What is SEO?
For starters, SEO is short for Search Engine Optimization. This means: by utilizing SEO you improve your website by increasing the chances of it being seen when people search for anything related to your website. This is important because it drives traffic towards your website. When people search online they tend to go for the first few links they see. SEO helps you get the attention of potential patients or clients. That’s why it is also considered as a marketing strategy because it is a great way to attract more people.
How does SEO work?
There are a lot of things that you can find on the internet because of the number of things that you can search, not everything on the internet has the same amount of visibility. Search engines are like libraries and the search bar is like a librarian that brings you anything related to what you have searched for. Algorithms determine the ranking of what should be shown first. The algorithm dictates the factors that are used for ranking. The way SEO works, it helps a website rise above the ranking so that more people can see it. But it’s not as easy as that. SEO is just a guide that can help you bring what is needed to make your website give everything the searcher is searching for. SEO is not like paid search ads that are just on the top instantly. Paid search ads are, well, you guessed it, paid. The positioning of the ad determines the value of how much it is. Of course the more visible it is the higher the value. In SEO it’s different because search engines have to be fair to the users in a sense that they have to make the search results actually helpful. So optimizing your site and its content helps both you and the users. You do have to put in the work but it’s not at all daunting since you can get help from SEO Services!
So why is SEO important for marketing your practice?
There is one simple answer to this. Because trillions of people rely on searching online for what they need. In this digital age, marketing online is one of the most efficient ways to market anything. And with the abundance of things that are the same as yours, you need to stand out. In the medical field, you’re not the only one promoting your practice. Greater visibility and higher ranking will help you gain more digital traffic. Digital traffic converts into potential patients that’s why SEO is important to include in your marketing strategy. In conclusion, SEO helps you survive the whole online marketing ecosystem. When you understand what your target market is, you can give them what they need and what through your online presence and that usually includes your website and other social media platforms that you are on.
If you don’t already have a website, this is the sign to make one. So why is building a website important for your practice/business?
A website provides medical information and practical information. Both are extremely important information that a patient needs in order to choose you for the service they need. Patients tend to go for medical professionals that they know about. That’s why word of mouth is important, people want to know that they can trust you. It’s the same for having an online presence such as having a website for your practice. That’s what the medical information on your website is for. People want to know if you can perform the service they need and if you capable of doing so. Practical information on the other hand is also a factor that people consider, is your clinic close to their home? Do your office hours work with the free time they have? Practical information also includes contact details. Having contact details online is important so that potential patients can reach you out. This is in case they have additional questions or if they want to book an appointment. Aside from marketing, a website is a practical and useful tool for your patients. Although keep in mind that having a website is one thing. There are several factors that dictate if your website is efficient. Like its functionality, web design, and content.
If you already have a website, then you could use a medical SEO service to help boost your website. To learn more about what tactical strategies an SEO service does to websites, continue reading below.
Types of Search Engine Success Factors
These are the on- and off-page factors that can affect your search rankings. An SEO service will look at the niche verticals in SEO and toxic SEO tactics to avoid.
Content and Search Engine Success Factors
They know how to create high quality content that search engines and your target audiences will like.
Site Architecture and Search Engine Success Factors
They look at the aspects of your site that make it easy for search engines to access and influence user experience.
HTML Code and Search Engine Success Factors
HTML tags and structured data help organize information on your site and help search engines understand your content.
Trust, Authority, Expertise & Search Rankings
They will study how your users engage with your site and its reputation and authority. By doing so, it can help search engines determine that it’s worthy of showing to users.
Link Building and Ranking in Search Engines
They help you utilize links so that it can improve your content.
Personalization and Search Engine Rankings
They make user-specific elements such as location and intent. These can affect the results users see.
Toxins and Search Engine Spam Penalties
They can help you avoid toxins because getting caught using these tactics can potentially result in a manual action penalty or even get your site delisted from the search index.
Emerging Verticals in Search
They voice local, image, and video search to represent new ways for users to find what they’re looking for. While they each provide nuanced opportunities for brands, they’re still based on the fundamental principles of SEO.