How To Approach Dermatology Search Engine Optimization

Millennials have passed Baby Boomers to become the United State’s largest living adult generation. As this generation grows older and seeks more healthcare services, providers must adapt to the way millennials seek healthcare. Almost half of millennials check online reviews, and 80% expect some type of online access to healthcare. These trends make dermatology search engine optimization critically important.

What Is Dermatology Search Engine Optimization?

Online searches are one of the main ways potential patients research medical providers. However, few searchers venture beyond the first few search engine results. This makes getting your website listed high on the first page of results critical.

Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing your online content to rank well in search engines. High rankings make it easier for customers to find you, increase brand awareness, and establish credibility for your practice.

Medical providers need to rank well not only in general searches but in local searches to get patients in their area to visit. Dermatology search engine optimization helps your local search engine rankings.

How Can You Improve Your Search Engine Optimization?

The keys to improving your SEO are identifying your target market and determining what that market is searching for that is relevant to your practice. Because most of your patients will come from your local area, locally relevant keywords are particularly important.

Keywords can include obvious terms such as “dermatologist near me.” You can also focus on related topics, such as “healthy skin” or “skincare tips.” There are a variety of techniques you can use to improve your search engine rankings for your target keywords.

Create Dermatology Blog Content

Blogs improve your dermatology search engine optimization by driving traffic to your website and helping you rank for relevant keywords. They also provide useful information to potential patients that may convert them into customers.

Write blogs on patient-focused topics, such as frequently asked questions, industry news, medical advice, and skincare tips. Use relevant medical keywords in a patient-friendly way. Other medical providers may search for industry jargon, but your patients probably will not. Use the words the people searching for your services are likely to use.

Post regularly to keep your audience engaged and provide fresh content for search engines to index. Thoroughly cover relevant topics and related subjects.

Write posts that clearly explain what you do and how you do it in a way that your patients can understand. Local SEO for dermatologists should include location-specific information, such as references to local landmarks and events and topics relevant to local readers. For example, a dermatology clinic in Arizona might write about the effects of dry air on the skin.

Refresh Older Content

Some medical information stays the same for many years. Other information may become out of date as new techniques, research, and technology emerge.

Out-of-date content can give readers the impression that your practice is out of touch with modern medicine and decrease the effectiveness of your dermatology search engine optimization. Make sure you update your older content with the latest technological advances, up-to-date statistics, new procedures, and the most recent research.

Freshness also plays a role in your search engine rankings. Search algorithms devalue content that doesn’t have any recent updates, particularly in fields such as medicine where up-to-date information is crucial.

Patient attitudes and concerns may also change over time. Make sure your content matches what current patients are looking for in a dermatology provider.

Perform Regular SEO Maintenance

You should be constantly monitoring the performance of your content so you can make adjustments where necessary. You also need to stay informed about changes to search engine algorithms that could impact your rankings.

Check for links that no longer work and edit or remove them. Too many broken links will drive down your rankings and frustrate your visitors.

When medical terminology or jargon changes, go through your old content and update the medical terms you use to reflect current terminology. Be sure to also update your metadata and alt tags as needed.

Audit Site Content

In addition to performing ongoing maintenance, periodically audit your content to identify problems and opportunities with your dermatology search engine optimization. Search engines particularly scrutinize the accuracy of medical content.

It is important to check all of your content for accuracy to avoid loss of reputation, potential lawsuits, regulatory compliance violations, and lower search engine rankings. Make sure your content complies with HIPAA privacy laws.

Other factors you should check for include:

• Underperforming pages
• Outdated information
• Proper keyword usage
• Mobile-friendliness
• Page loading speed

Use the insights you gain through the audit process to improve your SEO practices.

Build Backlinks

Backlinks are links from other sites to content on your site. Search engines rank pages with backlinks from authoritative sites higher than those without.

You can encourage backlinks by creating useful, engaging, and shareable content. When the content you produce provides value to readers, other related sites will naturally want to link to it.

You can also boost your backlinks by building relationships with local businesses, other medical providers, and community members. Share your expertise by guest posting on relevant sites.

Include external links to credible pages in your content. Some of those pages may choose to link back to your site. Avoid linking to sites that provide misleading information or make unverified medical claims.

Use Social Media

Most of your potential patients are on social media. Sharing your content to popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram, can help build your audience.

Focus on engaging content such as educational blogs and skincare tips. Share patient testimonials and success stories. However, don’t make your social media all about you. Also share content from other creators and businesses that is relevant to your audience.

How BKA Helps With Dermatology Search Engine Optimization

Our dermatology search engine optimization specialists can help you increase your traffic, boost your sales, and improve your rankings for your target keywords. We offer a variety of useful SEO services for practices and marketing agencies. Choose from monthly, managed, or self-service SEO writing services to obtain a steady stream of high-quality, SEO-optimized content for your site or your clients without having to produce it all yourself. Take advantage of our white hat link-building services and marketing strategists to take your content to the next level. Learn more and get started today.