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5 Actionable SEO Tips
With a new year just around the corner, it’s time to begin thinking about your SEO roadmap. Google is continually revamping its algorithm to make searches more local based, so it’s important to update your strategy accordingly. Several SEO industry leaders recently came together to develop a list of what they believe are the most important Local Search Ranking Factors.
Based off of that, here is a breakdown of five things you can implement to boost your local search ranking.
- Complete your Google my Business profile – Google My Business (GMB) is your online profile through Google that allows you to post your business hours, photos, and reviews for the public. The SEO team will work with you to claim or set up your business profile. With access to your GMB, we can help you update your information as it changes and sync your profile with our citation management service. We encourage you to add photos, videos, Q&As, and posts to your GMB profile.
- Reach out to your community connections – It is important to create a lasting network within your community, and the same goes for your digital community. Link building is when you actively work to increase the number and quality of inbound links to a page in order to demonstrate your connections to different businesses or organizations in your surrounding area to Google. Acquiring hyperlinks from other websites (like social media platforms such as Facebook, for example) will not only naturally transition potential patients into your website, but will also allow search engines to gather sufficient information about your practice. Begin by making a list of business and organizations you are currently working with in your community. Do you have a link on their page to yours? No? Start there! You can find more ideas on link building here.
- Don’t forget to ask for reviews – Reviews are an important step in your SEO strategy. Potential patients want to hear about the experiences of existing patients because it helps them ease their fears about seeing a doctor and helps assure that their needs will be met. When you have a positive experience with a patient, encourage them to leave their feedback on Google. Reviews are a win-win for your practice. Not only will they help persuade potential patients, they will also allow Google to index relevant keywords based off of your patients’ experiences. Encourage your patients to be a detailed as possible about the treatments they received at your office.
- Content is king – Unsurprisingly, custom content is key for great SEO. With any business, you want potential clients to see what sets you apart from the rest of your competitors. With your Sesame SEO service, we provide custom content surveys that you can fill out based on services your practice provides. This allows you to send us all the personalization that we need to rewrite your website content and help you stand out. We recommend taking advantage of this tool by sending over a content survey once a month to the SEO team!
- Engage with your patients – Let’s not forget about social media. Staying connected with patients is a great way to build your online presence. Whether you choose to manage social yourself or use our Sesame Social service, you will definitely want to stay active! Start with posting at least once every other week and be sure to make those posts personal. Did you have a birthday celebrated in the office? A new smile your patient is proud of? Let patients see that you are more than just the service you provide.
Let’s get started! The SEO team will continue to implement these strategies but your help will make all the difference. You know your practice’s brand and your patients better than anyone else. Adding that extra personalization that only you possess will really help your SEO soar! Don’t hesitate to reach out to the SEO team if you have any additional questions.
We look forward to working with you on your 2019 action items and are wishing you and yours a very Happy Holiday Season!
—Aliah Rasmussen, SEO Specialist, Sesame Communications