Increasingly, consumers are going online to make decisions about in-person experiences. That includes patients turning to Google to help them decide which medical practice or healthcare business to consult. The best way to get found on Google is through an SEO strategy that boosts the visibility of your medical website. So how do you get started with healthcare SEO?
What Is Healthcare SEO?
You can increase your chances of potential clients finding your website by implementing an SEO strategy. Search Engine Optimization is the process of proving to Google that your website is helpful for certain queries so it will rank your website in the search results (SERPs) of related terms.
You do this by finding keywords that your patients or customers will Google and using SEO techniques to indicate that your web pages are relevant to the keywords. Medical practices could benefit from using local SEO techniques because their patients will be looking for healthcare providers in their area by searching for terms related to their location, not just the healthcare industry.
SEO is a popular digital marketing strategy because it ranks your website on organic search results. You don’t have to pay for ads. The only money being spent is if you decide to subscribe to an SEO tool like Semrush or hire an SEO expert or SEO agency to manage your SEO marketing.
5 Benefits of Healthcare SEO
SEO is worth time, effort and money for a healthcare organization because you get a great return on investment.
Improved visibility
The online space is saturated and competitive. It’s very unlikely your perfect patients or customers will stumble upon your website. You need some kind of marketing strategy to get your website in front of people. That’s what SEO does. More people find your website and so find out about your healthcare business.
Increased leads
SEO can turn your medical website into a lead generation powerhouse by attracting leads that are searching for keywords directly related to you as a healthcare provider. Websites are great lead generation tools because they include all the information customers look for including how to contact you and book an appointment.
Increased conversions
With more qualified leads comes more conversions. Most customers want to browse your website before making a purchase decision anyway and your website has the facilities for closing the sale like booking appointments. Also, you can optimize your website to rank for keywords that people tend to search for when they are ready to make a buying decision.
Increased traffic
SEO will keep driving traffic to your website in the long term. Social media algorithms stop pushing posts out after a matter of days but once you rank for keywords, you can maintain your ranking on SERPs if you keep up with SEO strategy.
Improved credibility
Showing up on SEO rankings gives your healthcare organization credibility which is vital in the medical industry. It suggests your business is reliable and popular otherwise Google probably wouldn’t have ranked it and that you’ve put effort into your website, online presence and reputation management which are all positive signals for potential customers.
How to Develop an SEO Strategy for Healthcare Businesses
Succeeding in SEO does require a strategy because it can get complex with multiple factors to keep in mind so we’ve put together a comprehensive roadmap for getting started.
1. Do keyword research
The point of SEO is to appear on SERPs when potential customers are searching for queries that are relevant to your business. So you conduct keyword research to find out what keywords to optimize for. Keyword research tools identify words with a significant search volume and low competitiveness. Consider the user intention of the search so you attract people looking for your service.
2. Audit and optimize your website
Your website should be easy to navigate so Google understands what it’s about and can rank it appropriately and website visitors can easily engage with your business. Does your menu offer clear direction? Is it obvious what each page is about? Can you shorten the number of clicks to conversion? A great way to boost your conversions from SEO is by installing webchat so you can answer customer questions then and there, maintaining their interest in your business for longer. See webchat in action on your site.
3. Optimize your content
Content marketing is an important part of SEO. As well as ensuring the copy on the main web pages is compelling, update your website with quality content in the form of blogs. This provides the opportunity to rank for more keywords, demonstrates your authority in your subject and keeps your website fresh which Google likes.
4. Get backlinks
Website authority is another key ranking factor. Google wants to know that it can trust your website if it’s going to suggest it to users. Authority is built over time but also through backlinks. This is when other already established websites link to your website, essentially giving you their approval.
10 Healthcare SEO Tips to Drive More Traffic & Leads
To make the most of SEO as a part of healthcare marketing, follow these SEO best practices that have stood the test of time.
1. Use Google Search Console
Google has tools for figuring out how to get your website to rank in search results. Google Search Console is the go-to for all things SEO. It monitors your visibility in SERPs so you know what’s working and what you need to work on to maximize your SEO results.
2. Set up Google Analytics
Google Analytics is another popular SEO tool from Google. It collects data about who is visiting your site and what they’re doing while on your site. This helps you understand who you are attracting and how they are interacting with your site so you can optimize their experience and maximize your SEO efforts.
3. Make your website mobile-friendly
Searching for medical websites isn’t reserved for desktops. Many people use their phones to find information about healthcare services. Optimizing your website for mobile users makes it easier for people to navigate your website and makes it a more preferable website to rank.
4. Make your content unique
The content across your website should offer unique value. If you copy content from other sites, Google is going to rank the original, not yours. It’s also a sign of quality. Google wants its SERPs to be full of actually helpful content to preserve its own user experience.
5. Research your competitors
There is an element of competition in SEO. Google is deciding which medical websites to rank and in what order when responding to healthcare industry search queries. So it’s useful to know what your competitors are doing and any gaps they are leaving that you can fill to get ahead. This could be SEO techniques they’re not using or keywords they haven’t targeted.
6. Optimize your Google Business profile
If you’re leveraging local SEO, your Google Business profile will appear in local search results so fill it out fully and keep it up to date with information like opening times and encourage regular positive reviews. This reputation management activity will increase the chances of a potential client clicking on your website. Try our Google Business Profile ROI Calculator to see where you currently stand.
7. Improve your customer reviews
Customers leaving reviews on your Google Business Profile and other review websites improves your ranking, drives traffic to your website, and increases your conversion rate by providing social proof of your services. Regularly asking for reviews is a good habit to get into if you want to attract new patients. 5x your online reviews with our reputation management tools like our free Google review link generator.
8. Fix basic SEO issues
Don’t let technical SEO issues stand in the way of Google understanding your website and customers finding your business. Check basic SEO ranking factors including site speed, broken code, and the title tags that structure your web pages. Use Google Search Console to find out what could be holding your website back.
9. Take the most out of listings
Having profiles on local or medical industry listings is a great idea. It’s another way for your website to get found and it’s a way to get quality backlinks, boosting your website’s authority.
10. Track your site’s and content’s performance
SEO is an ongoing process of optimizing your site, assessing the impact, adding new content, and looking for new opportunities to rank. So monitoring your progress is essential to improving your ranking and maintaining your ranking position. Make the most of data from Google Search Console, Google Analytics and any other SEO tools you decide to use to direct your strategy.
How you treat your patients matters if you want a reliable flow of new patients and a solid base of loyal patients. Not just in the medical sense but in terms of patient experience. How easy is it to find and engage with your practice? What impression do they get when they book appointments and communicate with the team? Do they feel like they are being looked after? Delivering a high standard of patient experience while maintaining your visibility doesn’t have to be hard with Podium. Take care of your online reputation through review tools, stay in touch with patients through text automation, request payments with a click-to-pay system and more. See for yourself.
