Search engines can play a crucial role in your healthcare practice’s digital marketing strategy, because that’s where people go to find healthcare providers like you. Search engine optimization is the process of being ranked high on search engine results pages, or SERPs, so potential patients can find that help.
All SEO approaches can be beneficial, but it’s important to figure out which is the right choice for you. Organic and local SEO are two effective strategies for boosting your online visibility.
By learning about the differences between the two, you’ll be able to determine which option will work best for your practice and will get you the traffic and conversions that you’re looking for.
Local SEO explained
Let’s start off with local SEO. This is the process of increasing the visibility of your site on SERPs and Maps for relevant queries by people in your surrounding communities and served areas. It helps to increase awareness of your practice, boost credibility and gain targeted traffic for quality leads.
Key aspects of local SEO include:
- Building a local backlink network
- Receiving and engaging with reviews
- Keyword research for geographic-specific demographics
Local SEO is also where your Google Business Profile, previously known as Google My Business, comes into play. The listing of your practice’s basic information is a mark of credibility that will be noted by both the algorithm and patients, boosting site and foot traffic.
Be sure to claim and verify your profile so that you have greater control over your practice’s online presence. You can also use the “Posts” feature to keep users updated on any changes or events to boost engagement.
Organic SEO explained
Now let’s move onto organic SEO, which refers to getting your site to rank high on relevant SERPs without paid advertising. It works by helping you to appeal to the search engine algorithms without a paywall. This strategy may also be seen as more credible in the user’s eyes than a paid advertisement.
Key aspects of organic SEO include:
- Creating quality content that boosts your credibility and authority
- Optimizing your site for things like page load speed and site structure
- Using keywords in meta titles, descriptions and URLs to convey relevance
Backlink building plays a significant role in organic SEO. This strategy is also important in local SEO, where it supports visibility within specific geographic communities.
Backlink building refers to creating a network of sources that link to your site in their own content. It not only provides a vote of confidence from other medical professionals, but it also broadens your reach and increases your keyword rankings.
Local vs. organic SEO: Key differences
While there is overlap between the two, local SEO is distinct from broader organic SEO. Local SEO focuses on location-specific queries and map visibility, whereas organic SEO targets broader, non-location-based searches.
Additionally, the time frame of results is quite different when you compare local and organic SEO.
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Gradual yet long-term results
Organic SEO can take time to get you the results that you’re looking for because your site slowly climbs the ranks. It usually takes 3-6 months to see improvement. But once you’re at the top of SERPs, you’re likely to stay there, bringing you sustainable traffic from anyone searching for keywords relevant to your practice.
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Quick yet sustainable results
Local SEO tends to bring more immediate results because the efforts are more direct by targeting specific locations, cutting out a lot of irrelevant competitors. But if the strategy is continuously tracked and updated, it can still bring sustainable results from your targeted areas, though the reach will be smaller than organic SEO.
Choosing the right SEO for your practice
Now that we’ve taken a deeper look into both local and organic SEO, it’s time to help you figure out which option is the best for your practice.
Start off by evaluating your business goals and see if they lead you down one path over another. Is your goal to open other branches in your city? Local SEO is worth trying. Are you trying to expand your telehealth options to reach more patients across the country? Then organic SEO might be the answer for you.
But you can also balance each approach. Since local SEO incorporates many of the same strategies as organic SEO, you can combine the strategies for the best results possible. For example, quality content and long-tail keywords can bring both broad and local traffic.
Want to attract new patients to your website? BURG+CO. can help with both local and organic SEO
At BURG+CO., we understand the importance of local SEO for brick and mortar practices while still wanting to boost your organic SEO efforts as much as possible. That’s why we’ll collaborate with your team to create a strategy that helps you reach your marketing goals.
Our team has years of experience in helping healthcare 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.
Want expert support with your digital marketing? Connect with BURG+CO. today to explore how we can help your healthcare brand grow.
