Location Is Everything
In the fitness industry, location is everything. With so many gym options available, standing out in your local area is critical for success. This is where advanced local targeting for PPC campaigns comes in.
Implementing location-based targeting provides gyms with a strategic advantage in Google Ads and other PPC platforms. It allows you to hone in on nearby customers searching for fitness options close to home or work. Here’s how to take full advantage:
Leverage Location-Based Targeting
Start by setting up location-based targeting in Google Ads, Microsoft Ads or Facebook Ads Manager. This involves defining a geographic radius you want to focus on – whether a few miles around your gym or the greater area.
Location extensions are another powerful option. These highlight your gym’s physical address and even provide driving directions right in the ad.
Get Specific With Geo-Targeting
Beyond a broad location radius, drill down with post code, city, or neighbourhood targeting. This technique works great for gyms with a local customer base.
For example, a personal training studio should target affluent residential areas nearby, yoga studios can hone in on the urban city centre, and budget gyms should target areas with high student populations.
Optimise for Local Search Intent
When locals search for fitness options, they use phrases like “gym near me” or “London fitness centres”. Make sure your PPC keyword list targets these geo-modified searches.
Location-specific keywords will boost your visibility for anyone searching for gyms in your area. Try “central London gym” or “Reading weight lifting gym”.
Buzz Gym have optimised their PPC ads for local search intent, with their ads displaying for users who search for “Gyms in Reading”:
Drive Local Foot Traffic
Your PPC ads present the perfect opportunity to attract foot traffic from nearby customers. Try these tips:
- Highlight proximity and accessibility in your ad copy, for example, “Just 5 minutes from Waterloo station!”
- Run PPC offers for free trials or first session discounts
- Use local landmarks and points of interest in your ad copy
The more your ads resonate with and appeal to people in your geographic region, the higher quality score they will receive. This leads to better ad rank and more impressions.
David Lloyd Clubs offer special offers and discounts in their locally-targeted PPC campaigns, advertising a ‘2 Weeks for £20’ deal for their gym in Reading:
Optimise for Local SEO
Lastly, don’t neglect your local SEO foundations. Make sure Google My Business, Facebook Places, and other listings are complete and consistent.
Optimise on-site content with local keywords, and provide schema markup for address, location and other fields. Strong local SEO leads to higher click-through rates when searchers see your PPC and organic listings together.
Ready to start location-based targeting through your gym’s PPC campaigns? Contact us today for a free consultation and check out our case studies to discover how we’ve helped gyms like yours implement effective PPC strategies.
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