The target market for coworking space is comprised of tech-savvy workers more likely to discover your business online than anywhere else. In order to grow and attract new members, your online brand should be thoughtful and unique, and a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy can ensure your space appeals to prospective members. Search engine optimization is an organic approach to increasing quality and quantity of website traffic.
Research from BrightEdge shows that 53% of a website’s traffic comes from organic search. That means that most of your traffic will come from searches, regardless of how much time you spent creating online ads, social media posts or flyers. When someone searches keywords like ‘coworking space near me’ a well-designed SEO strategy will ensure your space ranks near the top of the results.
Narrow your target audience
Simply using the same keywords repeatedly throughout the content of your site isn’t enough to rank near the top of search results. Instead, one of the most important SEO strategies is to focus on your local market specifically.
Most searches for coworking within driving distance will include the city of the search. In other words, honing in on ‘coworking spaces in Miami’ will return more pertinent results than the millions you will get by searching for ‘coworking spaces.’ Narrow your scope further by including local neighborhoods. Sticking with the Miami example, adding keywords for South Beach, Brickell, Coral Gables or other popular areas will drive even more targeted traffic to your site.
There are two key components to maximizing your location-based SEO. First, create a free business profile on Google My Business. Be as detailed as possible with address, hours of operation and company description. You can even add content and calendar events on the listing directly. Second, establish your target audience and gear website content toward your member personas. Even if the location of your space isn’t perfect for a prospect, their odds of visiting will be greater if they feel a connection to the content shared.
Develop organic content
Commit to updating your website with organic content three to four times a month (or even more frequently, if you are able). Blogs, member success stories or an events calendar are all great ways to create shareable content that will boost SEO. Your space should also have its own profiles on major social media channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. These channels can be used for promotion by you, as well as your members. The more your links get shared, the higher your site will rank.
Collaborating on guest blogs is a great way to set up future opportunities as well as get extra exposure via content sharing. Other coworking spaces, companies operating in your space and members of the local business community can all provide content that will help keep your site fresh.
The key to generating positive SEO results is creating thought-provoking, unique and specific content. You shouldn’t post content or links that aren’t meaningful to your target audience. As mentioned earlier, prospects are more likely to visit a coworking space when website content appeals to them.
Solicit positive reviews
In the same way you seek out restaurants and hotels with positive reviews, SEO is highly influenced by volume and positivity of feedback. Encourage your members to leave detailed reviews, especially on Google, Yelp and Bing.
The more transparency and variety in the reviews, the better. Your space and your SEO will benefit from members giving a positive account of their stay, current members touting improvements they’ve appreciated or a member’s guest describing the terrific amenities available. Beyond the inherent SEO value, this will incentivize prospects to dig deeper into your site or stop in for a visit.
At the end of the day, you want a prospect to give your space a chance. You want someone to like your space enough to want to visit, call, schedule a tour or at the very least spend more time on your website. Boosting your SEO strategy is the first step to maximizing your visibility so you can close more deals.
Yardi Kube is the management platform of choice for top coworking operators. Click the link below to learn more about our shared space solutions.