Did you know that nearly 75% of people search online for local businesses? That means, your potential clients are looking for hairdressers right now, likely on Google.
However, they might not find you. Many talented hairdressers struggle to get new clients through their websites. They create beautiful social media posts but still have empty appointment slots. The problem isn’t their skills or service quality but SEO.
SEO for hairdressers can change everything for your business. It helps your salon appear when people search for hair services. You’ll get more website visitors, phone calls, and bookings without spending money on ads.
This guide will teach you everything about getting found online. You’ll learn simple steps to rank higher on Google and attract more clients.
In today’s fast-paced digital age, mobile-first is the only approach that you need to rely on. Users search for everything online, including hair services in their area. This creates a huge opportunity for smart salon owners.
People search for “hair salon near me” or look for specific services like “balayage specialist” or “curly hair cut.”
Here are the key benefits of SEO for hair salons:
While SEO for hair salons requires time and effort (like it does for any business of any industry), the results last much longer. One well-optimized service page can bring in clients for years. The return on investment (ROI) is incredible for hair professionals who do this right.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) basically means making your website easier for Google (and other search engines) to find and understand. This is from a larger database than you can imagine.
Google sends out “crawlers” that read every website on the internet. These crawlers look at your content, photos, and website structure. They try to figure out what your business does and how helpful it is.
When someone searches for hair services, Google picks the best websites to show them. It considers hundreds of factors, including location, reviews, and how well your content answers the user’s question.
While general SEO for hairdressers helps you rank for broad topics across the entire internet, local SEO focuses on people searching in your specific area. Hair salons need local SEO much more than general SEO, given that the services are majorly in person.
Local SEO for hairdressers targets searches like “hair salon in Denver” or “best colorist near me.” It uses your address, phone number, and local keywords. Google shows local businesses in the map pack, Google Map Pack, at the top of search results.
Your goal is appearing in that map pack for hair-related searches. This gets you more visibility than regular website listings below the map.
Your future clients follow a predictable path when looking for hair services. First, they realize they need a haircut or color service. Then they search online for local options.
They compare different salons by looking at photos, reading reviews, and checking prices. Many people visit around 3-5 salon websites before making a decision to book an appointment.
Understanding this journey helps you create better content and user experiences. Your website needs to answer their questions and make booking easy at every step.
The sales funnel can be tricky but with a reliable tool like a customer lifetime value model, you can understand your customer’s journey better. Know your most loyal customers and identify uninterested ones. Create user segments (including low-value and high-value), identify average service value, develop focused strategies, and more.
Keywords are the words that people type into the search bar on Google. Most salon owners guess at keywords instead of doing proper research. They optimize for terms nobody actually searches for.
Smart business owners use data to find profitable opportunities their competitors miss and get the upper hand in SEO for salons.
Service-based keywords
• Hair cut, hair styling, hair color, balayage, highlights
• Blowout, keratin treatment, hair extensions, wedding hair
• Men’s haircut, kids haircut, curly hair specialist
Location-based keywords
• Hair salon downtown, hairdresser in Brooklyn, colorist near Central Park
• Best salon in Miami, hair stylist West Village, cuts near me
Intent-based keywords
• “Hair salon prices” (research phase)
• “Book hair appointment” (ready to buy)
• “Hair salon reviews” (comparison shopping)
Long-tail keywords
• “best balayage salon for brunettes” or “organic hair color specialist.”
Note: Long-tail keywords have less competition but very targeted traffic, giving you more opportunity.
Start with Google’s free Keyword Planner tool. It shows you search volumes and related keyword ideas. Google Trends helps you see if keywords are growing or declining in popularity.
Study your competitors’ websites and note which services they emphasize. Check what keywords appear in their page titles and headers.
Ask your existing clients how they found you to get real keyword ideas from actual customers.
Create a spreadsheet with three columns: keyword, search volume, and competition level. Focus on keywords with decent search volume but lower competition first. These give you quicker wins while building authority.
Balance head terms (broad keywords) with long-tail phrases (specific keywords). Head terms like “hair salon” have huge search volume but fierce competition. Long-tail keywords like “wedding hair stylist downtown” are easier to rank for.
Consider seasonal trends in your keyword planning. Searches for “prom hair” spike in spring. “Holiday party hair” peaks in November and December. Plan content around these patterns.
Map keywords to specific pages on your website. Your homepage targets your main service keywords. Individual service pages focus on specific treatments. Blog posts can target informational keywords.
On-page SEO is the method of optimizing individual pages on your website. This part of SEO for hairdressers includes the content on the webpage, HTML code, and user experience elements.
Every page should target specific keywords while providing real value to visitors. Google rewards websites that genuinely help people find what they’re looking for.
Your website structure should make sense to both visitors and search engines. Use a clear hierarchy with your homepage at the top. Create main categories for services, about, gallery, and contact.
Keep your navigation menu simple with at most 5-7 main categories. Use descriptive labels like “Hair Color Services” instead of creative names like “Color Magic.” This helps both users and Google understand your content.
