How to drive revenue with healthcare SEO strategies in 2024
2024 is shaping up to be quite an exciting and successful year for healthcare organizations, but it’s going to take a little marketing and SEO magic to get there. This year, especially with the disruptive impact of Generative AI (GenAI), building and implementing a strong SEO strategy will be crucial for healthcare organizations looking to enhance their online presence and drive revenue.
Actionable SEO insights for 2024
There are always defining trends in SEO each year, but first we wanted to focus on the immediate actions you can take, starting in 2024, to drive increased revenue from SEO. These actionable insights should be part of a robust SEO strategy that includes set objectives or KPIs. However, if you aren’t there yet, following the outline below can give you a solid foundation for jump starting your SEO initiatives.
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Improve website performance
A fast, responsive website is more than a convenience—it’s a necessity. Improved website performance not only boosts SEO rankings but also enhances user experience. Google has modified its algorithm numerous times to emphasize the importance of fast load speed and intuitive design, and reward those that build high performing websites. Healthcare organizations should focus on optimizing load times, mobile responsiveness, and ensuring website stability. If you are not using it already the Core Web Vitals report from Google is crucial to understanding the current state of your website.
For healthcare organizations in particular, a responsive website stands out in a sea of convoluted sites that are difficult to navigate and find information on, let alone book an appointment. Considering that Google identified that search drives 3x more visits to hospital sites than non-search, healthcare organizations should be investing heavily in SEO and website performance to ensure a user experience that attracts and converts.
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Enhance key website pages or blogs
Revamping key website pages should be a core part of your 2024 SEO strategy to drive revenue. With over 70% of the population getting some sort of health information from the internet, there is a growing opportunity for healthcare organizations to provide relevant information. And, since we know that people hate being sold to all the time and remain skeptical about obtaining information from certain sites, updating content that already performs well on your website cab further increase your authority and reach. This includes updating content for relevance, new technologies, methodologies or advancements in treatments, optimizing for keywords, and ensuring the information is patient-centered. The goal is to make these pages not just informative but also engaging and easy to navigate.
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Curate your marketing tech stack
How do you know where to start? How can you measure the results of the actions above? The simple answer is by investing in the right marketing tech stack which should include an SEO-specific tool. Some of the most popular SEO tools include, SEMrush, Google suite, and Moz, but all SEO tools should offer comprehensive insights into website performance, keyword optimization, competitive analysis, and more. These tools can help healthcare organizations identify areas for improvement and track their SEO progress. Without tools to measure progress on initiatives or build on new ideas, you are flying blind. Take the time to invest in the tool that works best for your organization depending on your team size, goals, and budget. Most tools offer free trials which can be great for ensuring buy-in from your teams as adopting and implementing the tool as it will require some changes that may create friction at first.
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Start creating long-form content and videos
Similar to the action item above, incorporating long-form content and videos rich in valuable information can significantly boost SEO results. With more and more content being generated by AI, search algorithms are prioritizing quality content that meets the needs of the audience and goes beyond just SEO-optimized content. With healthcare in particular, there is a big opportunity for organizations to become influencers around specific topics their patients need help with. For example, dental organizations can use long-form video to detail procedures to dispel the mystery surrounding them and invite patients to take an active role in learning more about their procedure. Considering the 66% of users search for specific diseases or medical condition related information, long-form content can directly respond to those queries. To create long-form content that is relevant and converts, use your SEO tool to determine which topics are trending and for which you can provide the most value, then start creating content using those keywords and SEO best practices. If you can, get the professionals at your organization involved by including quotes or a short video. Both long-form content and facetime from professionals will go a long way towards making your brand authentic and trustworthy in the eyes of the audience.
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Engage an expert
SEO is a complex and constantly changing field. Just keeping up with Google algorithm updates can be a full-time job! If your team doesn’t have the capacity to consistently invest in SEO, consider engaging with SEO experts or agencies specializing in healthcare that can provide guidance, expertise, and implementation.
Trends in 2024 that will enhance healthcare SEO initiatives and drive even more revenue
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Using GenAI to streamline and automate processes
GenAI is revolutionizing how content is created and managed. But, let’s be real, you do not want AI writing all of your content! For your organization, you’ll have to find the best way to leverage AI for automated content creation, keyword analysis, and SEO optimization. GenAI tools can be instrumental in outlining articles, reviewing articles for SEO best practices, and more. It can take a lot of the mundane work off of your team’s shoulders and leave them more time for investing in strategy and innovations. However, never forget that you need human eyes and creativity involved when using GenAI as it is becoming increasingly obvious when AI has written a piece (hello, ever-evolving landscape).
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Website UX
User Experience (UX) is becoming increasingly important in SEO. A website that is easy to navigate, provides relevant information quickly, and offers a seamless journey from search to service will rank higher in SEO. Healthcare organizations should focus on creating intuitive, user-friendly websites that cater to the needs of their patients and visitors. This is especially true in the healthcare sector, and not just because of the sheer number of healthcare searches performed hourly (70,000), but also because the stakes are very high.
- 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile
- 71% of users will not take further action if the website lacks vital information
Perhaps 2024 is the year you perform a website audit and make sure it is optimized for SEO and mobile, boasts great UX, contains all relevant information for your organization, includes multiple CTAs, and more. If you’d like help wading through the most important parts, simply contact MDG. We specialize in working with healthcare organizations to drive revenue and help them meet their communications goals, no matter how ambitious.
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Google’s enhanced search for healthcare
Google continues to make significant strides in making healthcare information more accessible and reliable, which translates to even more opportunities for healthcare organizations. According to Google’s Consumer Health Updates, the search engine will make it eassier for people to book medical appointments, find vital information on Medicare and Medicaid, and identifying community healthcare providers offering low cost care, among other things. Following in Google’s footsteps to place emphasis on healthcare information, healthcare organizations will need to align their content and SEO strategies with these updates to ensure high visibility and relevance.
SEO for healthcare organizations is crucial to the success of an organization in a world where patients are flush with choice and obtaining medical information from the internet has never been easier. With evolving user preferences shaping healthcare SEO strategies, organizations can drive sustained revenue by focusing on website performance, leveraging modern tools, creating rich content, and staying abreast of the latest trends like GenAI and Google’s updates. Stay tuned for more content curated for healthcare organizations in 2024!