We've written before about things you can do to ensure your Pilates business is found online. A few things have changed since then, and we want to make sure you have the necessary information to make sure you can get your Pilates website ranked on page one of Google.
Before we get into that information, we need to give a foundational understanding of what Google is trying to do. In doing so, it might be easier to see why this information works and also help you discover additional things you can do to solidify your efforts to get your website on page one.
First, Google wants to give the user a quality search experience. When you look for something on their search engine, they want to not only ensure you find the exact information you are looking for but the best options available as well. This goal is a good thing because not only are we businesses that want people to find us when they do searches online, but we are users too. And we want Google to display the best results when we do searches as well.
Google also doesn't want people to "game the system" to be the answer to a person's search query. However, being that ultimately Google is merely an algorithm, "gaming the system" is something that sometimes is not overly difficult to do.
To achieve the goals they have set out, they are looking for a quality site with good information, that loads quickly and is easy to maneuver, that is appealing to the eyes and reads intelligently. Things such as page load speed and time on site tie into these items. A lot of it is commonly referred to as your on-page optimization.
However, in addition to the previously mentioned, they are also looking for something done naturally by businesses today. It's what most businesses are doing to market themselves and be found by customers. The algorithm, (algo), is written to identify these things as well. While the entire list includes several items, here are five of them to consider implementing.
Establish a consistent NAP, (Name, address, and phone number)
Keeping the concept in mind that businesses want their customers to find them, then it makes sense that the company will want to get their name, address, and phone number, (NAP), out for everyone to see. So as a business you will want to be sure that not only does your NAP show up on your site, but that it shows on every directory and review site people are using to find the services your business provides. The second piece to this part of the puzzle is that there is consistency in that information. If your company name is Jane Doe Pilates Studio, make sure that your NAP says exactly that and not just Jane Doe Pilates in any other directory. You can use this website to check the consistency and even accuracy of your listings today http://www.yext.com/pl/showmelocal-listing/index.html.
Content
You've likely heard the adage; content is king. Well, that is still true today and likely more so than ever before. Consistently adding new content to your site tells Google that the site is active and fresh. It also helps with the algo in telling Google that your site is providing a lot of information for its users. However, today Google is looking for longer articles, rich media in the form of pictures and videos, and likes and shares on those posts.
The longer articles in many respects speak to the quality of the content and in-depth information. The rich media has been proven to be more appealing to those searching online and reading the content. The likes and shares of the content just indicate social interaction is happening on the site. If several folks are giving a thumbs up and sharing the content, hey, it must be good, or so that is what the algorithm is programmed to think.
Create Videos
Take some time and create videos about your business. Other than how the viewer sees you, the look of the video regarding feeling the need to be perfect is not essential. What is important is that Google is seeing that you are spreading your information through multiple forms of media. And let's not forget, YouTube is not the only game in town. Vimeo, Dailymotion, Ustream, and others provide opportunities for sharing your videos. Here is a list of some of the more common options http://www.reelseo.com/list-video-sharing-websites/. Use one or use them all. Switch it up. The bottom line is to be natural about your postings.
Reviews
Getting reviews today is one of the most recent revelations in Google's algorithm. It is one of the ways that helps identify the best of the best if you will when it comes to services that a searcher is looking for online. When you think about it, when you look for a place to eat online that is new, don't you look at reviews? Of course! We would like to see what others think and learn about their experience. Google understands that too. As a result, they have included that in its search programming.
Because of this, reviews are important for your business as well. So ask your customers if they would mind giving you a review. Have them go to your Yelp page, Angie's List listing, Bing Places, Yahoo, Merchant Circle, and others and have them write a review. Use Facebook; better yet have them check-in when onsite at your business and then go home and write a review. All of that helps feed the Google algo to tell it you are the business people are looking for when they search for the services you offer. One important thing to note here and it's a pretty big deal. Google doesn't expect to see 100 five-star reviews. A business having that many reviews with all of them being five-star ratings is not natural and remember we want things that are natural looking. So if someone gives your business a four-star review that is okay. If you are getting several three-star reviews or below, well that is another issue altogether and a topic we will discuss another day.
Social signals
As previously mentioned, social signals are important ranking factors. If people like and share your page, that is a good thing. But, just as it is important to like and share your main business page, it is also important to have folks like the interior pages of your website as well. A lack of likes or shares on internal pages of the sites can raise a lot of red flags in Google's eyes and be an indicator that something is missing. And, if as a result, Google thinks the site is lacking, then it won't identify your site as the place for a searcher to see when he or she is performing an online search for your services. So where can you put social shares on your site to allow for likes and shares on interior pages? Well, if I am suggesting some Pilates classes to a friend and she needs a copy of your schedule that might be a place. How about the instructors in your studio? Getting the word out about them is important. Of course, your blog or article page would benefit from likes and shares, along with multiple other possible pages. We suggest going through your website and discovering what interior pages would benefit from adding social buttons.
And in case you may be wondering, comments on your content add another element that Google is interested in as well.
Bonus Suggestion: Backlinks
Just an additional quick tip to add to those previously mentioned. Google also has one other item of interest, and that is backlinks. A backlink for those who may not know is when a site has a link to your website. Also, that link is more powerful when that site is a related topic and that power is increased when the site linking to you is an authority site. As an example, it's is similar to when you sign up as a provider on Pilates Pal and include a link to your website as part of your profile or plans and categories. That will count as a link from a topically related site. Plus, Pilatespal.com demonstrates to the big "G" authority on the subject and therefore it makes that backlink even more powerful.
Many things that have an impact on your site's rankings agreed. But implement these five...or six things and you'll be well on your way to getting your website on page one of Google search.
Top article image courtesy of http://www.reelseo.com/