How to get more new member leads via Google

So, your club is listed on Google? Great! But there's still more you can be doing to make sure your club is being seen in Google searches.

At the end of the day, in the world of the internet and social media, no one does anything or goes anywhere without online research. In order to make sure your club is at the top of a Google search, follow these simple steps...

1. Make sure your Google business listing is up to date

It's great that you got your club listed as a business in Google, but that listing is useless if the contact information is out of date. Keep an eye on the information and make sure the listing is as detailed as possible. 

You can add images, events, opening hours and answer questions, as well as providing contact and address information. This level of detail will not only make Google more likely to rank your club higher, but it will make potential members more likely to get in touch with your club over another option.

2. Get reviews on Google from club members

When you book a table at a restaurant, decide to go to a museum, plan an event, book a holiday, you look at reviews on TripAdvisor, on Google, on Facebook. Those reviews are equally as important for people making the decision to learn to dive with your club. They want the best experience and the best value for money so make sure the reviews are glowing. Get your club members to review on BOTH Facebook and Google. The more reviews you have, the higher your business will rank on a Google search.

3. Use keywords in both your business listing and throughout your website

Keywords are phrases that consumers search in order to find your business. The idea is that you want to be highly ranked on as many keywords as possible. To do this, you need to put those words into both your website and business listing in a natural and readable way. 

For example, someone may search 'learn to dive leicester' and in order for Leicester Underwater Exploration Club to rank highly, it would need text in its website to contain the words or phrases 'learn to dive' and 'leicester' multiple times in different locations.

Some keywords to try for your club include:

• scuba diving
• snorkelling
• learn to dive
• Ocean Diver
• open water diver
• your town, area or county
  
  

4. Make sure key information is in text on your website

Contact and address information is obviously quite an important feature on a website or business listing. It can also be quite tempting to use images to display information on a website. This can look nice, but the information won't be registered by a Google search. Make sure any key information and keywords are written out in multiple places on your site. The more these things are mentioned, the higher your website will rank.

Remember not to just place words randomly on your website, you must use them naturally in as many places as possible. List your club address in the footer, but also on a contact page. You can also mention the town you are based on an 'About' page. That's already three easy and natural locations to list this.

5. Optimise your website layout

Make the structure of your website simple and logical. Use headings and subheadings, link to internal and external content, and ensure you have Try Dive and Learn to Dive sections. The more user-friendly your website, the better it will be for potential members, but also the better Google will rank your site.