The 21 Veterinary SEO Tips Every Practitioner Should Know
Updated: Nov 1, 2023
Did you know that 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine? This means that 93% of pet owners are likely turning to Google or a similar search engine to find the best vet near them. If that’s the case, then you’ll want to appear at the top of organic search results.
One effective way to do this is to invest in veterinary SEO (search engine optimization). However, there are a number of factors that go into effective SEO campaigns. So, we’ve made it easy for you. Follow along for the top 21 SEO tips every veterinary practitioner should know.
1. Understand Your Audience
Yes, your audience is pet owners, but what other identifiers can you use to understand what kind of content to create for them? Ask yourself:
What kinds of pets do they have?
What are their biggest concerns when it comes to their pets?
What are their age, income, and education level?
Once you have a clear understanding of your target market, you can start to create content that resonates with them.
2. Optimize for Local Veterinary SEO
As a veterinarian, one of the best ways to market your business is through local SEO. By optimizing your site and content for local search, you can attract more clients who live near your practice.
Namely, this means optimizing your keyword list to include local business search terms such as “veterinarian NYC” or “vets in NYC.” Be as local and specific as possible if it makes sense.
3. Look for High-Intent Keywords
When people are looking for a new veterinarian, they’re usually looking for something specific. For example, they might search for “what to do if my dog is acting lethargic” or “emergency vet open now.”
These are known as high-intent keywords, and they’re exactly the kind of keywords you want to target with your technical SEO efforts. Not only are they more likely to produce website visits, but they’re also more likely to result in conversions.
4. Create Relevant Content for Pet Owners
When pet owners are researching online for information about their pets, they want to find content that's relevant to their specific needs.
To create that kind of content, start by identifying the most common questions they are searching for answers to. Then, create content that directly addresses those questions.
5. Keep Users on Your Website Longer
One way to improve your organic SEO ranking is to ensure visitors stay on your site once they’ve reached it. This means that, after you create relevant content, load it with images and videos to break up the text.
Ensure that your website is also easy to navigate so that users can find the information they're looking for quickly and easily.
6. Optimize Your Site Structure
A well-organized website will help search engines index your pages more effectively, making it easier for potential clients to find you.
To do this, focus on organizing your vet website content into logical sections. This will make it easier for both search engines and visitors to find the information they are looking for. Then, use keyword-rich titles and descriptions for your pages.
7. Include Keywords in Meta Titles
One way to optimize your veterinary website for search engines is to include keywords in your meta titles. Meta titles are the text that appears at the top of a web page, and they help to identify the content of the page to search engines.
When choosing keywords, try to focus on phrases that potential clients are likely to use when searching for a veterinary clinic. For example, you might use keywords such as “veterinary clinic,” “pet care,” or “animal hospital.”
8. Ensure Meta Descriptions Are Optimized & Clickable
One of the most important vet SEO tips is to ensure that your meta descriptions are optimized and clickable. Your meta description is the short blurb of text that appears under your website's URL in the search results.
It's important to make sure that this text is keyword-rich and accurately reflects the content of your site, as it can play a big role in whether or not users click through to your site.
9. Learn How to Write Engaging Titles
Learn how to write titles that are both interesting and informative, and you'll be well on your way to optimized veterinary content. After all, a great title is one of the first things that potential readers will see, so it's important to make a good impression.
Focus on keeping your titles short and sweet. Then make them attention-grabbing. Use strong verbs and active language to grab attention and create intrigue.
10. Use Correct SEO Title Lengths
It's important to make sure that your title is both accurate and attention-grabbing. Unfortunately, many veterinary websites make the mistake of using titles that are either too long or too short.
Use correct SEO title lengths: Your title should be no longer than 60 characters, including spaces. Any longer than that and it will be cut off in search results, which can make it harder for potential clients to find your site.
11. Improve Your Content With Related Keywords
When you use related keywords, you are more likely to show up in search results for those terms.
In order to find the right words, you can use a variety of tools, including Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Google Trends. These tools allow you to input a seed keyword and receive a list of related keywords.
Another method is to simply Google your seed keyword and scroll through the results. Related keywords will often appear in the title or meta description of the results.
12. Use a Readability Analysis Tool
A readability analysis tool can help you identify which words and phrases are most difficult for your audience to read and understand. You can then adjust your content accordingly, using simpler language that will be more accessible to your readers.
