From the first moment someone begins researching a health care provider, they are searching Google. This means that in order to attract new patients and grow your practice, you need search engine optimization (or SEO). According to one of the best SEO firm for doctors, ‘many practices have reported a sharp increase in new patients after becoming visible on Google.’ With so much competition out there, it can be hard to stand out as a top local doctor. Luckily, there are many ways to boost your practice’s SEO and become a top doctor. Here are 7 tips that will help you do just that:
Use video to market your services
Besides being a great way to connect with potential patients and build trust, video is also a great SEO boost. In fact, according to BrightEdge research, adding video to your website can increase traffic by up to 48%. Imagine being able to grow your practice by nearly 50% with just one addition! This is likely due to the fact that Google prioritizes video content, and therefore, your video will likely show up higher on the search results page. Video is also great for targeting local patients. When you use video marketing, it’s important that you use your location as often as possible. For example, if you’re an optometrist, you would want to make sure that you are talking about the symptoms of common eye diseases and the best ways to treat them. Doing this will show potential patients that you are a reliable, local optometrist.
Update your website and make it user-friendly
Updating your website is one of the best ways to boost your SEO. You don’t have to start from scratch, though. Instead, consider hiring a professional web designer to make some minor changes to your current website. Ideally, your website should be user-friendly, have a clean design, and have a few pages that will help you rank higher on the search engine results pages (SERPs). Here are a few things you need to make sure are on your website:
- A short description of your practice
- A list of your specialties
- A list of your staff members
- A list of practice hours
- Your address
- Your phone number
- Your email address
- Your social media links
Leverage social media to attract new patients
If you aren’t already on social media, you’re missing out on a great way to bolster your SEO. When you sign up for social media, make sure you use your practice name in your user name. Not only will this help your practice grow, but it will also help boost your SEO. That way, whenever you post on social media, you will be including your practice name, therefore, boosting your SEO. You might want to consider using hashtags related to your field as well. For example, if you are a dermatologist, you might consider using hashtags like #skin care or #skin health. You might even want to consider creating a Hub, a website that lives inside Facebook. Using Facebook as a Hub can boost your SEO by getting your website placed higher in Facebook search results. Plus, people who visit your Facebook Hub will find your website address and phone number listed right there on their news feed, which will help you attract new patients.
Keep up with the latest practices in your industry
If you’re an ophthalmologist, you’ll want to make sure that you’re keeping up with the latest practices in your industry. This will allow you to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in the field. Not only will this improve your SEO, but it will also help you provide better service to your patients. You can keep up with the latest practices in your industry by visiting industry forums, reading industry blogs and magazines, and following industry influencers on social media. You can also try searching for the latest trends in your industry on Google.
Don’t forget local listings, either
Local listings are another great way to boost your SEO, especially when you’re just getting started. There are many sites that let you add your information, such as healthgrades.com, yelp.com, and google.com/business. Local listings are especially helpful when you’re just starting out. Not only are they free but they also help potential patients find you. This is especially useful if you practice in a smaller town or city where you might not be found on Google yet.
Check for Google Ads transparency
While Google Ads can be a great source of leads, it is important to check for transparency. The best way to do this is by checking for Google Ads transparency. This can be done by writing down your search term, putting “ google” before it, and then searching for it. If you see a Facebook ad for your search term, you’ll want to click on it, and you’ll see a drop-down menu. In this menu, you’ll want to click on the “influencers” tab and see who is advertising your search term. If you see a company or individual advertising your search term, you can click on the “feedback” tab and leave a review about them. This will help lower their rank.
Add rich content to your site
Google loves websites with rich content. In fact, according to BrightEdge research, websites with more than 1,500 unique pages have a 15% higher click-through rate (CTR) than those with fewer than 50 pages. When you create your website, make sure you are including rich content. This can include:
- Appropriate keywords
- Citations
- Graphs and charts
- Videos
- Images
You will want to focus mostly on keywords and citations. You can do this by including keywords in your page title, your subheads, your H1 header, and your images. You will also want to include your practice name and location. You can also add citations to your practice website. This can be done by adding citations directly to your Google My Business page. You can also add citations to your website by adding links back to your Google My Business page.
Summary
These tips will help you boost your SEO and become a top local doctor. From using video to create trust, to keep up with the latest practices in your industry, these are all important ways to boost your SEO. If you follow these tips, you will not only be able to grow your practice, but you’ll also be able to do it in a more efficient manner.
