Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving a website’s ability to rank in the organic or unpaid results of search engines—like Google. In fact, 2019 data shows that organic search drives an average of 53.3% of all visitors to websites (BrightEdge.com, 2019). This is more than any other source of traffic; paid search generates 15%, while social media makes up only 5%.
Should health care practices invest more in their SEO?
SEO is a long-term strategy, and budget constraints can often take longer-term goals off the table. Optimizing a website doesn’t typically lead to quick wins. After SEO, website traffic tends to increase steadily and measurably over time, often taking three to six months before upward trends even begin.
Google has revealed more than 200 ranking factors that impact where a website will ultimately rank in their organic search results. SEO works to increase the strength of the most important ranking factors. One example is image optimizing. Shrinking image size improves site speeds on desktop and mobile, and consequently, can reduce visitor bounce-rate (how often a visitor clicks into a site then immediately leaves), which is an additional ranking factor.
Health care practices should allocate part of their monthly marketing budget toward SEO. Although it’s more difficult to track on a day-to-day basis, the long-term impact will be significant.
Why Google?
While there are several search engines to keep in mind when optimizing websites, Google makes up more than 90% of the search market across all of its products, including YouTube and Google Maps. This is significant and Google has become the gold standard of search engines.
What’s new with Google?
Google’s latest algorithm updates have become more sophisticated in the way they are using machine learning to serve up search results. These changes are meant to better understand searcher’s intent by focusing on the natural language consumers use when searching. This is especially important for more complex inquiries.
What can I do to improve my website’s performance in search results?
Hire an expert. While best practices may appear simple at the surface, there is a lot of technical work being done behind the scenes to properly set up a website to ensure optimal search results.
Fuel Medical has a team of specialists on staff working to improve website performance. Our UX optimizers analyze how a site visitor interacts with a webpage and navigates through the site in order to improve their experience. Web developers build visually modern sites that load quickly, even on older devices or slower connection speeds. SEO optimizers focus on on-site search engine optimization to connect customers in need of services with practices, no matter how those customers search for them.
While SEO typically refers to on-page optimization, all of these specialties contribute to SEO. Google’s 200+ ranking factors cover every area of the website development process and if the company designing a website doesn’t recognize that, they’ll likely miss critical improvements that can give their client the edge over a competitor.
When properly done, an SEO strategy should help generate most of the traffic to your practice’s website. It will also yield the greatest return on investment.
How do I get started?
If your website is managed by Fuel Medical, you have a team of search experts ready to assist in elevating your website to the next level. Connect with your Regional or Account Manager to set up a consultation over the phone.
If your website is not managed by Fuel, we recommend discussing your SEO options with your current provider.