When it comes to search engine optimization, keywords are integral to building a successful strategy for channeling greater traffic to your medical website, and eventually greater conversions. Keywords are needed not just for content optimization, but also for web page optimization, social media profile and updates optimization, branding, directory listing and even offline marketing.
So let’s see how you can maximize keyword potential in these and other areas of marketing:
Content
Keywords and content are synonymous. Content is one of the foundational ingredients of any SEO plan.
- Relevant keyword phrases, the ones people actually use to search for the products/services you offer, can be used to develop content around. Keywords can be those relevant to your area of healthcare or medical product or service. You could also create quality content focusing on your readers and then find the keywords suiting the content best, and use them in the content wisely.
- You can also use tools such as Google AdWords Keyword Planner to look for keywords with the most performance potential and relevance, and then create topic ideas with those suggested keywords which will help drive more traffic from organic search.
The idea behind all this is to ensure you create content – in your web pages and your blogs and article submissions – that your prospective customers or patients are really looking for online.
Web Page
Optimizing web pages involves designing the entire website for better ranking in the search engines. Relevant keywords need to be added and meta tags edited. Your page’s title tag, meta description, image filename, first paragraph on the page, content and Alt text must contain target keywords used naturally. All your website components need to be optimized so that the site is accessible to search engines, and there is a greater chance of search engines indexing it.
Social Media Profile
Your social media profile is the key to improved visibility. The use of target keywords can enable optimization of your important profile and page elements for greater visibility. Here are a few steps you can take:
- Ensure that you have your keyword phrase in the “Short Description”, “Long Description” and “Category” sections of your Facebook page, and that they can be edited in the “About” tab of your page.
- Ensure that your bio in your Twitter and Instagram profiles contains the keyword phrase, while your Pinterest profile must have the relevant keyword phrases in the “About You” tab.
- In your Google+ profile you must have the relevant keyword phrases in your introduction, tagline, skills and occupation section. Keyword phrases should also be present in the introduction and category sections of your Google+ page.
- With your LinkedIn company page, relevant keyword phrases should be present in the company description, specialties, and industry section, and in the job title, skills, professional headline and other sections of your profile.
When we talk of adding keywords, we don’t mean stuffing them but coherently and judiciously using them. Stuffing keywords amounts to spamming and does not result in better ranking.
Social Media Updates
The status updates you post in the social networks need to be optimized as well. Appropriate keywords or keyword phrases must be present in your primary status updates. This contributes to your updates being found in search results within social networks and in Google.
Branding
Branding is a necessity for hospitals, physician practices and medical products manufacturers. Your prospective customers need to get a strong brand awareness of your organization. Keywords help here as well. All you need to do is identify a keyword phrase which defines your brand clearly and then use it online and offline. Using the right keyword phrase helps develop your brand. Identify the keyword phrase that clearly distinguishes what you offer, and use it in your marketing efforts.
Directory Listing
Keywords must not be used in the same way as in the days before, when directory submissions were aimed at securing as many links as possible. It is important to earn links using keyword-optimized anchor text, but relevant keywords must be searched on Google and you must use website directories ranked above your site in the search for website linking. Identify niche directories most appropriate to your practice or business.
Identifying Guest Posting Opportunity
Guest posting provides you with greater exposure to the audience you target. Keyword relevance is of ultimate importance here. Your bio must not consist of over-optimized anchor text. Smart tools such as BuzzSumo and Impactana can enable you to view sites with the most number of socially shared posts matching your keyword and those that are really being followed by your target audience.
Email Subject Line Optimization
Don’t forget to ensure that the subject line of the emails you send to customers has relevant keywords. This contributes to your mail appearing high up in the search results within the email account inbox when the respective users search for it sometime.
UTM Parameters Tracking
With UTM parameters (tags you add to a URL), your keyword usage in ad campaigns can be tracked. If you create an ad on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest or other networks UTM parameters can help you discover if the ad targeted a specific audience, and also the keyword phrase that resulted in the particular audience being targeted. This will give you the idea to create variations of your ad to target other kinds of audience. Google Analytics can then be used to determine which of the keyword phrases attracted the largest number of clicks from the audiences you targeted.
Offline Marketing
Keywords significantly help in offline marketing as well. Use keywords in your business cards, hospital or business brochures, and flyers. Mention the specialties you serve or the services you offer on your business vehicles also. All these can attract the random individual who could well be part of the audience you target. It increases your conspicuousness and builds your brand since people out there know exactly what you offer.
With the right keywords at hand, you have the tools to build up a strong marketing campaign. With the aforementioned steps, you lay a strong foundation. A reliable digital marketing agency could help your hospital or medical business here, if marketing seems vast and intimidating for you.
