It always baffles me when personal trainers don't utilize all the marketing resources at their fingertips -- especially free resources -- to help them market and grow their fitness business. One of those resources that I'd like to talk about today is Google Local.

Why You Need To List Your Business On Google Local:
 

• Free Traffic SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Free Promotion (Business Hours, Prices, Pictures, Video, etc.)
• Social Proof (Ranking, Business Profile, Testimonials, etc.)
• Allows Potential Clients To Locate Your Business Quickly

The bottom line is that Google Local is free, takes about an hour or so to set up properly, and can lead to thousands of dollars in revenue each month. Quite simply, why would you not list your fitness business on Google Local?

To list your business on Google Local, go to: www.Google.com/lbc

What You Need To Do To Ensure Your Listing Rises To the Top

In order to get the most out of your Google Local listing and the search engine optimization it can provide, you'll want to craft a succinct and enticing keyword-focused description. Here's a sample description for a personal trainer: You've found (Your City)'s only personal trainer specializing in at-home-training specifically designed for weight loss, body sculpting and fat reduction. (Note: Don't overload your description by repeating keywords or you might be penalized. Also, the term "personal trainer" is the most searched so make sure it is included at least once in your description.)

Category: Google Local lets you choose up to five descriptive categories for your business. Make sure you use all five. Google Local also requires that you choose at least one predetermined category from its list. Here are five keywords you might use as a personal trainer:

• Personal Trainer
• Physical Fitness Program
• Weight Loss Service
• Health Club
• Health Consultant

Use as many of Google Local's predetermined categories as possible, then add your own to finish off all five. Google Local lets you enter additional details about your business, and I highly recommend you do so to create even more keyword density.

Here are five examples of "Additional Details" and keywords for each (The format is: Additional Detail: Keywords/Description):

• Services Offered: Boot camp, weight loss, personal training, meal plans, etc.
• Located at: Your City/Town name, Location
• Other Details: Other Description or keywords (Note: This section can and should be used not just for additional keywords, but to also provide real and valuable information to your customers about your business services, offerings, location, etc.)

Final Thoughts

Listing your personal training business on Google Local is one of the first things that should be done in order to take advantage of the largest and most trafficked search engine on earth. The additional search engine optimization that you get from having your business listed on Google Local -- not to mention the free traffic and clients this will generate -- make this an amazing resource for fitness business leads. To see a complete fitness marketing video on how to properly set up your Google Local listing specifically for a personal training business, please click here.

Chris Fernandez, B.S., P.T., has been an author, speaker and celebrity personal trainer for over 12 years, as well as a natural for life bodybuilder, athlete and cross-trainer devoted to helping other personal trainers achieve lasting financial independence through his fitness marketing blog, System 5 and other products.

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written by aristo associates, March 15, 2010

Chris wrote a great article for all personal trainers to start to get more traffic to their business. A very important step is to also get Reviews for your business - preferably through the Google review link on the local business section. A key factor determining where you appear in the Google Local map listing is how complete your Google Local listing is - AND how many Reviews you have.

Add pictures and videos to your Google Local listing too. The more complete it is, the higher it appears in the Local section.

We work with all our Local business clients to optimize their Google, Yahoo and Bing Local listings and websites to appear on the first page and drive new customer traffic. that's just the start of the marketing you can do online to increase your Personal training business.

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