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In 2023, I had my first child.
(strange introductory line to a post on SEO for musicians, I know.)
I started C&S Music back in 2020-ish. I had done some web writing prior and lots of learning about Search Engine Optimization, and wanted to put that knowledge to use for my music studio.
So I was building my site and writing regularly while managing my studio up until my daughter was born. I stopped giving lessons about a month before she was born and decided to focus on the online portion of my business.
Then, as kids tend to do, she started growing.
She was sleeping less, getting busier, and I was having less time to devote to C&S. Then, in January of 2024, I took a job doing SEO writing for another company.
I loved it, but it took up every ounce of my free time (or, my daughter’s nap time), so I had to put C&S on the very, very back burner. Like.. not touch it for about 6 months.
When I had a breather, I checked back in and… C&S had grown?
Traffic was up about 15%.
My email list was still growing by 50-150 subscribers each month.
I was still making sales in my online store.
The business was trucking along, all on its own, without any interference from me. And that, friends, is the power of SEO.
SEO allowed me to prioritize my family; to step away from my desk for almost a year, and come back to a business that was still growing. It provided a solid, lasting foundation for C&S that allowed me to still help people!
With that in mind, I wanted to make this little (ha!) guide to SEO for Musicians, to help you start on your journey to building something that lasts.
The Basics of SEO for Musicians
What is SEO?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In a nutshell, it is the way you structure and build your online presence so that search engines will a) understand exactly what you’re about and b) show your content in search results. Each search engine (even social media) has a program that reads all of the content on the internet and decides what pages to give in search results via an algorithm, or set boundaries and rules.
Of course the “long answer” is much, much longer. Search engines are notoriously secretive about some of the metrics they use (if you’re in the SEO world at all, you know all the drama that happens every time the google algorithm gets an update), however there are some factors we know for sure are important for search engines:
- Keywords
- Internal and external links
- Authority
- Helpful, Quality content
Don’t worry, we will get into the nitty gritty of each of these terms and more in this post. However, I want to emphasize something right up top:
In the past, SEO has been “gamified.” It used to be relatively easy to rank your content using simple, cut and dry methods (overusing keywords, bad linking, etc). We saw a huge blogging boom where people who weren’t actually experts on their subjects make great careers out of ranking their content on the internet.
However, as time goes on, the algorithms get more and more advanced. Search engines exist to answer their users’ questions, so they are constantly looking at how to give the best results. Many of the content updates I have seen have upset bloggers because they use gaming methods to rank their content.
So what does that mean for SEO for musicians (or any field, for that matter)?
It means that you can’t fool the algorithm. While there is still a “game” to play, you need to know what you’re talking about and create legitimately helpful content in order for search engines to show your material. Like I’ve said, C&S has been through numerous algorithm updates and has stood firm (or grown) through them because I have established myself as an authority, and provide resources that are helpful to people.
Why SEO Matters for Musicians
I have said it before, I will say it again: we live in an increasingly digital age (however, personal connection seems to be of higher importance lately, which is awesome!), and the majority of searching for services happens on the internet. SEO is your most reliable avenue to people being able to find you on the internet.
What is Keyword Research, and how does it help with SEO for Musicians?
Keyword research is your way of making sure your content (website, videos, social media) is getting in front of people who want to see it. We use the word “keywords” to describe what is typed into the search box on google, YouTube, instagram, etc.
Understand What Your Audience Searches For
If YOU were looking for someone like you, what would you type into google? Instagram? Make a list of phrases you might use – everything you can think of! If you’re a teacher, list your location, each instrument you teach, and synonyms (coach, instructor, etc)
Long-Tail Keywords
Especially when looking for services, users are more likely to use what we call “long-tail” keywords, or longer, more specific phrases. Instead of “piano teacher,” they may type in, “piano teacher Chicago Illinois.” If they are looking for a wedding musician, they may type in, “affordable string quartet for wedding San Diego.” – you get the picture.
