You’ll often hear me talking about your website keywords, or ask you if you’ve done keyword research. If this has always felt like a bit of a scary, unknown art, then this blog is for you! I hope to demystify what it is, why you need to do it for your wellness business and how to get started. Let’s get straight to it.

We all know that having a website, and being discovered on Google don’t necessarily come at the same time. I often work with businesses who are confused and frustrated that they don’t appear on Google when they try to find themselves. One of the fundamental strategies to boost your studio's visibility on search engines and attract potential clients is through effective keyword research. This process helps you discover the words and phrases potential yogis are using when searching for yoga classes, workshops, or information online.

How to get started:

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Before diving into keyword research, it's important to outline your objectives. Are you looking to attract new students, promote specific classes, or establish your studio as a yoga resource? How important is location to you? Do you need to attract people from a specific area? Having clear goals will help you identify relevant keywords to target.

Step 2: Brainstorm Seed Keywords

Start by brainstorming a list of seed keywords related to your yoga studio. These are the general terms and phrases that come to mind when you think about your business. Examples might include "yoga classes," "yoga studio," "yoga for beginners," "pregnancy yoga," "sound baths,"and "vinyasa yoga."

Step 3: Use Keyword Research Tools

Now you have a sense of the types of words people would search to find you. Remember to keep working back from “what would people search for, where I am a good fit?” If in doubt ask yourself this question, remember customers aren’t like to search for something like “holistic wellbeing service.” They tend to be a bit more literal!

You can now use a keyword research tool to delve a little deeper. There are a few you can use but Google Keyword Planner is probably easiest if you want a free tool, (SEMrush, or Ahrefs are good but paid), you now want to expand your list of keywords. Enter your seed keywords, and these tools will provide you with additional keyword suggestions, along with search volume data.

Step 4: Analyse Keyword Relevance

Review the list of keywords generated by the tools and assess their relevance to your yoga studio. Aim for keywords that accurately describe your offerings and are likely to attract potential clients. Consider the search intent behind each keyword. Are people looking for classes, information, or resources? I wouldn’t worry too much about expecting huge search volumes as we work in a niche industry, if it shows 50-100 monthly searches for “Yoga in Hogsmead,” that’s fine! Those are 50-100 potential customers, they have buying intent. It’s better to go with those terms than try to rank for “vinyasa yoga” which has thousands and thousands of searches. More on this in the next section.

Step 5: Evaluate Keyword Difficulty

Your keyword planner will tell you information about the difficulty or ease of ranking for that keyword. It's essential to strike a balance between high-competition and low-competition keywords. Targeting some less competitive long-tail keywords can help your studio or classes rank more easily. As long as it is still relevant to what you do and you think customers would search for that.

Step 6: Consider Local SEO

I talk about this non-stop. NON-STOP. If your yoga studio serves a specific geographical area, you MUST incorporate location-based keywords into your strategy. If you want to attract yogis in Hogsmead, this should be in your H1 title on your service page. It’s also sensible to add your listing to local directories such as Yell, Yelp, Hey Yoga etc - backlinks are a good thing for your website.

Step 7: Create Quality Content

Once you've identified your target keywords, focus on creating high-quality content around them. You want to remember this doesn’t mean you have to start talking like a robot… speak in your natural way like you’re talking to a friend, Google is clever! Develop informative blog posts, class descriptions, and website pages that incorporate these keywords naturally.

Step 8: Monitor and Adjust

Keyword research isn't a one-time task. Regularly monitor your website's performance using tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Check what is ranking in your local area and how they structure their site. Analyse which keywords are driving traffic and which ones need optimisation. Adjust your content and SEO strategy accordingly.

Step 9: Leverage Social Media

It’s not just about your website, you can extend your keyword strategy to social media platforms. Use relevant keywords in your social media posts, profiles, and hashtags to increase your studio's visibility on these platforms. It all ties together.

Step 10: Seek Professional Help

If keyword research and SEO feel overwhelming, don't hesitate to seek assistance from digital marketing professionals, like me! I can provide tailored guidance and strategies to improve your yoga studio's online visibility.

In conclusion, keyword research is a fundamental step in enhancing your yoga studio's online presence, it doesn’t need to be scary, it’s really just a lot of thinking through the eyes of your customers. By understanding your target audience's search behaviour and strategically incorporating relevant keywords into your