I'm sure you've heard about SEO - it seems to be the buzzword in the world of digital marketing. In short, Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the quality and quantity of traffic to a website or a web page from search engines such as Google. SEO targets unpaid traffic rather than direct traffic or paid traffic.
Why is SEO Important?
75% of searchers never go past the first page of search results — this is why it is so essential to rank on the first page of Google.
By using tactics that improve your SEO, you will be helping to increase the visibility of your practice on Google. For example, if someone were to search "Remedial Massage Sydney", providers with good SEO will appear first.
The first five results receive 68% of clicks - so you'll want to be at the top of the search engine results!
This week, I'll be providing some insight into how to improve your SEO tactics and rank better on Google.
Top 5 tips for higher search engine results
1. Match your content with search intent
Think about what a health-conscious person may be searching for on Google, and what words they would use. Someone looking for a hypnotherapist, for example, is most likely searching with the intent to improve a specific aspect of their health. This is important to note, as you'll want to have these keywords on your website.
Take a look at these search results for "hypnotherapy for stress Sydney":
The top organic results all contain those keywords - Hypnotherapy, Stress and Sydney. Simply having "hypnotherapy" won't get you up there - it's important to include the benefits of your modality and potential clients are likely to be looking to address a specific problem area.
2. Write an engaging title and meta description
Title
According to Google: "Titles are critical to giving users a quick insight into the content of a result and why it's relevant to their query. It's often the primary piece of information used to decide which result to click on, so it's important to use high-quality titles on your web pages."
Here are some other best practices to keep in mind while creating title tags:
- Include your target keywords.
- Write a title that matches search intent.
- Avoid creating duplicate title tags.
- Avoid keyword stuffing.
- Keep it descriptive but concise.
Meta description
These are the snippets that users see when they are scrolling through Google. While these do not directly influence SEO, they can greatly impact click-through rates.
Take it straight from Google: "A meta description tag should generally inform and interest users with a short, relevant summary of what a particular page is about. They are like a pitch that convinces the user that the page is exactly what they're looking for." See this example below of an ideal meta description:
These are the best practices to keep in mind:
- Keep it under 160 characters
- Be unique
- Make it action-oriented
- Included target keywords
- Match search intent
- Summarise you message succinctly
3. Carefully choose high quality images
High quality, professional images of you and your practice may be the difference between gaining a client or losing them. Our research shows that many people find it hard to assess credibility when choosing a practitioner online, but the simple aesthetic of your website or minisite on naturaltherapypages.com.au can improve this.
Here's some quick tips to improve your images:
- Use JPEG for images, but PNG for images containing text
- Compress large images to reduce loading time. There are a few tools out there to do this for you, like TinyPNG, ImageOptim and ShortPixel.
- Provide alt-text for images. This improves web accessibility and helps browsers better understand the images on your site.
4. Use internal linking
Internal links are those that point from one page to another on your site. On the other hand, external links are ones that point to a page on another domain. Links within your content on your website give Google a better understanding of your page and can dramatically improve your ranking.
You may have informative blogs about natural health on your site that you can turn people to while they are learning about your practice. This should increase traffic to the content you want read, and in turn show your expertise and get the full benefits of your website.
5. Make UX a priority
As i've said before, It's not enough to have a website, but it needs to be enjoyable for users to navigate. It should be modern, professional and direct.
I won't ramble about the importance of user experience any more than I have before, but here are my top tips:
- Use subheadings - this helps Google understand your content better and makes your text more accessible to readers.
- Make it visually appealing - studies show that visuals help people understand your content better. Use relevant images, videos, and screenshots to illustrate your points (remember to use only high quality images)
- Avoid using intrusive popups - Popups are not just bad from an SEO perspective, but they also end up annoying your visitors. Google has been penalizing sites that use intrusive popups, use them carefully. If it is necessary for you to use them to grow your email list, display them to users who have spent at least 5 minutes on your site.
- Use white space - White space is a fundamental aspect of good design. Research shows that white space between paragraphs and in the left and right margins increases comprehension by 20%. So consider using this tactic to grab user attention.
Key Takeaway
I know that this can seem overwhelming, but unfortunately we have to play the Google "game" to help us help others. Our research shows that most people start looking for practitioners online, so your ranking is vital in gaining new clients. There is a lot of research and advice out there for building SEO-friendly websites, so make sure you are informed before diving into it.
Originally published on May 13, 2021
