Search engine optimization is more than just a marketing buzzword; it’s crucial to your practice website getting found by potential patients searching for a provider. Search optimization strategies, which include creating a mobile-responsive site, optimized content, among many other tactics, provide huge ROI… just not overnight.
Due to Google and other search engines’ complex and ever-changing algorithms, reaching peak SEO performance requires a little patience. Why does SEO take time from tactic implementation to results?
Here are some reasons:
Search engines take time to re-crawl your site.
Once you launch a new optimized site, new title tags, modules, and pages for Google to recognize and update. Whether you’re launching from a brand new domain or your site has been around for ages, it can take up to six months before search engines have fully re-crawled a website, and even longer for a brand new domain with no prior search engine authority. The good news is that when your optimization does start getting you results, your growth rates results will build exponentially.
Google rewards doing it right (read: patiently).
Many marketing campaigns stuff content with keywords or set up manipulative link building, which Google sees as either temporary or “spammy.” That kind of marketing is inevitably penalized for being a bad user experience and actually drops in search rankings. When you build a site with deliberate internal and external linking, along with quality content and rich web profile optimization, you’re ensuring sustainable results. This is rewarded by search engines because they stay consistent over time, making Google mark your website as trustworthy. This honest, above-board optimization will deliver a ranking boost that’s sustainable.
Web profiles and links to your website are still developing!
It takes time for profiles and links to your site to populate and then to be counted by search engines. Even though your website launch comes with 70+ optimized profiles across the web, a handful of those web profiles take more time to update, such as healthcare directories and Google My Business verification. Part of having an all-encompassing online marketing solution requires working with these various platforms, and the reward of having consistent information across the web for both patient and search engine clarity is worth the wait!
Don’t like waiting?
You can always accelerate optimization, depending on how much time and money you want to invest. There are many ways to boost your SEO, including blogging, social media, Google and social advertising, and more, which can bridge the gap while you’re waiting for your website to gain authority in search engine rankings.The value of running paid search campaigns or posting to social media is that they help build momentum — and can result in exponential, rather than steady growth.
