How to Get Found Online Without Overthinking SEO
Running a salon is already a full-time job. Between clients, your team, and day-to-day operations, there’s not a lot of extra time to figure out how SEO works and how to manage all of the “marketers” who are trying to sell you expensive services.
The problem is that once your salon has a website, the marketing calls start. Someone promises page-one rankings. Another says your Google listing is broken. And everyone can fix it….for a price!
Before you spend money on SEO services, here are a few things that actually move the needle for salons today.
Hair Salon SEO: What Actually Matters (and what doesn’t)
1 – Reviews are still the biggest ranking factor
For local businesses like salons, Google reviews are one of the strongest signals. A salon with 100 great reviews will almost always outperform a salon spending tons on SEO. This is why consistently asking clients for reviews matters more than most SEO services.
SalonTarget helps facilitate this by keeping communication flowing with clients and making it easy to encourage feedback after visits. All emails sent from SalonTarget contain a review button. Reviews can be published to your website once you approve them. Need to respond to a comment, it’s a click away. This is the foundation of getting found when someone is looking for a salon near them!
2 – Consistency matters more than complicated tactics
Search engines look for consistency across the internet. This means that your salon name, address, and phone number should appear exactly the same everywhere:
- Website
- Directory listings
Even small differences like “St.” vs “Street” can confuse search engines. Decide exactly how your name, address and phone number should appear (your NAP in SEO-lingo) and ensure it is consistent every time.
3 – Helpful content beats “SEO tricks”
Does your website have a blog? Even if you don’t love to write, you can utilize AI to create some content that would be helpful for your clients and future clients! We promise, you don’t need a complicated blog strategy. A few helpful posts per year can make a difference.
Examples:
How to maintain blonding between appointments
Best haircut styles for fine hair
What to expect during a color correction
This kind of content shows expertise and helps search engines trust your website.
4 – Email marketing can drive more revenue than SEO
Many salon owners are surprised by this. Email often generates more bookings than SEO. A simple monthly message about seasonal services, promotions, or stylist availability can bring clients back through the door.
SalonTarget’s targeted email tools make this easy to manage without complicated marketing systems. SalonTarget includes a fully integrated email and text message marketing solution. Add surveys and promotions to any email. Collect reviews and post them to your website.
Consistent communication will ensure that you will be top of mind to your clients!
The Bottom Line
SEO is helpful. But it doesn’t need to be mysterious or expensive. Reviews, good information, and consistent communication with your clients will often outperform complicated marketing strategies. If you have questions about how to manage your local presence using SalonTarget, reach out to our sales team and we’d be happy to walk you through how simple it can be!
