What most Salon owners do not realise is that it can take months for your salon’s new website to be discovered, indexed and ranked by Google so your salon website appears in a Google search. If you want to speed up this process or you want your salon to appear near the top you are going to have to take some steps to help it. This process is called “Search Engine Optimisation” or SEO.
It stands to reason that people who live or work in the same area as your salon and who are looking for the services your Salon provides are more likely to become new clients than those that don't. Therefore It is far more important that your Salon name appears or “ranks” highly in a Google search of local businesses than more generally on a national or global search. You can find countless articles on the internet on how to optimise your Salon’s SEO & SEO for Salons, but what you really need to focus on is how to get your salon to rank highly on a local Google Search.
In this blog, we will walk through the basic steps you need to take to improve your salon's website ranking and to make sure that it is your salon that appears in a Google search when a local person is looking for what you provide.
When a user enters a search criteria or question into Google search, Google provides a list of local businesses that best fit the users search criteria. They are usually listed at the top of the search results page, below the “sponsored ads” and before the “organic entries” . See the image below, this is where you want your salon to be when a potential client is looking for information on services your Salon provides.
Your Salon’s Google Business page contains all the key information about your salon business such as an address, phone number, opening hours, website address, social media links, key services and much more. How well you complete this profile will play a crucial role in how Google ranks your business in local search results. Google will match the information you provide in your Google business profile with search requests made by its users. The closer the match they make to the search request with the information contained in your business profile the more likely your business will be featured at the top of the page. It is free to create a Google Business Profile for your Salon and it will play a crucial role in whether or not your salon business appears in a google search.
Follow these simple steps: (Full details can be found on Google’s support page )
Now you need to Optimise your Salon's Google Business Profile if you want to rank higher in local search results.
Below are the key ways to do this:-
* See later in the section
There are many training videos available on youtube that can walk you through this process we found this one particularly helpful.
Google Business Profile Set Up: 2023 Step-by-Step Tutorial for Best Results
Google Search Console is a free service that helps you manage your site's presence in Google search results. When your Salon website is initially created it is unknown to Google. It will be found eventually by one of Google’s robots that endlessly crawl the internet classifying and recording the world's websites. There are estimated 1.3 billion websites on the internet. Websites are found by Google using robots that crawl the internet looking for new websites and changes in existing ones. You can read how they do this in detail here This is why it can take some time for your new website to be found. However, you can tell Google about your Salon’s New website and ask it to index it so it can be added to the world's directory of websites by using Google Search Console. In the dashboard, there is a tool called “URL inspection”. By pasting your website's URL address into the box google will check to see if it has a record and if it does not it will schedule it to be crawled. You need to verify your domain to let Google know that you are the correct owner of your site before they provide services for you.
Learn how to verify Instant Site ownership in Google Search Console →
Google provides a detailed guide which can Here
Google uses “Keywords” to align search intent with the results it delivers. For example, if a user types into a Google Search “Microneedling Salon Cork” Google will match these keywords to a set of businesses that satisfy this criteria. To achieve this it sends a robot to “crawl” through every website in the world classifying the content. Therefore your website needs to contain the words and phrases that you would like your salon business to be known for.
You need to create a list of keywords people are likely to use to search for the types of services your Salon provides. The best way to do this is to go to Google and start entering various search questions to see what business appears. At the bottom of the page there will be a section called “People also asked”, this will be a list of variants that you can also use. There are specialist tools to find the most relevant and high-traffic keywords. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner which is free and can be accessed by creating a Google advertising account or paid services like Ahrefs and Semrush.
Once you have a list of keywords, make sure to include them in your website's content, including page titles, headings, body text, and image alt tags. However, avoid overuse, this is known as keyword stuffing, which google can detect and can harm your SEO efforts. Use keywords naturally and strategically.
The content on your Salon website needs to be of high quality and relevant. Typically for Salons, this will be created on your Salons blog. Your website's content should be informative, engaging, and valuable to your target audience. Consider creating how-to guides, and other types of content that can attract and engage potential customers.
Ensure your content contains your target keywords. You should insert URL links to other relevant pages on your website and to external websites that have supporting content. Use bullet points, subheadings, and other formatting options to make your content more readable and scannable.
Your website's meta description is the short text that appears below the page title in search engine results pages (SERPs). It's an essential element of on-page optimisation for local SEO. Your meta description should be concise, and informative, and include your target keywords.
Make sure your meta description accurately reflects the content of your page and entices users to click through to your website. Keep it under 155 characters, so it doesn't get truncated in SERPs. Your web developer can help you to insert the right content in the meta description page areas of your website.
