Local SEO for Chiropractors
A Guide to Ranking Higher on Google
Improve Your SEO & Get More Patient Reviews for Powerful Practice Growth
Now more than ever, local SEO is impacting chiropractors and changing their businesses both positively and negatively. Today, immediate online access to every product and service imaginable has proven to either be transformative or detrimental to businesses – and it all depends on their Google ranking.
In fact, if someone searches for restaurants, mechanics, or barber shops, it usually involves a two-minute search to compare local businesses' reviews. Nearly half (46%) of all Google searches are looking for local information. And without ranking on search engines, your chiropractic practice doesn't stand a chance against competition.
If your practice doesn't appear on the first page of search results, you need a better SEO strategy. Here's how local SEO can make a difference for your chiropractic practice and what you can do to gain visibility in your area.
What Is Local SEO?
When people search for local chiropractors, you want your practice to show up as high as possible in the search results. But for that to be possible, you need good SEO.
SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of making your website more visible on search engines like Google.
Moreover, making sure your website's content is optimized for specific keywords and phrases can increase your chances of showing up near the top of the search results. Plus, given that most people don't look past the first page of results, it's critical for your business to sit as close to the top as possible.
But local SEO isn't just about getting more traffic to your website. It's also about building trust and credibility with potential patients. When your website appears high in search results, it conveys to potential clients that you're a reputable and trustworthy chiropractor. And if you run a smaller practice, word of mouth and reputation can make a big difference – especially locally.
Moreover, search engines are hungry for the most relevant results possible. Along with consistent and error-free information, Google's algorithm relies on many factors to determine a business's ranking:
- Local keywords
- Social media profiles
- Good internal linking structure
- Updated, informative content
- Patient reviews
And playing Google's game is worth it: Businesses on the first page of search results get 95% of clicks, driving more traffic than competitors buried in later pages.
How Your Practice Can Appear in Local Searches
First, the easiest way to appear in local search results is to include your location, phone number, and address on your website. Beyond your website, you can create a free Google Business Profile. From there, you can add your practice hours, highlight essential information, and make a better first impression.
By making your business's information visible online, it'll be easier for patients to find your practice when they search for nearby chiropractors.
Then, once you've got the basics down, look at your website's content. When marketing your practice to local patients, your website needs to include words and phrases specific to your area. Locally used terms (like city or neighborhood names) are important because Google's algorithm ranks businesses according to descriptive, relevant keywords.
Keywords are terms used in content to improve search engine results. For example, if your practice is in Los Angeles, you might include phrases like "chiropractor in Los Angeles" or "Los Angeles chiropractor" in your website's content and metadata. More specifically, if your practice is in the Century City neighborhood of LA, you should include those keywords.
After making it easier for nearby patients to find your practice online, ensure your website is suited for mobile devices. And, given the estimation of 6.8 billion global smartphone users, it's important to have a mobile-friendly website. That way, it's easier for patients to browse – and they won't give up and leave your site.
Additionally, your practice's local SEO benefits greatly from longer visits: Google favors websites that are easy to use on mobile devices because they're more user-friendly and have lower bounce rates, indicating that they have valuable content worth seeing.
Interact with Patients on Social Media Platforms
When your posts on social media platforms get likes, comments, and shares, your profiles and linked website attract more attention. This is because search engines like Google often read social media engagement. This activity shows them that your content is valuable and worth looking at.
Plus, it's a great patient engagement tool. By building relationships with the people in your community, you can drive even more traffic to your website.
Be An Authority
As you draw more patients to your website, consider the content you share with them. While including keywords throughout landing pages and bios are helpful, showcasing expert content (like blogs and case studies) can add more value and keep prospects on your site for longer. Consider posting topics on chiropractic treatment's benefits, common conditions that chiropractors treat, and tips for maintaining good spinal health.
This valuable, educational content can improve your search ranking by targeting specific keywords and phrases related to your chiropractic practice. And, because it attracts links from other websites, it can also add credibility and authority to your website – improving your practice's ranking in search results.
Get More Patient Reviews
Many customers today rely on Google reviews when deciding which businesses to visit, so reviews are invaluable to your practice's health.
In fact, more than half of consumers trust online reviews more than traditional forms of advertising, like television or radio. What's more, your responses to these reviews matter: 56% of customers say that a business's responses to reviews determine how they feel about the business.
This is why your interaction with feedback is so important. Ultimately, it sets the tone for your practice, and you're conveying to patients the overall quality of care you'll provide.
Along with gaining trust and building credibility, reviews are essential to local SEO. If your practice successfully attracts many positive reviews, your Google search ranking will climb to the top of search results. These star ratings communicate that you're a popular chiropractic practice offering quality services, incentivizing Google to recommend your practice over others – driving even more growth.
Improve Local SEO with a Software Solution
In addition to maintaining your social media pages and website content, your practice can take SEO shortcuts by implementing a software solution. With Zingit, you can optimize your online presence for local search:
- Monitor and share feedback: Respond to and share patient reviews from multiple sources (like Google, Facebook, or Yelp) from one dashboard.
- Multiply patient reviews: Automated review requests ensure you don't have to rely solely on organic reviews (which can come in low numbers). You'll also save time by not having to reach out to patients manually.
- Stream positive ratings: Broadcast reviews on your website to show new patients what everyone is saying about your practice.
Altogether, attracting patients today is much more involved than creating a website and Facebook page. To drive more business in a time when online presence matters most, it's critical to stay on top of your local information, content, social media posts, and reviews. A software solution makes this maintenance easier, helping your practice gain visibility so it can stand apart from the competition.
References
- Better Patient Engagement, Better Business & Practice Growth. (2023, January 16). Zingit. https://www.zingit.com/blog/patient-engagement
- Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. B. (2008). Do online reviews matter? – An empirical investigation of panel data. Decision Support Systems, 45(4), 1007 -1016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2008.04.001
- Kolowich, L. (2022, May 6). 16 Stats That Prove the Importance of Local SEO. Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/local-seo-stats
- Statista. (2022, August 20). Number of Smartphone Users Worldwide 2014-2020. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/