As a podiatrist, knowing how Google finds your website can give you the advantage when it comes to finding new patients. According to Google itself,
Google’s ranking systems are designed to sort through hundreds of billions of webpages and other content in their Search index to present the most relevant, useful results in a fraction of a second.
Today we’ll be going over a bit about how Google Search works, and how results are ranked. Knowing this process of how your website is found can give you ideas on how to adjust your marketing and ensure that you show up higher in search results.
User Intent
A term we often hear is “keyword”, which basically refers to the phrase or query a user types into the search bar. Generally, these queries are categorized into three types: Informational, Commercial, and Transactional.
| INFORMATIONAL | COMMERCIAL | TRANSACTIONAL
|
Definition | User has a question or problem | User is considering a transaction | Ready to make the transaction |
Example 1 | What causes plantar fasciitis? | Plantar fasciitis treatments | Podiatrist near me |
Example 2 | What does a podiatrist do? | Podiatrist reviews | Book Podiatrist appointment |
For obvious reasons, you should focus on the “transactional keywords” category because these search queries will result in users becoming your patients. For best results however, consider having pages on your webpage that can help Informational and Commercial intent users to help you cast a wider net.
Relevance of Content
Once a user enters a keyword, Google will analyze the content of your webpage and assess whether it contains information that might be relevant to what they are looking for. This is where having relevant pages on your site becomes important!
If your webpage contains the same keywords that users are looking for, or answers the query/problem they are searching about, then it signals Google to show your page in the search results. The more podiatry-related information you have throughout your site, the higher your chances of having something relevant to what people are searching for.
Be sure to feature what makes you unique on your website. What makes you stand out from the rest of the competition? What are you known for? Whether your practice is well known for treating a specific foot condition, has exceptional customer service, or has access to special equipment.
If you’re interested in knowing what people are searching to find you, fill out a contact form with your website address and the subject "SEO Keywords" and we will send you a report of the keywords that your website is ranking for.
Quality of Content
Having quality content that keeps users interested not only boost your keyword rankings, it will eventually lead to more patients booking appointments with you. According to Google,
Our system identifies signals that can help determine which content demonstrates expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
How a user interacts with your site and how long they stay after clicking on your site in the search results are good indicators that you are what they were looking for! This is a good signal to Google that you are an established expert on the subject.
For example, if most of the patients that you treat all have a certain foot condition, consider having a page on your site that talks about treatments, products and testimonials for that specific condition. Then when people search for information about or treatment of that condition, Google will be more likely to show your website.
Conclusion
Now that you know how Google Search works, you are better equipped to optimize your site for better search rankings! Take advantage of the search algorithms to ensure that your site appears in peoples' searches and you'll have no trouble getting more patients.
At Forward Motion, we want to work with you to grow your practice and provide quality custom orthotics your patients will want to wear! If you have any questions about how to grow your online presence, please feel free to contact us.
