AI, Google & The New Rules for Getting Found Online: What Every Spa Owner Needs to Know

When Maxine Drake and her team member, SEO strategist Rita Ester, hosted a live training for spa owners inside The Money-Making Esthetician Facebook group, the response was overwhelming. Over 200 beauty professionals signed up, and the live chat was buzzing with energy and questions.

The reason? Spa owners everywhere are beginning to realize that the way clients find

them has undergone a significant shift. Potential clients aren’t just scrolling through Instagram or relying on word of mouth anymore. They’re asking Siri in the car, Alexa in the kitchen, ChatGPT at their desks, and Google Gemini on their phones.

And here’s the key insight from the training: all of those tools pull their answers from the same place...Google.

If a spa doesn’t show up there, it’s not just missing out on bookings. It’s invisible in AI, too.

SEO Is Evolving

During the session, Maxine and Rita emphasized that SEO hasn’t gone away. It’s simply evolved. Whether it’s browser searches, AI tools, or voice assistants, people will always search for services. The difference now is how they search and what sources these platforms trust.

The fastest way to get visibility? Winning in Google’s Map Pack. This is where Google and AI direct clients first, and where the highest-intent bookings originate.

Where AI Gets Its Answers

One of the biggest “aha” moments from the training was learning where AI tools get their information:

● Google AI ➡️ pulls from Google Business Profiles (GBP)

● ChatGPT ➡️ leans on Yelp & Bing

● Bing ➡️ works much like Google

If a spa has optimized these profiles, AI will surface them. If not, they’re ignored.

The 80/20 of SEO for Spa Owners

Maxine and Rita explained that spa owners don’t need to master every SEO tactic. Just the 20% of actions that drive 80% of results:

● Front-load keywords in page titles

● Add keywords to H1 tags and URLs

● Write 500+ words of content for each service

● Build links pointing back to the site

For example:

✅ “Facials in Dallas – Skin Glow Spa”

❌ “Skin Glow Spa – Facials in Dallas”

Small changes like these can deliver outsized results.

Quick Wins That Build Momentum

Another highlight of the training was how quickly spas can start seeing results with small, intentional actions:

● Ask a happy client for a new 5-star Google review

● Add a business address to the website footer

● Refresh the Google Business Profile description

● Update the homepage title from “Home” to “Facials in [City]”

These may sound simple, but participants were surprised at how much visibility can shift in just 30 days from these adjustments.

From Local Buzz to Rankings

One of Maxine’s signature teaching points was her Local Celebrity Visibility Framework. This 3-step process shows spa owners how to turn real-world buzz into online visibility:

1. Pick Your Spotlight Moment – events worth talking about (mini facials for teachers, bridal expos, and Nurses Week specials).

2. Become Hyper-Visible – share photos, recaps, and reviews on GBP, blogs, and local event listings.

3. Convert the Buzz – leverage reviews, backlinks, and mentions to boost rankings and AI visibility.

One well-executed community event can generate photos, reviews, and even local press, which Google loves!

The ROI of SEO: The Math Works

What really lit up the live chat during the session was when Maxine broke down the math of SEO.

● Year 1: 72 new clients → 43 retained → $25–30k in service revenue

● Year 2: 86 retained clients → $50–60k in service revenue

● Year 3: 130 retained clients → $75k+ in service revenue

And that’s only service revenue. Once you add upgrades, retail, and referrals, the numbers double or triple.

The key takeaway: SEO isn’t instant; it’s a compounding process. Month after month, new clients stack on top of existing ones. That’s how spas move from “slow season stress” to fully booked, year-round.

Why Most Spa Owners Don’t DIY SEO

Maxine was quick to point out that while spa owners could attempt to DIY their SEO, most don’t know the order of operations. SEO isn’t about doing everything; it’s about pulling the right levers in the correct sequence.

The problem? Spa owners rarely have the time to learn that sequence. Their genius zone is in the treatment room, not in deciphering algorithms.

That’s why so many turn to Maxine and her team to collapse time and get straight to

results.

The Google / SEO Client Acquisition Program

This is where Maxine Drake Consulting steps in with their Google / SEO Client Acquisition Program. It’s designed specifically for spa owners who want to show up first in Google and AI searches, without wasting months on trial and error.

The program includes:

● Full Google Business Profile audit & optimization

● Keyword research tailored to the services a spa most wants to sell

● Monthly updates & AI-friendly content that keep visibility high

● Clear, easy-to-read reports that show exactly where bookings come from

Maxine and her team work with a limited number of spa owners at a time, providing each business with the personal attention needed to succeed.

Your next steps from Maxine Drake's SEO Training

Visibility today means Google first, AI second. The sooner spa owners start, the faster momentum builds. The longer they wait, the harder and more expensive it becomes to catch up to competitors.

If you missed the live class, you don’t have to miss the opportunity.

👉 Book your Google & Website SEO Audit today and let Maxine’s team show you exactly where you stand, what’s working, and where the biggest opportunities are to fill your books with steady, high-quality clients.

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