When attempting to build a fitness brand, visibility is critical and this is where vertical search engine optimisation, or vertical SEO, comes in. By optimising your website and its content, you can boost your rankings on search engine results pages, increasing the likelihood that users will click on your links and consume your content. In this article, we take a look at some of the ways you can use SEO to build your fitness brand.
Take the Time to Research Keywords Properly
All good search engine optimisation experts will emphasise the importance of keyword research and this is a step you should take the time to get right. In particular, you need to take the time to think about the products your fitness brand sells, or the services you offer, and then target keywords that will generate relevant traffic.
There are a number of popular tools that can assist you with keyword research, including the Keyword Planner, which is connected to Google Ads, or the SEO Keyword Research Tools that are on offer from SEMrush.
Once you have identified the keywords to target, you can focus on making sure they are placed appropriately within your content. Keywords can be added to the main body of text in articles and blog posts, as well as in titles and meta text. However, it is crucial to avoid keyword stuffing, as this will be penalised by Google’s algorithms. Instead, use keywords in a way that will not detract from the quality of your content.
Prioritise Local Search and Optimise for Mobile
Many fitness brands are primarily aimed at local people. For example, a gym should prioritise reaching people who are within driving distance, because those are the people who are likely to buy a membership. With this in mind, it is important that you place a strong focus on local search activity.
Google My Business has been highlighted as the single biggest factor in Local SEO success, so claim your My Business page and make sure you have your business listed in the right category. Then do the same for Bing’s equivalent, Places for Business. Across both channels and your own website, you should also adopt a standard format for your business name, address and phone number.
Beyond this, it is absolutely imperative that you optimise your website for mobile users. Not only is mobile optimisation a search ranking factor, more searches are carried out from mobiles than desktops and local searches are especially common, with people wanting quick information about the nearest gym, or the nearest fitness store.
Add Useful Content to Your Website Regularly
Your visibility on search engines like Google will be greatly affected by the number of visitors your website is able to attract and the amount of times your content is shared on social media. To maximise this, you need to make sure you are regularly adding new and useful content to your website, either through articles or blog posts.
The good news is, when building a fitness brand, there is plenty to talk about. You can add content about new exercises to try and workout schedules to follow, or you can provide advice on nutrition and offer other lifestyle tips. This content can then be optimised to target specific keywords and to attract backlinks from other websites.
Search engines use backlinks as a major factor when determining how high a page should rank on SERPs. As ‘black hat’ link building methods are penalised, the most reliable way to attract backlinks is to create high-quality, genuinely useful content that people want to link to.
Capitalise on Your Social Networking Channels
Social media is one of the most effective ways to build a fitness brand, but platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can also help to enhance your vertical SEO strategy by boosting visibility on SERPs in the process. The best approach here is to use your website content and your social media channels in tandem.
Share any new blog posts or articles on your social media channels, in order to increase the number of views they generate and create discussions in the comments section. You can also include buttons at the bottom of the content itself, making it quick and easy for users to share the content with their own friends on Facebook and Twitter.
The extra organic traffic towards your content and the increase in social shares can both help to boost your rankings on Google’s results pages. At the same time, sharing any content you create as part of your SEO strategy on Facebook and Twitter can help to give users a reason to follow you on those platforms, enhancing brand awareness.
Final Thoughts
Building a successful fitness brand requires you to take the necessary steps to maximise visibility and recognition, because fitness is a competitive industry. By following the vertical SEO tips provided, you can improve your rankings on search engine results pages, attract more clicks from relevant users and ultimately attract customers.
Author Bio:
This article was written by Patrick Hanley of APC Physio. Patrick has utilised SEO to build his online fitness business during the current pandemic.
