Finding the Best SEO Company for Doctors — What to Know!
According to the Federation of State Medical Board, there were 1,044,734 licensed doctors across the United States in 2023, which further increased to 1,109,460 professionally active physicians by the end of May 2024.
With so many medical professionals competing in such a competitive landscape, gaining online visibility is essential. If you're juggling between patient care and medical tasks every day, you may not have time to focus on digital marketing, something that could take your medical practice to the next level.
This is where we come in. At Sapphire SEO Solutions, we offer a comprehensive range of SEO services to medical practices across the United States, helping reshape their online presence and drive more website traffic. Our healthcare SEO experts have the skills, expertise, and resources to establish credibility and guide prospective patients to your clinic.
Keep reading this comprehensive guide to learn more about search engine optimization and how it can elevate your medical practice to new heights. We cover key insights, interesting statistics, and tips on finding the right SEO agency for your clinic!
Understanding SEO
SEO, also referred to as search engine optimization, is the practice of improving your website's visibility and helping it rank in the search engine results pages (SERPs). If you're not a tech guy, all of this information may seem like jargon, so let's break it down into easy-to-understand words.
Simply put, SEO helps Google and other search engines to understand the type of content on your website. It then connects relevant users who are looking for such information, providing valuable results based on their search queries.
When a business has better visibility in the SERPs, it is more likely to be found by prospective clients. SEO is a digital marketing technique that helps establish authority, boost website traffic, and drive sales without spending anything on advertisement.
How Is SEO Different for Doctors or Medical Practices?
Healthcare SEO is an excellent way for doctors and medical practices to rank for particular keywords and phrases related to the type of services they offer. It helps them stand out in a crowded market.
Did you know that "pediatrician near me" has over 110,000 monthly searches, and the phrase "cardiologist near me" brings in more than 60,500 searches per month? These are common keywords that people in the United States search for, suggesting that they are looking for such medical services.
With over 1 million active physicians in the country, where does your medical practice rank in search results?
According to Search Engine Journal, the first organic search on Google has an average click-through rate (CTR) of 28.5%, which drops down to 15% and 11% for the second and third positions. Any results on the second page of the SERPs have a 1% CTR. What does this mean for your medical practice?
For doctors and physicians across the United States, it's become incredibly important to rank on the first page of the SERP, as that's where most of the traffic lies. With an effective healthcare SEO strategy, medical practices can reach out to a larger audience, drive more traffic to their website, and eventually gain more patient consultations.
Why Is Healthcare SEO Important for Doctors and Medical Practices?
Have you ever tried driving a car without an engine? No matter how well-built it is, it won’t take you anywhere. The same goes for a medical practice without SEO. Even if you offer top-notch healthcare services, patients won’t find you online without a strong digital presence.
Here are a few reasons why healthcare SEO is crucial for physicians and their medical practices:
It Helps Reach a Larger Audience
According to a study conducted by HubSpot, 75% of users do not scroll past the first page of the SERPs. If your clinic is not up there, you're missing out on tons of traffic that could bring more patients to your medical practice.
With thousands of monthly searches for medical services, effective healthcare SEO strategies can enhance your website's visibility, making it easier for patients to find your practice.
It Attracts More Qualified Leads
Healthcare SEO can drive more people to your website and ensure that the traffic you're receiving is relevant. It's a great tool for doctors to attract qualified leads, ensuring that the people visiting their site have a greater chance of converting into prospective patients.
Simply put, users who find your medical practice through search results may actually be seeking healthcare services related to your expertise. They may genuinely need medical care or be concerned about their ailments, requiring further information or assistance from a professional physician.
It Helps Generate More Revenue
Many patients consult the internet about their medical condition before seeking healthcare services. In fact, 5% of all Google searches are for health-related information.
If your clinic can rank higher for relevant healthcare keywords and phrases, it can divert more high-quality, organic traffic to your website. The increase in potential patients can generate more revenue, as these are the people who might actually be interested in the medical services you provide.
It Establishes Credibility
Google uses many different factors when considering search rankings, and reviews play a crucial role. When patients share their experiences online and recommend your medical practice, it signals to search engines that your clinic is trustworthy and relevant. As a result, this can help boost your clinic’s position in search results.
It Improves Local Search Presence
The SOCi’s 2024 Consumer Behavior Index reported that 32% of Americans look for information pertaining to local businesses online at least once a week. In addition to that, four in five users use search engines to search for information about local businesses.
Did you know that 76% of consumers who search for a local business on their smartphone visit one within 24 hours? By optimizing your clinic’s local SEO, you can improve search rankings and make it easier for nearby patients to find and choose your practice.
How Can a Medical SEO Company Help Doctors or Medical Practices?
In today's competitive landscape, digital marketing is essential for business growth. Investing in SEO efforts is a smarter, more sustainable approach for clinics looking to avoid the high costs of paid advertising.
