Keywords – Still Key for a Successful Spa Website

The goal of internet marketing is to attain prominent search engine visibility for keyword phrases specific to your spa products and services. Simply stated, in the online world, keyword selection and their judicious placement on your pages will do more to drive traffic to your site than any other single measure that you can undertake.

But, let’s face it, search engine visibility and website traffic is not enough. What you really want is sales. To generate business, you need to connect to site visitors, and that means choosing the right keywords and partnering them with “comforting words” to reassure customers and allay fears.

The Important of Keyword Selection

It’s hard to believe that in 2008, we’d still be talking about the importance of keywords…but here we are. Even today, keywords power search engines, blogs, image tagging, social media and more. They play an integral role in your website content and navigation.

The “When, Where, & Why” of Keywords

When: Whether you’re planning a new website or a re-design, it’s important to build your keyword list early in the planning process. Before you write the first word of web copy, it’s critical to identify the common (and not-so-common) terms that customers use to find your spa products and services.

Where: Your keywords must be included in the following:

• Website copy (the actual words on the page)
• Website titles (found at the top of the page - browser, or tab)
• Meta data
• Alternate text attributes for images
• Navigation & Links

Where Else Are Keywords Used? Keywords should be the woven into all your:

• Press releases
• Blog entries
• Informational articles
• Sponsored ad campaigns

Why: Search engines use keywords to serve up relevant content. If they don’t find them, your website will not come up in search result pages. Visitors will quickly scan your pages looking for these terms. If they don’t find them, they’ll just as quickly leave your site for another!

Create a Powerful Keyword List to Attract Customers and Boost Sales

Step One: There are many tools on the web for keyword research but before you using them, you’ll want to create a preliminary list by:

• Brainstorming with co-workers, friends, and family
• Visiting other spa websites and competitors
• Surveying existing customers about which keywords they would use to find your spa

Step Two: the goal of internet marketing is to understand how customers think and act in various stages of the buying process:

• When searching for your spa products and services (early stage)
• When ready to buy (late stage)

Step Three: use research tools such as:

• Google AdWords keyword-suggestion tool
• Yahoo Search Marketing keyword-suggestion tool
• Bing Search Marketing keyword-suggestion tool

Step Four: integrate those keywords onto your website. Be sure to use these keywords in a process that leads your customers toward your intended goal. Here’s an example of how to do it:

Let’s say you own a day spa in Seattle. Your website showcases your services, and allows visitors to schedule online appointments, buy products, and purchase gift certificates. Assuming that you offer facials as one of your services, you’ll want to include “Seattle facials” on your keyword list. This keyword phrase will attract early stage customers. What terms might attract “late stage” buyers – someone ready to schedule an appointment or buy a product? How about these: “acne treatment” or better yet, “adult acne treatment,” or “acne treatment cream?” You see, these terms represent very specific keywords that a person may likely use in the later stages of the buying process.

Once you’ve created your keyword list, make sure they’re interspersed within your web copy in easy-to-spot places such as headlines, service titles and descriptions.

But, don’t stop there…there’s more to go. Once the keywords have attracted visitors to your site, you still need to use re-assuring words to promote trust and confidence. Your website visitor needs to be assured that your spa services and products will be effective in alleviating their problems and/or promoting wellness.

What measures can you take assure customers? Reduce buyer fear and instill confidence by making the following visible on your website:

• Your guarantee
• Customer endorsements and testimonials
• Reviews and ratings
• Customer service policy

Important keywords coupled with “comfort words” will allow you to create a thriving, profitable spa website – one that attracts the major search engines as well as potential spa customers. Don’t delay, there’s no time like the present to improve your website visibility and efficacy.

Need help getting started? Call Spa Marketing at 860-655-2283 for a no obligation quote.