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Search Engine Optimization

Digital Marketing in Healthcare: Why is SEO Important?

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So, you have a website… You secured your hosting, built or had a site built for you, and now you can start raking in the traffic, right? Easy peasy!

If you own a website, you have most likely heard of search engine optimization, or SEO. You may even have 3rd party marketing companies whispering in your ear to try to sell you on a grand package that “guarantees” a certain amount of traffic per month for this many dollars. My favorite are the ads I see on social media that say if you put this specific thumb drive in your server, you will turbo charge your traffic, and not have to do anything else.

Simply put, SEO does not work that way, and any company that tells you that it does probably does not fully understand SEO themselves. SEO is a long game, and when done correctly and consistently it can produce results that can set your site up for success to become an authoritative leader in your site’s subject matter. This is done by analyzing your site from a technical standpoint, extensive research into your content, keywords, and website structure; then building a strategy which includes both on page and off page optimization.

You might ask yourself, “how does SEO specifically affect my business?” Having a comprehensive digital marketing plan that includes search engine optimization can make or break a business in this day and age. Here are a few questions to consider when thinking about how SEO impacts your practice:

Why is SEO becoming more important in hearing healthcare?

As we all saw in the “unspeakable year” 2020, having a strong digital presence has become increasingly important. Particularly in the hearing healthcare business, hearing tests and hearing consultations can be performed online in a digital setting. Being out front and leading your competition in the SERPs (search engine results pages) builds trust and in turn, drives more patient leads and eventually leads to lifelong patients.

How does SEO translate into sales?

SEO translates into sales by driving hyper-relevant traffic to your website via content users that are searching for care in your direct area and niche specialty. We achieve this by analyzing your keywords and content vs. your direct competitors and building out a content strategy to fill in the gaps and eventually overtake any competitors. We drive users to these pages through organic search which contain calls-to-action and links to other relevant content on your site. This leads to building trust, and eventually conversions.

What are some actions I can take to help increase my rankings?

In order for your website to be crawled regularly by search engines, the first step is to assure that your site is in good shape from a technical standpoint. This includes performing a full technical audit of the code that makes what you display and correcting any errors. Always be on the look-out for any “4xx” errors. Once this is completed and maintained, the next steps are to research and plan your content. Adding unique relevant content, often, keeps your site fresh in the SERPs, and always being crawled. Another important and often overlooked step is maintaining your N.A.P. (Name, Address, Phone) check across all public citations (Google Business, Apple Maps, Bing Maps, Yelp, etc.).

I like to imagine a website as a house. You have the framework, the walls, the décor, the contents… but none of that would stand a chance without a good solid foundation. SEO is that foundation to lead to steady, hyper-relevant traffic that converts naturally or “organically.”

At CQ Partners, extensive SEO is done for every member that signs up for our Iris package. We take the time to go over every detail of your site regularly to assure your performance will make you the digital leader in your area, which can then translate to traffic in your practice.

 

About the Author

Byron Lapola

Byron Lapola is a Web Analyst and CRO/SEO Specialist on the CQ Partners Digital Team. He is passionate about utilizing the ever-changing digital landscape to serve our member practices and help people hear better. Byron joined CQ Partners with over 11 years of experience as a Content Director and Director of Digital Marketing in the automotive retail space. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his daughters, cooking barbecue foods, and playing and recording music. As a musician, Byron has a unique appreciation for the importance of hearing healthcare.