Are people in your community finding your shows when they search online? In 2025, search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just for big tech companies. It’s a powerful tool that helps even the smallest performing arts organizations get discovered—especially by new audiences who haven’t heard of you yet.

If you’re a presenter, festival, or artist-led company working with a small team and limited budget, this guide is for you. We’ll walk you through realistic, practical steps you can take to improve your visibility in both traditional Google search and the new wave of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini.

Why SEO Still Matters (and What’s Changed)

Search is still one of the main ways people find out what’s happening near them. But the way search works is evolving:

• Google now offers AI Overviews that summarize answers at the top of the page.
• ChatGPT and Perplexity pull answers from across the web—including reviews, directory listings, news articles, and event calendars.
• Mobile-first, fast-loading websites are now the default expectation.

In other words: your website is still essential, but it’s no longer the only thing that matters. Being mentioned on other trusted websites, showing up in directories, and having clear, structured content are just as important.

1. Get the Basics Right on Your Website

Even with a small budget, you can improve how your website performs in search results:

• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and loads quickly—most people search on their phones.
• Add unique, keyword-rich titles and meta descriptions to each page. Instead of “Home,” try “Contemporary Dance Company in Nova Scotia” or “Folk Singer-Songwriter from Northern Ontario.”
• Include clear event pages with artist names, dates, and locations. Whether you’re presenting a concert series or announcing your own upcoming tour, each performance should have its own searchable page.
• Use internal links between related content. For example, link your season overview to each show—or link your album release page to your tour schedule.

Want a simple win? Add a FAQ section with common questions about your venue, programming, or shows—like “What time do doors open?” or “Is this show family-friendly?” For artists, this could include questions like “Do you perform at private events?” or “How do I book you for a show?” This kind of content helps your site show up in more searches.

2. Claim Your Local Listings and Profiles

Make sure your organization is showing up where people are already looking:

• If you have a brick-and-mortar venue, claim and update your Google Business Profile with current hours, photos, and contact info.
• Submit your events to local tourism sites, event calendars, and arts directories.
• Ask audience members to leave a Google review after a great show.

These listings don’t just help you get found in Google Maps—they also feed into the sources AI tools rely on to recommend local events.

3. Create Content That Helps You Show Up

You don’t need a blog to benefit from SEO—but if you have one (or are thinking about starting one), it can definitely help. Regular posts with useful or interesting content give search engines more to work with and keep your website fresh.

If you don’t have a blog, you can still share valuable content in other ways:

• Turn your show blurbs into event pages with searchable keywords like “family-friendly concert in [city]” or “bilingual theatre in [region]”.
• Create a basic News or Highlights section where you can post short updates.
• Post short recaps or highlight clips with descriptive titles and captions on YouTube with a link back to your site, and/or include on your event or season page.
• Share content on Instagram or Facebook to grow audience reach, but don’t rely on those platforms alone for SEO. Link back to your website in your bio or in a pinned comment where relevant.
• Create roundups like “5 Must-See Shows This Fall” or “Free Events This Weekend in [Community]”.

The key is to focus on content that answers real questions or highlights what makes your work special—then publish it in a place that Google and AI tools can find.

4. Build Trust Signals Across the Web

In 2025, it’s not enough to say you’re great—you need other sites to say it too.

• Ask artists, partners, or sponsors to link back to your site.
• Offer to write a short guest article for a local arts blog or community paper.
• Pitch your organization for inclusion in “Best of” or “What’s On” lists.

The more mentions and links you have from other trusted sources, the more likely you are to show up in AI-generated answers and regular search results.

5. Use Schema to Help AI Understand You

Schema is a behind-the-scenes tool that helps Google and AI models understand your content. It’s like labelling your website in a way machines can read. Structured data helps you become a source in AI-generated responses, so it increases the likelihood your site will show up in both traditional and AI search queries.

Start with:

• Organization schema
• LocalBusiness schema
• Event schema for your performances

You can generate schema code easily using tools like ChatGPT, then validate it with Google’s Rich Results Test.

This 2021 guide to discoverability from Inga Petri of Strategic Moves is a solid starting point, especially if your team is new to schema. But in 2025, you should supplement it with:

• A focus on AI visibility, not just Google
• Use of newer schema types (especially if you use video or publish FAQs)
• Easier, no-code implementation tools
• A content strategy that supports schema (you can’t tag what doesn’t exist)

6. Get More from Your Social and Video Content

Short videos are no longer just for social—they’re SEO assets, too.

• Post short clips (under 60 seconds) from rehearsals, interviews, or performances.
• Use platforms that Google crawls: YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels.
• Add relevant keywords to titles and captions.
• Embed these videos on your website event pages.

This helps your content show up in video carousels and even AI answers that cite video sources.

7. Keep It Simple with a Monthly SEO Routine

You don’t need to do everything at once. Instead, create a manageable monthly checklist:

• Review Google Search Console for issues
• Update your most important event or season pages
• Submit events to 2-3 local listings
• Ask 1-2 people who gave positive feedback in a post-show survey to leave a review on your Google Business page
• Post 1-2 short videos with keyword-optimized captions on your YouTube page or other social profiles

Over time, these small actions build up into better visibility—and more people finding your work.

Final Thoughts

SEO can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. By focusing on a few high-impact tactics, your performing arts organization can improve its visibility in both traditional and AI-powered search—without stretching your team too thin.

Want personalized help applying this to your own organization? Book a free discovery call and let’s chat.

Your audience is out there. Let’s make sure they can find you.

This guide is part of the Encore Growth System framework, designed to help Canadian arts organizations grow their audiences without burning out their teams.