Dog Training SEO – Online Marketing for Dog Trainers:

Dog Training SEO – An Introduction

In this piece we are going to discuss SEO tactics and specifics for the dog training sector. We will look at things a dog trainer looking to improve their organic search performance in search engines, should consider when creating content and building their brand.

Dog Training – SEO Basics

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is an important aspect of creating a successful website. The following are elements of SEO that can help to increase the visibility of a webpage in search engine results. We will cover more of these in depth later on in the article:

1. Page Titles: The title of a webpage, also known as the “title tag,” is one of the most important elements of SEO. The title should be concise, accurately reflect the content of the page, and include relevant keywords. The title is also often displayed as the clickable link in search engine results, so it should be written to entice users to click through – If you have a page about Dog Training, then your title tag should contain this phrase.
2. Meta Descriptions: The meta description is a short summary of the content of a webpage. It should also be concise and accurately reflect the content of the page and include relevant keywords. The meta description is often displayed in the search engine results, so it should be written to entice users to click through, so use a call to action that helps – “visit us today to learn how we can help you with your dog’s training today” might be one such closing statement.
3. Click-through Rate (CTR): CTR is the percentage of users who click on a webpage in search engine results. A high CTR indicates that the title and meta description are effectively communicating the content of the page and encouraging users to click through. A good meta description and page title can help you attract more clicks, and CTR is the measure of that.
   
4. Relevant keywords: It’s important to research and include relevant keywords throughout the content of the webpage, including in the title, meta description and throughout the body of the text. This helps search engines understand the content of the page and match it with relevant queries. We will look at examples of this, further in this piece.
   
5. Content Quality and Quantity: Search engines favour websites that have high-quality, informative and regularly updated content. Having a good amount of quality content on your website will help search engines to understand the relevance of your site and increase the chances of showing up in search results for dog training related queries.
   
6. Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. Search engines see these links as a “vote of confidence” and can help to increase the visibility of your website in search results. Connect with bloggers, vloggers, forums and other web properties to help highlight the great content you create.

Good SEO practices will help create accurate and compelling page titles and meta descriptions, increasing CTR, including relevant keywords throughout the content, having a good quality and quantity of content and securing backlinks from reputable websites.

By following these best practices, your website will be better optimised for people and search engines and will help increase visibility in search results and increase the chances of attracting more organic traffic for the keywords important to your dog training enterprise.

Let’s explore a few of these concepts a little further and dig into the specifics.

Keyword Research and Content

The most important aspect of SEO for any sector, is keyword research. You need to identify specific phrases and terms used by dog owners when searching for training and behaviour advice.

Examples of these will be for searches: “dog obedience training” “dog aggression” “potty training” “puppy training” “service dog training” to name but a few.

You can’t reasonably expect search engines to identify your site’s content as being informative if you don’t factor words and phrases that are related in to your site’s content. You should be seeking to cover as many topics as you can, that have relevance and connection to dog training specifics.

Additionally, the majority of enquires you receive will likely be from local people to your area, so when creating your content, give serious consideration to optimising your content to these kinds of people by including the areas that you serve.

An example might be your core Dog Training page. If you serve Kent for instance, then optimise your page key aspects for the phrase Dog Trainer Kent, or Dog Training in Kent

When creating pages, be sure to include relevant keywords in your website’s content, meta titles, and alt tags, as they are fundamental to improving page relevancy for terms that people interested in finding a dog trainer might use.

Create Multiple Service Pages

Do you run scent work classes? Then create a scent work classes page, ensure that your content is structured with a relevant page title, a good call to action in the meta description and that the content itself is focused around the key-phrase you are targeting.

More generally, look to ensure that you:

• Create high-quality, informative content that addresses the needs and questions of your target audience
  
• Build inbound links to your site from other authoritative websites in the dog training and behaviour space
  
• Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and has a fast loading speed
• Optimise your images and videos with relevant keywords and alt tags around dog training industry phrases
  
• Utilise social media platforms to increase brand awareness and drive more traffic back to your site
  
• Think locally, most dog training leads (pardon the pun) are generated through local enquires, so make sure that you are appearing in local directories or relevant forums, blogs etc
  
• Ensure that you have a Google business page set up and optimised for your needs

Benefits of the above

• Reaching out to a highly targeted audience will mean that you will be more likely to convert enquiries to sales
  
• Being able to focus on the keywords and phrases that dog owners are searching for will improve your organic performance

Other Aspects of Digital Marketing That You Should Not Overlook

SEO is just one component of a well-rounded digital marketing strategy, so don’t neglect the other parts.

Other tactics such as email marketing, paid advertising, and Influencer marketing can also play an important role in driving traffic and converting leads into customers, so be sure to tick all of those boxes. Look at competitors and take note of what they are doing, and utilise the best bits.

If you found their Instagram page to be fun and engaging, then think about how you can do the same.

Paid advertising also affords you the opportunity to create highly targeted, localised ads that will appeal to specific audiences that you can create. Explore the viability of Google Ads and Meta (Facebook) as options for you.

Build an email list that over time, you can talk with and re-market to. Use a tool like MailChimp and create newsletters to talk with customers old and new. Remind them that their dogs, just like us humans need regular stimulus and interaction. Inspire them to use your services.

Working with an expert

If you are new to SEO, it can be super helpful to work with an expert who can guide you through the process and educate you around what you should and should not do.

Conclusion

SEO is an exceptionally valuable tool for dog trainers looking to boost their online visibility and attract more clients. With the right strategy, you can achieve spectacular results, and establish yourself as a leader in the industry.

If you’re interested in learning more about how SEO can help your dog training business, please contact us today. We’d be happy to discuss your goals and develop a customised strategy that will help you achieve the results you’re looking for.