A strong online presence is essential for any business, and healthcare and medical practices are no different. Patients often turn to the internet to find information about doctors, clinics, and medical services. Appearing at the top of search engine results can significantly impact your practice’s visibility and patient acquisition. This article will explain why SEO is important for healthcare businesses and how competitive SEO in the healthcare space can be, before explaining the strategies you should implement.

Why is SEO Important for Healthcare Providers?

The majority of patients start their search for healthcare services online and make their choice from there. According to one 2022 study (Patient Access Journey Report, Kyruus Heath), 70,000 healthcare searches are performed every minute in the US, and 75% of patients search online for doctors, dentists, medical care, and other healthcare providers.

If your website ranks higher, it is more likely to be seen by potential patients. Higher visibility can lead to increased website traffic, more patient enquiries, and more appointments. SEO also helps build trust and credibility: if your website appears at the top of search results, patients are more likely to view your practice as a reputable and reliable option.

SEO is also more cost-effective than other popular digital marketing tactics in the healthcare industry. Paid ads – which the healthcare industry in the US is expected to spend $19.6 billion on by the end of 2024 – will only get clicks as long as you’re paying to run the campaign. On the other hand, the benefits of SEO can be long-lasting. Once your website is optimised, it can continue to attract organic traffic without ongoing costs.

SEO Competition for Healthcare

SEO competition in the healthcare industry is intense. Many healthcare providers are striving to rank higher in search engine results, making it challenging to stand out. According to a 2019 WebFX survey, 95% of healthcare organisations use or plan to use content marketing, a key component of SEO. 

It’s also important to note that search engines regularly update their algorithms, affecting how websites rank, for better or worse. According to a 2023 survey from Tebra that analysed digital marketing trends in healthcare, about 66% of healthcare marketers have faced negative impacts from these updates, highlighting the ongoing challenge of keeping up with algorithm changes. It’s important to stay informed and adapt to these changes if you want to maintain or improve your online visibility.

Expertise, Experience, Authority and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) Is Vital

In healthcare SEO, showing Google you have Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)  is essential to ensuring your content is credible and reliable. These elements are particularly important for healthcare websites, where any information you provide can directly impact a person’s health and well-being. This applies to any website that mentions health or personal finance, which Google called Your Money Your Life (YMYL) topics. Google confirmed the importance of these ranking factors in its Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, which were last updated in November 2023.

Expertise

Expertise refers to the level of knowledge and skill possessed by the content creators. In the healthcare field, this means ensuring that the information on your website is created or reviewed by qualified medical professionals. Highlighting the credentials of doctors, specialists, and healthcare providers who contribute to your content can significantly enhance your website’s credibility. For instance, including author bios that detail their medical qualifications, years of experience, and areas of expertise can help establish trust with your audience.

Experience

Experience goes hand-in-hand with expertise but focuses more on the practical application of knowledge. This can be demonstrated through case studies, patient testimonials, and detailed descriptions of past treatments and procedures. Showing real-world applications of your services and sharing success stories can help potential patients feel more confident in choosing your practice. Experience is not just about the length of time in practice but also about the depth and breadth of cases handled.

Authority

Authority is about being recognised as a leading source of information in your field. This can be achieved by obtaining backlinks from reputable websites, like academic journals, government health sites, and established medical organisations. Having references with outgoing links to well-respected sources within your content and participating in industry events or publications can also improve your authority. For example, linking to studies published on the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website or articles from the Australian Medical Association can improve your site’s authority.

Trustworthiness

According to Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, Trust is the most important member of the E-E-A-T family because untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem. Trustworthiness means creating accurate, transparent, and reliable content. Ensure your website clearly states who is responsible for the content and how it is reviewed. Transparency about your sources, regular updates to your content, and a clear privacy policy go a long way. Trustworthiness can also be demonstrated through patient reviews and testimonials, which provide social proof of your credibility and the quality of your services.

