Search Engine Optimization

What is search engine optimization (SEO)? Why is search engine optimization so important? And, why does SEO matter for doctors and healthcare websites? These are questions I get asked at least weekly, if not daily. So, I’ve made a few videos about SEO, and I’m sharing this SEO video with you right here on the blog. (There are more on my Facebook page and YouTube channel.)

SEO is something that more and more doctors are starting to think about, and for good reason. Search engine optimization helps search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo understand what your website is all about. It’s the way the internet knows what to serve people when they type something into the search bar. The order in which things show up (after you type something into the search bar) is not random; it’s based on a sophisticated and complex algorithm that is always learning (and therefore always changing). Without SEO, your content is almost invisible online. It won’t show up on the first few pages of search engine results, and therefore people won’t find you or your content online when they are searching for answers or expertise on a topic.

Note that this is disinct from when a person is actually searching for you by name – when that happens, they are indeed likely to find you, although they may not find what you want them to see unless you’ve done a bit of work on your professional audit and digital footprint. Your online presence is absolutely actionable – you have more control than you think. But, I digress.

In this video about SEO, I’ll tell you how search engine optimization actually works. To understand that, we’ll start with how search engine algorithms work. Finally, I’ll tell you what you can do – a few action items to improve the SEO for your website or podcast or You Tube channel. And if you’re ready to take it to the next level, be sure to check out free ways to get real SEO insights directly from Google.

How do you actually optimize your website? There are a couple of ways you can influence your position in that algorithm. In a simplified view, SEO is based on two things: keywords and user interaction with those keywords. This video will help you understand the actions that are most important for optimization.

To learn even more, grab my free SEO cheat sheet that will tell you exactly what to do – and what not to bother with unless you have tons of extra time to kill. 🙂