Healthcare Marketing Glossary

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing a website and its content to increase the quantity and quality of traffic from search engines, such as Google and Bing. SEO involves both technical and creative elements to improve a website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO can be broken down into two main categories: on-page SEO and off-page SEO.

On-page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the optimizations that are made within the website itself. These optimizations include things like meta tags, header tags, and keyword optimization.

• Meta tags: Meta tags are HTML tags that provide information about a website to search engines. The most important meta tag for SEO is the title tag, which tells search engines what the page is about.

• Header tags: Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) are used to structure the content on a page and make it easier for search engines to understand. H1 tags are used for the main title of a page, and H2 and H3 tags are used for subheadings.

• Keyword optimization: Keyword optimization is the process of including relevant keywords in a website’s content. This helps search engines understand what the page is about and can improve the website’s ranking for those keywords.

Off-page SEO

Off-page SEO refers to the optimizations that are made outside of the website itself. These optimizations include things like backlinks and social media signals.

• Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites to your website. Search engines view backlinks as a sign of the popularity and authority of a website. The more backlinks a website has, the higher it will rank in search engine results pages.

• Social media signals: Social media signals are indicators of a website’s popularity on social media platforms, such as likes, shares, and comments. Search engines view social media signals as a sign of a website’s popularity and may use them as a factor in determining a website’s ranking in search engine results pages.

SEO Best Practices

• Use keyword research tools to find the best keywords to target for your website
• Optimize your website’s content for those keywords
• Use header tags to structure your content
• Optimize your images with alt tags
• Use a sitemap to help search engines find your pages
• Use robots.txt to block search engines from crawling pages you don’t want them to
• Create a Google My Business listing and make sure your business information is accurate
• Get listed in online directories
• Build backlinks to your website
• Use social media to promote your website

SEO is a long-term strategy, it takes time and effort to see the result. It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO best practices and make sure your website is following them. When done correctly, SEO can help improve the visibility of your website in search engine results pages, which can lead to more traffic and more business.

Search Engine Optimization FAQ

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

SEO is the process of improving website’s visibility in search engine results pages to increase the quantity and quality of traffic.

How does SEO work?

SEO works by making changes to the website and its content to make it more attractive to search engines, like meta tags, header tags, keyword usage, backlinks and social media signals.

Why is SEO important?

SEO is important because it helps increase the visibility of a website in search engine results pages, which can lead to more traffic and more business.

How long does it take to see results from SEO?

SEO is a long-term strategy and it can take several months or longer to see significant results.

How can I improve my website’s SEO?

Keyword research, content optimization, backlink building, and social media promotion are some ways to improve a website’s SEO. Staying up-to-date with the latest SEO best practices is also important.

Can I do SEO myself or do I need to hire an expert?

You can do SEO yourself, but it can be complex and time-consuming, so many businesses choose to hire an expert. An SEO expert will have the knowledge and experience to optimize your website effectively and quickly.