Medical SEO

In today’s digital age, having an online presence is crucial for healthcare providers. By implementing various techniques such as keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, and content creation, medical search engine optimization can help healthcare providers attract more traffic to their websites and improve their online reputation. 

At Golden Tide Consulting, we do not simply “maintain” websites. Our Medical SEO services include the creation of powerful websites, deeply researched digital marketing strategies, and high-quality content so that our clients will grow and bring in major business for years or decades to come.

As a trusted healthcare SEO agency, we have spent years training, experimenting, and studying the best methods for getting organic traffic for our medical clients. We now have a proven track record of improving the search rankings for the medical practices we work for. We are now offering our refined semantic SEO approach to all our medical industry clients.

In this article, we will delve deeper into what Medical SEO marketing is and how it can benefit you as a healthcare provider in reaching your target audience and growing your online presence.

What Is Medical SEO?

Medical SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a digital marketing strategy that aims to increase the visibility of healthcare websites and content in search engine results pages (SERPs). An SEO strategy is an organic way of increasing the online visibility of your healthcare site without the need for traditional marketing techniques such as paid advertising.

“Medical SEO” and “Healthcare SEO”  aren’t necessarily official terms, but they can be used to be distinguished from other “types” of SEO—for example, local SEO, international SEO, etc. The SEO services will be targeted specifically towards the medical industry.

Specific healthcare SEO strategies help Google and other search engines to recognize a medical practice as a real business that stands out as being an expert in its specific field. Google likes to see the connection between the services offered by the medical practice and the credentials of the healthcare professionals that provide the services. 

Here’s an example: If we were to do SEO for a company that does roofing, then all they really need to target is “roofing contractors in [city]” and slight variations of those words for each of the different cities they are serving.

With medical SEO for a dentist’s office, for example, you wouldn’t want to only rank for “root canal [city]” because your patients aren’t only searching for those words. In fact, they might not even know the name of what they need, so they might search for something like:

• What happens if I don’t treat a cavity?
• Alternatives to tooth extraction
• How long does a root canal take?
• What are the signs you need a root canal?

Having specific pages dedicated to these questions on the website of the dentist’s office would help more potential patients find their practice since it is more geared toward what they are looking for. This is the difference between medical SEO and regular SEO. 

What Are Healthcare SEO Examples?

Some healthcare SEO examples are listed below. 

Medical Content Optimization

SEO for medical practices refers to the process of improving the quality, relevance, and visibility of medical content on websites, blogs, and other digital platforms. This process involves optimizing their content to rank higher in search results for specific keywords related to their practice or medical services.

For example, a dentist might optimize their content for keywords like “teeth whitening” or “root canals” to attract more patients searching for those services. This improves the user experience by providing valuable information that meets the user’s needs and helps to increase the visibility of the content in search engine results pages (SERPs). This, in turn, can drive more traffic to the website and increase engagement with the content.

Local SEO

Medical professionals can use local SEO strategies to improve their visibility in local search results. This includes creating and optimizing local business listings on Google Business Profile, Bing Places, and online directories.

Link building

Healthcare providers can build links to their websites from other relevant websites to improve their authority and rankings. For example, a health clinic might partner with a local fitness center to provide links back to each other’s websites.

Patient reviews

Healthcare providers can encourage patients to leave positive reviews on their website, Google Business Profile, or other review sites like Healthgrades, Yelp, and ZocDoc. Positive reviews can improve the provider’s reputation and increase its visibility in search results.

Mobile optimization

As more people use their mobile devices to search for healthcare providers, it’s essential to optimize websites for mobile devices. This includes using responsive design, optimizing page load times, and creating mobile-friendly content.

What Are the 4 Types of SEO?

The four main types of SEO are listed below. 

1. On-page SEO: This type of SEO focuses on optimizing the content and HTML source code of a web page to make it more search engine friendly. It includes optimizing page titles, headings, meta descriptions, image alt tags, internal linking, and other elements.
2. Off-page SEO: This type of SEO focuses on improving the visibility and authority of a website through external factors, such as link building, social media marketing, and online reputation management.
3. Technical SEO: This type of SEO focuses on optimizing the technical aspects of a website, such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, website structure, and security. Technical SEO helps search engines to crawl, index, and understand the website better.
4. Local SEO: This type of SEO focuses on optimizing a website for local search queries. Local SEO includes optimizing a website for local keywords, creating and optimizing Google Business Profile listings (formerly Google My Business), building local citations, and getting online reviews from customers.

What Is Local SEO for Doctors?

Local SEO for doctors is a specialized type of local SEO that focuses on optimizing a doctor or medical practitioner’s website for local search queries related to their medical practice. The goal of local SEO for doctors is to improve the visibility and ranking of a medical practice website in local search results, thereby attracting more local patients to their practice.

Some key components of local SEO for doctors are listed below. 