Understanding the Target Audience for Healthcare Professionals

Identifying your target audience is essential for any marketing strategy. It ensures your efforts are focused on reaching the people most likely to engage with your service. For healthcare providers, this means understanding who your patients are and what they need. Here’s how to do it:

1. Start by analysing your current patient base. Look at demographic information such as age, gender, location, and medical needs. This data helps you understand the types of patients who already use your services.
2. Next, consider the specific services you offer and who would benefit most from them. For example, if you specialise in paediatric care, your target audience includes parents of young children. If you provide geriatric care, your focus might be on older adults and their caregivers.
3. Conduct interviews with your current patients, either over the phone or through online forms. This will allow you to address and identify their specific wants and needs from the healthcare businesses they interact with.
4. Use online SEO tools to gather more information about your website visitors. These tools can show you which pages are most popular, how visitors find your site, and what search terms they use. We have a list of the Best Free SEO Tools, and any one of them will help your understand your audience better and kickstart your SEO efforts.

Knowing your target audience allows you to create tailored and relevant content that addresses their specific needs and concerns. This will improve your SEO by incorporating relevant keywords while also making your website more helpful and engaging for potential patients.

Focus Your Efforts on Local SEO

Local SEO is vital for healthcare providers and medical practices. Most patients search for services close to their location, so your practice needs to appear in local search results at a city and suburb level. According to a Google study from 2017, ‘Near me’ searches for healthcare services doubled between 2015 and 2017 alone, so local SEO can’t be overlooked. Here are the basics for local SEO:

1. Start by claiming and optimising your Google Business Profile. Ensure your practice name, address, and phone number are accurate and consistent across all online platforms. Add relevant information like your business hours, services offered, and high-quality photos of your practice. Doing this will make it a lot easier for both Google and users to recognise that you serve a specific area.
2. Encourage patients to leave positive reviews on Google. Reviews can boost your local search rankings and help build trust with potential patients. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value patient feedback and are committed to providing excellent care.
3. Use local keywords in your website content. Include the name of your city or suburb in titles, headings, and throughout your content. 
4. Create location-specific pages if your practice serves multiple areas, for example ‘General Practitioner Canberra’ and ‘General Practitioner Sydney’. 
5. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as many patients will search for healthcare services on their phones. A mobile-friendly site improves user experience and can positively impact your search rankings.

On-Page SEO Tips for Healthcare Websites

On-page SEO is a set of measures taken within a website to enhance its search engine ranking. On-page SEO is one of most fundamental forms of SEO and the first step in any strategy. On-page SEO includes:

User Experience

User experience (UX) is crucial for SEO because it directly affects how users interact with your site. A positive UX keeps visitors on your site longer, reduces bounce rates, and encourages them to explore further, signalling to search engines that your site is valuable. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, as many healthcare searches are conducted on mobile devices. A responsive design that works well on all screen sizes will improve user engagement and help your site rank higher. It’s also important to ensure your site loads quickly –  slow-loading pages can lead to high bounce rates. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix issues that might be slowing down your site.

UX is a big topic, but it’s essential to learn about if you’re a website owner. If you to learn more about how user experience and design impacts your performance online, read our article ‘Does Web Design Affect SEO?‘.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO involves optimising various behind-the-scenes elements of your website to improve search engine rankings. Ensure each page has a unique and descriptive title tag and meta description, which helps search engines understand your content. Use header tags (H1, H2, H3) to structure your content, making it easier for users and search engines to navigate. It’s also important to add descriptive alt text to all images to improve accessibility and SEO. Ensure your website has a clear URL structure, uses SSL for security, and includes a sitemap to help search engines index your pages effectively.

High-Quality Content

Creating high-quality, informative content is key to engaging your audience and improving your search engine rankings. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the terms your patients use when searching for healthcare services and integrate these keywords naturally into your content. Avoid keyword stuffing, as it can negatively impact readability and search rankings. Regularly update your content to keep it relevant and accurate, which not only helps with SEO but also establishes your website as a trusted source of valuable information. Write clear, concise, and valuable content that addresses the needs and concerns of your patients. We’ll go more in-depth on best practices for writing content down below.

