You have a veterinary clinic. You have a website. You’re running social media ads. So why isn’t your website ranking higher on search engines like Google? 

Standing out against the competition can seem overwhelming, but making sure your website is optimized for both users and search engines — a.k.a. search engine optimization (SEO) —  is one way to boost your practice’s ranking online.

What is SEO?

At its core, SEO is making your website (and digital marketing strategy) as user friendly and successful as possible by:

• Creating and sharing high-quality content
• Reviewing your website traffic and find out how users got there
• Making improvements to your site

Creating and Sharing High-Quality Content

Search engines analyze your website users’ behaviors to determine the quality of your website and your ranking online, which means if you create content that grabs the attention of your audience and answers their questions, Google will rank your website higher.

Use Video on Your Website (and Your Social Media)

Facebook and Instagram have been encouraging video content for years, and everyone loves animal videos.

If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time to create brand new video content all the time,” you’re not the only one that’s come to us with that thought before.

Your video content doesn’t need to be brand new.

You can use old blog or email content, you can make informational videos about what veterinarians do during check-ups, or even do a tour of the clinic. The opportunities are endless.

Does that sound interesting to you? Here are a few extra pointers to make your video content stand out online.

• Add captions to your videos.
• Make your videos short (30 seconds or fewer) and to the point.
• Eliminate outside noises when possible.

Video Marketing with Your Phone

Write and Share Blogs

Blogging about your business gives your readers a peek behind the scenes, showing some of your fun company personality.

You can blog about your company culture, share which exciting events are going on, and remind your readers about what you can do for them. (Here’s more on how to start a blog for your business.)

And once you write a blog article, share it with your readers! Post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Instagram, or wherever you have time and are engaged with your clients. 

Content promotion plays a vital role in a successful web content strategy — but it’s one many veterinary clinics don’t prioritize. Keeping a well-maintained and active social media presence can help you stand out from the crowd.

How Often Should Your Business Post on Social Media?

Reviewing Your Website Traffic and How Users Get There

If you don’t know how people found your site or what people are doing once they get there, you don’t know how you can make their user experience better or how to help more people find you more efficiently. 

Here are three free tools we recommend all businesses use for their website.

Google Analytics

The first thing you need is Google Analytics set up on your site. Google Analytics (which marketers may call GA4, since that’s the newest version) lets you see what your users are doing on your website. Some examples of things you can see in GA4 include:

• Website Traffic: The amount of people who visit your website.  
• Conversion Rate: A percentage that measures how many users click on an ad or form and follow through to your website.
• Keywords: Words that people use to find what they’re looking for online.
• Bounce Rate: A percentage that measures how many users only view one page on your website.

Google Analytics GA4 Setup Package

Google Search Console

After setting up Google Analytics, you should connect your site to Google Search Console and find out what your website’s most popular organic (non-paid) search queries are. With Google Search Console, you have access to other tools that can:

• Create and optimize your website content.
• Show you more about how Google views your website.
• Notify you of any issues that come up on your site.

Google Business Profile

When you search for a business, a Google Business Profile (GBP) is the free online listing that shows up on Google’s search results page. It lets you manage reviews and see insights about people visiting your site — as well as give searchers information about your business, like store hours, directions, and customer reviews.

It doesn’t cost you anything to get started or show up online. And your profile listing will also show up on Google Maps, so people can get directions quickly to your clinic.

Everything Auto Dealers and Small Businesses Need to Know about Google Business Profile

Making Improvements to Your Website

Making your website easy to use is a must when it comes to keeping your Google ranking high and getting new eyes on your website.

Add Easy Links to Commonly Used Pages

When users visit a site, most look for links to schedule an appointment or see what services you offer. Make sure it’s easy for them to find what they’re looking for by including links or buttons near the top of the page.

Make sure your site’s navigation — or the dropdowns that are usually at top of most sites — is optimized for the pages you want people to go to when they visit your site. Having too many things in the navigation can be confusing, so deciding where you want people to go and making it easy for them to get there is important.

Feature Client Testimonials on Your Website

Research shows that approximately 95% of consumers read reviews and testimonials online before they spend their money, whether that’s through Google or from your website. 

Especially in the healthcare field, people want to know how visitors felt about their experiences and services. If you have a long-term client or a new visitor tells your receptionist that they had a particularly good experience, take note of that and add it to your website. You should also link to your Google Business Profile reviews.

Not only does it give your potential clients more insight into your business, it adds a lot of credibility to your website and services. (Remember, 95%!)

Create Staff Profiles

Staff profiles, paired with a testimonial page, are an awesome way to help your users get to know your business. It adds a more human touch to your clinic while also giving a face to a name for your clients.

Sharing fun facts about your employees (hometown, favorite animal, etc.) helps people feel more connected to your business, lending trust so that users are more likely to visit your practice.

Marketing ROI Packages: Don’t waste your budget.

How Do Your Veterinary SEO Metrics Stack Up?

If you’re ready to set your organization up for SEO success, our team of experts can help you take your website to the next level and boost your ranking on Google.

Whether you just need help getting Google Analytics set up or you want to partner with us to boost your clinic online, we can help.

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