This is especially important when it comes to SEO, as using complex or jargon-heavy language can make it difficult for search engines to properly index your content.
13. Learn the Skyscraper Technique
One way to improve your rankings as a veterinary practice is to learn the skyscraper technique. This involves finding popular content related to your niche and then creating even better content.
A few easy ways to do this include adding more up-to-date statistics, expanding on certain points, and providing helpful infographics that answer more questions than the competitor’s article.
14. Optimize Your Google My Business
Optimizing your GMB listing ensures that your business information is accurate and up-to-date, which not only helps improve your chances of being found in local search results but also helps ensure that potential customers can easily find and contact your business.
15. Speed Up Your Website
Fast load times create a good user experience, which can lead to higher levels of engagement and conversions. Additionally, search engines consider site speed when ranking pages, so a faster website is more likely to appear higher on the list.
So, speed up your website! You can do this by optimizing images, compressing files, and deleting pages you no longer need.
16. Delete Zombie Pages
Any page on your website that is no longer active should be deleted. This includes pages with 404 errors, pages that have been redirected, and any other page that is no longer relevant. Delete these pages to improve your SEO.
17. Practice Great Internal Linking
By linking to other pages on your site, you are not only helping Google index your pages more effectively but also giving users a better experience by providing them with more information.
When link building, be sure to use keyword-rich anchor text so that you are also helping to improve your site's ranking for those keywords.
18. Create Content That Attracts Backlinks
This means publishing high-quality, informative articles, blog posts, infographics, and other forms of digital content that other websites will want to link to.
Not only will this help to improve your website's visibility, but it will also position your practice as a trusted source of information on animal health.
19. Optimize Your Images
When optimizing your images, be sure to include keywords in the file name and alternate text so that search engines can easily index them, as well as make sure that they are the right size and format.
20. Try Guest Blogging
Guest blogging involves writing articles for other websites in exchange for a link back to your website.
This is a great way to get exposure to your veterinary hospital website and attract new clients. It also helps build relationships with other businesses in your community.
21. Use Google Search Console to Measure Results
Finally, make sure you’re measuring your results and progress! You can use a tool like Google Search Console to do this. It’ll let you see how often your site comes up in Google results, and what keywords people are using to find you.
Use this information to tweak your strategy and make sure you're targeting the right vet search engine optimization terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find SEO experts to help me with search engine optimization for my practice?
There are a number of ways to find someone to help you with veterinary SEO. You can search online, ask for referrals from other businesses in your community, or look for online directories that list veterinary SEO service providers. A veterinarian marketing agency will often offer technical SEO services as well.
We recommend working with SEO experts in the industry so that you can be sure the strategies are up-to-date on the latest veterinary trends and marketing best practices.
What is the best Veterinary SEO strategy?
The best veterinary SEO strategy is one that is tailored to your practice's specific needs and goals. It should be considered an important part of your practice's marketing toolbelt. Some common veterinary SEO practices include optimizing your website for local business search, creating informative content, and link building.
Is Veterinary SEO worth it?
Yes! Veterinary SEO is an important component of your marketing strategy to attract more clients to your practice, which can lead to increased revenue. Veterinary SEO is also a long-term investment, so it's worth it to put in the time and effort now to reap the benefits down the road.
How long does it take for Veterinary SEO to work?
The results of your SEO efforts will depend on several factors, such as the competitiveness of your keywords, the age, and authority of your website, and how much effort you put into veterinary SEO practices. However, it's important to remember that SEO is a long-term strategy, so it can take months or even years to see results.
Can I do SEO for my veterinary practice myself?
Yes, you can and there are many resources available to help you learn the basics. However, it will be time-consuming and you may not have the same success as someone who specializes in veterinary SEO.
Hiring a veterinary SEO specialist or a veterinarian marketing agency will give you the best chance for success and ensure that your time is spent running your business.
Conclusion
Veterinary SEO is a powerful tool that can help you attract more local clients to your practice. By following the tips in this article, you can improve your website's visibility in search engine results and position your veterinary practice as a trusted source of information on animal health.
Ready to build out a winning content strategy? DVM Elite can be your go-to partner for quality veterinary SEO, website development, logo design, social media marketing, and digital strategy. Get in touch to start a conversation about your vet SEO needs.
