8 Ways to Optimize Your On-Site SEO
Did you know that 75 percent of internet users don’t go past the first page of search result pages (SERPs)? Or that modern search engines have a greater focus on relevance when generating search results? That’s where on-site search engine optimization (SEO) comes in handy.
On-site SEO involves updating your website elements for higher ranking on SERPs. It enables search engines to browse your site easily and index the pages. Indexing refers to gathering, processing, and storing webpage data for quick retrieval.
As a result, search engines interpret your website content and determine what is relevant based on search intent. Your website receives high-quality traffic with potential leads for your business.
Here are eight proven ways to boost your medical SEO.
1. Optimize Title Tags
Webpage titles appear in the head section of a website. They are like the title of a book, so they must be intriguing to pique the target group’s interest.
Title tags give people an idea of what to expect on your webpages when they open the associated links. They are also helpful to the bots that navigate your site to determine content relevancy.
Best practices for writing title tags include:
Start with Keywords
Title tags are highly successful when you put in the keywords you want to rank for so long as they sound natural. Try to place the word or phrase toward the beginning of the title.
Title Tags Below 60 Characters
Keep your title tags between 50 and 60 characters because that’s what Google usually displays on SERPs. If you exceed this limit, the reader might not see some essential parts of the title.
Create Unique Titles
Various webpages usually have different content, so you should differentiate them accordingly. If you use generic titles, the search engine can change them to a version relating to the page contents.
Use Action/Transaction Words
Action words or verbs instruct the reader to take action, which entices website viewers to click through. Examples of action words suitable for titles include get, try, buy, learn, go, make, boost, etc.
Avoid Stop Words
Stop words are words that search engines like Google ignore, like a, the, with, and, but, on, etc. Avoid them whenever possible.
End with Your Brand
It’s advisable to end your titles with your business name, especially if you’re trying to attract potential customers. If you’re a famous brand, this strategy can increase your click-through rates tremendously.
2. Optimize Meta Descriptions
A webpage meta description is a brief description of the page that appears below the webpage title in SERPs. The text can also feature on social media posts that share the webpage.
Meta descriptions can be any length, but Google displays only the first 155 to 160 characters. Try to be as descriptive as possible without exceeding this limit.
How Meta Descriptions Boost Webpage Performance
A well-crafted meta description serves as an ad for a webpage on SERPs and social media feeds. The content can compel internet users to click your link. If you clarify that the page satisfies the search intent for a given keyword, more users will visit the page.
Increased click-through rates due to great meta descriptions, in turn, boost search engine ranking. Frequent clicks on a link inform search engines that the webpage is relevant to users, improving its rank on SERPs.
3. Optimize Your Copy
Website content must be relevant to the audience and search engines. If you get it right, your webpages will rank high and attract scores of prospective customers. It can give your business a competitive edge.
Here is how to create SEO website copy:
Natural Keyword Use
Besides using your most important keyword phrase in the title tag, be sure to use it in the first sentence. Repeat the keyword and or its variations several times throughout the page.
Avoid keyword stuffing, or the content won’t sound realistic. The page will have a negative user experience and potentially hurt your ranking. Strive to remain informative, engaging, and relevant in natural prose.
Long-Form Content
Studies show that top search engines like Google favor long-form content in search rankings. Keep your copy in the 1400-1600 words range. Ensure the post is in-depth and offers value to the readers. That’s what drives organic traffic and shares on social media platforms.
4. Align Content with Search Intent
Understanding why internet users would be searching certain keywords helps you to create content that satisfies the need. Google’s interpretation of search intent has evolved. The search engine knows what a searcher wants to see based on the search terms.
An informational search describes a person seeking to find answers or more information about a topic. Google assumes that people research before purchasing. Thus informational pages rank higher than product pages. Use words like why, how, ways to, top 10, etc. when responding to informational intent.
Navigational intent involves a searcher looking for a particular website. It’s a popular search when a person cannot recall a website address. Sample search terms would be ‘webupgrade’ when looking for the WebUpgrade website.
The last one is transactional, where a prospective buyer intending to purchase something searches the internet. Words such as buy, discount, sale, deal, or just a product name indicate a transactional intent. They target searchers who are likely to buy.
5. Publish Fresh Content
We can’t agree more with Bill Gates when he says content is king. However, some of the blog posts you published a few years ago might not be relevant to your audience today. Keeping your web content fresh is vital.
Consider pushing out a new post at least once per week to keep your site up to date. It helps your website and SEO in the following ways:
Loyal Visitors
One reason to set up a website is to keep your audience informed. If you regularly post valuable and captivating content that matters to the readers, they will keep coming back. You capture their attention and loyalty, giving you more conversion opportunities.
Better Site Ranking
Search engines are constantly looking for recently published content to index. Therefore, releasing fresh content regularly gives the bots a reason to visit your website frequently. You get better chances to heighten your ranking and click-through rate.
6. Ensure Site Usability
Usability in SEO means the ease of using a site or a website’s user-friendliness. A good website should have easy-to-read content. Users should be able to complete tasks effortlessly.
Another vital aspect is accessibility, which enables users with different ability levels to interact with your website. For instance, a visually impaired person should access the same information any other person enjoys.
Importance of Accessibility
An accessible site enables visitors to consume the available information regardless of factors like disability. It eliminates the frustration people with some limitations get when they can’t use a given system. It’s worth noting that website inaccessibility lawsuits are on the rise, sometimes resulting in hefty fines.
7. Site Mobile Responsiveness
A whopping 63 percent of Google searches in the United States originate from mobile devices. Have you thought about how mobile users interact with your website? Do they have to zoom every page to view its contents?
In 2015, Google updated its search engine algorithms to include mobile compatibility as a SERPs ranking factor. Further, about half of mobile users switch to a competitor’s site after a horrible experience on a given website. Therefore, a mobile responsive website design is a must-have.
Benefits of Mobile Responsiveness
A responsive website has a layout that seamlessly adjusts to different screen sizes. It increases your reach to customers with devices with virtually all screen sizes.
Viewers get a consistent experience, whether they’re using desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. That promotes lead generation, conversions, and sales.
Since you only need to maintain one website, you save time and resources for content management. You also perform tracking, analytics, and reporting in one place.
8. Website Speed Optimization
Poor site performance due to slow-loading pages drives visitors away. According to the search engine journal, webpage speeds affect the purchasing decisions of about 7 in 10 consumers. Other studies show that 37 percent of internet users leave when your website takes up to five seconds to load.
Google interprets slow sites or webpages as not meeting searcher intent, which hurts your ranking. Further, the poor user experience of a sluggish website increases your bounce rates and reduces session durations. These factors contribute to fewer interactions with prospects, hence decreased conversions.
There are many speed optimization techniques, including image and file compression, browser caching, and reducing redirects. Google also recommends avoiding or reducing JavaScript blocking when possible. An experienced developer can define the bottlenecks to your site speed and remove them.
Medical and Dental SEO Services
Would you like to increase your qualified traffic and drive more conversions through your website? WebUpgrade is a digital marketing agency that can make your practice more profitable through world-class SEO.
We assess how people discover your services and your website’s user experience before optimizing it for your business goals. Our team employs result-driven web design, SEO, and pay-per-click campaigns to accelerate your site performance. We have our own proprietary plugin specially engineered to optimize your site.
Let’s chat to learn how we can help your practice.
