Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
A friend or colleague may have said, “Have you implemented a SEO plan for your website?” or “Have you tried search engine marketing?” Digging into the inner workings of your website and customizing numerous parts may seem intimidating, but optimizing your site and its content for search engines (and the people who use them) can increase your practice’s visibility, send more users to your website, and in turn bring in new patients.
What Is Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Whether you pay for advertising, use your website’s descriptions and keywords to make it easier to find, or both, SEM and SEO are great ways to drive traffic to your site and increase exposure. There are various methods, paid and free, to help users discover your practice online.
Search Engine Optimization
SEO involves using designing, writing, and coding a website to make it more understandable to search engines, therefore ranking it higher in search results, and making your site easier to locate for people who are seeking services like yours.
SEO is not all about keywords and coding, however, it also relies on the quality and purpose of your site. The Google search engine’s SEO guide says, “…you should base your optimization decisions first and foremost on what’s best for the visitors of your site. They’re the main consumers of your content and are using search engines to find your work…Search engine optimization is about putting your site’s best foot forward when it comes to visibility in search engines, but your ultimate consumers are your users, not search engines.”
Search Engine Marketing
While the free method of keywords, tags, and more can definitely be considered “marketing,” search engine marketing (SEM) may also involve paying for ads that show up along with the results of a search.
This type of advertising is very popular (and often very effective) because it is linked to the keywords that a searcher types into the search engine. Linking ads to search results reaches consumers who are actively seeking your service or product. There are many ways you can purchase search advertising, including sponsoring searches, pay-per-click ads, banner ads, and more.
Why Do I Need SEM & SEO?
For showcasing your practice online, SEO and SEM are powerful tools. If users are already searching for a practice or specialty similar to yours, why not put your name in front of them? With a combination of SEO and SEM, you can leverage more visits to your website—transforming them into more visits for your practice.
Expert Assistance
The Doctor’s Bag team can help you navigate the world of promoting your practice online. We offer a full spectrum of SEO and SEM services for all types of practices, from plastic surgeons to general practitioners. Contact us today to learn how we increase your practice’s exposure.
Coming up: We’ll share information on how to approach SEO and SEM, along with a few tips.