Backlinks are url links from other websites that point to your website. Google uses these as an indicator of the authority and relevance of your website. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the higher your website is likely to rank in search results.
Getting backlinks can be hard. You need to create high-quality content that other websites will want to link to and reach out to other websites in your industry and ask them to link to your website.
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. It is particularly important to rank well in local search that you keep this information consistent across all online directories, social media profiles, and your website. One of the most important aspects of NAP consistency is ensuring that your contact information is up to date. This includes your business name, hours of operation, address, and phone number. If this information is inconsistent across different platforms, it can lead to confusion among potential customers and negatively impact your local search rankings.
One of the most effective ways to improve your salon's ranking on Google is by leveraging customer reviews and ratings. Good reviews and ratings tell Google that your salon provides not only the services that the person has entered into the search but also that they are of high quality. The more high-ranking reviews you have the better your position will be in the search results.
Asking your clients to leave Google reviews on your salons google business profile is one of the best ways to improve your salon's local search ranking.
Follow these tips:
Thank customers for positive reviews and address negative reviews by acknowledging the customer's concerns and by offering a solution to their problem. Remain professional and do not be defensive. Make sure to monitor your reviews regularly so you can respond in a timely manner and address any issues that arise.
Posting regularly on your website and social media channels. Keep your clients engaged and informed about your salon business. You can share photos of your latest hairstyles, beauty tips, before and after pictures and promotions. Be sure to use the keywords you identified earlier in the process.
Engaging with your customers and building rapport is key to building a strong online presence. Respond to comments, reviews, and messages promptly and professionally. Build trust and loyalty with your clients.
Google Ads is a powerful tool for improving your online visibility. It allows you to target customers who are searching for specific keywords related to your salon business. You can create ads that promote your services, promotions, and special offers. Be sure to use relevant keywords in your ad copy to help improve your click-through rate (CTR) and conversion rate.
Listing your Salon in local directories is another good way to improve your salon's local search ranking on Google. These directories can help you gain visibility and attract new customers.
When listing your business on local directories, it's important to choose the right categories for your salon. This helps Google understand what your business is about and show it to the right audience. Make sure to choose categories that accurately describe your business and its services. Avoid choosing categories that are too broad or too specific.
86% of local business searches are done via Google maps. Adding your salon business to Google Maps is another essential way to improve its local search ranking. When you add your business to Google Maps, it becomes visible to people who are searching for salons in your area. Here's how:
Detailed instructions can be found on Full details can be found on Google’s support page
While there are many things you can do to improve your Salons Search Ranking hiring an SEO expert will deliver the fastest results. These professionals can help optimise your website and business listing for search engines, making it more likely that your business will appear in local search results. SEO experts can also help you understand the factors that contribute to local ranking, such as relevance, proximity, and prominence.
When working with an SEO expert, it's important to find someone who has experience working with Salons. They should be familiar with the local search landscape and have a track record of improving local rankings for their clients.
Getting your salon business to appear in a Google search takes time and work. You can achieve this by following the steps in this article however, working with an SEO expert will get results faster. This should more than earn back the investment you make in these skills by driving more traffic to your website, resulting in higher sales for your salon.
Finally, you have to be patient and persistent in your efforts to improve your salon's local search ranking. It will take some time to see results, but by consistently optimising your Google Business Profile and providing excellent customer service your salon will appear at the top of a Google search.
You need to optimise your website for SEO - Search Engine Optimisation by ensuring your salon has a Google business page registered with Google Maps, you have optimised the content with the relevant keywords and are working with a suitable qualified SEO expert who can optimise your website technically.
Google Business Profile is a free service that enables you to list key information about your salon business and important details such as an address, opening hours, and phone number. Google uses this information to present your business to people in your areas searching for the services you provide.
To optimise your Google My Business profile for your salon, make sure to fully complete your business profile with accurate information about your business, including your salon's name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation. You should also add photos of your salon and its services to your profile. Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google Business profile, and respond to all reviews, both positive and negative.
Ensure that your Google business profile and website contain the keywords likely to be used by potential customers when they use Google Search to look for the services you provide. Ensure your website is a mobile-friendly website, fast to load contains customer reviews and engaging content that people will want to read..
Ensure you are listed on Google Maps. Make sure your salon's location is accurately marked. Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google Business profile.
Some SEO tips for salons to rank higher on Google include optimising your website for local keywords, creating high-quality content that is relevant to your customers, and building high-quality backlinks to your website. You should also make sure your website is mobile-friendly, and that your website's load time is fast.
The best way to increase customer reviews and ratings on your salon's Google Business profile is to ask, respond to reviews, both positive and negative and make it easy for them by sending out your Salons Google Business link to your profile.
