When it comes to implementing local Search Engine Optimization or SEO practices, many medical practices may not know where to start. This topic isn’t as widely discussed as it should be and many medical practice owners may not have the answers they need to optimize and improve their local SEO. There are many important questions that need to be answered and considered before embarking upon your local SEO journey. The below are the most common questions asked about local SEO and how it can greatly benefit you and your practice.
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What is Local SEO?
Local SEO is a type of search engine optimization meant to directly attract local patients.The goal of implementing local SEO is to build a strong connection with the community that your practice is in. It is a great way to offer promotions, deals, and advertise your services happening with your practice so that patients from the area can participate. It is also great for building your practice’s name in the area in which it operates.
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How Does Local SEO Work?
Local SEO works by providing direct answers to search engine questions. Unlike other forms of SEO that may be broader or are otherwise not area-specific, Google has a special set of rankings that are specific to local SEO. Some of these rankings include:
- The location that the business is searched from
- Where the business is located based on its Google My Business profile
- How many check-ins there were at the business’s location
- The business’s Google Maps star rating
- How frequently the business is shared on social media
There are many other determinants that Google takes into account when deciding to promote a practice, however, the above are more specific recognitions when considering a local business as opposed to a nationwide or international business.
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Does My Practice Need Local SEO?
If your practice is located within a physical area and not solely online, you will likely need local SEO to boost your business’s standing in its location. This is because you will want local consumers as well as area visitors to be able to find your practice and come to it. Typically, businesses that thrive on in-person visits or rely heavily on in-person sales will need some form of local SEO.
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What Are The Benefits of Local SEO?
Proper local SEO practices are incredibly beneficial for medical practices, which is why medical practices attempt to improve their SEO as often as possible. Some of the benefits of utilizing local SEO include the improvement of:
- Website and foot traffic
- Sales
- Bookings
- Rankings
- Reviews
- B2B relationships
- Brand awareness
- Understanding your client base
- Referrals
These benefits and many others are some of the reasons why applying local SEO tactics to your medical practice is incredibly beneficial. Local SEO makes growing your business easier and less stressful than other measures.
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How Do You Implement Local SEO?
Implementing local SEO is necessary in order to improve your practice’s local standings. There are various steps that businesses should take when implementing their local SEO including:
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Setting up a Google My Business account-
Setting up this account is totally free and allows you to closely monitor your local standings as well as interact directly with customers.
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Applying popular keywords to your website content-
Keywords are incredibly important when attracting new customers. Find any keywords that directly relate to your business and liberally implement them into your content. It is also important to put the same keywords into your site’s metadata.
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Making regular improvements-
SEO rankings and trends can tend to change a lot over time. Keep track of your SEO and make sure that it stays up to date. You may also want to closely monitor your competitors’ SEO and make improvements based on what they do well and what they could improve.
If you are still confused about implementing local SEO tactics onto your website, there are a variety of online guides that can walk you through the process. If you find this too overwhelming, you can also hire a company to help you with this process.
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Am I Able To Check My SEO Rankings?
This is a great question for those who want to be actively involved in the progression and improvement of their local SEO. Yes, you are able to check your business’s SEO rankings and should check them regularly. Simply typing your practice’s name into Google can yield confusing results as local SEO can change from hour to hour. One of the best ways to stay on top of your local SEO is to download the browser extension, GS Location Changer. With this extension, you will be able to see the local SEO ranking for your business as well as the other businesses around yours. This extension is free to use and can provide useful information that will help you improve your local SEO.
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Can I Learn How To Do Local SEO On My Own?
Of course! Anyone can learn to implement and progress their own local SEO. In order to learn more about local SEO and how it can work for your medical practice, you may want to read publications that have made a name for themselves teaching practice owners the ins and outs of SEO. For example, Localu has great seminars taught by SEO experts that will greatly help any unsure business owner how to improve and manage their SEO.
If you would like a more hands-on approach to learning local SEO, contact an advocate or business that is willing to help personally teach or advise you. These advisors will give you more specific advice relating to your particular business so there is less confusion on your part.
If you are planning on learning local SEO on your own, remember that experience is the best teacher! You will be able to learn what works for your business and what doesn’t over time and begin to hone in on what local SEO practices work the best for you and your business.
Contact Us
If you would like help implementing and managing your business’s local SEO, contact the experts at NOVA Advertising. We have been helping businesses like yours improve their local SEO standing for years and would be happy to help you in any way that we can.