Last month, I told you about one of my favorite tools to find keywords for your veterinary practice website: Google’s Autocomplete function. It’s completely free, easy to use (it takes about 5 seconds), and it can provide very valuable information for improving your practice’s searchability online.
If you’re just starting, you might enjoy reading about SEO basics, and Google Autocomplete as an SEO tool.
And if you’re ready to take your SEO knowledge further… today, I have a couple more resources you can use to find valuable keyword information.
Why should you care about SEO?
Because, by incorporating the right keywords and phrases into your veterinary practice website, you can help clients find you. Remember, nowadays most searches for businesses are conducted online — especially when it comes to the Millennial segment of the population (who tend to be very dedicated pet owners!).
So, it’s important that you make it easy for clients to find your hospital or practice online.
And considering that effective SEO can really save you money on advertising — by helping your practice naturally appear toward the top of the search results — spending time on your practice’s SEO strategy can really pay off!
But, it all starts with having the right keywords or key phrases…
So, without further ado, here are some more places you can find those helpful, magical keywords…
Free and easy-to-use SEO keyword tools:
Again, don’t forget about Google’s Autocomplete function. See the link above if you need a reminder on how to use it, and how it can help you.
In addition, check out:
Go to one of these websites, type in the topic you want to write about, and see what suggested phrases pop up!
Let me go back to an example I’ve previously used — the phrase “dog dental cleaning”…
Here’s a screenshot from Answer the Public, where you get a nice looking list of questions that people commonly search for regarding dog dental cleanings.
Now, your job is to be the one to answer those questions for them! And include that information on your practice website.
Forums as a keyword resource:
By scanning forums for pet owners — and seeing which topics are most commonly discussed — you can choose which topics and questions may be valuable as keywords for your website.
It can be especially helpful to look at LOCAL forums — because, that’s where pet owners in your city or state will be discussing concerns and questions about their pets. Common topics might include things like nutrition and pet diets.
Do an online search for local pet groups, or search Meetup.com.
Data from your own veterinary practice website:
As valuable as all the above tools are… sometimes, it’s personalized information that can really deliver the best results.
With that in mind, remember the value of data from your own website.
The most common way to find this information is via Google Analytics. But, there are other tracking tools out there, so see what you’re most comfortable with.
This resource is so valuable because it’s all about what’s happening in regard to your own site. So, it can tell you exactly how clients found you (i.e. which search engine they used, or whether it was from Google reviews or Facebook, etc.). And, it can tell you exactly which keywords they used when they searched for you.
This is valuable in terms of knowing where you get the most bang for your buck with your marketing dollars. It’s also valuable in terms of letting you know exactly what YOUR clients are searching for.
For example, maybe you live in Florida, and fleas are a more common problem there than they are for pets in Colorado. Your analytics will let you know that there are a lot of potential clients searching for solutions to fleas — giving you a chance to include that information on your website, and maybe even write a blog post on that topic.
That will help clients find you online. It will also show them you’re an authority on the topic.
So how do you find and interpret your analytics?
If you’re tech savvy, you can do it yourself. You’ll just have to link up your practice’s website to Google Analytics, or another tracking service.
Another option — one which may be preferable — is to have your web developer do it for you.
Some tips for all of these strategies…
Here, I’ve given you some tools to find the best keywords for you… But, remember, keywords are just information. It’s how you use that information that will make a difference.
In upcoming posts, I’ll let you know more about how to USE those keywords you just found…
But for now, here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:
***Remember, different forms of the words still count.
For example, “how to feed your dog so they lose weight safely” will be just as effective as “weight loss for dogs” (i.e. it’s OK to say “lose weight” rather than “weight loss”). Google is smart enough to recognize your intention here.
***Also, be sure your writing sounds natural. Don’t try to “stuff” in so many keywords that it’s difficult to read.
Try reading your page out loud. If it sounds natural when you speak it, then that’s a good rule of thumb that it’s also readable on the page.
***And finally, remember to include your location information.
You’ll want to find clients in YOUR city. So, including your city/location on your website will help them find you!
You’ll hear from me again next month with some more tips on WHERE ON YOUR WEBSITE to use those keywords you just found. In the meantime, post any questions below! Or, contact me here.
Wishing you lots of luck with your veterinary practice website!