When I ask my clients about their goals for hiring a medical copywriter I hear a lot of common themes. They want to build a broader patient base, promote a new service, or establish authority in their niche to name a few. These are all good reasons to hire a copywriter who specializes in your industry.
Building strong, relevant content can help support all these goals. Whether that is through an updated website, blogs, or off-page SEO. Having copy that speaks to your audience is critical.
What may not be as critical, is ranking #1 in Google.
I know, that sounds crazy!
My clients frequently ask me what they need to do to reach the #1 spot in Google. But reaching the #1 ranking in Google for a high-volume keyword can take a ton of time and money.
For example, let’s say you wanted to rank #1 in Google for the keywords naturopathic doctor. Thousands of web pages that have been around for decades use these keywords. These would be very difficult to compete against. But, if you wanted to improve your rank for the keywords naturopathic prenatal care you face less competition. It could still be very difficult to reach the #1 spot. But, there are fewer competing pages and websites that Google will compare you to.
Don’t get me wrong, ranking #1 for your main keyword isn’t a silly goal. Your Google search engine results placement can still be a strong indicator of how successful your SEO efforts are. But, you can still reap many of the same benefits of the #1 spot without actually being there.
So before you give up, let’s break down a few of the reasons why you don’t need to rank #1 in Google. And what you can do to improve your ranking.
Why You Shouldn’t Try to Rank #1 In Google
Ranking for a high-volume keyword in your industry can take weeks, months, or even years. Not to mention a lot of money. Also, trying to compete against the Google algorithm is virtually impossible. Google makes changes to its search results algorithm every day! Yep, every day! They strive to provide you with the answers you need as quickly and efficiently as possible. Because of that, it can be very difficult to reach that coveted #1 ranking.
Here are a few other reasons why you shouldn’t try to rank #1 in Google:
Holding the #1 spot in Google search results does not actually guarantee you the most clicks.
That seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Most people think of the first result as the one that is most relevant to our search. Yet, research has indicated that the first page of results only sees about 49% of the traffic for the searched keyword. Positions on the second page of results still receive about 22% of the traffic.
Paid and local listings push organic traffic down.
Over the past few years, Google has changed the layout of the search result page. Now the paid listings and local listings blend together with organic traffic. Also, paid and local listings appear first in your search results. For many keywords, this may mean that only eight or nine organic search results show on the first page.
Don’t worry about this too much. People are starting to catch onto the placement of these listings. They are starting to skim past the paid listings to look for more relevant, organic results.
Google is providing its users with instant answers.
Have you noticed that when searching for something in Google there is a dropdown box with questions other people have asked? These boxes provide brief snippets of data to help directly answer your search question. They are great when you are looking for a quick answer. But, fewer people are clicking on the organic search results because they have received an instant answer.
How To Improve Your Google Ranking
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to tell you that you shouldn’t try to improve your Google ranking. Or, that improving your SEO is pointless. Quite the opposite in fact. Google is the most popular search engine site. So if you want your business to be found on Google you have no choice but to focus on improving your SEO.
Don’t get bogged down in the Google algorithm changes or the amount of traffic your site receives. Instead, focus on these five ways to improve your Google ranking.
1. Build Authority
Building authority means demonstrating that you are a thought leader on specific topics. And, that you have boiled those topics down into consumable, easy-to-understand communications.
You don’t want your readers to need a medical degree to read your blog or understand your website. Instead, build authority by providing a fresh perspective that is supported by scientific research and your experience.
Review your website, blog, or other patient communication with fresh eyes. Is it easy to understand? Have you updated it recently? Have you published new content in the last week or two?
2. Longtail Keywords
Ranking for shorter keywords can be incredibly challenging. No matter how many keywords you pack into your copy it may not help as much as a longtail keyword does. Longtail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that your clients are searching for.
Longtail keywords are typically three or more words long and help to specify what the user is looking for. Visitors use longtail keywords when they are closer to a point of action (like scheduling an appointment). An example of some longtail keywords for functional and naturopathic providers may include naturopathic providers near me, naturopathic medicine for anxiety, or what does acupuncture treat.
3. Content Matters
Your website and online messaging are the front doors to your practice. A great website or an interesting blog can’t replace a patient’s time in your office. But, content and ideas matter! Copy can help you turn patients into raving fans, build a list of followers, and build the practice you’ve been dreaming of.
My general rule of thumb is that you should review your website once per quarter. Ensure that it still represents the latest information, services, and message about your practice. Also, regular blogging can help to keep your site fresh and relevant. I recommend sharing a new blog at least twice per month. Four times per month will accelerate your SEO and help establish your authority more quickly.
4. Build Backlinks (internal and external)
Building backlinks is so much easier said than done. This should be a long-term goal.
A backlink is a link to another area of your website or when a website of authority links to your site.
Internal backlinks can be relatively easy to build. Linking within your website to your services, contact, or blogs will do this.
External backlinks need relevant, established businesses to link to your content. You can do this by partnering with a local business on a blog or reaching out to magazines or bloggers to share your material.
5. Focus on Relevant Metrics
When you begin to dig into your SEO and website ranking, it is very easy to get lost in the sea of metrics. I always recommend that my clients leverage Google Analytics to measure their SEO and online marketing efforts.
But be warned, it’s easy to get lost in metrics like website traffic. While traffic to your website is great, it doesn’t tell you anything about your visitor. Instead, I like to drill down on leads, conversions, and click-through rates. These data points tell me more about how my content was used. If the content led the visitor to action, and what type of content might be helpful in the future.
So now what?! Focus on continuous improvement. You may not see an overnight jump in your ranking. You may never reach the #1 spot for your ideal keywords. But, you can establish your authority in your niche and build a booming practice.
Feeling stuck, frustrated, or lacking the time to keep your SEO activities going? That’s where I can help! As a medical copywriter, I can help you break free from writing blogs or help you design a website that clearly articulates who you are. Bonus, I specialize in helping functional and naturopathic providers!
Drop me an email at julie@jbryantagency.com or schedule a free consultation to learn more.
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