How Websites and Web Surfers Find You
Have you heard of SEO?
SEO is search engine optimization which prepares your website in the best possible way for search engines to find you.
Why is this important? Simply put, this is what is going to rank you highly on search pages. Let’s face it. If you are on page 12 of a search for doctors in your area or specialty, no one is going to find you. Prospective patients are going to call the first few doctors on the page and stop there.
According to Search Engine Journal, prospective patients have chosen to join a practice in more than 14.6% of searches while there is only a 1.7% conversion from print advertising.
6 Steps to Website Optimization
Here is a list of 6 ways you can implement now to push past your competition.
1. Choose The Keywords That Describe You
According to Google, 77% of patients used search prior to booking an appointment. Therefore, it is crucial that you choose the right keywords that will cause your name to pop up in their search. Think of what people would type in if they were looking for you, your practice and your services.
Keywords are the words that people enter when searching for you. A long tail keyword is 3 or 4 words together that best describes what they are looking for. An example is Type of Doctor+City+State. Write down what words best describes your services and what people would type when looking for you.
2. Provide Fresh and Unique Content
It’s all about educating the reader now. Providing fresh content that people are searching for will make you stand out and become an authority in your field. People will view you as the go-to person who has the solutions to problems that people are struggling about.
3. Add a Site Map To Your Website
A site map helps search engines understand the structure of your website and what you are all about. It helps accentuate your keywords and is another tool by which your clients can find you.
There are several companies that can help you create your sitemap. (third party tools)
4. Publish Articles Containing Your Keywords
Having your articles published helps cement the image of you as an authority in your field. Not only that, the bylines and source box that are printed with the article help create links to your website and help prospective clients and patients find you. There are many online sites that you can publish your information to, the most common one being ezine.com
Issuing press releases whenever you change your practice, publish an article or add a service (especially a unique one) gives great publicity.
5. Create a blog and link it to Your Website
One of the easiest sites to implement blog posts is WordPress. Link it to your site and create a schedule of blog posts that you can be consistent with. Once readers come to you, don’t disappoint them by lacking a post on the day that they are expecting it.
Register your blog to technorati and other directories.
Respond to comments that you receive on your blogs. Google’s new algorithm, Hummingbird, is looking to see interactions between you and your clients and how meaningful your information is. Interactions also help to establish relationships which is crucial to your future success.
Link your blog to your social media sites so that every time you blog, there is an entry onto them as well.
Submit guest blogs on other sites that your target market may view to provide additional exposure.
6. Participate in Social Media
Participating in social media allows additional visibility and enables you to interact with both individuals and other companies. Register a YouTube account create 2 minute videos sporadically on how to instructions or advice on some aspect of your specialty. Is there a new technique that you do? This would be a perfect opportunity for a video!
Create a Facebook page. Make sure that your vital information is readily visible both on the front and in the profile of your office location and telephone number so that people can contact you. Ask for likes. This helps ratings. Don’t assume that people will like your page unless you have it as a call to action. (something that you want your reader to do)
Respond to tweets and provide useful information that ties in with comments or tweets that are already there. Retweeting helpful information will also be quite appreciated.
Ask your readers to share your page or quotes with their “friends”, thereby giving you more exposure. When you are quoted or shared by many readers, search engines view you and your website as providing quality information.
Build a loyal fan club with Facebook, Twitter,YouTube, LinkedIn, , and Google+
A great way to find out what your target market is looking for is to ask questions of your followers on your social media sites. You can also put out surveys every so often. An easy way to do this is with SurveyMonkey.com
Don’t have the time?
Not having time is reality but no longer an excuse. These steps will bring you in more customers which you may need to stay financially solvent in the future. But, you don’t have to go it alone.
Outsource it! If you need help, I would be happy to help you. Contact Barbara@TheMedicalStrategist.com and we can set you up right away!
