The Blueprint of an Excellent Medical SEO Campaign

Developing a website to promote a medical practice is about using the right website components and reliable medical SEO tactics. SEO is search engine optimization, a collection of optimization strategies to boost website rankings. With a strategic plan, you can expect the best results with SEO.

Watch this video to learn more about the Digital Authority Partners approach to Medical SEO!

An In-depth Look at SEO

People rely on Google to search for what they need. Patients who need professional medical help can use Google to look for doctors and specialists in their area. Whether they are searching for professional services or products, users prefer to click the first few links on search engine results. Most users don’t look beyond the first page.

SEO can help your website climb up the first page of Google searches. SEO can increase rankings, traffic, and revenue in the long run.

How Google Ranks Websites

There are millions of medical websites; how does Google rank them all? Search engines use web crawlers, or bots, which move through websites and web pages to screen and index content. These crawlers gather information and use this data to rank sites. The more updated and valuable your website is, the higher it can rank online.

Does Google use keywords or key phrases to rank websites? Keywords help bots index websites for easy retrieval. Think of Google as a massive library with keywords; you can immediately locate the book you want to borrow!

Thus, as long as your website is

• Optimized
• Updated or relevant
• Useful
• Search Friendly

You can secure a higher rank in SERPs.

How To Use SEO for Your Medical Practice

SEO is a vital tool to boost site rankings. There are many SEO strategies. Here are the most common tactics to improve your medical practice online.

     1. Claim Your GMB Listing

GMB, or Google My Business, is your business's unique listing on Google. It's where you'll find your business’s information, including your name, address, and phone number. Your GMB listing also displays your website, hours of operation, and a brief description.

GMB listings are connected to your business's Maps profile, and if you have more than one clinic or office, you need to create a listing for each. Optimizing your GMB listing starts by claiming it. To do this, you must search for your business using your business name and location, and once your business is displayed, claim it.

You will receive a unique code that you will use to claim your business. Once you're done, you will now be able to manage your listing, including editing your profile, reviews, and description. To achieve complete optimization of your GMB page, you must:

• Create an engaging description, but maintain the 750-character limit. Descriptions help people decide if they will visit your website or physical location. Don’t forget to use your keywords.
• Ensure that your business information is the same as all your online platforms.
• Upload photos of your business location, clinic interiors, services, and staff. Create descriptions of these photos using your keywords.
• Encourage your customers to leave a review. Manage your customer reviews on your GMB listing. Be responsive to negative reviews and resolve any issues.
• Update your hours of operation. Add your holiday hours to your listing.

     2. Consider Relevant Medical Listing Directories

Aside from your GMB profile, you must also consider adding your business to relevant medical directories or doctor-finder websites. With your medical business featured on different authority websites, you'll have more chances of reaching the top ranks on SERPs. Consider the following online medical directories:

• Healthgrades – this popular online medical directory helps patients find the right doctor, hospital, and care for their health needs. You can find the right doctor and hospital according to the medical factors that matter to you most. Clients can use Healthgrades to schedule their doctor's appointments and visits.
• Vitals – this online directory has the largest database of client reviews for hospitals, clinics, and doctors. At Vitals, patients can find the best doctor for their needs according to ratings and recommendations. They can also use Vitals’ educational guides to learn more about their diseases.
• Doctorfinder – this online doctor directory is affiliated with the American Medical Association. It helps patients find the best match for their medical needs. All licensed physicians list their practice on Doctorfinder.
• RateMDs – this online medical directory has millions of registered health providers with millions of doctor reviews.  RateMDs will help you find dentists, dermatologists, psychiatrists, chiropractors, pediatricians, plastic surgeons, etc.
• WebMD – one of the most popular medical websites, WebMD, also has one of the largest directories of doctors and specialists. Patients can browse doctors according to specialty, procedure, or condition.

     3. Create Quality Content

Your website must be a reliable source of the latest information about your practice. To rank higher, your content must be helpful and reliable, plus indexable with the use of the right keywords and key phrases.

Quality content is not just about text content. SEO tactics go beyond text content and cover other content types, including videos, podcasts, infographics, tables, how-to diagrams, photos/images, maps, and health tools.

Ensure that your content is easy to understand, relevant, and shareable. Create a description that includes your keywords or key phrases for videos, images, infographics, and tables.

     4. Improve Your Social Media Presence

Having a solid social media presence can help boost your online rankings. Nowadays, patients and clients prefer to use social media to find medical experts for their conditions.

Optimizing your social media platform can drive more people to your website and, eventually, to your local clinic. You may be using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn as your social media platform, but the following strategies still apply.

• Keep your platform updated with regular posts, comments, and updates.
• Use your social media platform to disseminate the latest information about your services and products.
• Reply to comments and inquiries. Use chatbots to assist your patients and clients 24/7.
• Link your social media site/sites with your official medical website and vice versa.
• Use your keywords to create post titles, images, video descriptions, etc.

Final Words

A successful medical website results from many factors, and one of these is using the right SEO strategy. The right SEO tactic can help you expand your business online and get you to the top of local SERPs. You're ready to welcome your new clients to your local clinic with your fully-optimized medical website.