If you work on behalf of a healthcare professional, like a physician, dentist, or other types of healthcare professional, you probably have an idea of the nature of customer service and especially as it relates to the specific clientele of the medical industry (a.k.a. patients). Possibly you know first-hand because you are the healthcare professional yourself. Then you definitely know what we are referencing here and how important it is to understand your clientele. This also applies to other niches, as well, but we are using the medical (or healthcare) industry as our example for our niche today. Likely, if you are in another specialized niche, you can apply some of these same content marketing strategies, especially as it relates to search engine optimization (SEO) to your industry.
The Niche Website
In the healthcare niche, maintaining an engaging website is essential to garner more patients. It is important if you want to get people to visit the site, but especially if you want to convert those site visitors into becoming patients who frequent the local healthcare office. While yes, the first step is that appealing website and it is very important to put the effort into having the best and most effective (and converting) site possible if people can’t find you, the best site in the world won’t serve you. In other words, you still need SEO in order for your future patients to find you in the search engine results (SERPs). And, this applies even if you are talking about local SEO. This is where SEO becomes important to healthcare professionals who want to spread the word about their practice. Now, ready for a few tips that help with SEO while boosting the quality of your website?
Content Marketing Tip 1: The Blog on Your Niche Site
A blog can greatly increase the SEO of a website. Plus, maintaining a blog is an effective way to let potential patients know a little about your practice and about the healthcare industry you support. As an example, if your medical niche is dentistry you could have a blog post that covers how to properly brush one’s teeth so that teeth and gums remain their healthiest. In the post, you can let visitors know the signs of a cavity, tooth decay, or an excessive amount of plaque. At the end of your post, you can highlight the services you offer that can keep teeth looking their best. Use the blog on your website to connect with visitors in a more personal way. A personal blog post may prompt new patients to call the office to make an appointment. Oh, and be sure to have that information available on every page of your website (i.e. sidebar or footer) and even on your blog!
Content Marketing Tip 2: Keywords
When considering SEO, it is more effective to use a few meaningful keywords than dozens of keywords that barely relate to your dental or medical practice. In short, it is worth your time to think of the keywords that encompass what you do in your practice. Consider the types of services you offer and think about what makes you stand out from the crowd of dentists or physicians in your local area. Do you offer special promotions that other healthcare practitioners do not? With all the competition out there, you will want to create a unique picture of your practice (or your healthcare client’s practice) using memorable keywords.
Content Marketing Tip 3: Provide a Platform for Patient Feedback
Another way to improve SEO is to invite and display feedback from patients. Many people who are searching for dentists and physicians online look for positive feedback about the professional. So, you really want to display those favorable testimonials as a part of your content marketing strategy. Your website visitors want to know what their neighbors are saying about the local healthcare providers. They also want to know about their fellow patients’ experiences with him or her. There are companies that provide automatic solutions for integrating reviews into your website and managing your online reputation. Basically, you are looking for a type of one-stop shop, similar to a company like Solution21 that specializes in content marketing and SEO for the medical industry
Content Marketing Tip 4: Update Your Website Content
Keeping the content on your website up-to-date means adding a new blog post at least once a week, if at all possible. Also, refreshing the static pages on your website is another way to improve SEO. Examples of static pages on your website are the biographies of healthcare professionals, and lists of available services. By making regular updates to these types of static pages on your website (as well as your blog), you are letting your visitors know you care about how you present your business. This reflects well, credibility-wise, too. It gives your patients a glimpse of you well you will care for their needs, too.
Content Marketing Tip 5: Create a Mobile-Friendly Website
In today’s culture, it is not uncommon for people to search for local healthcare practitioners using their mobile device. Think about it. There are waiting rooms, passengers in vehicles, downtime at job sites, and so many more opportunities where more and more people are using their mobile devices. For this reason, you want to ensure that your medical site is mobile-friendly. A potential patient must be able to see and read the text on a healthcare professional’s website in order to decide to give them a call.
Content Marketing Tip 6: Use Easy-to-Understand Language
People who are searching online for a new healthcare professional generally spend just a few seconds skimming the text on a website. This makes it critically important to use easy-to-understand (and succinct) language that is easily skimmable. Waste no time or words when highlighting your services and unique qualities to visitors who stop at your website. In addition to skimming the results in the SERPs, you also want people to understand what they are reading on your site. Fortunately, there are resources available to help you. One of them is Yoast SEO, a WordPress plugin that helps with SEO, but also aids in helping blog writers to write a blog post that is “readable.” The plugin gives hints to help to make the blog posts easy-to-understand (assuming the hints are followed. And, the basic, core plugin, is free.
Content Marketing Tip 7: Include a Virtual Tour of Your Office
Writing clear text on a website is one thing, but another way to appeal to site visitors and look good in your social media and SEO strategy is to include intriguing color photos of your medical office. A virtual tour of your office is a way to personalize your practice for potential patients. A tour that shows your neat, well-equipped examination rooms, your smiling administrative staff, and your welcoming waiting room, is sure to attract the attention of people looking for a trustworthy, qualified healthcare professional. A virtual tour gives potential patients the opportunity to envision themselves in your office and picture themselves getting the best dental or medical care.
In Summary
These are just a few of the tips that can improve SEO for your dental, medical, or other healthcare practice. Creating an appealing, informative website is the first step. Getting it in front of the eyes of potential patients is just as important. Once potential patients find your website, you’ll want them to stay there for several minutes exploring what you have to offer. The longer they remain on your website, the better the chances are that they will give your office a call or send you an email to make an appointment.