What else to do:
Good internal linking spreads SEO value throughout your site. Link from your homepage to important service pages. Connect related blog posts to relevant service pages.
Your service pages are the most important part of SEO for salons for attracting new clients, as that’s what they;re looking for. Each page should target one main service keyword, such as “balayage” or “men’s haircuts.” Make the page title clear and include your target keyword.
Explain the process, time required, and expected results from each service. Include pricing information if possible, as most people look for it.
Add high-quality before and after photos for each service. Use descriptive file names like “balayage-brown-hair-results.jpg” instead of generic names. Write relevant alt text info to describe what’s in the photos. This elevates your efforts towards effective SEO for hairdressers.
Include clear calls-to-action (CTAs) on every service page. Add prominent “Book Now” buttons and your phone number.
Your page title (title tag) appears in Google search results. Keep titles within the 60-character limit and include your main keyword. Write titles that make people want to click, not just for search engines.
Meta descriptions are the snippet text under your title in search results. Write compelling descriptions that include your keyword and encourage clicks. Keep them under 160 characters.
Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to organize and highlight the titles in your content. Your H1 should include your main keyword and clearly state what the page covers. Use H2 and H3 tags for subheadings throughout your content.
Schema markup helps Google understand your business information. Add a local business schema with your address, phone, and hours. Include service schema for each treatment you offer.
Content matters just as much as anything else when it comes to SEO for hairdressers. Write content that answers questions your potential clients have. Think about what people would want to know before booking hair services. Address concerns about pricing, time, and results.
Aim for around 300-800 words per service page. This gives you enough space to be thorough without overwhelming readers. Instead of long-form content, break up text with subheadings, bullet points, and images that are easy to follow and interesting.
Use your target keyword naturally throughout the content. Include it in your first paragraph, at least one subheading, and near the end. Don’t overuse it, or it will become keyword stuffing, which may hurt SEO.
Add related keywords and synonyms throughout your content. If your main keyword is “hair color,” also use related terms like “hair dye,” “coloring,” and “color treatment.” This helps Google understand your topic better.
Local SEO is absolutely crucial for hair salons since most clients come from your immediate area. You want to appear when people search for hair services “near me” or in your specific city.
Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is your most important local SEO asset. It appears in map results and local search listings. An optimized profile can dramatically increase your visibility and bookings.
Start by claiming and verifying your business listing if you haven’t already. Use your business name exactly as it’s mentioned on your legal documents. This should also be your storefront name.
Choose the most specific business category possible. “Hair salon” is better than “Beauty salon” if you focus primarily on hair services.
Complete every section of your profile:
Pro tip: Post regular updates to keep your profile active. Share photos of recent work, promote special offers, or announce new services. Google favors active profiles in local search results.
How your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) is mentioned on other websites is referred to as citations, and this information should be identical across all platforms.
Consistent citations across the web help Google verify your business location and improve your local rankings. Note that even small differences like “St.” versus “Street” can confuse search engines. Remove duplicate listings that might split your SEO value.
Online reviews have a direct impact on your local search rankings, and thus, customer decisions. Google considers the quantity, quality, and recency of user reviews when determining local rankings.
Request reviews, and respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. Thank the positive feedback and address negative reviews positively as well. This shows potential clients that you care about customer satisfaction. Only display real reviews on your website, highlighting positive ones.
Local backlinks from other websites in your area boost your local SEO authority. Focus on building relationships with complementary businesses and community organizations.
Partner with local wedding venues, photographers, and makeup artists for cross-referrals. Consider offering special rates for their referrals.
Content marketing involves creating valuable information that attracts potential clients to your website. This strategy works especially well for hair salons because people have many questions about hair care, styling, and treatments.
Quality content helps you rank for informational keywords that bring traffic. It also establishes your expertise and builds trust with potential clients.
A blog gives you unlimited opportunities to target new keywords and attract visitors. Write about topics your ideal clients want to learn about. Focus on problems you can solve with your services.
Popular blog topics for hair salons include:
Publish new blog posts consistently, even if it’s just once or twice per month. Google rewards websites that regularly add fresh, valuable content. Plan your content calendar around seasonal trends and events.
Optimize each blog post for specific keywords. Include your target keyword in the title, first paragraph, and naturally throughout the content. Link to relevant service pages when appropriate.
With the help of AI-powered SEO Tools, you can find numerous keyword opportunities and use the ones with low competition but high potential to rank higher on search engine results page (SERP).
Social media doesn’t directly impact SEO rankings, but it supports your overall strategy. Social platforms help you distribute content, engage with customers, and drive traffic to your website.
Post your blog content on social media with engaging captions. Use relevant and trending hashtags to reach people interested in hair and beauty content. Include links back to your website to attract traffic.
Encourage social sharing by adding share buttons to your blog posts. When people share your content, it increases your reach and potentially brings more visitors to your site.
