Visibility vs Vanity: Why Ranking on Google Is More Than Just Looking Good
• Written by Colin Shove
Many salons fall into the trap of treating their website like a piece of art. Beautiful design, glossy photos, and stylish fonts. That’s vanity. What really matters is visibility: whether clients can actually find you when they search.
The Problem With Vanity
A gorgeous site that doesn’t rank is like a stylish salon hidden down a back alley with no sign. It might look amazing inside, but no one ever walks through the door.
Why Visibility Wins
Clients don’t care how perfect your font choice is if they can’t find you in the first place. Visibility means being there in the exact moment someone searches for “best facial [town]” or “balayage near me.” That’s when bookings happen.
Balancing Beauty and Function
Of course design matters. Your site should reflect your brand. But design should never come at the cost of visibility. The smartest salon websites strike a balance: attractive visuals combined with well-structured, keyword-rich pages.
The Real Test
Ask yourself: would you rather have a website that looks perfect but gets 10 visitors a month, or a site that looks good and brings in 300 potential clients? Visibility always comes first. Once you’re found, beauty can help seal the deal.
