As technology changes, so does the way customers conduct their research. Just look at the healthcare and healthcare tech industries.
It’s extremely common for potential patients to search the internet for information, products, or services relating to their medical needs. And the B2Bs who serve medical facilities are trying to get in front of the right person who’s typically researching software and devices via Google.
As a result, businesses within the medical industry -- both B2C and B2B -- must have fully functioning and user-friendly websites. How else will patients find you in today’s world without a little SEO to even the playing field?
Having a website is only a piece of the puzzle. A website alone will not get you ranked high in Google search results -- but medical SEO will.
What Is SEO?
SEO stands for search engine optimization and is the process of optimizing a website’s ranking in search engines’ organic results. Increased rural access to the internet and more readily available medical information online has made the medical industry even more competitive. Patients can make informed decisions by reading reviews online from previous patients, and, yes, places like WebMD and Wikipedia, for better or worse.
In most cases, potential patients don’t want to have to dig through pages and pages of search results to find information and make a decision. They’ll most likely evaluate the first few options that appear and make a decision. In fact, over 25% of people click the first Google search result. This is why medical SEO and ranking high in Google search results will benefit your business.
5 Medical SEO Best Practices
Medical SEO is crucial when it comes to the success of your software, device, or practice and acquiring new patients/customers. Here are some medical SEO best practices:
- User-friendly Website
- Provide Accurate, Informative, and High Quality Information
- Add Images and Videos to Your Website
- Link to First and Third-Party Resources
- Keyword Research! Choose Relevant Keywords
1. User-Friendly Website
There’s nothing more frustrating than clicking on a website just to realize it’s outdated and difficult to navigate. Due to the nature of the medical industry and the fact that patients and busy prospects are looking for quick and easy information, having a user-friendly website is crucial.
Easy navigation and clear instructions will increase the chances of website visitors staying on your page longer, thus increasing the chances of them becoming customers. Every page on your website should have a next step, such as:
- A “Contact Us” form
- A free download of an educational e-book
- A newsletter signup form
2. Provide Accurate, Informative, and HIgh-Quality Information
Providing incorrect or outdated information could land you with a boatload of issues. The medical industry is an industry where success relies on customers/patients trusting you and your product.
Ensuring the information provided on your website is accurate and of the highest quality will build trust with potential customers. Return to aging blog posts and website pages periodically to make sure the content is something Google will still deem relevant. If creating and updating content is too much for you, consider outsourcing content marketing to a third party.
3. Add Images and Videos to Your Website
With attention spans shorter than ever, some customers are more inclined to watch videos than read long articles. Engaging videos will increase the average time a user spends on your page, which is one of the most important aspects of Google’s ranking algorithm.
All images should contain alt text, and the featured image should be relevant to the topic.
4. Link to First- and Third-Party Resources
One of Google’s ranking factors is the presence of quality links within your page/article.
Linking to relevant first- or third-party resources tells Google that your page is genuinely out to help people. Additionally, linking to internal and external resources helps prove you’re trustworthy and reliable to the human reader. Having a strong off-page SEO strategy not only increases website ranking, but also attracts potential patients through social media sharing and blog referencing.
5. Keyword Research! Choose Relevant Keywords
One of the first steps to ensuring your site is SEO friendly is developing a set of core keywords. Your keyword list will consist of terms your buyer personas are searching for. So, the better you know your persona, the more detailed your keyword list will be.
There are many great tools out there to conduct keyword research. The HubSpot keyword tool is a great place to start. You can enter as many keywords as you’d like and the tool will give you an idea of the monthly search volume, as well as how difficult it would be to rank for those terms in search engines. SEMrush is another awesome tool and has tiered pricing to suit your needs, including a free version.
Putting These Medical SEO Best Practices to Use
The medical industry is complicated and ever-changing. The needs of customers/patients should always be the #1 priority for medical practices.
With the way the internet has infiltrated daily life and the way business is conducted, incorporating basic medical SEO best practices into your B2C or B2B healthcare marketing strategy is necessary to stand out.
Learn more about creating a rock-solid healthcare SEO marketing strategy here:
How to Audit your Online Marketing
If you are executing digital marketing, congratulations! You are most likely already one step ahead of your competition, and making strides to meaningfully connect with prospects online. But, how do you know if you’re seeing continual success year over year, and improving your metrics?
Without the tools in place to analyze and benchmark your efforts, it is impossible to scale your online marketing and ensure continuous success.
