People turn to Google to look up just about anything, from new chicken recipes to the reasons why dogs sleep more than people. It’s also the first place they turn to when looking up medical concerns and the physicians that can address them. You can use search engine optimization (SEO) to become a top contender in their search by showing up high on the results pages.
You might assume that doctors don’t need to focus on SEO because they provide essential care that people have to seek out to improve their wellness, so they don’t need to do digital marketing.
However, that’s not always the case. With a large number of doctors available in many communities, many of whom are specialists, it’s important to stand out by being seen highly on search engine results pages, or SERPs.
When you follow this SEO checklist, you’re covering all of the bases of your digital marketing strategy to get the traffic, conversions and patient acquisition that you’re looking for.
Key components of medical SEO
All SEO strategies aim to help your business rank as highly as possible on SERPs for relevant keywords. If you’re able to do this, you should see a boost in your site traffic and conversions.
When it comes to medical SEO, these efforts also focus on providing patients with the education they need to be aware of their health concerns so that they know when to book an appointment with you.
Here are the key components to keep in mind when creating a medical SEO strategy:
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Keyword research
When you’re trying to get your clinic’s name in front of potential patients, you need to know what they’re searching for in the first place. By using keyword research, you can see what the popular keywords are for your demographic and which ones are being missed by your competitors so that you have topics to base your content on. Keywords can also be used in your Google Business Profile, URLs and internal links.
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On-page optimization
People who have a medical concern want to be able to quickly find the information they need so they can take the next steps to feeling better as soon as possible. On-page optimization refers to your site focusing on user experience and being patient-centric.
This means having a site that’s easy to navigate while also providing value through your pillar pages and blog posts. Optimizing your on-site SEO includes ensuring your site has:
- Fast page loading speeds
- Easy-to-find menus
- Internal linking
- Mobile-friendliness
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Off-page SEO strategies
Your website represents your practice and helps you get the patients you’re looking for. But patients are also drawn to your brand based on their perception of your brand beyond what’s on your site.
Your reputation as a doctor, authority in your specialization and online visibility help to boost your awareness on SERPs as a way to build a sense of trust and credibility.
Local SEO strategies for physicians
You may want to help as many people as you can on their health and wellness journey, but your target demographics are likely limited to the people in your surrounding communities. At least, they are if you have brick-and-mortar clinics. Virtual providers are a whole different story.
Local SEO refers to strategies that help you rank highly on SERPs in your area for increased visibility, awareness, credibility and traffic, both to your website and in-person.
Here are a few ways that doctors can have effective local SEO efforts:
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Focusing on improving your Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile, previously known as Google My Business, is essentially the listing that appears for your practice on the search engine. It’s where patients are able to find the basic information about your practice, such as your treatments, hours of operation and patient reviews. If properly set up and updated, it boosts your visibility for Google Maps as well as the likelihood of having your practice pop up for keywords that include “near me.”
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Optimizing for local search queries
Keyword research plays an essential role in local SEO success. You can tailor your content to address the concerns of the people in your surrounding communities by seeing what keywords they’re searching.
For example, if you live in a city that has big colleges, people might be searching for information about sports injuries and stress-related muscle tension. You’ll see this if you’re doing keyword research, and then you’ll have the insight needed to provide value to the local people searching for these keywords by sharing information about their relevant issues.
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Building local citations
You want your name to become as recognizable as possible in your area. That means showing up often in your local resources. Local citations refer to having your practice mentioned in websites, directories and social media platforms that your community members frequent. They boost your brand awareness as well as your credibility, as each citation is like a stamp of approval by another source.
Examples of local citations include being mentioned on:
- Yelp
- Local Instagram accounts
- News sources
- Community blogs/newsletters
Want to attract new patients to your website with SEO for doctors? BURG+CO. can help
In a world where everyone immediately turns to Google for information, it’s important that, as a doctor, your practice is one of the first things they see when they’re researching a health concern you can help them with. SEO gets your site in front of as many eyes as possible, and BURG+CO. can help you build a robust SEO plan.
We’ll make sure that we explore every SEO approach, from local citations to keyword research. We’ll also help you make data-based adjustments along the way so your plan remains optimized. We understand the ins and outs of SEO for health care providers, and we want to play a role in your success as a practice.
Our team has years of experience in helping health care brands improve their digital presence to attract new patients and retain existing ones. If you’re looking to perform better in search engine results and attract more potential patients to your site, we’re ready to talk to you to see how we can help.
Contact our team today for more information about our SEO services and all of our other digital marketing or to schedule a complimentary consultation.
