• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Services
    • SEO
    • PPC Management
    • Digital Marketing
    • Digital Strategy
    • Fractional CMO
    • Analytics
  • Industries
    • Healthcare
    • Government
    • Education
    • Fintech & Financial Services
    • Ecommerce
    • Manufacturing
    • Legal
    • Professional Services
  • Case Studies
  • Insights
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • Webinars
  • About
  • Contact Us
medical search engine optimization_medical concept finding a solution to a disease
HealthcareMarketing & SEO
June 8, 2022

Medical SEO: Working for You 24/7

Avatar for Marina Turea
Marina Turea
As a content project manager Marina ensures content marketing projects are delivered on-time, within the budget, scope, and pristine accuracy. Marina is an experienced content...
Get in touch with Marina
Healthcare, SEO
117 views

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest digital trends.

As the population ages, the search for quality healthcare services will increase. The internet has become an essential resource for people seeking information about medical procedures, providers, and reviews. A study showed that more than 57% of adults use online resources when researching healthcare options. That number has been rising and will likely move up to 100%.

That’s where medical SEO comes in. SEO is the process of optimizing a website for search engines so that it appears higher on relevant search results pages. Medical SEO can help businesses attract more patients locally and nonlocally when done correctly. Not only that, but SEO works for your business all of the time. When potential patients search, they'll find your practice and become more familiar with your business.

That's why SEO is essential for medical businesses looking to expand. This article will cover what medical SEO is, the benefits of SEO, and the most frequently asked questions regarding SEO best practices.

What Is Medical SEO?

medical search_Doctor working on a digital tablet at hospital in the morning.

When someone initially becomes concerned with their health, they'll typically begin with a Google search. Depending on their concern, they'll use different keywords to search. For instance, let's say a potential patient is experiencing shoulder pain. Then, they decide to search "shoulder pain causes" on Google. Your website displays at the top of the SERP (search engine ranking page) with an article providing practical tips for alleviating their pain. At the end of your article, your business puts a form to schedule a consultation at your practice. That's the power of content marketing and medical SEO. Of course, content isn't the only part of SEO. You can read our simple medical SEO guide to learn more.

Further, we can break SEO into three components: on-page SEO, off-page SEO, and technical SEO.

On-page SEO:

On-page SEO is optimizing different elements on your website to be visible to search engines and potential patients. That includes the title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and image alt text of your website. For SEO, you'll want to make sure that you're using relevant keywords throughout these elements on your website. However, don't stuff them in, as this will result in a penalty from Google. Instead, use them naturally so that it reads well to both search engines and people.

Content is an essential part of on-page SEO. You can do keywords and descriptions correctly and still not rank. That's because Google is trying to put the best content at the top of SERPs. If your content isn't valuable to potential viewers, Google isn't likely to rank.

Off-page SEO:

Off-page SEO is building links to your website from other websites. Google sees link building as a signal of trustworthiness. The more links you have pointing to your website, the higher you'll rank on SERPs. Think of the most linked-to websites on the internet; YouTube, Amazon, and Wikipedia all consistently show up at the top of SERPs, depending on the keywords you search.

That's because of the backlink profiles and high domain authority these websites hold. In addition, these websites provide valuable content that keeps viewers reading or watching for long periods. That's a major component of SEO and falls under the on-page category.

Technical SEO:

Technical SEO is the final component and involves optimizing your website's infrastructure. That includes sitemaps, SSL (secure sockets layer), canonical tags, loading speed, and more. Technical SEO can be complex, so it's often best to hire an expert to help you with this type of optimization. However, our technical SEO audit has a checklist to get you started if you’re feeling ambitious.

Now that we've covered what medical SEO is, let's move on to the benefits of investing in it for your business.

The Benefits of SEO

search engine optimization_Data Search Technology Search Engine Optimization. man's hands are using a computer notebook to Searching for information.Using Search Console with your website.

There are numerous benefits of medical SEO, and we'll cover some of the most important ones here.

     1. Increase in Traffic, Leads, and Patients

The first and most prevalent benefit is the increase in traffic, leading to an increase in patients. When you're ranking at the top of SERPs, you're getting in front of potential patients actively searching for a healthcare provider. Investing in SEO is one of the most effective ways to increase traffic and grow your business. And ranking at the top of SERPs leads us to the next benefit.

