Search engine optimization is more important than ever, even in the healthcare industry. It’s becoming increasingly common for patients to research doctors online before making an appointment. Thankfully, if you stick to the best SEO tips for doctors, you’ll be able to make sure your site appears near the top of those search rankings.
Choose the Right Keywords for Your Practice
While you should use healthcare-based keywords, you’ll want to consider the audience you’re trying to target when selecting the keywords you use in your content. It’s likely that patients searching for a healthcare practice aren’t going to be using medical terminology. Focus on finding the keywords people are actually searching for.
In addition, you’ll want to make sure you use your location in your keywords. This will allow you to rank for local searches. Connecting with patients that are in your area should be your priority. Adding your address and phone number to the footer of your site can make it easier for search engines to determine your location.
Add a Blog to Your Website
You’ll be able to target a much wider range of keywords if you add a blog to your site. However, your blog shouldn’t just be a way to use keywords on your site. You should create well-written blog entries that are packed with useful information.
Blog entries can be an excellent way to answer questions that people are asking. For example, a potential patient might search to see if they need to see a doctor for headaches. Creating blog entries that answer these questions can encourage prospective patients to make an appointment at your practice.
Make Sure Your Site Is Fully Optimized
Many potential patients will be visiting your site on a mobile device. It’s best to opt for a responsive design to ensure that your site is displaying properly on all types of devices. SSL certification is also a must. Not only can a lack of certification make you look less professional, but Google penalizes sites that aren’t certified.
You’ll also want to take steps to improve your site speed. No page on your site should take more than three seconds to load. Slow load times can be frustrating to visitors and can make your site look less professional. Speeding up your site can improve your search rankings and increase user satisfaction.
Make sure you keep these SEO tips for doctors in mind when creating your site. Work to improve your website so that your practice can grow and thrive.