How to Do Keyword Research to Boost SEO and Drive Traffic

As a fitness business owner, it’s all too easy to feel like a small fish in a very big pond. Did you know, for example, that there are over 103,000 fitness businesses in the U.S.? Or that the sector is expected to be worth $434.74 billion by 2028?

Although competition within the industry is fierce, there are digital strategies available for outshining competitors and building a loyal following—namely, search engine optimization (SEO) and keyword research. SEO involves tailoring your marketing strategy to satisfy search engine algorithms and, in turn, improve your position on search engine results pages (SERPs). The higher up your site appears on search engines like Google, the more likely you are to drive organic traffic.

Considering Google processes over 63,000 searches per second (or 5.6 billion searches a day!), a robust SEO strategy will ensure your website doesn’t get lost in the crowd. Don’t fret if you’re new to SEO. While the concept sounds technical, it encompasses several simple methods that could boost brand visibility. This is where keyword research comes in. As the name suggests, this strategy involves finding out what kinds of search terms web users are typing into Google to find services like yours. The better targeted the keyword phrases on your website, the more likely you are to satisfy search engine algorithms and draw attention to your brand.

So, if you’re wondering how to go about conducting research and attracting as many fitness clients as possible, we’ve put together a helpful guide to get you started. Spoiler—SEO keyword research is a little more complex than making a few educated guesses!

Brainstorm topics that resonate with your target audience

Before you look at the more technical aspects of how to do keyword research, you must delve into the minds of your potential customers. Obtaining a clear picture of the kinds of people who use your fitness business will help you understand their search intent and generate keyword ideas that speak to their needs.

If you occupy a relatively niche space—such as the senior fitness market—coming up with some initial keywords should be fairly straightforward. If, on the other hand, you’re unsure who your typical member is, it’s worth scouring your client data and taking note of their average age, income, gender, and fitness goals.

You may also wish to circulate a client survey to better understand your audience’s needs and motivations. If your client base is relatively diverse, you can use this data to split members into several groups. Once you’ve completed this step, create a comprehensive list of keywords for every client segment.

Include a mix of long-tail and short-tail keywords

Incorporating a balanced array of long-tail keywords (3+ words) and short-tail keywords (1-2 words) will help you capture as many search engine users as possible. In fact, more than 54% of search queries are at least three words, while long-tail keyword searches have a click-through rate of 3%-5%, which is greater than basic searches. Why? Well, longer and more targeted keywords will make your site visible to those who need specific services, while shorter keywords will build your reputation in the broader fitness industry.

Long-tail keywords: Long-tail phrases often include place names or the names of specific services, such as yoga or kickboxing. Here are a few examples:

• Fitness clubs in Omaha
• Yoga class in Nebraska
• Gyms in Bellevue near me
• 24-hour gyms near me
• Gyms in Omaha for seniors
• Late-night gyms in Nebraska

Such specific keywords are less likely to appear on competitors’ websites than more generalized keyword phrases. As such, they’ll help your site rank highly when a potential customer searches for your specific services.

Short-tail keywords: Short-tail keywords are less specific and may include phrases such as:

• Gym
• Fitness studio
• Generation Z
• Workout
• HIIT
• Gym membership

Unsurprisingly, there is much more competition for these keywords. As a result, they’re less likely to capture your target audience than long-tail keywords. However, short-tail keywords can still generate healthy levels of search traffic, targeting the top of your sales funnel and helping improve your SEO. Plus, they’re easy to incorporate into a well-flowing blog post. So, you’d be foolish not to include at least a few!

Research your competition using tools for keyword research

So, you’ve peppered your website with appropriate keywords and are starting to see results—congratulations! But you shouldn’t stop there. It’s possible to hone your keyword research for SEO even further through competitor research. Competition represents the driving force of SEO, so analyzing what your rivals are up to will help you stay ahead of the game.

Fortunately, there are tons of keyword research tools available to help streamline this task—many of which you can use for free! As well as generating potential keywords for your web copy, SEO tools can offer insights into which keywords competitors are using and whether their efforts are effective. Assessing which keywords are helping your competitors rank highly allows you to develop a smart SEO plan and alert you to any effective keywords you’re missing out on. Also, tracking competitor activity will help you identify gaps in the market.

