You have the medical degree, the certification on the wall, and your board exam scores. In addition, you have contacts who are fellow doctors that are looking to help you. But you need more than that for your medical practice to survive.
Your potential patients are looking for specific qualifications when searching online for a medical doctor and you want to meet all the potential qualifications or keywords people use. It is a tedious process to get on the first three search results on the SERP (search engine results page) but with the right SEO strategy, you can be first and retain more customers than you ever imagined.
A successful medical SEO strategy is not made overnight, as a doctor, you will need the proper tools and resources to develop the right plan of action. With Optimum7, you can trust us with helping you increase your visibility and online authority. We offer a myriad of services such as:
…and more. We are not only specialized in SEO but have worked with businesses in every industry. Our team of copywriters and marketers have the expertise to transform your online presence.
Speak to an ExpertSEO is search engine optimization or testing the power of certain words online. Search engines use algorithms that rank keywords so that people using those searches can find results identical or similar to the terms they have in mind. The right keyword can place a website high on that ranking, and allow more people to see them.
The Internet has increased the competitive field for doctors. Patients have more information at their fingertips. They can communicate information about specific doctors, medical procedures, and specialties. A person who knows how to identify a mole as benign or cancerous can save money on a trip to a dermatologist, which can lead to an opportunity cost for that specialist.
Before the Internet, patients would have to rely on the phone book, referrals from general practitioners (GPs), verbal word-of-mouth, and insurance plans to choose their physicians or specialists. The right name could save someone’s life, and the Internet increases the likelihood of finding that ideal doctor. People understandably want to do as much research as possible regarding their health.
If you rank high on a search engine, then patients will see your pages, and they are more likely to read up on you and schedule an appointment. You want them to see you as the ideal doctor for their condition, the one knowledgeable and readily available.
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With the changing world, as well as different perspectives of physicians and their fields, knowing SEO is a competitive advantage on the Internet. The right word can make all the difference in ranking. So can the right content or connections. We will discuss several potent strategies below.
A blog, or an online journal where you can post content, can improve your SEO vastly.
Blogs allow you to show off specialties and knowledge of the medical field, breaking down complicated concepts with simple terms. You can reassure patients that you know their bodies, and your area of study, with the right amount of words and content.
Doctors have a unique advantage in that few non-MDs know much about medicine online, and a physician with strong writing skills can own the online field. If they can provide information that no one else can, then people will go to their blogs to learn. You can educate, and reel people onto your health expertise.
Google algorithms also like blogs. They will rank you higher based on blog content and quality. The more unique content you provide, the higher of a chance you have to receive that rank.
You are in the business of health. Patients will come to you if you are conveniently available and competent. These people will most likely participate in your local community, which can create a network of support.
Backlinks are links to your website that other pages put up, directing traffic. They are very important for SEO because they are a digital form of word-of-mouth. Often websites put up backlinks to source their material; you want others to consider you as a reliable well of medical information. You cannot pay for links unless they are marked as sponsored, and people will prefer seeing backlinks that appear organic.
Strategically make connections with local patients, businesses, and institutions. Share backlinks with local farmers’ markets, gyms, and doctors in different specialties. Send information on kids’ health to public schools in the area, if your medical field covers pediatrics. Or connect with retirement communities and nursing homes to provide crucial messages on health.
All of these efforts will pay off. School nurses and teachers will be very happy to educate during cold and flu season and to make sure kids are well-rested enough to study. They will more likely put up backlinks on these websites for parents, who in turn can spread the word. The farmers’ markets will appreciate the endorsement, and the employees are more likely to schedule an appointment with someone they can trust.
You can’t write just for the algorithm or the ranking. For one, the computer will know. For another, the computer doesn’t have health insurance or the need for high-quality medical care.
You need to write to the people who will come to visit your office and receive treatment. They read to learn more about you, and about your profession.
Most importantly, patients want doctors who will listen to them. Doctors who listen to patients and invite feedback are more likely to prevent medical emergencies, and in turn, will build a reputation of reliability. You want to own that reputation and manage it adequately.
Many people look for information on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. Their screens are often smaller than the screens used for computers, in both desktops and laptops. Some benefits of optimizing for mobile users are:
You want your website to be mobile-friendly, that a random user can easily read and explore on a smartphone. To do so, make sure your text is readable, and that viewers can find your navigation buttons.
Patient satisfaction can make or break a doctor’s practice, either in academic or private professions. One negative review can lead to another, and sink the number of patients scheduling visits. You can counteract that with improving in-office behavior, but you can also do so online by increasing scheduling convenience and providing information on visits and health.
When making appointments, patients want to schedule them within a reasonable window of time, and as soon as possible. They have to balance appointments around work, dropping off kids, and other important routines. Online forms and calendars can help with appointment efficiency, showing which doctors are available when and how soon they can see you. Scheduling online reduces the amount of time spent on an automated system or waiting for a receptionist to call back.
Optimum7 has twelve years of experience with perfecting and optimizing SEO for your marketing campaign.
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