• Google Business Profile Optimization: A Google Business Profile listing is a critical component of local SEO for doctors. Optimizing your GBP profile increases the chance that your practice appears in Google’s local 3-pack, making it more visible to potential patients.
• Local Keyword Research: This involves conducting keyword research to identify the local search terms that potential patients use to find doctors in their area, then optimizing the website’s content to include those keywords in the right places.
• Local Directory Listings: Creating and optimizing local directory listings, such as Yelp, Healthgrades, and other niche directories (like Dental Fee Fairy for dentists), can help increase the online visibility of a doctor’s practice in local SEO rankings.
• Local Content Creation: Creating high-quality content, such as blog posts or infographics related to health and wellness in the local area, can help attract local patients and improve the practice’s local search visibility.

What Are Some Medical SEO Strategies?

Some of the common medical SEO strategies are listed below. 

1. Keyword Research: This is done to identify the search terms and phrases that potential patients are using to find healthcare providers and services. Healthcare businesses can then optimize their website content and meta tags with these targeted keywords, to improve their ranking on Google search results.
2. Content Marketing: Developing high-quality and informative content that addresses the healthcare needs and interests of patients. This includes blog posts, infographics, videos, and other types of content that can be shared on social media platforms, healthcare forums, and other online communities.
3. Local SEO: Optimizing your website for local search results to help patients in your area find your services. This involves claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile, building citations and backlinks from local business directories only, and using location-based keywords in your content.
4. On-page Optimization: Making sure that your website is optimized for search engines by optimizing the website’s structure, content, meta tags, and images. This includes using relevant keywords, creating descriptive and unique title tags and meta descriptions, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly.
5. Link Building: Building high-quality backlinks to your website from reputable sources such as healthcare blogs, medical associations, and other relevant websites. This helps improve your website’s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines, leading to higher organic search results and rankings.
6. Social Media Marketing: Leveraging social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to connect with patients and share healthcare-related content. Social media can also help drive traffic to your website, increase brand awareness, and improve search engine rankings.

Why Is SEO Important in Healthcare?

SEO is essential in healthcare marketing because it helps healthcare businesses improve online visibility and attract more patients searching for healthcare services. 

When healthcare marketers implement effective SEO strategies such as keyword research, content marketing, local SEO, on-page optimization, and link building, healthcare organizations can improve their search engine rankings for healthcare-related keywords. This, in turn, will increase their chances of being found by potential patients. 

Without SEO, healthcare businesses may struggle to reach their target audience and could miss out on valuable opportunities to grow their business through online channels. Therefore, SEO is a crucial component of any healthcare marketing strategy.

What Are the Benefits of Medical SEO?

Medical SEO benefits healthcare practices because it can help increase their online visibility, credibility, and patient engagement.

By optimizing their medical websites and online content, healthcare practices can rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), reach targeted patient populations, and establish themselves as reputable providers within their respective medical practices and fields. This can lead to increased website traffic, patient bookings, and overall growth for the practice.

Listed below are 8 examples of the benefits of medical SEO for a healthcare business. 

1. Increased Online Visibility

Medical SEO can help healthcare practices rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant healthcare-related keywords, making it easier for potential patients to find them online.

2. Increased Website Traffic 

As healthcare practices rank higher in SERPs, they can expect to receive more traffic to their website, leading to an increased number of patient inquiries and appointments.

3. Enhanced Credibility

Medical SEO helps establish healthcare practices as authoritative and credible sources of information in the healthcare industry, which can help attract more patients seeking trustworthy healthcare services.

4. Better Patient Engagement 

By providing relevant and informative content on their website and through other digital channels, your healthcare organization can engage with patients on a deeper level and build long-term relationships with them.

5. Increased Patient Retention

Medical SEO helps healthcare practices stay top-of-mind with patients, leading to increased patient retention and improved patient loyalty.

6. Targeted Marketing 

Medical SEO allows healthcare practices to target specific patient groups based on their demographics, location, and healthcare needs, all ranking factors which can lead to more effective and efficient marketing efforts.

7. Cost-Effective Marketing 

Compared to other forms of healthcare marketing, such as advertising or direct mail, healthcare SEO is a cost-effective way to reach and engage with potential patients.

8. Long-Term Benefits

Unlike other forms of healthcare marketing, the benefits of Medical SEO can last for an extended period, providing healthcare practices with a consistent stream of patient inquiries and appointments over time.

How Much Does Medical SEO Cost?

Medical SEO companies may charge from around $1,000 to $25,000+ per month. The cost of medical marketing can vary widely depending on several factors, including the size of the healthcare practice, the scope of the SEO campaign, and the specific goals of the practice.

It is important to remember that SEO is an ongoing process, and a successful campaign may require several months or even years of consistent effort to achieve the desired results.

While the cost of a medical website and SEO may seem like a significant investment, the benefits of a successful SEO campaign can be well worth it. A medical SEO agency can help increase your medical website traffic, give you more patient leads, and a stronger online presence for the practice.

Medical SEO and Golden Tide Consulting 

As a medical SEO company and as individuals, we are passionate about creating and implementing SEO campaigns for our clients. At Golden Tide Consulting, we frequently attend SEO seminars and conferences, follow the SEO leaders, and practice and test what we learn on other websites that we build for fun before we implement it on our clients’ websites.

We would love to see how we can help your medical practice’s website perform to its full potential. Contact us today for a free SEO audit, where we can show you the current state of your SEO efforts and how we can help improve them!