CPEU ARTICLE 1
Build Your Brand Using SEO E R I N D EC K E R MS, RD, LDN, CDCES GUEST AUTHOR
Have you ever wondered how websites get their articles and pages to show up on Google? When you search for a topic, you see the same site pop up time and again. Clearly, they must know what they’re talking about. Getting your content to show up on search results is an impactful way to grow your brand and reach. But how do you make that happen? It seems like writing and developing good content would be all it takes. This is certainly a step in the right direction. However, there are a few critical steps that are essential to get your content to show up on page one. These steps are known as search engine optimization (SEO).
WHAT IS SEO?
SEO is a strategy of building and structuring your website, pages and articles in a way that allows search engines to understand your content.1 This is important so that search engines can in turn provide your content to the user searching for the information.
HOW CAN SEO HELP BUILD YOUR BRAND?
Surveys show that at least one-third of patients are finding their healthcare practitioners online.2 Optimizing your website can allow your site to show up when a user searches for a provider. Even if a potential client finds you through a third party, such as an insurance network or a friend, having a web presence can build trust and allow clients to learn more about you and your approach.
Generally, more recent content ranks higher than older content. Complete regular audits and update your content to ensure that your posts remain relevant. That being said, SEO is a balancing act of regular posting while making sure the content is high-quality.
WHAT MATTERS FOR SEO?
Search engines (primarily Google) are getting better at understanding what users are searching for.3 In order for your website and content to show up in Google, there are steps you need to take to optimize your website and content so that the search engines can “read” your content, rank it against competitors and ultimately direct users to your site. What matters for SEO is constantly being updated and changed. This may feel overwhelming, but it is actually a good thing. The goal of the search engine is to connect users with the highest-quality content that accurately matches their needs. Your goal is to deliver this. The factors that have the biggest effect on your search rank include:
In a nutshell, SEO gets eyes on your brand. Assuming you are already creating content for marketing purposes, incorporating SEO principles can help your content go even further without significantly increasing your time investment.
y High-quality content with regular updates
SEO is important for both online businesses and brick-and-mortar offices. If you have an online business, SEO can help increase and diversify your reach. By producing high-quality content that readers are searching for, you can drive traffic to your site, connect with potential clients and drive them to your offers. Higher traffic also means greater potential for brand partnerships and ad revenue. When you consistently show up in readers’ search queries, you are establishing yourself as an expert in your niche and building awareness around your brand.
y Overall user experience, such as mobile friendliness, site speed and ease of use
y Proper use of headings and keywords that meet the search intent y Established expertise, authority and trustworthiness on the topic you write about
y Technical factors such as site structure and organization
START A BLOG
Simply having a blog is a great strategy to increase your reach. Regular posting tells the search engines that your site is relevant, upto-date and includes expertise in a given topic. Consistency also tells the search engine how often to “crawl” your site or check it for new content.
OPTIMIZE NEW AND EXISTING CONTENT
Quality over quantity reigns! You can enhance your existing blog posts by making proper use of headings and keywords and incorporating images, links and figures. This is a great starting place if you already have a backlog of content and you are just getting started with SEO. Keep these factors in mind with all new content as well.
USE HEADINGS
Ideally, your posts would be structured with several headings and subheadings. This helps the search engine understand your content. It also makes for a better user experience since it makes for easy skimming and organization.
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