There’s a lot to handle if you run a golf course, including some stuff that seems quite far removed from the actual physical course. SEO is one of those things… And if you aren’t mastering local SEO, you’re missing out on a big chance to dominate the market.
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SEO isn’t exactly a fun thing for most people, but it’s darn important if you want to catch the attention of anyone on Google. So, let’s check out why local SEO is so important for golf courses that want to be seen and how you can use it to boost your course.
Why is Local SEO Important for Golf Courses?
Local SEO is all about standing out from other nearby businesses who do the same thing as you. When someone searches for “golf course in XYZ,” you want to be the first place that pops up. Because the truth is, most people trust the top search results more than anything below them.
Getting your local SEO right means people who live in the area and people visiting as tourists will find you. Finding you is the first step to actually booking a tee time. Getting golfers through the door (or to the tee) is the key to improving your course’s reputation and leads to more online bookings and, hopefully, great reviews.
How to Enhance Local SEO for Your Golf Course
Local SEO isn’t a game—you need a proper strategy in place to get it right. The first step is optimizing your online presence, but there’s a second, just as important one… Engaging with local golfers effectively. Check out the strategies below to give your course an SEO boost.
Optimizing Your Golf Course’s Google My Business Profile
A fully optimized Google My Business (GMB) profile is a goldmine for local traffic. Start by setting up and verifying your GMB account, and make double sure all your information—address, hours of operation, contact details—is accurate.
When people search for your course, they’re going to use this info to get in touch. If it’s wrong, well, they’re probably just going to call the course down the road instead of fighting to find your correct details.
Don’t just set it and forget it, either. Use GMB posts, add high-quality photos, and encourage reviews to keep positive information flowing and give searchers everything they need when they come across your GMB profile.
Targeting Local Keywords
Keyword research can be a touch tedious, but it’s really the bedrock of local SEO. It comes down to this question: “What exactly are people searching for in my area when it comes to golf courses?”
Most of the time, search phrases like “best golf courses near me”, “best golf courses in XYZ”, or “play golf in XYZ” are the winners. It’s no rocket science, really—if you visited a new place, how would you find golf courses nearby?
You can use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to do deeper research on these search topics. It’s always a good idea to include multiple keywords on the same page—usually a longer one like the examples above, and then shorter ones that support it, like “golf XYZ” or “hire golf clubs.”
On-Page SEO for Golf Course Websites
On-page SEO includes a bunch of stuff—keywords in the content, title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and more. Once you know what search phrases are popular, your mission is to incorporate them into your website in an easy-to-read way.
Firstly, this helps search engines to understand your content better. And secondly, by using the words in a natural way, it doesn’t sound like you’re just stuffing keywords in there to grab the algorithm’s attention. Write like you’re talking to a human.
Other VIP actions to take to SEO your website are 1) make it mobile-friendly because more than half of traffic comes from phones, 2) improve your web page loading time, and 3) link to other pages within your website where appropriate, and on occasion, link to high authority golf-related websites that aren’t yours.
P.S. Avoid linking out to competitor websites, even if they do have some good content. Stick to sites like golf.com.
Creating Localized Content
Creating localized content keeps you relevant and active in the eyes of the golfing community. Write blog posts about local events, post photos of your course and life around the course, and give your readers valuable stuff like golfing tips.
Blog posts are an excellent way to expand your reach. Localize them where you can, like referring to local tournaments, events, or even weather conditions. Use your researched keywords throughout, and you should find yourself ranking well for local searches.
But don’t forget to provide a good mix of generally valuable content too, like “5 Ways to Improve Your Golf Swing”. Gear reviews are also super valuable, like “Best Drivers for Beginners”, for example.
Off-Page SEO for Golf Courses
Off-page SEO can be tricky. It’s not so much about your words here as it is about connecting—specifically, building local business listings, earning valuable backlinks from other golf sites, and upping your social media marketing game.
Being featured on other sites shows the search engine that your content is valuable. Getting quality backlinks means your content is good enough for big, high-authority websites to actually want to be associated with it.
First things first, get your golf course on local directories like Yelp, TripAdvisor, and others. It verifies that you’re a legit course, and it’s another platform to get reviews, which can be handy.
Next, see if you can partner with local businesses or influencers to secure backlinks on their websites. Make sure you’re choosing a good mix of websites with a domain authority from 30 to 80+ to make it look natural to Google and other engines.
Lastly, sharing on social can be super helpful in expanding your reach. Remember, keywords have value on social media too, so make an effort to SEO your posts if possible. Share course updates, events, and local golfing news, and make sure you engage with your fans and followers by replying to their comments. A human touch is always appreciated.
Local SEO for Golf Course Marketing Campaigns
Local SEO goes further than just your website. Stack other types of marketing on top of your site, and you can build a powerful SEO strategy that brings players in from a bunch of different places.
- Email Marketing: Segment your email list by location and include local keywords in your subject lines and content for your local segment. Promote local tournaments or give your email audience exclusive offers, like discounted green fees or a free cup of coffee in the clubhouse. The beauty of email lists is that people have to opt into them, so you know these people WANT to hear from you and are receptive to offers.
- Social Media Marketing: Share localized content like community events or weather updates and use popular local hashtags to increase visibility. Social media platforms also offer geo-targeted advertising, helping you reach local golfers effectively.
- Pay-Per-Click Advertising: Use geo-targeting in your PPC campaigns to show ads to anyone searching for golf courses in your area. Pair these ads with location-specific landing pages to improve conversions.
- Content Marketing: Consistently creating and sharing local content, like blog posts or videos with course tips or local events, helps your course become a go-to resource for local golfers.
Leveraging Online Reviews and Reputation Management
Google (and others) use online reviews to measure the quality and credibility of your course. Here’s a quick tip: offer your email users or social media fans a small incentive for leaving a review. This could be a discount on green fees or a free gift with their next round, like a small golf gadget.
Positive reviews boost your ranking and give people peace of mind. Keep in mind that you’ll need to set this up to send out a discount code or something special to people’s email addresses, so make sure you know the logistics before trying this.
Measuring and Tracking Local SEO Performance
Don’t just set it and forget it! Tracking your local SEO efforts will help you figure out if you’re doing well or if you’re wasting your time (in which case, you can pivot and focus on what IS working while refining what isn’t).
Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console help monitor your website’s traffic, user engagement, and search engine rankings. It’s a great idea to take a short course to learn how to read the metrics so you know exactly what you’re looking at and what it all means.
Things like traffic, web page load speed, and bounce rates can give you important info about how your customers feel about your course, your website, and your pricing. Learn what it means and how to spot room for improvement, and you’ll be ahead of most other businesses.
Conclusion
Don’t forget SEO when you’re so busy running the physical golf course. It might be a less tangible thing, but done right, it can bring home the bacon (and by that, I mean it can have golfers flocking to your course over others in the area).
Stick to local SEO over international. It’s way more valuable for golf courses because nobody can access your services unless they’re in the area. Tourists will find you, too, because they’ll reach their destination, so you’ll get a lot of bang for your buck if you put effort into SEOing your business locally. Good luck!
About the Author
Jordan Fuller is a retired golfer and businessman. When he’s not on the course working on his own game or mentoring young golfers, he writes in-depth articles for his website, Golf Influence.