Long-tail keywords are typically easier to rank for as well, since fewer websites will have that specific string of words on them (far more sites will have the words “piano teacher” than “piano teacher Chicago Illinois.”) Those are what we call low-competition keywords. Including them in important parts of your site will help you pop up when someone searches that exact phrase.
Using SEO Tools
If you want to jump into the world of keyword research on your own instead of using free musician keyword lists like mine (see above), there are some great tools you can utilize. Here are some things to keep in mind as you get started:
There are several factors that you want to consider when looking at what keywords you want to focus on on your website. I mentioned competition, but you also want to look at the keyword’s search volume (how many times it is searched for in a given time period), and the projected change in volume. So. How do you find all that information? SEO tools!
Google Keyword Planner is my personal choice in SEO tools. It’s free, pretty easy to use, and the data comes from Google itself (the largest and most-used search platform). Of course, it won’t help with SEO for many social platforms.
Keywords Everywhere is another good one that is just a browser extension, so you get native results in your search engines, and they have a really cool hashtag research tool (hashtags are a big part of Instagram optimization) that I have used a lot.
SEMrush is a great tool that I have used for other projects in the past as well as C&S. Of all of the tools I’ve used, SEMrush is the most user-friendly and easy to understand with simple explanations and action steps. However, to use its full potential, the full license is pricey. They do have a free version and offer a free trial of higher levels, though, so you can see if it’s worth the price for you.
Setting Up Your Website for SEO
The keyword research is important legwork to do before you set up your site, and you will use those keywords on the site itself. However, the actual set up and organization of your site is what SEO is all about. There are 3 major things to keep in mind while setting up your music website for SEO:
Organize your site well
You know when you were in school and your teacher had you turn in the outline of your paper as its own assignment? It was so your teacher could see the structure of your paper and make sure it was organized in a way that made sense and would make your paper not only easy to understand, but easy to write. The same goes for your website! You want all the pertinent information (pricing, expertise, schedule, whatever) to be easy to find for whoever lands on your site. This means having a menu with important links, and not hiding information behind a series of clicks. People who land on your site want that information; make it easy to access!
Create quality, review-worthy content
A major thing that search engines look for is if your content or services are helpful. There are a number of different ways that they measure for it, like reviews (for services, reviews are VERY important), amount of time spent on each page, amount of clicks made on your site, and more that we aren’t privy to. Make sure to include any relevant certifications you hold, be thorough, and provide opportunities for clients, students, or users to engage through links, comments, and reviews.
Important: creating content doesn’t necessarily mean writing a blog, though it can. You can make a successful artist site with well-optimized pages sans a blog. Additionally, having a strong social media game can help with your rankings as well – it’s all connected!
A note on AI: Like most things, AI is a tool that can help or hurt your website, depending on how you use it. The content you put out should be your own, but that doesn’t mean AI can’t help along the way. All of the words in this post are mine, but I had AI help me with the outline and flow. If you are using AI for the words on your site, there is a good chance of the algorithm docking your site (and ranking) for it.
Use relevant keywords on your pages
Using that list of keywords you came up with, optimize each page for one long-tail keyword. Put that keyword in the URL, in the title of the page, in the content itself, and in the meta description at the very least. But, this is very important: keyword inclusion doesn’t trump quality. Don’t just stuff your keyword at the end of every sentence. Part of the “quality content” parameters is readability – which is greatly hurt by keyword stuffing. Work your keyword into your content naturally.
On the note of content, each page should have at least 500 words of writing on it. The words on the page tells the search engine what the page is about. No words, and the search engine won’t know, so it won’t show it to anyone. Bonus points if you format your page like a filled-in outline using headings, which makes it even clearer to search engines!
Leveraging Social Media for SEO
No, your social media and your website are not the same, and they don’t function the same. They don’t even have the same SEO rules. However, the whole internet is connected!
One way to build some trust with search engines is to have quality social media profiles linked to your website. That means not only having links to your socials on your site, but linking to your site on your social media! When a website is linked to another high-quality site (or social media page), it tells the search engine not only what that site is about, but that the site is trusted by whoever linked to it.
