An Introduction to Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a form of marketing that helps your site get placed at the top of the search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. SEO is important because it drives new people to your site. When someone is looking for a healthcare professional they will often visit Google and type something like “physiotherapist Vancouver” and a list of results will be displayed. The clinics that are at the top of that list have undergone several SEO campaigns. It is estimated that the first 5 links are clicked 90% of the time. If the searcher has not found what they are looking for (you) on the first page, they often change the words they are searching (ex. From “physiotherapist Vancouver” to “Physiotherapist downtown Vancouver”)

Unlike other solutions, SEO takes a lot of time before seeing any results. You can expect to be on the first page of Google with moderately competitive keywords after about 8-12 months of SEO. The cost for this can be up to $10,000 for the year. If your budget is not that high, start off with less competitive key words that have a moderate local search volume. Google AdWords Google Adwords is a style of online advertising called “Pay – Per – Click.” This means you are only charged when someone actually clicks on the ad and goes to your site. Google Adwords is often used in conjunction with SEO (when you are in your early stages) so that your site gets traffic from people looking for your services.  You can create campaigns so that when someone types in a particular phrase in Google, your ad is featured at the top or on the side. You can set up daily limits so that you don’t go over your monthly budget.

You can use the Google Adwords tool to learn which SEO keywords would be best to optimize. Try finding keywords that are not too competitive and still have a high local volume. Visit adwords.google.com for more information