More patients are now using search engines to find the right healthcare facility and services. As a result, healthcare practitioners take their practice online in an attempt to increase visibility. SEO for healthcare experts allows your website to rank prominently in the organic search listings, grabbing the attention of prospective patients and boosting the chances of them choosing your practice over the competition.
Despite what many people would have you believe, you can get started with SEO even without extensive background and experience. Follow these actionable tips and see your website climb up the rankings.
1. Target the right keywords
Think about what keywords are used by potential patients when searching for your healthcare services. For example, if you’re a podiatrist, you might think that the word “podiatrist” is a good keyword to target. But you should aim for something more specific, such as “podiatrist in New York.” This longtail and location-based keyword have lower competition, which means you have a better shot at ranking on the first page.
Once you’ve created a list of targeted keywords, incorporate them naturally into your web pages. This helps Google understand what your website is all about while also providing value to your website visitors.
2. Optimize your metadata
Many beginners in SEO forget to include their target keywords in the metadata. This refers to your title tags and meta descriptions. It’s worth remembering that search engine users see the title tags first and often use them to decide whether to click through or not. For this reason, you should insert the keyword you want to rank for in your title tags while ensuring that they sound engaging to convince users to visit your website.
Meta descriptions, meanwhile, are the short snippets that show up under the titles that rank on the organic search listings. Users read these descriptions to get an idea of what the page is about, so make sure to optimize it as well and include your target keywords.
3. Create original content
There’s a reason why content is king in the world of SEO. By creating original content that fully satisfies the questions of your target audience, you stand out among your competition and gain the trust of your readers.
This is particularly helpful in the health industry, where many subjects may not be common knowledge for the average person. For example, you can create content about a specific disease and include all pertinent information, such as symptoms, treatment options, and prevention measures. Your goal is to offer quality, engaging, and valuable content that will earn the trust of prospective patients.
SEO for healthcare experts can set you apart from other providers in your practice. By following these three tips, you’ll learn the basics of SEO that will eventually allow you to implement more advanced strategies for better results.