     2. More Credibility and Brand Awareness

When you're ranking at the top of SERPs, your business and website's credibility increase. People are more likely to trust a website that's ranking on the first page of Google than one buried on the fourth page. Brand awareness contributes more to the click-through rate than most people realize.

     3. Long Term Success in Your Area

Investing in SEO is a long-term strategy that will continue to pay off for years. If you're looking to grow and expand your business beyond the next one to two years, investing in SEO is your best bet. Of course, it's possible to lose your position at the top spot. That's why it's crucial to stay ahead of competitors by producing content consistently. However, once you're at the top, it becomes more challenging to lose your position.

Now that we've gone over some of the benefits of medical SEO, let's answer some frequently asked questions.

Which Is Better: PPC (Pay-per-Click) Or SEO?

The answer to this question is that it depends. Depending on your budget and allotted time, the answer could be either. However, if your budget includes PPC and SEO, we highly recommend it. That's because you get the best of both worlds—getting potential leads in the short term while also preparing your business for success in the long term. The full breakdown of PPC vs. SEO is a complex topic, so we discussed it thoroughly in a different article.

How Much Does an SEO Agency Cost?

Again, the answer to this question depends. SEO agencies can charge anywhere from $500-$5,000+ per month, depending on their size and their services. If you're looking for an agency to help with your medical SEO, we recommend starting with a smaller budget and seeing how it goes. You can always increase your budget later if you're happy with the results.

When Will I See Results From SEO?

This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on numerous factors. For instance, the competition in your area and industry will impact the length of time. If you're starting from scratch, it could take 6-12 months to see results. However, if you already have a strong foundation and have fewer competitors, you might start seeing results in as little as 3-6 months.

The Bottom Line

Medical SEO is an essential investment for any healthcare business looking to grow and succeed in the long term. By ranking at the top of SERPs, you'll increase traffic, leads, patients, and credibility. If you're looking for help with your medical SEO, we recommend working with an experienced agency.

Like what you just read? Share this article with your network and friends.
Email Facebook Linkedin Twitter
Related News
Medical SEO: Working for You 24/7
Marina Turea
June 8, 2022
Read more
Related Healthcare, Marketing & SEO Stories
remarketing_Magnifying glass is looking at leader explains employee tactics of advertising targeting. Training, briefing. Search strategies for effective advertising campaigns, customer reach. Business processes
Marketing & SEO
Jul 4, 2022
5 min read
How PPC Remarketing Works & Why You Should Use It

PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising is a form of online advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. It’s a for...

Avatar for Peter Devereaux
Author: Peter Devereaux
agency_Multiracial business team working together on new design. Design professional working around a tablet and looking at digital tablet.
Marketing & SEO
Jul 4, 2022
6 min read
Beginner’s Guide to PPC Management

PPC, or pay-per-click advertising, is a form of digital marketing where businesses can display ads on search engines and social media platforms and...

Avatar for Peter Devereaux
Author: Peter Devereaux
ROI_ROI, Return on investment business and technology concept. Virtual screen background.
Healthcare
Jul 4, 2022
6 min read
Analyzing ROI for Medical SEO

Digital marketing is the single best way to invest in your firm’s growth and expansion. With facets like social media, email campaigns, blogs, and ...

Avatar for Marina Turea
Author: Marina Turea
See all articles →
Digital Authority Partners
The next-gen digital partner for today’s makers & doers.

Digital Authority Partners
222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212
Chicago, IL 60654
312-820-9893
[email protected]

Resources
Services
Case Studies
Insights
About
Industries
Locations

One newsletter, once a week Today's top digital insights delivered straight to your inbox.

Thank you, you're all signed up! We'll be delivering you valuable newsbites to your inbox soon!

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutube
Digital Authority Partners | Copyright © 202s2 All Rights Reserved.
X

Contact our team

This field is required.
This field is required.
The email address you entered is invalid.
The phone number you entered is invalid.
X

Thank you!

One of our consultants will get back to you within 24 hours.