Optimizing Social Media Pages
Every social media platform has its own algorithm, and its own rules for optimization. However, we already know that algorithms (in general) read text and engagement. When you are making social posts, write keyword-rich captions and encourage engagement from your audience. And, of course, link back to your website.
A social media page that people are engaging with shows the algorithms that people want to see that content! If you’re up to it, building your social media page following and engagement can have a positive impact on how search engines see your content.
Local SEO for Musicians
What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is optimization for location-specific services. When parents are looking for a piano teacher for their child, or booking agents are looking for talent, they want to find local teachers and musicians. Local SEO is how you tell Google (and the other powers that be) what geographic area you service.
Google My Business
Google does view local results differently than plain-jane informational results – they use different criteria and even have a whole separate type of listing for businesses that is tied to Google Maps, called “Google My Business.” Setting up your Google business profile allows you to claim a location (if you have one), and show your listing when people search for your service in a specific area. It’s pretty easy to set up, provides a great boost to local searches, and, best of all, it’s free!
Optimizing for Local Searches
Alongside utilizing a Google Business Profile, your site should be optimized for location-specific keywords as well. That means including things like your city name, zip code, etc. Be sure to include keywords for every target location (don’t just use “Los Angeles,” use “Pasadena,” “Glendale,” and so on) and do your research on highest-performing keywords.
A Hidden gem of SEO for Musicians: Backlinks
What are backlinks?
Backlinks are any time someone else links to your site – simple enough. Like we talked about in the social media section (yes, those count as backlinks!), search algorithms take the whole of the internet into account. Since there is so much information to sift through, they absolutely look at what kind of pages are linked together to assess quality, helpfulness, and related content.
How should Musicians build Backlinks for SEO?
Like I mentioned up top, integrity is the name of the game. Some people have paid for backlinks in the past, or have participated in link-sharing circles – both of which now hurt more than help. The absolute best way to build quality backlinks is the backbone of the music industry: make connections.
Be a guest on a podcast. Write a guest post. Talk to your local music shop owner. Join a directory. Get creative with it! And make a backlink part of your “payment” for work – mentions on social media and a link back to your site from reputable sources are both worth their weight in gold for SEO.
Tracking Your SEO Performance
Google Analytics and Search Console
Up until the end of last year, Google Analytics was the gold standard for site performance tracking. Then, they updated their terms of service, and users have to actually opt in to be tracked. Either I have it set up wrong (that kind of tech stuff is NOT my strong suit, so it’s very possible), or all of you who come on C&S Music opt out of cookies, so my google analytics says I have had zero site visitors from October of 2024 until now.
However. Google Search Console (that tracks ranking and clicks in google search itself) still shows clicks – growth, even – and my email list still gets new subscribers every day, and I still make sales from my shop. Clearly there are users on my site, they’re just not being tracked!
All this to say, Google Analytics is not infallible, and there are other ways to track SEO Success.
Side note – many website builders offer analytics. Try to avoid any trackers as plugins or add-ons, since they add bulky code to your website that will slow it down. If they offer any native ones, like on Wix, use those!
Measuring Success
Site visitors are one aspect of SEO success. However, SEO deals specifically with users who clicked on your site in organic search results in a search engine. Google Search Console is a great way get that data at a glance. However, you want to also know which of your pages result in bookings, clicks, email signups, etc – also known as conversions. That’s why tracking those metrics is essential as well. You can find that data in your email client and booking system.
Using Search Engine Optimization can help musicians like you (and me) build a viable business in what can feel like a volatile online climate
I hope this guide can help start you on your way! I plan on creating more content around this in the coming months, so if you want to be notified when the posts come out, join my email list! I’ll also send you a list of my favorite free resources for musicians looking to start their own music-centered business – click here to sign up!
And, as always, the comment section and my email inbox is always open to answer questions, chat, or whatever.
Happy optimizing!