Off-Page SEO Tips for Healthcare Providers

Off-page SEO includes actions taken outside of your website to improve its search engine rankings. The goal of off-page SEO is to improve your overall reputation and presence outside of your own website. This sends a signal to Google that your site is trustworthy and valuable. Here are some essential off-page SEO strategies:

Encourage Your Patients to Post Online Reviews

Online reviews can go a long way to improve your local SEO and build trust with potential patients. Positive reviews can build your practice’s reputation and improve your SEO at the same time. 

To build up positive reviews (apart from offering a consistently good service, of course), encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and RateMDs. You can do this by sending follow-up emails after appointments, providing easy-to-follow instructions on how to leave a review, and even placing QR codes linked to Google Reviews in your reception. Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you value patient feedback and are committed to providing excellent care.

Post Listings on Online Directories

Listing your practice on online directories is crucial for improving your local SEO. Ensure your practice is listed on reputable healthcare directories like HealthDirect, HotDoc and WebMD, as well as general directories like Google My Business and Yelp. Consistency is key—make sure your practice name, address, phone number, and other details are accurate and consistent across all platforms. This helps search engines verify your practice’s information and improves your chances of appearing in local search results. Accurate directory listings can also increase your visibility to potential patients searching for healthcare services in your area.

Link Building

Link building involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from other websites to your own. Backlinks are links from one website to another, and they act as votes of confidence, signalling to search engines that your site is credible and trustworthy. Focus on obtaining backlinks from reputable sources like healthcare publications, local news websites, and professional associations. You can achieve this by writing guest posts, participating in interviews, or collaborating on content with other healthcare professionals. Avoid using black hat tactics like buying links, as these can lead to penalties from search engines and damage your site’s reputation.

How to Write Search Engine-Friendly Healthcare Content

Regularly publishing well-written, helpful content like blog posts is essential for improving your healthcare website’s visibility and attracting more patients. We have an in-depth article on writing for the web effectively if you’re interested, but here are some specific tips for writing healthcare content. You need to:

• Use clear and simple language
• Integrate keywords naturally
• Write compelling titles and meta descriptions
• Structure your content for readability
• Provide accurate and up-to-date information
• Include internal and external links

Understand Your Potential Patients

Start by understanding who your potential patients are and what they are looking for. Conduct thorough research to identify the common questions and concerns your patients have. Use tools like Google Analytics and keyword research tools to discover what terms and phrases people are searching for related to your services. This will help you create content that is relevant and valuable to your readers.

Use Clear and Simple Language

Healthcare topics and medical information can often be complex and filled with medical jargon. Aim to write in clear and simple language that your audience can easily understand. Avoid using technical terms unless it’s  absolutely necessary, and if you do, be sure to explain them in plain English. This makes your content more accessible and engaging for a broader audience, helping patients feel more comfortable and informed.

Integrate Keywords Naturally

Identify the primary keywords related to your topic and integrate them naturally throughout your content. Include these keywords in your titles, headings, and within the body of your text. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can make your content sound forced and may lead to penalties from search engines. Instead, focus on creating informative and valuable content that naturally incorporates relevant keywords specific to healthcare, like ‘paediatric care in Canberra’ or ‘best physiotherapist near me’.

Write Compelling Titles and Meta Descriptions

Your title and meta description are the first things potential patients see in search engine results. Make sure your titles are clear, concise, and include your primary keyword. Meta descriptions should provide a brief summary of the content and also include relevant keywords. Both should be enticing enough to encourage users to click through to your website. 

Structure Your Content for Readability

Organise your content with clear headings and subheadings to make it easier for readers to scan and find the information they need. Use bullet points and short paragraphs to break up the text and enhance readability. This not only improves the user experience but also helps search engines understand the structure and main points of your content. For instance, under a section about ‘Types of Healthcare Services,’ you can use subheadings like General Practitioners, Specialist Services, and Emergency Care.

