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Digital Check-up: Explaining SEO in Healthcare Terms

By December 11, 2014No Comments

Digital marketing professionals are always looking for new ways to explain the benefits of search engine optimization (SEO), what it takes to be successful in online marketing, and how to convince stakeholders that SEO is a worthy part of the marketing strategy. Our tech and healthcare marketing agency offers a new perspective on SEO in this blog post.

The Initial Evaluation

When you visit a healthcare provider for the first time or for a new condition, their job is to give you a complete, comprehensive check-up. Your doctor will look for signs and symptoms of any infections, suspicious lumps or spots, and monitor your vital signs. Only then can they recommend the proper course of action for your health, whether it’s a prescription or referral to a specialist.

Similar to a doctor’s office visit, an initial SEO audit conducted by a professional, experienced agency will detect any major issues with your website or potentially harmful link building strategies performed by a previous marketing “professional”.

As patients, time often gets away from us. We get busy with family, work, and other responsibilities. Sometimes we even neglect our health. While it can be a bit embarrassing to visit the doctor after many years of unhealthy living, it is vital to your wellbeing that you don’t put it off any longer. The same goes for your website and SEO. Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve neglected your website, or if your SEO is built on an unhealthy foundation. Be open and honest with your new SEO doctor so they can recommend the best care plan to nurse your website and business back to health.

Diagnosing the Disease, Treating the Symptoms

Just as your doctor searches for the root cause of your symptoms to provide a sound diagnosis, so too should your SEO agency search for the underlying issues preventing your site from organic search success. A physician wouldn’t throw every new experimental drug at his patient without first knowing for certain why the patient is ill. So why would you let “link builders” chase every shiny new online marketing tactic in an effort to pull the wool over Google’s eyes and sneak onto page one? Black-hat tactics may be effective in the short-term, but can have a detrimental long-term effect on your website and business, from which you may never fully recover.

Great Care Costs Money

The most experienced, well-educated and respected physicians have seen nearly every disease or illness in their field of medicine and know how to properly treat their patients. The practice of SEO is no different. The online marketing professionals with the most experience and knowledge of the field have seen countless tactics come and go, and know what it takes to achieve long-term success. We have seen the proof of what great SEO can do for a company in terms of qualified lead traffic – and have seen companies nearly destroyed at the hands of poorly executed, black-hat SEO.

The best healthcare may not always be the cheapest. Just look at your last medical bill and you’ll find this to be true. When your life is in the balance, do you choose the doctor with the best track record and most experience, or the one who costs you the least out of pocket? Exceptional healthcare costs money. So does exceptional SEO. Both can get you the results you’re looking for.

Results Take Time

Your doctor won’t lie to you in regards to your recovery time. You may be out of the game longer than you hoped, but with the right attitude and adherence to the doctor’s guidelines, you’ll be on your way to a speedy recovery.

Whether your website has been penalized by the latest Google algorithm update, or you’re just starting out in a competitive space, organic search results don’t happen over night. Competitive research, keyword planning, website optimization, and content creation all take time. Your website needs to build authority online and get established as a trusted resource in your field. With a little help from your internal team and a positive attitude, your marketing agency can do great things.

An Integrated Model

Just as you can’t go to one doctor to treat every symptom or disease you may have, your business cannot rely on SEO alone as a marketing channel. Your best chance for success is to use SEO as part of an integrated marketing strategy – one that incorporates lead generation campaigns, email marketing, web design, creative messaging, and more.

Does your healthcare or technology company need help getting found online? Contact Clarity Quest today to discuss an integrated marketing strategy that’s right for you. 877-887-7611.

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Brian Shilling

Author Brian Shilling

Brian is our Executive Vice President of Client Operations with experience leading diverse teams of marketers and designers in strategic marketing, content creation, and crafting comprehensive messaging and positioning platforms for our healthcare and tech clients. To learn more about Brian's experiences and qualifications, visit our leadership team page.

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