Search engine optimization, basically put, is an incredibly powerful tool to grow your business by getting your site to the top of Google and other search engines’ result pages. Be at the top of those pages, and you’ll get more clicks, more visits, and more customers. It’s one of the most effective things you can do to expand your business in a landscape where consumers frequently look online for answers. But knowing you want SEO done is only the first step, you have to figure out how to pick the right agency to perform it and what you want out of it. These are the steps to finding the right medical SEO services for you.
1. Know What You Want
While seemingly obvious, you would be surprised how many people are unsatisfied with SEO services because they don’t receive the results they envisioned. If you hire a company without having a clear impression of your own goals and what the medical SEO company specializes in, can potentially hinder your entire marketing campaign. Your biggest goal ideally will be getting your site to rank on the first search page, as 0.78% of Google searches click on results from the second page. You need to know what you want to perform and if the agency you’re looking at can deliver. These are the common SEO services you’ll probably be looking at:
- Voice SEO
- Link building
- SEO-optimized content marketing
- Local SEO
- Ecommerce SEO
2. See What Others Think
In the age of easily accessible online reviews, you would be remiss not to check sites such as Google, Glassdoor, etc., to see people’s opinions on the available medical SEO services. Make sure to delve deeper than a quick Google search, though. Results may be skewed due to certain companies paying to appear higher, and it’s not always apparent to the visitor. You want to diversify your search, and see if different platforms have a consensus on that agency’s performance. For example, a 5-star company on Google may have a Facebook comment section filled with unsatisfied customers, so it pays to be thorough.
3. Research Their Procedures
Different medical SEO companies will have different methods for tackling SEO tasks. There’s no set in stone, universal standard to rely on, but the dependable SEO agencies will often inform you about their process and how it has performed in the past for former clients, plus whichever fields they tend to specialize in. For instance, certain SEO companies utilize a series of case studies to demonstrate exactly how they revamped each site and the results it brought in. This not only shows you the company’s SEO results, but their professionalism, having arranged these displays of their talents for you to easily research. A good starter point to look at is their keyword approach. Keywords are vital to SEO, yet 92.42% of keywords get ten or fewer monthly searches.
4. Get Familiar with the Team
Medical SEO services rely on a variety of people for effective SEO to take place. There’s strategic ideation, account management, organization specialists, writers, etc. It’s good to know what the agency’s team looks like and what their dynamic is with each other and eventually with you. Every agency communicates and relies on customer input differently. If you want to have a strong influence on your product, you want an agency that will actively incorporate your feedback. Consider asking the team:
- How well-versed are you in medical jargon?
- Are you familiar with legal considerations that need to be taken into account when promoting products or services?
- Are you experts in the field or will you rely on our guidance?
5. Ensure They Stay on Trend
SEO optimization undergoes constant changes to match the rapidly evolving consumer environment and technological innovations. This is especially true within the last five years, where new algorithms were designed to combat the formerly abysmal 55% click rate on Google searches. So, you want to make sure your medical SEO company keeps up with all of these changes and can then successfully adapt. In the digital world, trends are everything. Trends affect rankings, traffic, and more, which may not seem like much on the surface but will still impact your business. The easiest way to see if a company can keep up is to research their executive, who is likely to share observations in blogs or social media. This is what’s called thought leadership, and is a good indicator the agency knows what they’re doing. Keeping up with the market is a tricky task, you need an agency that can handle it.
6. Inquire About Their Contracts and Rates
Different medical SEO services conduct business differently. Some may bill you by the hour or the word rate. Others are contract-based, allowing for a more comprehensive overhaul. But like any other contract-based business, it’s important to know how restrictive these contracts can be, or whether the agency is overcharging in general. After all, you’re looking for a service that will ultimately help grow your business, not bleed it dry in the process. Of course, that doesn’t mean settling for the cheapest option. There’s always a balance to be made. But ensure you know all the fees you’re going to be liable for, and whether they’ll be worth it.
7. Book A Consultation
Don’t commit yourself to a deal without having a dedicated meeting beforehand. Any medical SEO company worth their salt will be happy to talk to you one on one and give you the best impression of themselves they can. This is not only beneficial to see their processes upfront, but is a natural way to start a dialogue that lets you know if this company suits your needs. More importantly, you can verify if they have the right skills for the medical SEO industry. Agencies aren’t jacks of all trades, you need to know they specialize in what you’re looking for.
Stay Organized and True to Your Goals
Choosing the right medical SEO service for you may not be the easiest task. Ideally, you want your agency to have compatible goals, good reviews, proper procedures, a great team, and an up-to-date leader. That isn’t always easy to find, and you may have to make compromises along the way. But that’s okay, because as long as you do your proper research and have a clear, reasonable set of goals, then finding the right SEO agency is definitely within reach. So don’t be intimidated by the myriad of available SEO services. Put in a little work, and you’ll find the best option for you.