SEO for Medical Practices: How to show up for your patients on Google

Stop relying solely on referrals. 63% of your potential customers will choose a provider because of a strong online presence. There are strategies to rise to the top of Google search results in your service area. We’ll walk you through the steps of Medical SEO below so that you can capture better traffic and gain more patients in 2022. 

What is Medical SEO or Dental SEO?

Medical SEO (search engine optimization) is the set of strategies that marketers employ to rank higher on search engines. Medical and Dental SEO revolves around strategies unique to healthcare providers. 

Why should your medical practice invest in Medical SEO?

Think about your experience using Google. You’re more than likely only clicking on the first three results that come up, and you rarely go to the second page of search results. This is typical behavior, which is why websites that rank higher receive more traffic (and appointments). SEO is worth the investment because of:

• Increased organic traffic on your website
• Increased number of patients
• More phone calls
• More appointments each month
• Less reliance on paid ads
• Increase in reviews 

Should I use SEO or PPC Google Ads for my medical practice?

It depends. PPC ads will give you an instant position high up on Google search rankings, but these ad clicks can add up depending on your specialty and location. 

A well-implemented SEO strategy does not happen overnight like setting up a Google Ad campaign, but the results can be more worthwhile. Over time, you can climb the rankings with the right strategy without paying for your position like a Google Ad. 

Typically, we recommend both to our clients because Google Ads are fast, but SEO’s organic results are more worthwhile. 

How do you get to the top of Google for Nashville, TN, using Medical SEO?

Google’s algorithm evaluates hundreds of attributes when ranking websites. Websites that rank higher are typically doing a combination of the strategies below. 

Build a fast, secure, and mobile-friendly website

Google wants to keep its customers happy. So make sure your site satisfies all three of their needs. Besides, this is a sign of reliability and security that all medical providers need to maintain their reputation. 

Optimize your website for SEO with title tags and meta descriptions

This one might require further reading. Read more from us here.

Connect your businesses to a Google Business (GMB) profile

When a potential patient is looking for a healthcare provider, they may type in the [healthcare need] near me. For example, this may mean “internist near me.” Google’s My Business listings will connect the closest providers to the customer’s location. So you must be set up to start getting these searches. It’s also the place where you will collect Google Reviews. 

Get more reviews

Reviews give you legitimacy, and potential patients researching you online read reviews. In fact, 60% of people who take to Google cite reviews as the main thing they examined before choosing a medical provider. Think about the search engine journey here. First, Google users type in something like “shoulder surgery near me.” Typically the map results will show first. Then the users can quickly visually filter the different medical providers by star amounts. You must show up, but your reviews also lead to clicks and calls. There are a few strategies that increase reviews:

1. Review requests 
2. Review monitoring 
3. Negative review disputes and response



Create quality content that targets keywords that your customers use

We think you should write for people over search engines. So create content that helps out your potential customers. We have over a decade of experience helping medical practices with their keyword strategy. We then take these keywords and implement them into a content marketing strategy. 

For targeting local searches, you should also be breaking down the services you provide into separate pages. This will reach more qualified leads. Because your most interested and likely patients are searching for specific services. 

Include images, video, and even podcasts optimized for SEO

People are searching for you through traditional means and looking through multimedia. One effective method for content creation is picking a medium that can be multi purposed. Podcasts are perfect for this. You can turn podcasts into articles, audio clips for social media, and even Youtube videos. This variety of content on your site provides tremendous SEO value. You may find a different medium that helps you produce more consistent and high-quality content. 

Develop a linking strategy that gives your business offsite authority

A linking strategy can set you apart from your competition, and this process is known as obtaining backlinks. Backlinks tell Google that other sites find your content useful. This boosts your search rankings. Read more about how to get more backlinks to build offsite authority. 

Choose a medical SEO marketing specialist that can create and implement a strategy that works.

Stop spending time working on your SEO, and leave it to the experts. Crosby Digital Marketing has over a decade of medical SEO experience. Contact us today to see how we can get your medical practice to rank higher on Google