Use consistent branding across all social platforms. Include your website URL in all social media bios. This creates additional pathways for people to find your website.
Hair is a visual service, making photos and videos more than essential for your content strategy. Visual content performs well on social media and can rank in Google’s image and video search results.
What you can do:
Create video tutorials showing hair care tips or styling techniques. Upload videos to YouTube on your official channel with keyword-optimized titles and descriptions. Embed these videos on relevant blog posts and service pages.
Before and after galleries are particularly attractive, and hence effective for hair salons. Create dedicated gallery pages for different services and optimize them for relevant keywords.
Technical SEO focuses on the behind-the-scenes elements that help search engines crawl and understand your website. These factors might not be visible to visitors, but they significantly impact your search rankings.
Many salon websites have technical issues that hurt their SEO performance. Fixing these problems can lead to quick ranking improvements.
Page speed is one of the major ranking factors for Google, and also other search engines. Slow websites also have higher bounce rates because visitors leave before pages finish loading. This is especially important for mobile users.
Test your website speed, and for this, you can use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. It provides specific recommendations for improving your site’s performance. Aim for loading times under 3 seconds on mobile devices.
Common speed improvements include:
Optimize images before uploading them to your website. Large photo files are often the biggest cause of slow loading times.
Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily looks at the mobile version of your website for ranking purposes. Your site must work perfectly on smartphones and tablets.
Use responsive web design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. Test your website on multiple devices to ensure that everything displays as expected. Pay attention to button sizes, text readability, and navigation usability.
Mobile users are often looking for your phone number, address, or quick booking options. Make these elements easy to find on mobile devices.
Ensure your booking system works smoothly on mobile devices. Many potential clients will try to book appointments on their phones. A broken mobile booking experience costs you business.
SSL certificates (HTTPS) are required for good SEO and user trust. Google marks non-HTTPS sites as “not secure” in browsers. This warning scares away potential clients and hurts your rankings.
Create an XML sitemap that lists all your important pages. Submit this sitemap to Google Search Console to help search engines find and index your content faster.
Use a logical URL structure that includes relevant keywords. URLs like “yoursite.com/services/hair-color” are better than “yoursite.com/page1” for both users and search engines.
Set up Google Search Console to monitor your website’s search performance. This free tool shows which keywords bring you traffic, identifies technical issues, and provides optimization suggestions.
Once you master the basics, these advanced strategies help you compete in crowded markets. Use these techniques to outrank established competitors and capture more market share.
These strategies require more effort but can provide significant competitive advantages for ambitious salon owners.
Study what your top competitors do well and find gaps you can exploit. Look at their website structure, content topics, and keyword targeting. Use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to see which keywords drive their traffic.
Create better content than your competitors by going deeper into topics. Monitor competitor pricing, services, and marketing messages. And use this information to differentiate your salon and target underserved market segments.
Schema markup is code that helps search engines understand your content better. It can lead to rich snippets in search results, which attract more clicks and improve visibility.
Implement local business schema with your salon’s details, such as business name, address, phone number, and hours, services offered with descriptions and pricing, customer reviews and ratings, photos, and more.
Add FAQ schema to pages where you answer common questions. This can help your content appear in Google’s “People Also Ask” section, giving you additional search visibility.
Voice search is growing rapidly as more people use virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Voice queries tend to be longer and more conversational than typed searches.
Optimize for question-based keywords that people might speak aloud, like:
Write short but answers to common questions in your content, and focus on featured snippet optimization since voice assistants often read these results.
Tracking your SEO performance helps you understand what’s working and where to focus your efforts.
The most important SEO metrics in SEO for hairdressers include organic traffic growth, keyword rankings, and conversion rates. Focus on metrics that directly relate to getting more clients and bookings.
Set up Google Analytics to track website visitors, their behavior, and conversion actions. Create goals for important actions like appointment bookings, phone calls, and contact form submissions.
Track rankings for your most important service and location keywords. Focus on trends over time rather than daily fluctuations.
Use Google Search Console to see which queries bring people to your website. This reveals new keyword opportunities and shows you how your existing content performs in search results.
Track your progress over time with monthly reporting, and include metrics like organic traffic, keyword rankings, online reviews, and booking conversions. Regular reporting helps you spot trends and adjust your strategy as needed.
Many salon owners make predictable SEO mistakes that hurt their online visibility. However, learning from these common errors saves you time and helps you avoid frustrating setbacks.
The key to avoiding these mistakes is education and patience. SEO takes time to show results, but the long-term benefits are worth the effort.
SEO for hairdressers offers an incredible opportunity to grow your business organically. Most of your competitors probably ignore these strategies, giving you the upper hand when you implement them correctly.
Focus on providing value to your potential clients while making it easy for search engines to understand your business. Consistency beats perfection when it comes to long-term SEO success.
Your website works 24/7 to attract new clients while you focus on what you do best. Therefore, the time you invest in SEO today will pay dividends for years to come as your online visibility grows.
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