Want more clients? 5 reasons why Google isn’t the answer!
Are you a PT looking for more clients? Here are 5 reasons why Google isn’t the answer!
1. They don’t play fair
About to spend money on a shiney new website? – Don’t bother, chances are no one will see it for years.
Rumour is Google uses 203 factors to decide the order of results, even if you understand these factors it can take years to build these factors up so that Google chooses you over all the other PT websites and puts you on page 1. Furthermore, a recent study by Optify tells us only 1.5% of searchers go beyond page 2. When was the last time your search went beyond page 1?
2. They can change the rules without any notice
Considering paying for a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) expert to tweak your website?
Even after years of hard slog and good money you get your website onto Google page 1 and it disappears overnight! Google names its search-result-ordering algorithms after animals; Penguin and Panda are the main two. A change to these changes the order results appear in and it can happen at any time. There were 143 changes in 2014.
Many a successful business has been wiped out by a Google algorithm change. For a long time now Google has been the only show in town, and that doesn’t look like changing. Even the big players, like Ebay have been hit over the years.
3. You’ll never be on the front page…unless you pay
A page 1 Ad on Google via Ad-sense for a ‘Personal Trainer’ search term costs anywhere between £3 to £5 per click depending on the exact search term, e.g. ‘Personal Trainer Bath’ or ‘Personal Trainer London’. That means 100 visitors to your site will cost between £300 and £500 and there is no guarantee they will book you. This system does work for some personal trainers but you will need a good understanding of your conversion rates and have chose your strategy wisely. You’ll also need to be pretty tech-savvy as the Google AdWords tool isn’t straightforward.
4. David.com v Goliath.com
Google traditionally aimed to organise the world’s knowledge but it is slowly turning into organising the world’s largest service providers. It’s just not set up for the little guys (or girls). Established players who have a regular steady cash flow can afford to pay more per click than you, which can push the cost of a click up and drive you off the front page even when you are paying. The cost of keywords like weight loss and bulk up have been driven through the roof by supplements companies. These players also have all the free places tied up too – sometimes having entire teams dedicated to SEO.
Recent developments like Google Business, which gives you a place on the all powerful Google Map is a step to remedy this but as a personal trainer your location is only a small part of what you offer! Google is turning all of your knowledge and skill into a dot on a map and popularity contest.
5. 25 characters to tell sell yourself
Google search results (paid or not paid) are limted to 25 chararcters in the first line and 35 in the next two lines. All your knowledge, skills, everything you offer is reduced to a mere three lines. Do you really want to hang your success on 95 characters?
A PTFindr listing at £25pcm starts to sound like pretty good value doesn’t it? Takes Google out of the equation, finds you clients and helps you run your own business.
