The massage industry in the United States is growing. With an estimated $65.2 billion market value in 2024, it is predicted to grow at an average rate of 8.4% between now and 2034 (FMI). The key trends and highlights that fuel this growth are consumers’ increasing awareness of the benefits of massage therapy, holistic approaches to wellness, and the ease of booking through various online platforms (FMI). Moreover, an exhaustive study conducted by Baylor University yielded that 11.1% of adults in the United States, or nearly 30 million people, sought massage therapy in 2021 for various reasons, namely for overall health and pain relief.
This boom has led massage enthusiasts to find massage therapists in new ways (American Massage Therapy Association):
- 48% of massage therapy clients found therapists by searching the Internet.
- 31% found their massage therapists through an online locator for services, such as review sites.
- 81% were referred to massage therapists by clients (more on this later).
- 25% decided on a massage center after finding them at local events.
These statistics underline the importance of spa and massage centers marketing in a variety of ways targeted to the local area. Combined with the ease of booking online, the availability of mobile devices, and helpful tools in locating local services, one of the best ways to attract more clients efficiently is through an effective local SEO campaign. After all, 82% of people search for businesses using “near me” searches on their mobile devices (Statista), making local SEO a must for businesses seeking a local audience.
Best Practices for Local SEO for Spa and Massage Centers
Though many of the items to be discussed in this article apply to a broad variety of industries, businesses offering highly personalized services, such as spas and massage centers, require a more refined approach to local SEO to reach and attract their target audience effectively. Here are ways spas and massage centers can achieve this:
Design a Visually Appealing Website:
A visually appealing website is crucial for brand recognition and conversions (GreenGeeks), which is crucial in helping capture the 22% of consumers who choose name-brand chains because of their brand recognition. The essential elements of designing a visually appealing website that will attract more customers are:
- Use theme-specific colors: Soft hues of colors, such as blue, green, or neutral tones, can benefit relaxation, health, and wellness websites.
- Use imagery that matches your color theme: For a health and wellness website, use images with a softer tone.
- Navigation: Buttons and menus should be situated where people can find them easily in colors that complement your colors.
- Typography: Avoid pixelated typography, and make sure your font style is readable and matches your color scheme.
- Engaging Content: Must-haves include a review section on the home page, insightful industry-related articles, and straightforward language that resonates with your target audience
allthroughout.
Optimize Your Site for Mobile Searches
Aside from being a major ranking factor by Google, the following numbers are compelling arguments to ensure your website is optimized and indexed for mobile devices:
- 21% of people search for local businesses online daily (Statista).
- Over twice as many people use mobile devices over desktops for local search queries, and this is growing! (Statista)
- 30% of mobile searches are location-related (Think with Google).
To tap into this vast market, here are guidelines to ensure mobile-friendliness:
Key Features of a Mobile-Friendly Website:
- Responsive Design: The website adjusts to different screen sizes (desktop, mobile, tablet), ensuring a seamless user experience regardless of the device.
- Concise Content: Break down information into bite-sized chunks for easier mobile reading.
- Focus points: Use headings and subheadings for clear organization.
- Avoid large blocks of text: Stick to one idea per section and utilize white space effectively.
- Strategic Button Placement: Make buttons easily visible and clickable for mobile users’ thumbs.
- Optimize size and placement: Aim for a comfortable size (around 10mm x 10mm) and place them within thumb reach (usually the lower right portion of the screen).
- Clear call to action: Include concise instructions on what happens when a button is clicked (e.g., “Submit,” “Learn More”).
- Mobile Search Optimization:
- Include a search function: This simplifies navigation for users searching for specific information on your site.
- Search bar design: Consider the placement and functionality based on your website’s focus (e.g., note the color suggestions in the section discussing appealing website design).
- Filters: For websites with extensive content, filters help users narrow down search results based on desired criteria.
- Query suggestions: Provide suggestions as users type in the search bar to refine searches.
- Optimized Images: Large images can slow down loading times. Optimize them for mobile viewing:
- Resize and compress images: Tools like JPEG Optimizer, Kraken, and Compressor.io can help.
- CDN: Consider using a content delivery network to further optimize image loading.
- Test image performance: Tools like Website Image Analysis help identify images that need further optimization.
- Ditch Pop-Ups: They can be intrusive on mobile devices. Consider alternatives like:
- Natural CTAs: Integrate calls to action within the content itself (e.g., short prompts encouraging users to subscribe or take an action).
- Lead magnets: Offer valuable content (e.g., ebooks, guides) in exchange for user contact information.
- Slide-in banners: Opt for less intrusive banners that appear after a user spends time on a page or scrolls to a specific point.
