If you’re running a health and wellness business, you know that standing out online is a major challenge. With so many competitors, it’s crucial to get your message in front of the right audience. That’s where Local SEO comes into play—your ultimate tool for boosting your online presence and attracting the clients you dream of working with.
Many businesses invest in a website, only to be met with disappointing results. Your website might have incredible content and a stunning design, but without proper SEO, it can remain invisible to your potential clients.
Let’s dive into why SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is critical for your health and wellness business and how it can help you reach more people who are actively looking for the services you offer.
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a digital marketing strategy that optimizes a business’s website to attract more customers from relevant local searches. These searches are typically conducted on Google and other search engines. For example, when a user searches for services or products followed by a location, like “chiropractor near me” or “best yoga studio in Springboro,” local SEO helps a business appear in those results.
Why Local SEO is Important
Local SEO is crucial for health and wellness businesses for several key reasons:
1. Increased Visibility: Attracts Local Clients
Most health and wellness services, such as fitness centers, nutritionists, therapists, or physicians, cater to clients within a specific geographic area. Local SEO helps these businesses appear in search results when potential clients nearby search for services like “yoga studio near me” or “nutritionist in [city].” This boosts visibility where it matters most—within your local market. When your site appears on the first page of Google, you’re not just getting more clicks; you’re getting the right kind of clicks from people genuinely interested in what you offer.
2. Targeted Traffic
Imagine your ideal client—a person actively seeking out health and wellness solutions. They’re Googling terms like “best yoga studio near me” or “holistic nutritionist in [your city].” By optimizing your content with these relevant keywords, you’re drawing in a targeted audience. These visitors aren’t just passing through; they’re looking for exactly what you provide. This kind of targeted traffic is gold because it’s more likely to convert into paying clients.
3. Helps You to Compete with Larger Chains
Health and wellness businesses often face competition from larger chains or franchises. Local SEO allows smaller, independent businesses to compete by focusing on their local area and offering personalized, community-based services that appeal to nearby customers.
4. Enhances the Website User’s Experience
SEO isn’t just about pleasing the search engines; it’s about creating an exceptional experience for your visitors. A well-optimized website is easy to navigate, quick to load, and packed with valuable content. When users can find what they’re looking for without any hassle, they’re more likely to stick around, engage with your content, and eventually take action. A smooth, user-friendly website is a win-win for both you and your clients.
5. Organic Search Drives Over 10x More Website Traffic than Social Media
Both SEO and social media are important, however, SEO has a distinct advantage. 80% of U.S. consumers search for local businesses weekly, and 32% do so daily. Also, when your website is optimized to attract organic traffic, you’re connecting with potential customers at every stage of their journey. Whether they’re just starting to look for solutions to their problems or they’re ready to make an appointment or sign up for a class, being visible in search results positions your brand as a trusted resource from the get-go.

For example, this graph provides a snapshot of a business in Springboro, Ohio, highlighting its traffic sources. Despite the owner’s consistent and engaging posts on social media, complete with great photos and calls to action, organic search remains the top driver of traffic, outperforming all other sources.
6. The Google Map Pack
When someone searches for health and wellness services (like “dentist studio near me” or “nutritionist in [city]”), Google often displays a map pack at the top of the search results, featuring three nearby businesses along with their locations on a map. Showing up in this section makes your business one of the first options potential clients see.

