Archive for the ‘Search Engine Optimization’ Category

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Introduction to YouTube for Small Business

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

YouTube

YouTube: Yes, YouTube is a social media destination. It also is the second largest search engine on the Internet after Google. Plus Google, owns YouTube. YouTube needs to be integrated into a website’s content as well as developing a YouTube channel for the business. For an example please visit http://www.youtube.com/AnimalMedicalHosp to see a hospitals YouTube page in action.  Or click go here http://www.animalmedical.net/veterinary-services/acupuncture.html to view how an YouTube channel is embedded into a website. Some key facts about YouTube to know are:

Founded: February 2005

Numbers:

  • 3rd Most Viewed Website
  • Every day 4 billion videos are viewed
  • 800 million active users a month
  • 700 YouTube videos shared on Twitter per minute

Business Only Platform: Yes, there are branded YouTube Channels for business (more…)

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Posted in Blogging, Content, News, Search Engine Optimization, Veterinary Marketing, Websites | Comments Off

The 5 P’s of Marketing: Price

Wednesday, January 30th, 2013

Many medical professionals don’t think of pricing as part of their overall marketing plan, but correct pricing for products and services is critical to long term success and profitability.  If you don’t charge enough to cover your costs and leave a healthy profit, your business will suffer.  For example, maybe you are starting to realize that you’ve been working hard for 40 years and have no retirement savings to speak of other than your practice, which isn’t worth as much as you had hoped because it isn’t very profitable.  Or maybe key staff members are leaving because they haven’t had a raise in 5 years.  As an aside, the “dead wood” and embezzlers never leave, but that’s a topic for a different day.  In this regard, employees are like clients:  many don’t tell you the REAL reason they’re leaving because most humans are inherently conflict avoidant.  They just smile and “vote with their feet”, but you never learn the reasons why.  This is one reason that exit interviews are such a great tool.  (You are doing these, right?)

Rather than get into how to set prices for vaccines or office visits, which is information that is readily available elsewhere, I think it’s more important to take a step back and ask yourself some more fundamental questions.  Questions you may never have asked yourself before.  (more…)

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Posted in Mark Olcott, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Veterinary Marketing, Websites | Comments Off

Choppy copy part 2

Wednesday, October 24th, 2012

This is the second part of the excerpt from one of our free Wednesday Webinars series. Presented by our Director of Project Management William Lindus.  In our previous blog post we talked about the difference about writing for print material versus for the web.  In this second part we go into more details about how to make your web copy work.

Let’s talk about how to make your web copy work.  The first, and probably most important piece of advice I can give is to avoid technical jargon.  This is particularly difficult for veterinarians, as you have built your education and your careers on highly technical terms, phrases, and acronyms.  For example, you should use phrases like ‘chronic kidney disease’ instead of ‘chronic renal failure.’  It can be okay in some cases to use more technical terms… but make sure you back these technical terms up with phrases anyone can understand. Example:  If you are writing a web page about your staff cardiologist, make sure your copy prominently discusses ‘heart health’ or similar phrases.  Your web copy should be written at the same level that US Today writes, which is at about an 9th grade reading level.  Be specific with the points that you make on your site.  Superlatives (phrases like ‘we are the best’ are often over-used in writing), but if you can back your superlative up with a specific, your statement is no longer just fluff.  Instead of saying, ‘we are the best,’ imagine how much more powerful it would sound if you said, ‘we have been voted the best veterinary practice in Anytown, USA.’

Also, remember that this copy is for your clients, and should be tailored to what they want.  Make it about them!  You don’t need to include your mission statement on your website.  I’m sure your mission statement is great, and I’m sure it reflects who you are as a practice, but think about this:  Every mission statement a veterinary practice has ever created says something about providing, ‘high quality veterinary care,’ and such phrases become meaningless to the consumer on the go. Instead, get to the point with what services you can provide your client.  This next point terrifies most veterinarians:  don’t be afraid to use your web copy to upsell.  Most of the time when I bring up the concept of upselling to veterinarians, I’m greeted with either looks of shock or looks of fear.  After all, marketing isn’t something that most veterinarians are used to.  However, your website is as much a web marketing tool as it is an information source.  Use this to your advantage!  For example, if one of your pages is about pet vaccinations, it is a great idea to discuss the benefits of purchasing pet medications from your clinic (or through an affiliate that you trust) as opposed to through other sources.  Not only are you driving revenue for your business, but you are also providing a service by keeping your clients from purchasing pet medications from risky sources.

There are a few guidelines that a good web copy writer will follow when writing for your site.  These can actually be quite nuanced, but here are a few to get your feet wet.  A website’s home page should have less than 100 words of content, and this content should contain the ‘value proposition’ for the site.  The value proposition is your brand promise, or what your customers can expect from you.  What is the end benefit that you are offering?  What service do you offer?  Who do you offer it to?  Why is this useful?  Your home page content should answer these questions in 100 words or less.