- Fast Loading Speeds: A slow-loading website frustrates users and hurts SEO ranking. Here’s how to improve speed:
- Lazy loading: Images load only when users scroll to them, reducing initial page load time.
- Fast-loading themes: Choose lightweight themes and plugins for faster web page loading.
- Reduce redirects: Fewer redirects mean less time spent waiting for the server to respond.
Consider User Intent in Keyword Research and Content Creation
One crucial aspect of the spa and massage industry is nailing your niche. Though long-time professionals offer helpful suggestions, one way to translate this online is by considering user intent in keyword research. Does it sound too technical? Read on because it is more straightforward than it sounds.
We wrote exclusively about user intent and its importance in online marketing in 2024. To curtail keyword stuffing and cumbersome websites attempting to rank, SEO and search engines, especially Google, have evolved to consider the user experience when ranking sites. To improve your user experience:
- Listen to your audience intently to understand what they are looking for.
- Shape your content, whether on your website or for your blogs, based on what people are looking for.
- Identify the intent behind each search query, whether informational, navigational, or transactional, so you can write what is valuable and helpful to your users and improve search rankings.
- Focus on quality when creating content. This means you should publish valuable, helpful, and engaging content, blog posts, FAQs, etc.
Use Location-Based Keywords. This is How to Do It
Location-based keywords are essential for businesses targeting local customers. When optimizing content for local SEO, these keywords include geographic locations, specifically for landing pages, blogs, FAQs, and Google Business Profiles.
- Geographic Targeting: Include city names, neighborhoods, or regions in your keyword strategy, such as “massage in [your city]” or “massage near [your neighborhood].” However, it is important to use these keywords prudently and not overdo them. Ensure, though, that these are used prominently in your titles.
- Align with User Intent: People searching for businesses often add geographic terms when searching for massage or spa services near their location. Incorporating location-based keywords allows your business to align with what users are looking for and improve your visibility in local searches.
- Niche Audience Targeting: As mentioned in the previous section, finding your niche is crucial for your businesses and
itapplies to crafting your website content. For instance, in places where lymphatic drainage massage is popular, adding your geographic location for that specific page or articles related to the topic can help boost your website to rank prominently for your niche in that particular area (For instance: “lymphatic drainage massage in Portland, Oregon”). - Leveraging Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords are crucial to capturing a specific market segment. These niche keywords tend to have less competition and better, higher conversion rates.
Ensure You Have a Complete and Updated Google Business Profile (GBP)
Having a complete and updated GBP is crucial in capturing the attention of the 30% to 40% of people driven to local businesses by map searches (SEMRush). A complete and well-maintained Google Business Profile is also helpful in driving people who want quick results in their local searches. In fact, 76% of people using their mobile devices visit a physical business within 24 hours of searching (Think with Google).
To ensure completeness and effectiveness, your spa and massage business should be vigilant in doing the following:
- Claim and Verify Your Business: Ensure all fields are complete. In addition to your NAP (name, address, and phone number), ensure that all your business information, such as business hours, is up-to-date.
- Interact with Your Customers: Respond to messages, reviews, and comments to foster stronger relationships and build a positive brand reputation.
- Showcase Products and Services: Post theme-specific images, videos, and descriptions of your business in your profile. A critical given is an image of your lobby and your massage rooms.
Leverage the Power of Yelp and Other Review Sites
Yelp and other review sites have a significant impact on attracting people to local businesses (Google Trends). Here is a checklist to ensure your business strengthens its reputation on Yelp and other review sites:
- Claim Your Page: Claiming your page allows you to keep up with reviews, create offers, update business information, and monitor activity.
- Manage Your Reviews: Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show engagement and commitment to customer satisfaction.
- Advertising: Consider advertising, especially in areas reliant on Yelp and other review sites. However, it is essential to test its effectiveness by asking your customers where they found you.
- Promote Your Business: Offer promotions and deals to clients who use Yelp and other review sites, encouraging word-of-mouth marketing (remember the 81% about referrals? It works the same way here).
- Be Active: Regularly update your page with specials, events, and business information.
- Don’t Place Spammy Content: Yelp and other review sites have filters, which may oftentimes remove illegitimate reviews.
Takeaways: Local SEO Is Essential for Spa and Massage Centers in 2024
A well-conducted local SEO campaign that considers the pointers discussed above is crucial for spas and massage centers that seek to attract local clients who belong to a specific niche and are looking for specific massage services. Aside from increasing online visibility, these pointers are helpful in converting casual site visitors into paying customers while building trust and credibility that will help fuel further business growth.
Ready to help boost your spa and massage center’s online visibility and gain more clients? WebPower USA’s Online Growth Acceleration program specializes in helping local businesses like yours achieve these goals. Contact us today at (213) 317-7184 or fill out our contact form to book a consultation with our digital marketing expert.