As a healthcare practitioner, are you struggling to increase the number of people who visit your website every month? Perhaps you are aware that search engine optimization (SEO) is important to increase website visits. Still, you’re unsure which medical SEO services you need.

We’ll explore the types of marketing services that can best assist you in increasing your website traffic. Doctors, Nurses, Optometrists, Dentists, Therapists, and other private practice healthcare providers, get ready! 

What is backlinking?

Backlinking is a term used by search engines and digital marketers. In simple terms, it’s a link to your website from another website. Link building for SEO campaigns for your target market is the best way to get quality backlinks.

Just as a general practitioner might refer a patient with a leg injury to a local physical therapist, backlinking refers readers on a different website to your website. It’s usually a keyword or a few words with a hyperlink in a paragraph of a blog. When people click the underlined text, they will get redirected to your site.

For backlink building to work, you must carefully pick relevant and high-traffic websites that will create search engine optimized content using essential keywords related to your practice. Then, hyperlink one instance of that keyword, usually the first instance of it, to your webpage. There are several potential sources of backlinks. It does require an ongoing and dedicated effort. Professional and experienced teams can handle the dental office seo efficiently.

How do backlinks work?

Google constantly crawls web pages to map the content in their index and determine how relevant it is to online searchers. Through crawling, Google’s algorithm identifies how to rank pages related to a given keyword search.

When a search engine crawler discovers a backlink, it goes to the other website to see your website’s relevance and authority on a given topic. If the bot determines your website has relevant and authoritative content, your rankings for related keyword searches can increase. When this happens hundreds or thousands of times, you can move up in the search engine ranking positions (SERPs) for key phrases related to your practice.

In a survey by SEO Powersuite, 72% of digital marketers who specialize in SEO agreed that backlinking boosts a website’s position on Google’s SERPs. Due to the natural way people search for information, the higher your website ranks on Google, the more people are likely to click on your website, especially if it’s on the first page.

Ranking highly on Google for keywords relevant to your healthcare practice is critical. With an estimated 1.7 billion websites on the Internet, a study by Ahrefs reported that 90% of online content receives no traffic from Google because it doesn’t rank high enough in the search results. 

How can potential patients learn you’re one of the best dentists in your city? Or how will they know you’re the perfect lactation consultant for moms learning to nurse their infants? Or you’re an experienced general practitioner who takes several different insurance plans. 

Ways to backlink to your private practice website

There are several factors to consider when backlinking other websites to yours. Let’s take a closer look at three important questions you should be asking.

1. Is the website relevant to your practice?

While the number of websites from backlinks can boost your Google rankings, it’s equally as vital that each is of the highest quality. A backlink from a website that lists local businesses isn’t likely to help boost your position on Google for relevant keywords searches like “best podiatrist in Manhattan.”

You want websites to backlink to you if they’re related to your practice. For instance, if you’re a pediatrician, getting a link on a parenting blog would be valuable. If you’re an orthodontist, getting a link on a professional organization can help boost your ranking, if the page has the right content.

2. What content can they backlink to you?

Simply having a link from a business directory isn’t enough. Although medical SEO services are necessary for every website, the specific webpage you’re linking needs to do this:

• Include content on its webpage that is relevant to your private practice and the healthcare service(s) you provide.
• Contain the specific keyword for which you want to rank higher on search engines.
• Link their use of your desired keyword to your website.

Great examples of getting backlinks are from blogs. A guest post of a medical condition you treat or a specific treatment modality you offer is a good match.

3. How much traffic does the referring website receive per month?

The purpose of backlinking is to show Google that you are providing relevant and authoritative content on a certain subject. Also, for your site to get more traction and leads.

You want backlinks from websites that Google finds relevant and authoritative. One of the biggest ways Google determines this is by how much web traffic the referring website receives. 

Let’s say one of your patients has a personal blog and posts about their satisfaction with an eye exam from your optometry practice. Sure it’s thoughtful, but if the blog is only read by their small circle of family and friends, the backlink isn’t going to have a large impact on your Google rankings. 

Onsite optimization for your medical practice

Other than backlinks, your website needs to be optimized to provide the best user experience (UX). Google evaluates different factors to ensure people find what they need when they visit your site. Some factors to consider include:

• Page load speed – Your site should load fast without impacting the usability of your information. Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool to measure how fast it loads. Your mobile score should be 50 or higher, and your desktop score at least 80 for optimal impact on your search rankings. 
• Mobile-friendliness – While checking load times, ensure your site is mobile friendly. It should work well on smartphone and tablet devices, along with desktops.
• Navigation and UX – Make sure it’s easy to find the info on your site. Your navigation should be clear and consistent throughout the website. 
• Keyword optimization – Include keywords in your content related to what you want people to search for, so they find you. While Google doesn’t put as much emphasis on keyword optimization in 2020 as they did in 2000, it’s still important to indicate what your site is about. 

SEO is an ongoing process

Google and its competitors are constantly changing their algorithms and the order in which they rank content. Backlinks are a journey, not a destination. You’ll reap the benefits down the road.

Backlink building is one of the most essential medical SEO services that your private practice needs to boost your website traffic. Having a professional website and the right SEO will help take you to the next level. Pronto Marketing can help with both.