Your patients are searching for you online. In today’s digital age, patients are more likely than ever to turn to the internet when seeking health information and medical services. As a result, it’s crucial for medical practices to have a strong online presence in order to attract and retain patients.
With 77% of all health inquiries starting at a search engine, and 72% of internet users looking for health information online in the past year, having a well-optimized website, an accurate Google My Business listing, and relevant, up-to-date information can make a significant impact in attracting potential patients and establishing a trustworthy reputation.
In this post, we’ll explore why and how your medical practice should prepare for the increasing trend of online health inquiries through voice search. By preparing for voice search, medical practices can stay ahead of the curve and ensure that they are easily discoverable to patients searching for health-related information online.
While the majority of patients searching for information on the web still trust search engines the way people search for information online is changing. Increasingly, people are using voice search on their smartphones, tablets or voice assistants to search for information on the internet – yet another compelling reason to make sure that your site is optimized for mobile!.
With the increasing use of virtual assistants and other voice search devices, people are able to search for information hands-free and in a more natural, conversational manner. This shift towards voice search makes it even more important for medical practices to optimize their websites for mobile devices and ensure that their content is optimized for voice search queries, using clear and concise language, conversational tone, and schema markup to give search engines more information about the content on their site.
How people are using voice search
In research carried out by BrightLocal, consumers were asked how they used voice assistants and voice search for local business. The top three most demanded voice search functions involve finding restaurants, grocery stores, and food delivery, with clothing, accommodation, and medicine following closely behind.
The Voice Search for Local Business Study also revealed that 46% of voice search users use voice search to find local businesses daily.
How to optimize your website for voice searches
In essence, voice searches are largely about answering questions, not about focusing on individual keywords. SEO is fast becoming AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation). When people talk to their voice assistants, they don’t form their inquiries the same way that they do in typed search queries. Rather, they tend to ask conversational questions, for example, “What’s the closest dental clinic to me?” instead of “dental clinic near me.”
5 ways to optimize your website for voice searches
- Use conversational language: People use natural language when using voice search, so it’s important to use conversational language in your website’s content to match this style.
- Optimize for long-tail keywords: Voice search queries tend to be longer and more specific, so it’s important to optimize for long-tail keywords that match the questions people are asking.
- Make sure your site is mobile-friendly: A large percentage of voice search queries come from mobile devices, so it’s important to make sure your site is optimized for mobile and easy to use on smaller screens.
- Utilize schema markup: Schema markup is a type of code that provides additional information to search engines about the content on your website. This can help search engines understand your content better and provide more accurate results for voice search queries.
- Improve website load times: Voice search users expect quick results, so it’s important to have a fast-loading website that can quickly provide the information they’re looking for.
With the majority of health inquiries starting at a search engine and the increasing use of voice search, having a well-prepared website is a crucial aspect of any successful medical practice’s marketing strategy. By implementing these steps, medical practices can make sure their website is optimized for voice search and easily discoverable to patients looking for health-related information online.
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