“[Service] near me” is an obvious keyword to target if you run a local fitness business. Someone searching for “yoga near me” or “BJJ classes near me” has already decided they want the service. All you need to do is convince them to choose your studio.
So it makes sense that you build your content around those searches. Location pages, service pages and Google Business Profile optimisation all have a place.
However, if that’s where the strategy ends, you might have a problem.
There is another group of potential customers searching much earlier in the process. There are parents trying to work out whether BJJ is suitable for their child. They’re adults wondering whether yoga could help with back pain. There beginners comparing yoga with Pilates because they aren’t sure which one is right for them.
There are also potential customers who aren’t immediately ready to search for a studio.
‘Near me’ is often the last search
Think about what happens before someone searches for a local provider.
A parent doesn’t necessarily wake up one morning and search for “BJJ classes near me.” They might first search:
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“is BJJ good for self-defence?”
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“what age can a child start martial arts?”
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“is karate good for kids’ confidence?”
Similarly, someone considering yoga might start with:
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“yoga for upper back pain”
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“is yoga good for anxiety?”
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“yoga vs Pilates for beginners”
At this point, they’re not comparing businesses. They’re trying to decide whether the service is relevant to them at all. That’s what makes these searches valuable, even when the commercial intent isn’t as obvious. For example, a yoga studio can use Content Stream’s yoga studio keyword list to uncover the questions potential customers are asking before they’re ready to book.
If your studio gives someone a genuinely useful answer at that stage, you’ve introduced the business before they’ve started comparing competitors. By the time they eventually search for a class nearby, they may already recognise your name.
Think about the questions your customers ask before they find you
One of the easiest ways to find these opportunities is to think backwards from your existing customers.
What were they unsure about before they signed up?
A martial arts studio might hear questions about whether a particular discipline is suitable for children or how long it takes to learn. Also, some customers might wonder whether beginners need to be fit before starting, or if martial arts are useful for self-defence.
A yoga studio might hear questions about which type of yoga is suitable for beginners or whether yoga can help with a particular physical concern.
You can turn those questions into content.
The important part is that you answer the question your potential customer actually has, rather than stretching it into an advert for your studio. Someone searching “is BJJ good for self-defence?” doesn’t need a page telling them to book a trial class in the first paragraph. They need a useful answer first.
After you have gained their attention, your business can come into the picture naturally.
Don’t abandon local keywords
We’re not asking you to drop “[service] near me” or location-based searches. Those are still some of the most valuable searches for your local fitness business.
Rather, we’re saying give them the right role.
Your local and service pages are there for people who have already decided what they want. Informational content reaches people who are still figuring it out.
A healthier content mix might therefore include:
Local intent
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“BJJ classes near me”
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“martial arts classes in [city]”
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“yoga studio in [city]”
Informational intent
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“is BJJ good for self-defence?”
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“what age can kids start martial arts?”
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“yoga for upper back pain”
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“yoga vs Pilates for beginners”
The first group can help someone choose your business. The second can help them decide whether they need a business like yours in the first place.
You need both.
Start with the questions you already hear
You don’t need to build an enormous keyword database to find these topics.
Start with your current content and ask three questions:
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How much of what we publish assumes the reader has already decided to buy?
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What questions do new customers ask before they sign up?
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Are we answering those questions anywhere on the site?
If most of your content consists of location pages, service descriptions and “[service] near me” variations, that’s a useful gap to investigate.
Pick two or three questions that come up repeatedly and build genuinely useful pages around them. Then connect those pages to the relevant service and location pages so someone who discovers you through an informational search has an obvious next step.
If you want to start with a larger pool of ideas, Content Stream has published low-competition keyword lists for martial arts studios, including informational searches that go beyond local intent.
Your content shouldn’t wait until someone is ready to book
“[Service] near me” is still worth targeting. In fact, those searches may be some of the closest things to a booking decision that you’ll get from organic search.
But they’re only one part of how people find a fitness business.
Some people will discover you because they’re already looking for a studio. Others will find you while trying to answer a question they haven’t solved yet.
The second group is easy to overlook because they don’t look like customers yet. But someone researching whether yoga is right for them today could be searching for a studio three weeks from now.
If you’re reviewing your current content strategy, start by looking at what you’re not answering. The questions your customers ask before they ever search for your business may be where your next useful content opportunities are.