www.thebodyworker.com

The two key elements of massage websites are:

1. How you create and use keywords in your pages and in the metatags of your website
2. How you talk to your readers about what you do, what massage does.

After offering to review people’s websites for them for free in my last newsletter, two of the common problems I found were that people didn’t use keywords correctly in their pages and in their metatags.

Metatags are a hidden part of the site that users don’t see.  They are for the search engines.  The meta tag is what shows up in the short blurb that the search engines show as a part of the results.  This information is crucial because it can make the difference between getting the click to your site or not.  There are two main parts to the metatags- the description and the keywords.  Different website systems have different ways of entering this information.  You will have to find how to do this in your system that you are using.

The Description metatag should have your main keyword of your page in the first word and then a short sentence describing what it is that you do.  Mine would be something like:

Downtown Seattle Massage- Deep tissue massage, triggerpoint therapy, sports massage in Downtown Seattle

The Keywords metatag should read something like this:

Downtown Seattle Massage, seattle massage, deep tissue massage seattle, sports massage seattle

The first word in each metatag should be your main keyword that you want to get found for. What keyword would that be?  Whatever you specialize in or want people to find you for.  Think about how people would search for you.  People aren’t actually searching for you- they are searching for a solution to their problem.  They want to find someone to help them with whatever it is that they have a problem with which is usually some sort of pain or stress.   When they find you through a search they will feel more confident in the results because you are not selling to them or trying to sell them on massage.  They found YOU on their own.  For more on metatags and keywords see www.thebodyworker.com

NOTE:  The keywords should also be in your domain name to make it clear and simple.  People don’t search for healing hands massage or guiding lights.  They search for massage, your city.  That should be your domain name.

(All of this headache about using keywords can be eliminated when you use Site Build it! to create your website as they provide all of the instructions and tools to make this all happen.)

The second component to all of this then is the content that you use on your main page and the rest of your site.   People don’t care what certifications you have, what training you have had, what type of massage you do (unless they are looking for something specific).  All they care about is themselves!!  When you get that and start writing for your potential client it will all come together.

Think about what solution you provide…

That is one of the keys to writing online or communicating even in person with people.

Here is my best example:

I started my business in a health club.  There was a guy who went out running everyday at the same time.  He would always say that he wanted to get a massage blahblahblah… He never would book.  One day I started asking about his running and lo and behold I finally got it.   I started telling him how I thought massage could improve his running issues and he booked right there on the spot.

These simple calling card types of sites don’t do much but give basic info.  A website that is full of info on various diseases and conditions that you work with and also full of info will build trust with people online.  Since they aren’t meeting you in person -yet- that is what you have to go on for now.

Sites that start out with things like:

• relax, rejuvenate – OK who doesn’t want that! but they don’t care about it really.  Most don’t think they need to.  They just know they need help with something even if it is stress.
• Flash intros or full flash sites – may look cool but people will miss your presentation and what you have to say
• Music playing! – this is one of my all time pet peeves.  I do not want to hear YOUR music.   I immediately will close the window without even reading the site- worse yet is not being able to turn the music off right at the top of the page.
• the dreaded benefits of massage (increases circulation, increases joint flexibility)  People don’t really know why their circulation needs to be increased and probably don’t care.  The real benefits of massage are those that are really unproven like the client of mine who came in with neck pain and left discovering he was nicer to his coworkers and his partner.   With every so called benefit of massage- ask the question SO WHAT?  Keep answering until you get to something really meaningful and beneficial.  You will have tears in your eyes!  That’s a real benefit of massage!
• Then there is the technical info – explaining how massage works.  Remember that most people don’t know the names of muscles or even know where a muscle is. People don’t know what mechanoreceptors or care why their circulation needs to be increased.  Talk to people as if they were in 5th or 6th grade.  Yes really.  Since people scan websites – technical info can be too much.  Put it into your own words.  Simple is best.

So that is just a few pointers for starters.   To really get this I recommend that you read Make My Content Presell  (preselling just means building trust.)

Don’t be put off by the challenge of writing.  All it really is about is writing down the things that you should be saying to clients and potential clients in the first place.  Writing it all down will actually help you in explaining it in person to someone and help you get more clear about what it is that you do.  For more help on writing download the free Ebook “Make Your Content Presell”.

Let me know what questions you have about writing content and using keywords or if you would like me to review your site for you to give you some feedback, I would be happy to.  Just contact me through my other site at www.massage-career-guides.com

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