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There is a lot more to search engine optimization (SEO) than checking boxes and filling out forms. A strong SEO program is imperative to creating and maintaining a good web presence. Unfortunately, this is not always an easy process. You will need to spend a significant amount of time analyzing your website and strategizing your next steps.
Plastic Surgery Studios contributed to an article in the Aesthetic Society News Spring 2020 edition (page 55) exploring how to maximize your search engine optimization to attract more clients and ensure that your website performs well on Google and other search engines.
What Are the Top SEO Fundamentals for My Practice?
While all areas of SEO are important (and deserve attention), some are more beneficial than others.
In recent years, Google has emphasized three areas of optimization: citations, local SEO, and Google My Business (GMB) activity.
By starting with these three elements, you are on your way to maximizing your search engine optimization, gaining you more traffic and leads.
1. The Importance of Citations
In this case, “citations” refer to the listings that include your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) written out. These citations allow Google to determine the trustworthiness of your business’s listed information.
Simply put, more NAPs mean more trust.
This allows for more eyes on your business information, creating additional traffic for your practice.
When creating citations for your business, consistency is key. Every use of your business’s information must match with other listings, your website, and your GMB account exactly. If the listings are not an exact match, Google believes it is a different business, and you lose that benefit.
A single punctuation error can negate a citation opportunity.
2. Local Optimization
According to Databox, six billion searches are made on Google every day. That is approximately 75,000 searches per second.
Even with a prestigious website, it can be difficult to guarantee your website will be seen by a potential patient who will actually follow through. The best way to narrow down your target audience is to tailor your content for prospects in your area.
There are many ways to focus on local content. This could mean including location-specific keywords in your website’s content, rewriting your metatags, or creating social media accounts that point to your office’s location.
While it is important to drive traffic to your website, you don’t want to only target patients out of the area who will choose to have the procedure performed by a surgeon closer to them.
3. Staying Active on Google My Business
When searching for a service online, you may have noticed the box on the right of the Google search results page showing a business’s location, contact information, operation hours, reviews, and more. That information comes from a Google My Business (GMB) account.
Google My Business makes it easier for potential patients to interact with your site. As important as it is to have a GMB account, it is equally important to stay active and current on your account. This means updating it regularly.
Examples of staying active on a GMB account include adding social media posts, interacting with reviews, and updating current specials.
Interested in Learning More?
If you are interested in learning more about how you can maximize your search engine optimization to attract more clients, please feel free to contact us at (888) 525-6360 or send us a message.