SEO for Doctors

If you’re a doctor, you know how tough it is for medical practices to get noticed online. There are heaps of other medical websites out there. What you need is a smart SEO strategy that’s just right for your practice.

That’s where we can help. Our SEO team knows the healthcare game well. We’ll share with you the moves we make when we do SEO for doctors, helping your website get the attention it deserves.

SEO for Doctors: Why is it Important?

Patients frequently search for healthcare options based on their specific needs, including the type of medical services offered, where they’re located, and particular health issues or procedures. If your practice or services show up when this happens, then you’ve got yourself a steady stream of patients. 

Optimising your website for better search engine performance will increase its prominence and position you more favourably in online searches. This makes the customer acquisition cost for search engine optimisation very low when compared to things like paid ads. 

It’s this reason why your competitors have SEO strategies and why you need one too. 

Keyword Research for Topical Authority

Determining the relevant medical keywords potential patients use when looking for healthcare services online is what keyword research is all about. 

To make the most of it you want to build your website as having topical authority on the subject of healthcare. This will allow Google to understand the intention of your business and trust you enough to start possibly pushing your content higher in the search engine results pages. 

To establish these initial keywords think of the services you offer. It’s often best to think of your most popular your biggest revenue driver as this will bring the best returns. 

These services will make up the pillar pages that you’ll build website traffic to and help you rank for competitive terms. When you have these you can use an SEO tool such as Ahrefs or ChatGPT to get ideas for articles. Remember, you want to write about everything related to your pillar page service that’s relevant to your business. 

Let’s take a look at an example. Say a service you offer is “Pediatric Services”. If you want to rank for that keyword then you’ll need to build a topic cluster with related articles. 

This could look like:

• What are Pediatric Services?
• Pediatric Nutrition and Dietary Advice
• Newborn Care

When you’ve done this things should be starting to take shape. It’s time to create the content and come up with an internal linking structure. 

How to Master Internal Linking

By connecting one page of your site to another, you’re directing visitors through your website and marketing funnel. You’re also providing search engines with a clear framework to understand your site’s architecture. This will allow your site to share authority among its pages boosting key content.

Consider the following layout for Doctor SEO: 

Homepage > Pillar Page > Articles

For example:

Homepage > Cardiology Services > Understanding Heart Health

This setup is the starting point for developing a thorough topic cluster. Your next step would be to create the articles for each pillar page. The internal linking structure might then look like this:

• Each article links back to the related pillar page
• Each article gets at least one link from another article in the same cluster
• Each pillar page links back to the homepage

Avoid excessive optimisation in your internal linking as it’s not necessary to always use exact match anchor text. For instance, if your article is targeting the keyword “Managing Chronic Heart Conditions,” you shouldn’t overuse this exact phrase for your links; use variations instead.

Also, remember that internal linking helps distribute link equity throughout your site, which can positively influence the search rankings of various pages, not just the homepage. 

Build a Solid Content Strategy

Talking about making a strategy is one thing, but actually doing it is another. Consider what content you’ll create, how often and where to begin.

Start your strategy with things that’ll really make a difference in your medical practice. Figure out what’s tough to rank for but offers the best return on investment. This makes it easier to know where to start.

Plan how your content will look. Make sure it shows off your expertise as a doctor. This draws more people to your website and makes them trust you more. Keep your blog fresh with the latest health tips and news. This keeps readers coming back and capitalises on topical search trends that can be easier to rank for. 

Also, remember to include the following where appropriate:

• Structured data
• Keyword rich headings
• Meta descriptions
• FAQs

Good SEO isn’t just about keywords. It’s about giving people useful content that makes them stick around, learn, and eventually choose you as their doctor.

Local SEO

Improving your medical practice’s presence in local search results is a necessity to bring in new clients. 

Ensure your Google Business Profile is optimised with relevant keywords that reflect your practice’s services. This makes you visible on Google Maps and establishes a place for patient reviews. Your online rep is a big deal. Encourage your happy patients to leave positive online reviews. Good words from them can tip the scales for potential patients and lift your search engine rankings.

