Ever wondered how to start local SEO? Especially as a medical professional? Standard search engine optimization (SEO) is a collection of techniques and best practices designed to help you improve your SERP rankings for relevant search terms. To help your medical business rank better for search terms you must first identify your target audience as well as the services you offer. As an example, if you run a dermatology practice in San Diego you’ll want to use localized search terms for prospective new patients who are likely to enter Google and search things like “dermatologists in San Diego” or “San Diego dermatologist”.
Optimizing Your Site For Local Searches
Most people would rather not have to travel a long distance to keep an appointment with their doctor. Therefore, many localized searches don’t simply include states or general regions. They usually include specific cities, towns, or even neighborhoods as well. Great local SEO for doctors means fully optimizing for these searches, the better to help your future patients know you’re nearby. Include location-specific terms within your web content, on social media, and in your title tags. All for the effort of increasing your chances of ranking high for these terms.
Business directory listings
Doctors can boost their local SEO by claiming their profiles on Google My Business, Facebook, Yelp, and Foursquare. These listings will show up on Google’s maps and local results, as well as in the knowledge panel. Business directory listings are also useful for boosting local SEO for medical professionals.
Local SEO for medical professionals is crucial to attracting new patients in their local area. This is because the majority of prospective new patients live in the area, so it is vital to take advantage of local search results. By claiming your business listing in the right directories, you’ll be able to dominate local search results and prevent your competitors from competing with you.
Content marketing
One of the best ways to improve your local SEO for medical practitioners is to diversify your traffic acquisition channels. For example, you can increase your visibility on Google by appearing at the top of relevant local searches. This will make potential patients aware of your practice and increase the likelihood that they will book an appointment. Ultimately, this will increase your foot traffic, which will directly contribute to your revenue. Another benefit to local SEO for medical practitioners is the reduced cost of marketing.
Another way to improve your local SEO for medical professionals is to optimize your content for keywords. Search engines use algorithms to rank websites based on the keywords they use to find them. By optimizing your content for your targeted keywords, you increase your chances of appearing at the top of the search results, which means more quality targeted traffic and paying customers.
Keyword research
Developing a successful local SEO campaign for medical professionals involves developing an effective content strategy. The content should be high-quality and unique and include relevant keywords. Medical practices should also build backlinks to support their chosen keywords. Keyword research is a must for any SEO campaign and can save you a lot of time.
In addition to using relevant keywords, a medical practice should have a strong presence in the local area. The NAP, or Name, Address, and Phone number should be prominent on the website, on social media profiles, and in reviews. Making this information consistent across all platforms will increase the presence of the practice. In addition to having a robust local SEO strategy, a medical practice can focus on its specialty to increase visibility online.
For more optimal methods in increasing your local SEO for medical professionals aspiring to leverage digital advertising and marketing for their own businesses head on over to Digital Specialist Co. for further assistance.
