Why the Right Keywords for Salons Matter More Than You Think

• Written by Colin Shove

Sticky notes on a wall with words like Beauty Salon, Skincare, Hair, and Cosmetics, representing keywords used in salon marketing and SEO.

When was the last time you thought about the keywords on your salon website?
If your answer is “never” or “what’s a keyword?” you’re not alone.

Many salon owners think of their website as a digital brochure: show the salon name, list the services, add a few photos, and call it a day. But to Google, your website is a collection of keywords and those keywords are what determine whether your site shows up when someone searches for you.

What Are Keywords, and Why Do They Matter?

In simple terms, keywords are the words and phrases people type into Google. For a salon, this might include:

  • “haircut near me”
  • “balayage specialist [town]”
  • “best hair salon in [city]”
  • “where can I get my legs waxed”

If your website doesn’t include these phrases in your headings, your page content, your service descriptions, and your metadata Google has no reason to show you when someone searches.

The Common Mistake: Branded Keywords Only

Most salon websites only rank when someone searches the business name — for example, “Jane’s Hair Studio Birmingham”.

That’s fine if an existing client wants to look you up.
But new clients search for services, not names.
They don’t know you yet. They search for what you do.

If your website doesn’t include well-placed, locally relevant keywords throughout, it will not show up for the searches that matter most.

How We Optimise Keywords for Salons

At Salon App, we’ve developed a website framework that ensures every page is designed to rank. We include: ✅ Individual service pages, each focused on specific search terms (like balayage, root tint, highlights).
Category pages that pull related keywords together (such as colour services, hair treatments, beauty services).
Team pages highlighting staff expertise and matching key service terms.
FAQ sections using conversational language that mirrors how people search.
Blog content that answers common queries and builds keyword depth over time.

This creates a network of over 40–100 optimised pages, each targeting the right mix of keywords, making it easier for Google to match your site to real client searches.

Helping You Stay Ahead

Our approach has helped salons rank nationally for searches like “root tint”, and locally for competitive terms like “best hairdresser London” or “balayage Birmingham” often achieving top-three positions within weeks.

It’s not about stuffing keywords awkwardly into sentences.
It’s about structuring your content properly, using the language your clients already use, and making sure Google knows exactly what you offer.

Ready to make your website work harder for you?
Call us on +44 1273 074611 or book a call back for an informal conversation to see if we can help.

Written by Colin Shove

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