Have you ever Googled the name of your business only to find that your website doesn’t appear on the first page? If you have, then you know how frustrating it can be to try and find your business online.
The fact is, patients are searching for health information online now more than ever before. In fact, a recent study found that 77 percent of patients use the internet to research their health conditions before making an appointment. So, how can you ensure that your clinic is easy to find online? By following these seven tips:
Optimize your website for search engines
Make sure your website is optimized for search engines by including relevant keywords in your site content. You should also have keywords in your page titles, Meta descriptions, and image alt text. Not sure which keywords to use? Try using an SEO keyword tool like Google AdWords Keyword Planner or KWFinder.com.
Invest in targeted digital marketing
To stand out in this competitive landscape, it’s crucial to invest in targeted digital marketing. By creating a robust online presence, you can attract patients actively searching for your type of care. And once you have their attention, you can use targeted content and personalized messages to convert them into loyal clients.
Targeted marketing also means consulting agencies that specialize in your practice. For example, your chiropractic care clinic needs digital marketing services for chiropractors to help you reach patients searching for your assistance. Through them, you can create a comprehensive digital strategy that will help you attract more patients and grow your practice.
Claim your listing on Google My Business
Google My Business is a free listing that allows businesses to control how they appear on Google Maps and in local search results. Claiming your listing is accessible and only takes a few minutes. Once you’ve claimed your listing, you can use the Google My Business dashboard to add photos, create posts, respond to reviews, and more.
Google My Business is essential for healthcare providers looking to reach new patients. In addition to appearing in local search results, your listing can help patients find your clinic on Google Maps. When patients search for healthcare providers in their area, your listing will appear with your practice’s name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation. Claiming your listing is the first step to getting your clinic exposure on Google.
Create profiles on popular directory sites
Directory sites like Yelp, Angie’s List, and Healthgrades are popular among patients looking for local businesses. Create profiles for your clinic on these sites and include accurate and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information across all your profiles. You should also add photos and descriptions of your clinic and services to help potential patients learn more about what you offer.
Build citations with correct NAP information
Citations are listings of your business on local directories and review sites like Yelp and Google My Business. When creating or claiming these listings, it’s essential to use the same NAP information across all of them—including any abbreviations (e.g., “St” vs. “Street”). Consistency is critical when it comes to citations because it helps search engines—and potential patients—know that they’re finding the right clinic when they see your listing in their search results.
Encourage patient reviews—and respond to them too!
Patient reviews are an important way for potential patients to learn about what it’s like to receive treatment at your clinic—so encourage happy patients to leave reviews on popular sites like Yelp, Google My Business, Healthgrades, etc. When responding to positive and negative patient reviews, try to be professional, helpful, and friendly so that others can see that you care about providing excellent patient care, no matter what!
Add blog posts with relevant keywords but don’t overdo it!
One way to help improve your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) is by adding blog posts with relevant keywords throughout the text—but beware of keyword stuffing! This is when a website packs too many keywords into its content in an attempt to improve its SERP ranking but instead ends up being penalized by Google because its content becomes difficult (or impossible) for humans readers to understand, not exactly the impression you want potential patients to have of your clinic!
So use keywords thoughtfully throughout your blog post copy without sacrificing quality or readability to attract new patients AND keep them coming back for more great content in the future! Win-win!
The bottom line
These days, if potential patients can’t find you online, you might as well not exist, at least as far as they’re concerned! By following these simple tips—like optimizing your website for search engines and claiming/verifying your listings on popular directories—you can help ensure that new patients will be able to find your clinic easily when searching for healthcare providers in your area, which mean more appointments booked and better patient care for everyone involved!
