Consumers depend heavily on local searches to find necessary products and services, and healthcare is no exception. In fact, 77 percent of online health seekers begin their journey on search engines.
While universal local search best practices generally apply across industries, health providers need to understand key differentiators in their local space and craft strategies that help patients easily access the care they need.
Search in the Health Industry
It’s Personal
Healthcare is intrinsically linked to well-being, happiness, and quality of life. Thus, websites offering medical information fall into a Google category called “YMYL,” or “Your Money Your Life.”
It’s Held to a Higher Standard
YMYL pages can affect a user’s happiness, health, financial stability, or safety, so Google demands that these websites adhere to more stringent quality standards. This requirement became prominent during the Medic update of August 2018, which appeared to target health and wellness websites based on their expertise, authority, and trustworthiness.
It’s Complex
Medical organizations are multifaceted, providing diverse treatment services that vary across locations, departments, and specialties. Marketers must leverage digital assets to enhance patient understanding and make care more accessible.
How to Create a Patient-First Local Strategy
An effective local search strategy is crucial in assisting patients to evaluate alternatives and make informed decisions on where to get the best care.
1. Choosing a Service Line to Optimize
The first step in refining a local search strategy is to identify where to begin.
Who is more likely to rely on local search for decision-making?
- A patient needing a heart transplant?
- Or a college student with flu-like symptoms?
To identify promising areas for local search, prioritize service lines based on organic performance and business objectives.
Business Goals
- Which service lines align with our business goals?
- What are the organic conversion rates for these services?
- How would improving these rates impact our business?
Organic Performance Metrics
- How much organic traffic does this service receive?
- How many clicks does it generate?
- What keywords does this service rank highly for?
- What keywords are within striking distance?
- What is the search volume for these keywords?
- Can these metrics improve?
Compile a list of service lines suitable for optimization. Further evaluate which lines have the highest local intent based on:
- Immediacy of care
- Decision factors
2. Finding Primary & Secondary Keywords
Next, identify how patients search for health services. Use tools like Google Search Console and Google My Business Insights to find keywords patients are already using. Consider Google Keyword Planner or similar research tools to discover new keywords.
Organize Keywords Into Three Buckets:
- High-Funnel Keywords: Non-localized terms centered on symptoms and conditions.
- Related Questions: Questions patients might have before visiting.
- Localized Keywords: Specific searches such as by city, neighborhood, or near a landmark.
3. Analyzing Competitive Strategies
Identify and analyze local competition by considering:
- High-funnel, non-localized keyword searches
- Local 3-pack results for low-funnel, localized searches
- Use tools to benchmark local competitors and evaluate:
- Ranking comparisons
- Keyword gaps
- Competitors’ strengths and weaknesses
4. Understanding Your Audience
Utilize site analytics and first-party knowledge to comprehend your audience’s behavior by considering:
- Patients’ proactive vs. reactive nature
- Their triggers
- Returning versus new patients
- Engagement with the brand
- Technology and media usage
5. Identifying Touchpoints
Identify all the steps where patients may interact with your brand. Prioritize optimizing Google My Business profiles and local landing pages. Monitor other areas of the site and additional review sources to ensure accurate and up-to-date information.
6. Mapping the Patient Journey
Map out a typical patient’s journey by navigating the process yourself across desktop and mobile, marking each click. Identify inefficiencies and compare them with competitors to discover strategies for improvement.
7. Outlining Content Goals
Define your local strategy using insights from keyword research, competitive analysis, and audience understanding. Frame your content goals by asking:
- What are the patients’ goals?
- What actions should they take?
- Are the goals and intended actions aligned?
- How can we make the experience easier?
TL;DR
Creating a successful local search strategy for healthcare providers involves:
- Understanding the unique aspects of healthcare local search.
- Prioritizing service lines based on performance and local intent.
- Targeting localized keywords.
- Analyzing competitors for strategies.
- Understanding audience variations.
- Mapping the patient journey to find improvements.
More Resources:
- Local SEO: Improve Local Search Rankings
- Content That Will Help Local SEO
- Understanding Local SEO Importance
Image Credits: In-post Images created by the author, January 2019.