Provide Accurate and Up-to-Date Information

Ensure your content is accurate and up-to-date. Inaccurate information can harm your credibility and trustworthiness. Regularly review and update your content to reflect the latest medical guidelines, research, and industry standards. This will help establish your website as a reliable source of information and improve your search engine rankings. For example, updating information about COVID-19 protocols or new treatment options can show your commitment to providing current and relevant information.

Include Internal and External Links

Use internal links to guide readers to related content on your website. This helps keep visitors on your site longer and improves navigation. Also, include external links to reputable sources that support your content. This can enhance the credibility of your information and provide additional value to your readers. For instance, linking to a reputable health organisation like the Australian Medical Association or specific medical studies can provide additional context and authority to your content.

How To Find The Right Keywords For Medical SEO

Choosing the right keywords is crucial for optimising your healthcare website. Keywords help search engines understand your content and match it with relevant searches. Here are some specific tips on choosing and using keywords effectively:

• Identify relevant keywords
• Use long-tail keywords
• Include location-based keywords
• Incorporate service-specific keywords
• Use keywords naturally
• Reguarly update and review keywords

Identify Relevant Keywords

Start by choosing keywords that match your services and what your patients might be searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find keywords related to your practice. Focus on terms specific to your services and location. For example, if you run a dental practice in Canberra, keywords like ‘Canberra dentist’, ‘teeth cleaning Canberra’, and ’emergency dental services Canberra’ would be relevant.

Use Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that potential patients might use when searching for healthcare services. These keywords often have lower search volume but higher conversion rates because they target more specific queries. Examples include “best paediatrician in Canberra” or “bulk billing GP near me.” Long-tail keywords help you capture highly targeted traffic and reduce competition from broader search terms.

Include Location-Based Keywords

Since healthcare services are often local, including location-based keywords is essential. These keywords help you rank for searches conducted by people in your area. Use the names of your city, suburb, or region in your keywords. For example, ‘Physiotherapist in North Canberra’ or ‘Canberra Medical Clinic’. This helps attract local patients who are more likely to visit your practice.

Incorporate Service-Specific Keywords

Make sure to include keywords that describe the specific services you offer. If you provide specialised treatments or have unique services, these should be part of your keyword strategy. For instance, if you offer cosmetic dentistry, include keywords like ‘cosmetic dentist Canberra’ or ‘dental implants Canberra’. Service-specific keywords ensure that your website appears in searches for the exact services you provide.

Use Keywords Naturally

Integrate your keywords into your content as naturally as possible. Avoid stuffing as many keywords into your content as possible at the cost of quality. Not only will this make your content sound unnatural, but it might lead to penalties from search engines. You should be placing keywords in strategic places like titles, headings, meta descriptions, and throughout the body text. Above all, make sure your content reads well and provides value to your patients while incorporating these keywords.

Regularly Update and Review Keywords

Search trends and patient needs can change over time, so it’s important to review and update your keyword strategy regularly. Use analytics tools to track which keywords are driving traffic to your site and which ones might need adjustment. Staying current with your keywords helps maintain and improve your search engine rankings.

Keep Your SEO Strategy Dynamic

The last tip we’ll leave you with is a big one: SEO isn’t a one-off task. If you want to keep rising in SERPs or even just maintain your position, your SEO needs regular tweaking to make sure we’ve still got the right strategy. The Google algorithm is complex and constantly evolving, which is why a static strategy or a formulaic approach from the internet won’t suffice. You should stay updated with the latest SEO trends, regularly check your analytics to see what is and isn’t working, and consistently produce quality content.

That said, maintaining a consistent SEO strategy takes time that might be difficult to find if you’re a medical professional or business owner with a lot on your plate already. At Futuretheory, we offer a comprehensive SEO with a high level of expertise helping clients across a wide range of industries. We’re dedicated to delivering our clients long-term results that help them reach the right people at the right time. If you’d like to learn more, read about our SEO service or book an intro call.