For most physicians I meet with, the fact that Google doesn’t rank websites often comes as a big surprise at first. After all, isn’t that the point of SEO?
Well, not exactly. Here’s what matters…
Google Ranks Webpages, Not Websites
It may not seem like much, but this differentiator is huge. But think about it – when you search for something online, is it always the homepage that ranks? Very rarely. Most often, it’s a single page from inside of that website.
Many doctors I meet with have been under the impression that all it takes to succeed online is to build a website. They set one up, let it sit there, and wonder why they do not see any results.
When you understand that Google ranks webpages and not websites, the importance of creating valuable content designed to rank well for strategic keywords becomes clear.
Google crawls individual pages and then ranks those individual webpages based upon their perceived relevancy and usefulness to the patient who is searching.
The more individual pages of content you have, each targeting a specific keyword search, the more success you’re going to have.
Content Is King
Developing content is an ongoing activity that requires consistent attention to create, manage, and update if you want to be successful when it comes to attracting patients by way of local SEO.
Through this consistent effort over time, Google will then begin to recognize your site as somewhat “authoritative,” and you’ll have a greater likelihood of showing up in the very top search results.
Develop the Strategy of Being a Content Hub
This is a key component of the SEO strategy that I help many physicians with.
Think about becoming the go-to online source for whatever your specialty is.
For example, a shoulder surgeon should create individual pages/posts (the same thing in the eyes of Google) for everything related to the shoulder and the procedures they specialize in.
Once some of the cornerstone pieces have been developed (in this example: total shoulder replacement, reverse shoulder replacement, etc.), additional details can be addressed.
How do you know what content to create? Here are a couple of ideas:
- Do keyword research (here’s the tool I recommend)
- Answer common questions patients ask you
- Address some of the latest trends and what they mean specifically for patients
If you become the go-to online source for patients, you’ll become the go-to local source for appointments as well.“
Travis Mark
Develop a mindset of creating a large number of pages/posts on your website, strategically designed to get in front of patients online.