention of Users at the Right Time

Someone performing general searches about personal trainers might not be ready to hire one. Maybe they want to learn about becoming a personal trainer. Maybe they’re doing preliminary research to learn what working with a personal trainer involves. However, there’s no guarantee they’re ready to pay for a trainer’s services.

Someone using Google to search for personal trainers in their area may be more likely to hire one in the near future. A local SEO strategy targets such a user.

The Importance of Local SEO for Personal Trainers

A local SEO strategy can play a major role in your business’s growth if you’re a personal trainer. It’s also worth mentioning you don’t need to blindly develop and implement a local SEO plan if you lack experience doing so.

Consider enlisting the help of SEO specialists. By working with professionals to improve your local SEO, you may attract customers more easily and effectively than ever before.

Main Street ROI offers local SEO services to personal trainers and other small local businesses.