Why Having a Local Business Schema Is Crucial to Studio Growth

Search engines seem to rule the world (thanks, Google!), but when it comes to instantly finding exactly what we need, there’s no better way. But when it comes to potential clients discovering your studio online, how do you rank? Because we know if a consumer searches “yoga in NYC,” they are bound to be inundated with hundreds, if not thousands, of options. 

Making your studio and website visible online amongst competitors is vital. It’s not just about making a good first impression; it’s about being found, which is the foundation for increasing traffic and revenue. Lack of visibility on the web can hinder new clients from finding your fitness business. To improve visibility, you have a local business schema.

85% of all consumers use search engines to find the local businesses they are looking for.

Maybe this term is new, or perhaps you’ve heard your web developer or marketing go-to mention it before. But including a local business schema in the code of your studio website (like the ones we build!) enables search engines like Google and Yahoo to understand your business better and rank you higher in the search results. So when a tourist or local searches “Pilates in Philadelphia,” you’ll be at the top of the list! Before diving into a local business schema and expecting immediate results, we’re giving you the breakdown of how this search-optimized term works—and why it’s crucial to capturing and converting that online traffic!

So what exactly is a local business schema?

‍A local business schema isn’t tech wizardry. It’s a structured data markup code that can be added to your studio website to make it easier for search engines to categorize and identify your business type and what products or services you sell/specialize in.

According to Hubspot, a schema markup was created by search engines to better understand display data using common groups of tags. This is important to your studio because schema can help optimize your website for local search engine optimization (SEO), a key factor in how your website and content are ranked on the Search Engine Results Page (SERPs). 

Expert Insights: Data for a local business schema may include various information, including the type of business, owner credentials, studio logo, hours of business, client reviews, similar studios, geographical coordinates—anything you, the studio owner, feels is necessary to show to leads and prospective clients. See how we leverage a local business schema with our high-quality, customizable, responsive websites!

Control exactly what potential clients see when they find your studio online

The benefits of implementing a local business schema can be endless, but nailing that first impression when it comes to leads finding your studio online is at the top of our list! Utilizing a local business schema guarantees a best-in-class experience as soon as the results (and your studio) show up on a consumer's device based on the SERP results. Think about your reactions when you see a brand online for the first time and how that influences your purchasing behavior. By implementing a local business schema, you’re not only surfacing in applicable searches; you’re in control of what a potential lead sees and learns about your fitness business. 

Expert Insights: A schema makes your results “rich”—meaning you’re doing more than the standard search that shows a URL, meta description, and title. It pays to stand out against your studio competitors, so aim high, dream big, and showcase your best classes, instructors, and features to help you drive more meaningful traffic you can convert into clients.

Capture (and convert) high-quality traffic on your website 

Just because your website is landing a lot of visitors doesn’t mean that your studio is seeing an uptick in growth—or getting new clients. That spike in January's “new year, new you” online traffic could equate to high turnover and abandon cart issues because people who don’t necessarily want what your business has to offer are landing on your website. It’s not because you don’t have a great studio, an amazing intro offer, or beautiful branding. More traffic won’t have an impact. Meaningful traffic will. And that’s the consumers who are potential clients who intend to try your studio, establish a routine, and discover something new. How can you control that? Yep, you guessed it! By integrating a local business schema.  

Leveraging a schema markup can guarantee the traffic to your website is genuine. Decreasing bounce rates and increasing conversion rates. Website visitors (interested leads) will spend more time on your web pages, which only benefits the probability of purchase, meaning you need to have an intuitive website design that enables a local schema without needing a professional or outside resource. 

Expert Insights: According to Invesp, 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business. Yes, social proof could be found on your studio Instagram account, but by using a local business schema, you can surface them directly onto the SERP—catching the attention of searchers so they can land directly on your website over another studio on the other side of town. Remember to think about Q&A or FAQ pages (that’s also a snippet of SEO gold!).

Now that we’ve filled you in on all the benefits of implementing a can’t-ignore local business schema, what is your website strategy? At Walla, we are making it super-easy for your website to tap into online tools that can help your business exponentially catch and convert more traffic. Our customizable website designs excel at SEO and enable a local business schema, so you don’t have to hire third-party help. We’ll help you fill in the content library on the site you’re building, ensuring you are adding enough of the right kind of data to reflect the schema, helping your studio significantly rank on search engines—and helping you find sustainable, revenue-generating success!

Interested in learning more about Websites by Walla? Email hello@hellowalla.com, and we will give you a free, hands-on consultation and answer any of your questions!