With today’s digital first landscape, even global brands need to invest in SEO if they want to stay ahead and keep on growing.
Cult.Fit India’s favorite fitness and wellness platform had brand awareness but no organic search presence to be the default option in the highly competitive online health and wellness space
To address this, Cult.Fit used systematic SEO strategy and Google My Business (GMB) optimization
The objective? Drive more organic traffic, rank higher on fitness related searches,
and gain more online conversions and offline memberships
This article takes you through how Cult.Fit reshaped its search performance, increased its visibility,
and gained phenomenal outcomes and that even strong brands require savvy SEO.
Objective Bolster Cult.Fit’s Digital Discovery & Conversions
Even with being a home brand for health and fitness, Cult.Fit was facing an underlying issue
How do we grow our organic visibility and reach users who are searching for fitness, yoga, or mental well being not only our enthusiasts?
Therefore, their highest priorities were:
- Improve search visibility for wellness and fitness keywords
- Grow mobile and desktop organic traffic
- Grow local discoverability via Google My Business
- Generate conversions through improved user flow and search content
Brand History How Cult.Fit Started
Aiming to bring fitness and wellness within reach, Cult.Fit provides
- Fitness classes (in-centre and online)
- Mental well being classes
- Healthy nutrition and fitness equipment
- Doctor appointments and diagnostic services
Although the brand spent on paid ads and influencer marketing, word-of-mouth growth was behind, particularly for search based discovery
Their offline success had to translate into higher online findability and that’s where a solid SEO + GMB strategy was begun
Objectives of the SEO Campaign
Cult.Fit’s SEO campaign was designed under three top goals:
Increase Organic Search Traffic
Get more engaged users who are looking for fitness, nutrition, or wellness tips
Enhance Keyword Rankings
Rank higher on Google for competitive terms like “fitness near me,” “yoga classes in Hyderabad,” “online mental wellness programs,” etc
Create Online Authority
Use backlinks, content, and technical SEO to build long-term digital trust
Strategy A Full-Funnel SEO Strategy
The Cult.Fit team adopted a multi-dimensional SEO strategy, with technical pillars as well as content-driven growth
Keyword Research
- Identified high volume and long tail keywords related to fitness, health, yoga, and mental well being.
- Inserted local keywords for greater geo-targeted visibility (e.g., “gym in Hyderabad“).
- Organized keywords by search intent (informational, commercial, navigational).
On-Page Optimization
- Serialized meta tags, headers, alt tags, and content organization.
- Imbued internal linking among blogs, service pages, and locations.
- Organized location-based landing pages for a greater Google My Business influence
Content Creation
- Created 60+ long-form blog posts on evergreen topics such as
- “Benefits of Yoga for Working Professionals”
- “How to Start Your Fitness Journey Without a Gym”
- “Mental Wellness Tips During Exam Season”
- Created pillar pages and guides to cement topical authority.
Technical SEO
- Improved mobile page loading time
- Removed broken links, redirect chains, and crawl errors
- Made site structure more crawlable for Google bots
Link Building Strategy
- Collaboration with fitness blogs and websites
- Exchanged expert quotes and guest posts on health websites
- Purchased high-quality backlinks from niche-relevant websites
Google My Business Optimization
- Individual GMB listings for each Cult.Fit location created and optimized
- Categories of business, opening times updated, weekly promotions published
- Gathered and answered Google reviews
- Published high-quality fitness class videos and images
Implementation Roadmap
Cult.Fit implemented its SEO strategy in phases:
- SEO Audit: Defined baseline content, backlink, and tech gaps.
- Content Calendar: Scheduled high-intent, seasonal, and evergreen content ideas.
- Backlink Outreach: Coordinated with websites to develop domain authority.
- User Feedback Loop: Enriched heatmaps and user behavior monitoring for better blog performance.
- GMB Listing Optimizations: Regular posts, event, and local offer updates
Outcomes Visibility, Traffic & Conversions Boost
Organic Traffic Boost
- 57% increase in organic search visits in 6 months
- Spectacular increase in non branded search terms a sign of new customer discovery
Increased Keyword Rankings
- Cult.Fit pages ranking within top 5 for more than 100+ fitness-related keywords
- Local landing pages for “gym near me” and “yoga classes in [city]” keywords
Improved Engagement & Conversion Rates
- Reduced bounce rate by 18%
- Blog + product flow pages experienced 35% more conversions
- Google My Business listings triggered thousands of direction requests and centre calls
Offline Impact
- GMB contributed towards walk-ins at Cult.Fit physical centers
- Location-based offers associated with GMB resulted in seasonal offer redemptions
Challenges and How They Were Solved
Competitive Keywords in Fitness
The fitness segment is ruled by MNC brands, influencers, and local gyms with high competition
- Solution: Prioritizing long-tail keywords such as “online fitness for beginners in Telugu” or “diet tips for diabetes in India” faster wins
SEO for Managing Multiple Locations
Each of the Cult.Fit centers required a different attention
- Solution: Developed separate local landing pages and individually optimized each GMB listing with variable content
Key Takeaways to Succeed in SEO
Cult.Fit’s SEO effort is a shining example of excellence in how planning + local search optimization can lead to ginormous results.
- Content is still the king — particularly when it comes together with true user intent.
- Technical SEO and fast mobile experiences play a big role.
- Google My Business is under loved — optimizing it the right way can drive footfalls.
- Constant tracking and tuning are more important than one-off efforts
Conclusion
Cult.Fit’s story is a reminder that even giants with enormous offline presence must spend money on SEO to remain relevant
By leveraging technical best practices, good content, and localized SEO through Google My Business, the brand achieved actual, quantifiable success in traffic, engagement, and sales
In 2025 and beyond, discoverability first, speed focused, intent matching content businesses will keep expanding with or without enormous ad budgets