Top free keyword research tools

So, now you know why competitor research is so important. What are the best free keyword research tools available? Here are our top picks:

• SEMrush: SEMrush is renowned as one of the best SEO tools on the market. While many of its services require subscriptions, SEMrush allows newbies to try its keyword tools for free. Its features allow users to automatically generate keyword combinations, learn how to rank for competitors’ most profitable keywords, share keyword research with others, and find metrics about individual keywords, including competition level, search volume, and much more.
• Ubersuggest: As one of the favored tools for keyword generation, Ubersuggest is a godsend if you’re struggling to think of relevant phrases. As well as providing a list of keywords, you’ll be able to see the search volume, competition level, and seasonal trends for each phrase.
• Moz: Moz offers a Keyword Explorer to help you discover the best keywords for your business while assessing key metrics such as keyword difficulty. Its Competitive Analysis tool also provides valuable intel, such as your top competitors and keyword gaps of which to take advantage.
• Soovle: Soovle allows users to generate handy lists of top search terms for specific sites, including Google, Bing, Amazon, Yahoo, YouTube, and Wikipedia.
• AnswerThePublic: AnswerThePublic tells you the most popular questions and phrases people type into search engines when researching a specific topic. You can use these top phrases to create a list of keywords that work.

Generate even more ideas with Google

Have you ever begun typing within the Google Search bar, only to have Google finish your sentence? Google’s autocompleting search feature will display frequently searched keywords. So, try typing in your topic into Google—you may be pleasantly surprised by what other keywords you can use.

How else can Google help? Once you hit “search,” scroll down to the bottom of Google’s results page for a list of related searches. You may find even more keywords to add to your list! In addition, let’s not forget about Google Keyword Planner—another free tool you can use. While it’s designed for businesses who want to display paid Google ads, it’s also helpful for finding keywords for SEO.

Assess whether your keyword will rank highly

As we’ve already mentioned, metrics can help you decide which keywords to use by assessing their efficacy and whether your competitors are using them. But which metrics should you track? Here are some of the most helpful:

• Search volume. This metric tells you the number of times users search for a specific keyword every month (or an alternative timeframe). Try to use keywords with a sizeable search volume, but don’t be too ambitious. Small fitness businesses that target very popular keywords will fail to outrank the stiff competition!
• Traffic potential. Traffic potential tells you how much organic search traffic a particular page—or group of pages—will generate via Google’s SERPs per month on average.
• Intent. Search intent refers to the reasons people search for services like yours. For example, certain keywords may lead Google to conclude that someone is looking for a yoga class in a particular city. Tailoring your keyword research around search intent will help you capture key audiences.
• Keyword trends. SEO tools—most notably Google Trends—can tell you helpful information about a given keyword, including interest over time and interest by region. Analyzing trends will tell you whether a given word is up-and-coming or past its best.
• Ranking difficulty. This metric tells you how difficult it would be to rank in the top ten for a given keyword. This metric is worked out using information such as domain authority and how often the top rankings shift. If your chosen word is super competitive, it’s worth generating alternatives.
• Cost per click (CPC). CPC tells you how much advertisers are prepared to pay for a paid search advert using a given keyword. While this figure may not directly affect your SEO strategy, it can help determine which keywords generate the most value.

Where should you be placing your keywords?

Once you’ve come up with a list of relevant keywords, you must prioritize them in order of importance. Firstly, you must come up with a focus keyword. This term will play a foundational role in your SEO strategy and help Google understand what your website offers. Here’s where you’ll need to use this word:

• Web content: Try to weave your primary keyword throughout your site content, particularly your main landing page. Just make sure that your prose sounds natural, and that your keyword strategy isn’t too obvious to readers.
• Header tags: Adding your focus keyword to your headings will help your site rank for that specific word. Remember to incorporate the phrase into titles (H1s), subheadings (H2s), and smaller subheadings (H3, H4, etc.).
• Optimized URLs: To optimize your URL, include your primary keyword and keep it under 60 characters in length.
• Meta description: A meta description tells readers and search engines what your page is about. Using the keyword will help to attract relevant audience members. Ideally, keep it under 160 characters in length.

It’s also a good idea to generate some secondary keywords to use in your landing pages and blog posts. These will push your website further up SERPs. Feel free to sprinkle secondary keywords throughout your website—without going overboard. Stuffing your content full of keywords will make your sentences clunky (or even unreadable), consequently pushing your website further down the SERP rankings. Google dislikes poor-quality content!

What are you waiting for? It’s time to ace your keyword research!

As you can see, keyword research is vital for any SEO strategy and could help you attract more prospects, leads, and clients. Just remember to use a keyword research tool offering plenty of support and information, as this will help you generate the best keyword ideas for your fitness business!

Of course, great SEO doesn’t stop at keyword research. This is where WellnessLiving comes in. Our Reserve with Google integration can help you create a high-quality Google Business Profile that attracts local clients and improves your reputation. What’s more, our full-service website agency, Presence™, and SEO audit tool will help you create blog posts that boost your search rankings. To find out more about SEO, check out our other blogs on link-building strategies, general SEO, and local SEO.

Interested in learning how WellnessLiving can grow your business? Book a free, no-commitment demo today!