This is a comprehensive SEO for healthcare providers guide

In this guide, you’ll learn:

What is Healthcare SEO?

Healthcare search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and authority of website content to obtain and increase rankings on search engines and organic website traffic to a healthcare provider.

When people need a lawyer or legal services, they typically use one of the following ways to find one:

1. Search engines
2. Word of mouth
3. Social media

Of these, search engines are not only the most popular digital marketing channel people use but also the easiest to measure return on investment (ROI).

The ability to reach a lot of people organically (i.e. without advertising) on social media has dropped significantly over the past several years—especially on platforms like Facebook.

This has caused many businesses to resort to paid advertising on them instead (which is what Facebook wanted all along).

It’s already pretty clear that for most people, search is their go-to for finding legal services. Social and word of mouth certainly play a role, but online search almost always dominates the research phase.

If we analyze the digital marketing channels many top healthcare providers get their website traffic primarily through organic search and not social networks. 

Of all the marketing channels your healthcare clinic can invest in, search engine optimization is the only one with the ability to return compounding returns over time other than referrals (which aren’t always consistent).

Content, for example, presents three opportunities:

1. The potential to rank for more keywords and drive more traffic
2. The ability for high-quality content to create natural link-building opportunities, improving your ability to rank higher on Google even more
3. The ability to convert website visitors into potential clients by convincing them to trust you and contact you.

How Should I Use This Guide?

One brief pause before we dive into the basics of lawyer SEO: while this guide is intended to be accessible to a wide range of skill levels, it is fair to say that a certain minimum comfort level with technical/computer issues is expected.

If this is within your wheelhouse, by all means, continue on to the next heading (“Why is Healthcare SEO Important?”).

However, if you are somewhat tech-averse, or if you would simply prefer to have the best SEO agency for handle things for you, we would be happy to discuss the healthcare SEO services that we offer.

Visit our library of healthcare SEO case studies or our contact page and schedule an appointment with one of our senior SEO experts.

Why is Healthcare Firm SEO Important?

The way consumers find, research, and choose a law firm skews heavily toward search engines.

The healthcare marketing industry is hyper-competitive. If you run a healthcare practice and want to generate new patients as part of your marketing strategy, much of your success hinges on whether or not your website can be found in Google search.

Why Does My Healthcare Practice Need Website Optimized for
Search Engines and Conversions?

Healthcare professionals need a website optimized for search engines like Google (and to a lesser extent, Bing) because search engines are the primary way people find businesses to hire.

This isn’t a new idea, obviously, as the Yellow Pages are not (and haven’t been for quite some time) the go-to source for research that they once were.

Businesses need the best resource to answer searchers’ queries, satisfy user intent, and showcase the business’s expertise.

A website, no matter what business you’re in, is the central hub for your search engine optimization strategies. It’s the foundation of everything you’ll do to put yourself in front of your ideal prospective client, as well as create and promote your brand.

Your website design is also important. A well-ranking website with a poor design won’t convert visitors to leads as well. It should be designed to build trust, increase your awareness, and encourage people to take action.