Valentine’s Day is days away, and right now someone in San Antonio is searching “hair salon near me” or “best blowout bar Alamo Heights” because they want to look amazing for dinner this Friday.
Will they find your salon? That depends almost entirely on your Google Business Profile.
Why Your GBP Is Your Most Important Marketing Tool
When someone searches for a salon on Google, they see the Map Pack…those three businesses with photos, ratings, and a “Directions” button…before they see any website results. Your Google Business Profile is what gets you into that Map Pack.
If your profile is incomplete, outdated, or has three photos from 2021, Google has no reason to show you over the salon down the street that keeps their profile fresh.
The Valentine’s Day Optimization Checklist
Do these things today…not tomorrow, today:
Update your hours. If you’re offering extended hours for Valentine’s week, add them. Google lets you set special hours for specific dates.
Add fresh photos. Post 5-10 new images this week. Your stylists at work. A gorgeous Valentine’s updo. Your waiting area looking clean and inviting. Your retail display with gift-ready products.
Write a Google Post. Inside your GBP dashboard, you can publish posts that show up right on your profile. Write one about your Valentine’s specials: “Book a blowout and get a complimentary deep conditioning treatment this Valentine’s week.”
Update your services list. Google lets you list every service with descriptions and price ranges. Make sure yours is current. If you added balayage or keratin treatments recently, add them here.
Get Reviews This Week
Ask every client who sits in your chair this week to leave a Google review. Hand them your phone with the review page open if you have to.
A salon with 150 reviews and a 4.8 rating will dominate a salon with 20 reviews and a 5.0. Volume matters. Recency matters even more…Google favors businesses that get reviews regularly. Our complete Google Business Profile guide for beauty salons covers the full review strategy in detail.
Think Beyond February 14
Valentine’s Day will come and go, but the profile work you do this week pays dividends all year. Every photo you upload, every review you collect, every post you publish makes your profile stronger.
Google rewards consistency. The salons that update their profiles monthly outrank the ones that set it up once and forgot about it. Speaking of year-round effort, your website also needs regular attention and keeping clients after their first visit is its own challenge, especially during graduation season.
Your Google Business Profile is free…but only valuable if you use it. Want help keeping it optimized year-round? See what our digital marketing products can do for your salon.