Search Engine Optimization for Healthcare Website

People search for just about everything online, including healthcare and their medical issues. Many hope to find some method of treatment or information about undiagnosed health issues. Some are looking for reassurance from experts and people who have the same issues. While using search engines like Google or Bing, they often begin to seek a place or doctor for their care.

Google and Bing are very competitive places for providing information about doctors and clinics, and your practice needs to rank near the top of the search results to get your share of views that translate into patients coming to see you. SEO, also known as search engine optimization is key to having customers know about your business and expertise.

This article explores some basics of SEO and how you can improve your standing on search pages.

Mobile First

More than half of Internet traffic comes from mobile phones. Many people don’t have a personal computer at home anymore and rely on a mobile phone or tablet for web surfing and social media. Your website and search results need to look good, load fast, and work the same way they would with a larger monitor

• Use more icons than text when possible.
• Simplify menus and make their presence obvious.
• Offer search first, and ensure it’s easily workable. Sites with lots of information need to be searchable.
• Ensure that calls to action and buttons are not too close together. Pushing the wrong button can be frustrating
• Enable click to call. Many mobile phones assume your phone number in the text is dialable, but including an actual phone, icon can help get more phone calls.

Google My Business

My Business is a platform within Google that lets you edit many things your patients would like to know about your practice. Basics include operating hours, address, parking, a link to your website. You can also use Google My Business to tell customers what specific services you offer.

Why should you do this? Many patients will seek a place for treatments promptly after trying to seek information about potential health problems, and they will look locally with phrases like “Chiropractor near me” because they intend to research which place to visit.

You can also make “Google Posts” which are displayed prominently with your practice, often on the right side of the screen, showing recent updates about your business and can include information about current specials or advice.

Asking for reviews also helps your SEO and authority within Google. A well-reviewed practice with a complete Google profile can rank higher than a center that doesn’t list hours or a photo. People want the most trusted places and Google intends to help them find the best result.

Content is King

Search engines rely upon expertise to keep users coming back. People want genuine, expert advice about issues and are more than willing to seek it out, even before contacting you. Make a webpage about a topic you know quite well and present your information in a clear, easy to understand way. Google loves authoritative results and will recognize your efforts for writing results like “How to adjust your posture and chair to make long days at the office comfortable.”

Your content can also help you grow via social media. If your practice is on Facebook or other sites, the people who like your page will appreciate your insights and share them.

Language

You might need extra help with the language. Your patients speak a variety of languages and many websites neglect this need. A person seeking help with back pain will likely search in their own language and have few local websites show up. If your website speaks their language, you have a definite advantage over someone who doesn’t.

Using analytics tools like Google Analytics, you can tell which demographics go to your site, which languages they speak, and what they search for. You can then create content on your site for their particular issues and win their views.

Final Thoughts

SEO is key to business growth in the competitive world of search engines. Ranking among the top results, especially locally, is vital to attracting new patients. Taking full advantage of your new knowledge of technology and search, a doctor or practice can make many small adjustments that make your business stand out to people seeking help.

We hope you find this guide useful regarding SEO and your rank via Google and Bing improves. Many small and large steps are available in the process of making your business known locally.

This article was originally posted at Virtual Surge.