While understanding SEO strategies and how to apply them is relatively straightforward, the time required to optimize a website and its content can be overwhelming. Doctors who balance patient consultations with managing their online presence may struggle to give their practice the full attention it deserves, adversely affecting their reputation.
Partnering up with a reputable medical SEO company can help physicians focus on their patients while driving the growth of their clinic. Here’s how an experienced SEO specialist can support your medical practice:
Improve search rankings
Optimize the website for medical SEO, technical SEO, and better user experience
Generate high-quality medical content that converts
Managing online feedback to build trust
Optimize Google Business Profile to increase local visibility and improve mobile search results
Implement effective link-building strategies to boost authority
Conduct regular SEO audits to refine strategies for greater growth and online visibility
How to Find the Best SEO Company for Doctors
Are you convinced about the benefits of working with a medical SEO agency? Here are the key steps to helping you find the right company for your clinic's SEO needs:
1. Check the Medical SEO Company's Reputation
Before booking a consultation with a marketing agency to discuss its SEO services, doctors should first evaluate its reputation and expertise. It's essential to work with a company with proven medical SEO experience.
One of the best ways to assess a company's reputation is through thorough research. Visit the SEO agency’s website to learn about its founding history, team members and their credentials, and the specific SEO services it offers.
Also, don't forget to review Google ratings and feedback from previous clients. Many medical SEO companies also feature client testimonials on their websites, providing valuable insights into past experiences and helping physicians determine if the agency is the right fit for their needs.
2. Schedule a Free Consultation
Don’t hesitate to schedule a free consultation with the medical SEO company. A one-on-one virtual or in-person meeting is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the agency and how it operates.
Keep in mind that some SEO companies in the United States handle a large number of clients. While this isn’t necessarily a drawback, doctors should be aware that it could lead to delayed communication or less personalized attention.
During the consultation, ask any questions that you may have. Here are a few to help you determine whether the medical SEO company can address your technical SEO needs:
What experience do you have with medical SEO?
Can you provide case studies or client success stories?
How do you approach technical SEO for healthcare websites?
Do you offer local SEO services for medical practices?
What kind of keyword research do you conduct?
What sort of SEO tools do you use to optimize websites and content?
How do you track and report SEO performance?
Do you offer content creation and optimization?
What link-building strategies do you use?
What level of communication and support can I expect?
How the SEO agency responds to your questions is crucial in choosing the right company. If it guarantees fast results, consider it a major red flag. Remember, SEO is neither a quick fix nor black magic. It requires ongoing strategy refinement based on the latest trends, meaning it will take time for your website to rank.
3. Request a Free SEO Audit
As a practicing doctor, you want to know what's wrong with your clinic's website and how the medical SEO company can help fix it. Some SEO agencies offer a free site audit, helping identify the pain points, areas of improvement, and opportunities to boost your online visibility, while others may charge between $500 to $2,000 for a complete assessment.
Don't be shy to ask for a complimentary assessment. An SEO audit can highlight technical issues, SEO weaknesses, and content gaps. It also provides a complete roadmap for improving your site's performance, enhancing your content's quality, and attracting more patients.
4. Choose an SEO Service
Search engine optimization is a painstakingly long process that involves a lot of components. From content creation to local SEO, technical SEO, on-page optimization, and more, there are a lot of elements that go into improving your website's ranking on search engines.
Most medical SEO agencies break down their services across different packages, each catering to the unique needs of practicing physicians. Whether you're looking to implement simple SEO strategies or require a customized plan tailored to your clinic's needs, it's important to discuss your requirements before signing any binding agreements.
Why Should You Choose Sapphire SEO Solutions Over Other Medical SEO Companies?
In the healthcare industry, reputation and credibility are crucial for medical practices. While search engine optimization and local SEO can help you build an online presence, not all SEO agencies are equipped with the skills and expertise to take your clinic to the next level. This is where we come in.
At Sapphire SEO Solutions, we have a team of SEO experts and content specialists who have years of experience working in the healthcare industry. We know what digital marketing strategies work for medical practices and what don't. In fact, our team is certified in implementing growth techniques to drive organic traffic and achieve the desired results. Don’t just take our word for it, check out our case study on achieving a top 10 ranking in just four days!
What sets us apart is our background as consultants for small and medium-sized enterprises. We have firsthand experience understanding business challenges, identifying pain points, and setting clear goals. This expertise allows us to craft effective SEO for doctors, ensuring their practices gain more visibility and attract the right patients.
Want to Work with the Best SEO Company for Doctors? Schedule a Free SEO Audit Today!
Search engines can be complex, and understanding their algorithms takes time and effort. As a busy doctor, your focus should be on patient care. But don't worry, we're here to help.
Sapphire SEO Solutions understands how important it is for doctors to focus on their practice. Whether you’re working with a tight budget or need a comprehensive approach to medical SEO, we offer a wide range of SEO services, including customizable plans, to help you stay ahead of the competition and rank higher in search results.
Ready to grow your medical practice by leaps and bounds? Get started by requesting a free SEO audit today!