If you’re a doctor, you know how crowded the medical field is with general practitioners and specialists battling to build a list of loyal clients and trying to establish themselves in the increasingly digital marketplace. More clients are searching for an ideal doctor rather than going to their nearest office, so making it easy to find your office on the internet is key. That’s why here at Crystal Clear Digital Marketing, we offer our full-service digital marketing package to boost SEO for doctors interested in a greater online presence. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the use of proven techniques to improve your search ranking and make sure your office is one of the first businesses searchers find when they Google your specialty. SEO for doctors is especially important because, while the key to long-term success is good customer service, the hardest part can be getting started and pulling in the clients that will get the ball rolling. We’re taking on new clients all the time, so read on to discover how we can help you with everything you need to know about SEO for doctors.
SEO for Doctors: Making Your Website More Effective
We’ve built websites for some of the most powerful players in the field, and we know how to drive traffic to your site. Below, you’ll find some of the most proven tips for SEO for doctors to attract more clients to your practice.
Is Your Website Mobile-Friendly?
Doctors have one of the most diverse groups of clients in any field, as everyone from children to the elderly needs to see a doctor at some point. That means your approach needs to be inclusive of the entire base. While you may have older clients who don’t use the internet at all, younger people are more likely to find your website on mobile. Up to 62% of prospective clients only use the internet on mobile devices, and many websites are still built only for desktop users. A mobile-friendly website needs to take into account the smaller screen and different user interface. Mobile devices use a touch-screen rather than a mouse or trackpad, and the important buttons need to be easily visible and responsive to clicks.
Keep Your Website Active
It’s not enough to have a shiny website that features your practice’s information prominently because the ideal SEO for doctors relies on both driving traffic to your site and getting people to spread the word. That’s why original content is the key to effective SEO, and the most successful practices have an active website featuring a blog with articles relevant to your core clientele. These can be general health articles or articles geared towards a specific demographic like women’s health, fertility, or sports medicine. The first step is to get this content on your website, but the next is to make sure it makes the rounds on the internet. The best way to increase your reach is to join relevant groups on social media platforms. When you share your articles and features with your core demographic, it’ll get spread without your help and attract new clients.
A Fast Website is a Successful Website
While older clients may remember when lengthy loading times were a standard part of internet use, now studies show people only give a website seconds before deciding whether to proceed. Google prioritizes fast-moving websites, making it more important than ever to keep your site efficient and make it easy to get to key pages. The most common causes of a slow website are the presence of large files, such as images that take longer to load, or unnecessary coding that complicates the startup process. If your website is graphics-heavy and you want to keep key images, the best way to speed up your website is to increase the hosting speed. The more intuitive and speedy your website is, the more likely clients are to take the jump and book an appointment.
How to Optimize Your Target Pages
A target page is the page that uses your keyword prominently and is the page you want to see ranking high on Google’s search engine. When someone searches a keyword, they initially see the first ten results, and it’s very rare that they go to the second page without picking one. That’s why it’s important to pick a keyword that isn’t overly common but is still relevant to your website and likely to be searched for. The best way to increase traffic and rank up on Google is to have a catchy slogan that will grab people’s eyes in seconds. It should tell them what you’re going to do for them and why your page is a better alternative than the others on the front page.
Conversions and How to Get Them
A conversion is when someone clicks on your website, likes what they see, and sticks around long enough to take the action you’re seeking. This will be different for every business, and the most likely one for a doctor is to get potential customers to set up a consultation. You only have seconds to win someone over and get them to stay on your website, so it’s important to grab their attention quickly. Your target page is where you want your images and videos to be most prominent. They should send a message of happy patients and a reputable doctor or medical professional. Images of positive interactions with a doctor or videos of testimonials from successfully treated patients are ideal to turn website visitors into patients booking their first appointment.
Know Your Social Media
While the medical industry isn’t as prominent on social media as other younger-skewing businesses, having a presence on the major social media platforms is essential to attracting younger clients. Every social media platform has its own audience and demographic, with Facebook being ideal for groups, Twitter for customer service, and Instagram ideal for showing off pictures of happy clients. Less known but equally important are sites like Yelp and Google Businesses. This is where you accumulate positive reviews and spread the word of your business’ quality. Many doctors ask their clients to leave reviews on these platforms as a way to ensure a positive first impression when people look up your practice.
How to Use Backlinks
Backlinks are the use of links to other reputable websites with related content to promote your site and create a connection in potential clients’ minds to a more prominent site. Before approaching a site, make sure it has a good reputation by checking its Domain Authority. It can be difficult for a new business to get quality backlinks, but a reputable medical practice will find it easy to partner with any medical organization they belong to, and having active social media platforms makes it easier to make connections. Medical directories are some of the oldest medical websites on the internet, and many potential customers still use them.
Track Your Traffic
Whether you’re a large business or a startup, tracking your website’s progress as you try to boost your SEO is the key to knowing if you’re on the right track or need to try something new. Most top-shelf statistical software is expensive and out of reach for small businesses, but when you partner with our full-service digital marketing platform, you get access to our statistical suite. We’re happy to set up a meeting with our experts to give you access to a full analysis of the progress of your marketing plan.
Boosting SEO for Doctors: Your Key to a Fast-Growing Practice
With these tips, a start-up practice can increase its client base quickly and build a reputation in the medical field for strong customer relations. The most important factor in building a base of loyal patients is giving them the impression you provide an individual touch to each case, and an active presence online brings life to a business’ footprint. Here at Crystal Clear Digital Marketing, we know that being a doctor brings many responsibilities, and maintaining an active social media presence is one more on a large pile. That’s why we offer a comprehensive digital marketing package for our clients in the medical field, including a guide to boosting SEO for doctors. Contact us today for more information on our process!
