Running a nursery can be incredibly rewarding. You provide early education, care, and a safe environment for children during some of their most important developmental years.

However, many nursery owners face the same challenge:

empty places.

Even nurseries with experienced staff, excellent facilities, and strong Ofsted ratings sometimes struggle to fill their rooms.

If your nursery has availability while others nearby are full, the issue is rarely the quality of childcare.

Most of the time, the problem is visibility and marketing strategy.

Parents cannot choose a nursery they never discover.

In this guide, we’ll explain:

• why nurseries struggle to fill places

• how parents actually search for childcare

• website mistakes nurseries make

• local SEO strategies for nurseries

• advertising strategies that generate enquiries

• real examples of marketing improvements

If you are searching how to increase nursery enrollment, this guide will help you understand what works in the UK childcare market.

Why Nurseries Struggle to Fill Places

Demand for childcare in the UK is high, but many nurseries still experience fluctuating occupancy.

This often happens because of visibility issues rather than demand problems.

Common causes include:

• weak online presence
• outdated websites
• poor local search visibility
• unclear messaging about funded childcare
• limited marketing strategy
• reliance solely on word of mouth

Parents today research childcare extensively before booking visits. If your nursery is difficult to find online, potential families may never reach you.

According to research published by the
UK Department for Education, parents increasingly rely on online information when comparing childcare providers, including funding eligibility, location, and reviews.

How Parents Actually Search for Childcare

Understanding the parent decision process is critical if you want to increase nursery enrollment.

Most parents follow a similar journey.

Step 1: Google Search

Parents usually start with queries such as:

• nursery near me

• nursery in [town]

• childcare with availability

• baby nursery near me

• 30 hours funded nursery

If your nursery does not appear in Google results, you lose the opportunity to attract those enquiries.

Step 2: Website Evaluation

Once parents discover a nursery, they quickly check the website.

They usually look for:

• photos of the environment
• information about staff
• funded childcare availability
• location and accessibility
• reviews and testimonials

Parents typically decide within seconds whether a nursery appears trustworthy.

A confusing or outdated website often causes parents to leave and explore other options.

Improving website structure and messaging is therefore critical. You can learn more about this in the InGrowth guide on landing page optimisation for UK businesses.

Step 3: Reviews and Reputation

Online reputation strongly influences decision-making.

Parents frequently check:

• Google reviews
• Facebook recommendations
• local parent groups

A nursery with many positive reviews appears more trustworthy than one with very few.

Encouraging parents to leave reviews regularly can significantly improve enquiries.

Step 4: Shortlisting Nurseries

Most parents shortlist two or three nurseries before booking visits.

The nurseries that appear:

• highest in search results
• with strong reviews
• with clear websites

are much more likely to receive enquiries.

Website Mistakes That Reduce Nursery Enquiries

Your website should function as your primary enquiry engine.

However, many nurseries unknowingly reduce enquiries because of website issues.

No Clear Call to Action

Parents need a simple path to take the next step.

Your website should prominently display buttons such as:

• Book a visit
• Check availability
• Request information

Clear calls to action dramatically increase conversion rates.

Missing Information About Funded Childcare

Many parents search specifically for funded childcare.

Common search queries include:

• 30 hours funded childcare nursery

• free childcare near me

If your website does not clearly explain these options, parents may assume you do not offer them.

A detailed guide on this topic is available in the InGrowth article: 30 Hours Free Childcare 2025: Nursery Marketing Playbook

This topic alone can attract significant traffic from parents researching funding.

Poor Website Structure

Common issues include:

• outdated images
• unclear navigation
• slow loading pages
• missing information about age groups

Improving website design helps parents quickly understand what your nursery offers and increases trust.

Local SEO Strategies for Nurseries

Local SEO is one of the most effective long-term strategies for increasing nursery enrollment.

It ensures your nursery appears when parents search for childcare nearby.

Optimise Your Google Business Profile

Your Google listing should include:

• high-quality photos
• updated contact details
• opening hours
• reviews from parents

Google Business profiles often appear before websites in search results, making them extremely important for visibility.

Create Location-Focused Pages

Instead of one generic page, create pages such as:

• Day Nursery in Hounslow

• Childcare in Brentford

• Nursery Near Twickenham

These pages help your nursery rank for local search queries.

Publish Helpful Content

Parents frequently search questions about childcare.

Content topics might include:

• how to choose a nursery
• when to start nursery
• childcare funding explained

These articles attract parents earlier in the decision process.

Advertising Strategies That Increase Enrolment

SEO builds long-term traffic, but advertising can accelerate enquiries.

Google Ads

Google Ads can place your nursery at the top of search results for queries such as:

• nursery near me
• childcare in [town]
• nursery with availability

Targeting parents within a few miles of your nursery often produces high-quality enquiries.

Social Media Marketing

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are effective for reaching local parents.

Examples of useful campaigns include:

• open day announcements
• nursery activity highlights
• funded childcare availability updates

For practical ideas, see this guide from InGrowth: Nursery Social Media Ideas for 2026

Consistent social media presence helps parents become familiar with your nursery before visiting.

Retargeting Campaigns

Many parents visit nursery websites but do not enquire immediately.

Retargeting ads remind them about your nursery after they leave the website, increasing the likelihood they return.

Real Example: Improving Nursery Enquiries

One nursery we analysed had six empty places despite offering high-quality childcare.

After reviewing their marketing strategy, we discovered:

• the website was not ranking for local searches
• funded childcare information was unclear
• there were only five Google reviews

After implementing improvements:

• new SEO pages were created
• a funded childcare guide was added
• parents were encouraged to leave reviews

Within a few months, enquiries increased significantly and the nursery reached full occupancy for the next intake period.

Increasing Nursery Enrollment Requires Visibility

Today, successful nurseries combine:

• strong local SEO
• clear websites
• positive online reviews
• targeted advertising

High-quality childcare remains the foundation of a successful nursery, but effective marketing ensures parents can find and trust your nursery online.