What Does Local SEO Include?
Local search optimization is vital for health and wellness businesses, helping you stay competitive and visible within your community.
The first step to Local SEO is conducting keyword research to understand what potential clients in your area are searching for. This involves identifying high-traffic local keywords you want to rank for—terms people use when seeking businesses like yours. My go-to tool for this is Keysearch.co (use my code KSDISC for a 20% discount).
It’s also helpful to browse Facebook groups to find out what people are asking about. For example, someone looking for a chiropractor may mention back pain, a chiropractor for headaches, the best chiropractor in [city], a pregnancy chiropractor near me, etc. You can focus on the keywords that apply to your business to target local clients.
Once you have your keywords you can use them strategically within your content.
These are 10 on-site strategies to use keywords and boost your Local SEO:
1. Use Keywords in Headers
Include your target local keywords in your H1, H2, and H3 tags (e.g., “Holistic Chiropractor in [City]”). This helps Google understand the local focus of your content. Header tags are elements used to define headings and subheadings on a webpage. They help structure the content on the page, making it easier for both users and search engines to understand the hierarchy and importance of the content.
2. Optimize Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
The title tag is the clickable headline that appears in search engine results pages (SERPs) and browser tabs. It gives both search engines and users a clear idea of the content of the page. It should be concise (usually under 60 characters) and include important keywords, particularly for local SEO, such as the business name and location (e.g., “Best Yoga Studio in [City] | Business Name”).
The meta description is the short snippet of text that appears below the title tag in search results. It provides a summary of what the page is about, helping users decide whether to click through to your site. It should be kept under 160 characters and should include your main keywords and a call to action (e.g., “Offering holistic chiropractic care in [City]. Book an appointment today!”).

3. Embed Google Maps
Add an embedded Google Map of your business location on your contact page or in your footer, making it easier for local users to find you and boosting your relevance in local search results.
4. Ensure NAP Consistency
Display your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) clearly on your website, especially on the contact page, footer, and other key areas. Make sure it’s consistent with your Google Business Profile and other directories.
5. Create Location-Based Landing Pages
If you have multiple locations, create separate landing pages for each, featuring location-specific content, services, and keywords (e.g., “Chiropractic Services in [City]”). However, be mindful to avoid duplicate content, as Google can penalize that. Ensure each page is unique by featuring specific, localized content tailored to that area.
6. Include Schema Markup for Local Businesses
Local schema markup (also known as local business schema or structured data) is a type of code you add to your website that helps search engines like Google better understand the specific details of your business. It gives search engines structured information about your business, such as your location, hours of operation, services, and contact information, which can improve how your business appears in search results, particularly in local searches.
7. Optimize for Mobile
Ensure your website is mobile-friendly since many local searches are conducted on mobile devices. A responsive design, fast load times, and easy navigation on mobile will improve both user experience and search rankings.
8. Create Locally Relevant Content
Writing about local events, news, or health issues that are relevant to your audience not only makes your content more engaging for potential clients but also helps position your business as an authority in the local community. For example, a wellness clinic could write blog posts on “Best exercises for winter in [city]” or “How to stay healthy during allergy season in [region].”
Potential clients are also more likely to engage with and return to a website that provides valuable, locally relevant information. Content that speaks directly to local interests (such as local health tips, guides, or recommendations) helps build trust and credibility with your audience, keeping them engaged with your business over time.
9. Add Customer Reviews and Testimonials
When clients leave reviews, especially those mentioning your location or specific local services, search engines recognize that your business is relevant to the area. For instance, a review like “Great massage therapy in [City]” helps Google associate your business with that location, boosting your local SEO.
Reviews also often naturally include keywords related to your business or services that you might not have thought to target. If a customer writes, “Best chiropractor for back pain in [City],” it helps your site rank for more specific local search queries.
10. Optimize Image Alt Text with Local Keywords
Image alt tags (also known as alt text or alternative text) are descriptions added to the HTML code of an image that describe its content. These tags serve two primary purposes: they provide context for search engines to better understand the image, and they assist visually impaired users by allowing screen readers to describe the image.
Search engines can’t “see” images the way humans do, so they rely on alt tags to understand what the image represents. Including location-specific keywords in your alt tags helps search engines recognize the local relevance of your images.For example, an image alt tag like “Yoga studio in [City]” or “Chiropractic treatment room in [City]” reinforces the geographic relevance of the content, boosting your local SEO.
Next Steps
By implementing these on-page strategies, your health and wellness business can significantly improve its Local SEO, making it easier for potential clients in your area to find you. Whether you’re a chiropractor, yoga instructor, physician, or wellness coach, optimizing your site for local search will help you stay ahead of the competition and attract more clients.
If you’re ready to take your Local SEO efforts to the next level and need expert help, feel free to reach out! Contact us today, and let’s work together to boost your online presence and grow your business in your community.