In your local SEO game plan, consider crafting pages for specific local searches like “General Practitioners in Melbourne.” Do this for each area you serve, but remember to tweak the content so it’s unique for each location.

Link Building

Getting top-notch backlinks from well-known websites tells major search engines that your medical content is worth rewarding, potentially improving your rank. This is especially true for medical sites as they are categorised in the YMYL (your money, your life) niche. Google takes extra care when promoting this content as it has the potential to affect someone’s life.

Here are some ways to get those links:

• Digital PR
• Guest posts
• Infographics
• Collaborations

Aim for a mix of backlinks, especially from sources linked to healthcare professionals, to make your website more trusted. Good link building doesn’t just help with SEO; it can also make your practice more known and trusted.

Technical SEO

For a smaller medical website, technical SEO might not seem like a big deal, but it’s worth getting right. Run an audit on your website at least once a year using tools like Screaming Frog and Google’s Page Insights.

Here’s what you should focus on:

1. Speed up your site so it loads fast.
2. Make it mobile-friendly.
3. Secure your site with HTTPS.
4. Keep URLs short, clear, and relevant.
5. No issues so search engines crawl your site smoothly.
6. Use structured data to clarify your content.
7. Avoid duplicate content with canonical tags or 301’s
8. Protect your site from threats.
9. If needed, set up multiple languages with hreflang tags.

Understanding the Market Dynamics

Doctors need to understand how patients look for medical services and the factors that sway their decisions. This includes analysing search behaviours, assessing intentions, and pinpointing frequent search terms.

For example, as a pediatrician in a suburban locale, your SEO strategy could focus on phrases and content that appeal to parents searching for healthcare information for their children in that vicinity. 

Your online materials should cater to these preferences to position yourself as the primary source for healthcare information in your specialty and area. Being flexible is beneficial in this context. The healthcare industry’s market dynamics are constantly changing, necessitating regular reviews and adjustments to your SEO strategies. 

SEO Challenges

SEO for doctors offers challenges including keeping pace with the frequent updates search engines like Google introduce to their algorithms. 

Also, the field is intensely competitive. Your medical practice needs to distinguish itself from others to draw in potential patients. This requires your content to be not only relevant but also engaging and easy to access.

There’s a pressing requirement to comply with strict industry regulations. Your website must protect patient privacy and data security.

What are the Benefits of SEO?

A higher position on search engine results pages moves your business from one of many to an authority in your field. Such prominence brings trust to potential patients searching for dependable healthcare providers.

SEO targets those who are already looking for the services you provide, drawing in more relevant leads. This targeted approach means that visitors to your website are more engaged and have a higher likelihood of setting up appointments or seeking further information.

How Long Does SEO Take?

It will likely take at least two months for you to start seeing significant results. Most will start to come after this point. However, when it does start to take effect then you can compound the results and build a sustainable digital marketing strategy. 

The time it takes to see results also depends on:

• Historical performance of your website
• The level of competition within your field of healthcare
• The calibre of the SEO strategies you deploy 

Want to Use Our Experience?

Here at Prosperity Media, we have over a decade of SEO experience. Our team knows what it takes to get results in the medical field and is ready to help a business just like yours. 

We’re recognised as one of the best SEO agencies in Australia and host Australia’s largest SEO conference. If you want to find out more about what we can do for you, then reach out to our team and we’d be happy to help. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is SEO for Doctors?

SEO for doctors helps to rank your medical practice website higher in online search results. This draws more patients by making your website more noticeable when they search for health-related services.

How Is SEO Used in Healthcare?

In healthcare, SEO is used to put your services in front of the right people on the internet assists patients in locating your services more readily when they seek health-related information or services you provide to local patients.

How Much Does Medical SEO Cost?

The cost of medical SEO varies depending on the level of optimisation you’re seeking and the intensity of market rivalry. We use an hourly rate that can be tailored to meet budgets. Reach out to our team so they can give you an accurate estimate. 

How Do You Rank for National SEO?

Ranking in national SEO rankings follows a similar strategy to local SEO except it’s more competitive. Your strategy for relevant keywords, reputable backlinks and high-quality content needs to be even more thorough.