Search engine optimization can be a tricky business, but the reward is well worth the effort! From carefully crafted meta descriptions to extensive keyword research, there are dozens of strategies that can help you create a strong foundation for organic search results. But if everyone understands the importance of search engine optimization, how can you hope to stand out?
The answer is simple: industry-specific SEO!
Why do I need industry-specific SEO?
Great question! Many business owners assume that all SEO is created equal. While there are some general best practices used by all businesses, the truth is real success happens when you look beyond universal ranking factors. Search engines are constantly evolving as they attempt to show users the most relevant content. By capturing the nuances of searches within your vertical, you can differentiate your business from the competition.
Industry-specific SEO can benefit almost every business, however, there are four verticals that statistically receive the greatest return on investment. These industries are legal, healthcare, plastic surgery, and retail. If your business falls into one of these categories, these tips can help you compete!
Law & Order: Ethical Legal SEO Tips for Your Firm
Across the legal industry, more and more firms have begun to invest in digital marketing. Even legal support services now dedicate a budget for SEO, although defense attorneys and personal injury attorneys still make up the bulk of active marketing efforts. Although all this competition sounds daunting, you could still generate enormous ranking increases with a few small tweaks to your SEO strategy.
First, consider which cases generate the highest profits for your firm. Next, assess the difficulty of ranking for keywords relevant to those cases. (Unless you’re incredibly lucky, you’ll probably face some stiff competition!) Often, this is where law firms abandon their marketing efforts. Those who do are missing out on an incredible revenue opportunity. You need to take things one step further with keyword mapping!
Keyword mapping is the process of optimizing pages based on “keyword intent”. Each keyword has its own ‘intent’. For example, some keywords are used for discovery or information. They are more general and less likely to generate leads. The keywords that you need to look for are often called “money” keywords because they represent the words or phrases people search for when they are serious about obtaining your services.
After you’ve identified your money keywords, you can focus your effort on dominating the SERPs for those terms. With time and patience, your organic reach will grow tremendously, leading to increased revenue and long-term traffic.
Customer Care: Patient-first SEO Strategies for the Healthcare Sector
The quality of your service is critical to patient retention, but visitors to your website cannot experience it for themselves. This means that you have to generate constant traffic to remain competitive. Furthermore, you’ll need to offer highly relevant content to secure conversions.
If you’re unsure where to begin, assess your biggest competitors. What are they doing that works? It’s never a good idea to plagiarize, but it helps if you know which tactics are effective so that you can incorporate them into your own unique strategy. As you’re building this strategy, keep in mind that you need to present a cohesive brand identity.
Your brand identity is a critical component in patient acquisition, but it’s just as important for SEO. When you’re representing your business across platforms, you need to project consistency. Search engines look for consistency in details, such as your business name, your address and your phone number. When these details are inconsistent, it creates a red flag that could make it more difficult for you to rank in the SERPS.
Lastly, don’t neglect your professional reputation! Be sure to take ownership of your directory listings, such as those on Yelp or Google My Business. These listings allow you to respond to customer reviews and connect with your audience. Negative reviews and outdated business information can make you less likely to see organic traffic. By taking ownership of your digital presence, you can create the stability Google is looking for while establishing a foundation of trust with prospective patients.
First Impressions: Authentic Plastic Surgery SEO Guidelines
If you’re a business owner considering plastic surgery SEO, it may help to think of the process as the digital equivalent of preparing a resume! Prospective patients are essentially “interviewing” practices when they search for services. Effective SEO will help you communicate your credentials and rise above the competition.
As you’re creating content, keep search engines in mind. Google doesn’t just look for lengthy paragraphs, it also considers images when determining ranking. Take the time to create galleries of past work and include testimonials from the patients you’ve photographed. Galleries are engaging for viewers, and they have the added benefit of providing social proof. By demonstrating your history of success, your business will appear credible and users will be less likely to click away.
With plastic surgery SEO, you also have an opportunity to address the psychological barriers to purchasing your services. This requires a deep understanding of your consumers. For example, some prospective patients may be concerned about the quality of your work. To reach those patients, consider integrating plenty of testimonials on your site. Using rich snippets, you can even help Google understand the reviews and incorporate your star ranking in the SERPs. Small SEO changes like this could be the difference between a new lead and a lost acquisition opportunity!
Add to Cart!: Retail SEO that Drives Sales
Whether your sales are exclusively online or in addition to a physical location, retail businesses with an eCommerce component can give themselves an enormous advantage with SEO. When you have hundreds or even thousands of product pages, it’s absolutely critical that you follow site structure best practices.
Clear and consistent site structure shows that your business prioritizes communication with both users and Google. If you frequently update your product listings, those updates need to be reflected in the site structure. This will increase the likelihood of your business appearing in organic searches.
Let’s say that you’ve discontinued a product or you’re only offering an upgraded model. In this case, you’ll need to create 301 redirects from the old listing. This tells Google (and consumers who may be looking for the product) where to go to find the information they’re looking for. When you just delete a page without creating redirects or adding a 410 status code, it creates confusion for both algorithms and visitors. By investing in retail SEO, you’ll create a better experience for your users, which in turn drives revenue.
The Final Statistic on Getting Specific
At the end of the day, industry-specific SEO can be a bit more time-consuming, but it produces impressive returns! Over 93% of online sessions begin with a search engine. When you employ the strategies listed above, you’ll increase your chances of appearing in the SERPs. Moreover, you’ll start off 2019 with increased brand awareness, higher traffic, and positive consumer opinions!