Internal pages on your website (anything that isn’t the home page, basically) have a bit more leeway.  You can comfortably fit between 250-500 words of copy on a web page, although much more than this and your client’s eyes will start to gloss over.  Bullet points are your friend here, as is a ‘choppy,’ easy to scan layout.  Internal pages should drive your customers to some sort of action.  This may be as general as turning the reader into a new client for your practice, or it may be more specific. Think back to the example from earlier about the pet medication link on a vaccination page.  Headlines should be short and efficient.  Stick to headlines that are less than 80 characters, and make sure your headline uses the key phrases that users may be scanning for.

Posted in Blogging, Content, Digital Marketing, Google, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Veterinary Marketing, Websites | Comments Off

Choppy copy

Thursday, October 18th, 2012

​This is an excerpt from one of our latest free Wednesday Webinar series.  Presented by our Director of Project Management William Lindus.

As a veterinarians, office manager and/or other veterinary professional you have quite a bit of experience with writing.  You probably have written for print media all of the time, from reports, to articles, to client handouts.  However, you can’t apply the same principles that you use for print writing to web copy writing because your audience is different.  With print materials, your audience is trained to read word-for-word, start to finish. With an article or a handout, you are expecting your reader to read the entire body of work as a complete entity. Otherwise, key points may be missed!

 

But why is this?  Well, for starters, the web is a user-driven medium.  Visitors to a website feel as though they have to click on things to ‘engage’ with a page.  Long copy makes users feel as though they are being inactive or that they ‘doing it wrong.’  Remember also that the web has millions of web pages, all competing for the attention of your visitor.  If a client can’t get the information they need at a glance, they are very likely to bounce to another site.  With the rise in popularity of smart phones, this becomes even important.  Currently, 10% of all Google searches are made using mobile devices, and studies show that by 2014, mobile users will actually exceed desktop users.  To keep up with this ‘on the go’ lifestyle, a website should have very mobile-friendly content.

We know how web copy is different from print copy… but how do we evaluate whether or not web copy is effective?  On a well-written website, the copy may appear ‘choppy’ or repetitive.  This is where you need to throw away everything you thought you knew about writing and look to web writing as its own entity.  Your website copy may appear ‘choppy’ with lots of bullet points, effective headlines, and short content, but this is useful for the 79% of web users that we discussed earlier.  Choppy can be good!

Keep in mind also that many users will never see the home page of your website; because of links from social media sites (such as Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest, etc) or through Google search returns, they may enter your website through one of your service pages.  This is why some information may be repeated throughout your website.  I said it before, but it bears repeating:  most users will not read your web page word for word, start to finish.

​To be continued…

Posted in Blogging, Content, Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Veterinary Marketing, Websites | Comments Off

Fasten Your Seat Belts Because Google Changed Again

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012
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Just as we were enjoying our Memorial Day weekend, Google went quietly about making some significant changes to its algorithm that heavily impacts local businesses. If you want to understand how to keep being “seen” in Google, these new changes must be adapted in your practice’s online marketing program.

First Change: Google Search Results Went Hybrid

This past year, when we used Google for an online search, the results would show paid advertising at the top or far right (which only 25% of people click on), with local search results shown next — listed in packs of 7 or 10 and accompanied by corresponding map markers starting with the letter “A,”, followed by organic (non-local) results. Google has now integrated organic and local search results together, which currently display on the search results page in varying ways — in packs of 3, 5 or 7 for example, depending on the search query. Search results are still formatted with paid advertising at the top or right under the map on the results page, but you’ll now see organic results listed BEFORE, and blended with, local search results. How does a business become listed in this new hybrid format and at the top of local search results? What we have learned is to focus on the following:

  1. It is crucial to have a custom-designed website that can be optimized (coded) down to the page with local search terms, specific relevant industry keywords (veterinarian, pet cancer, etc.), and appropriate geographic regional terms.
  2. When choosing location keywords, check how close your business is to the center of the city. To do this, go to Google Maps (maps.google.com) and type in your city and state; e.g., Minneapolis MN. Google will then display a marker on the map with the letter “A” — where it considers the center of the city to be located. This letter “A” is what Google calls the “centroid.” The closer your business is to the this centroid, the more “votes” your local business listing receives toward being near the top of local search results for that city. With this approach, Google is attempting to make the search experience most relevant to the searcher’s query.
  3. Plentiful (five or more) positive online reviews help maintain good positioning in Google Local Search. Google purchased the Zagat review site and is now incorporating these reviews into Google local listings. Reviews are becoming increasingly important. Having reviews associated with your business listing is yet another key ranking factor and one of the many signals Google looks for.

To read the rest of this article in a PDF format please click here: Fasten Your Seat Belt – Google Made Changes Again

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Posted in Digital Marketing, Google, Marketing, Mobile, Online Reputation Management, Online Reviews, Search, Search Engine Optimization | Comments Off

Content – Treat It Like Royalty

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012

Yawn—content is so boring, right? Why should we care about content? Throw a few words up on the page, call it good, and move on. Hold on! Not so fast. Content is the star player in any online marketing program. Key functions of content are:

  1. Search Engine Optimization Placement: Content plays a major role in how/where your website is placed on Google. In February 2011, Google made a change to its algorithm, emphasizing high-quality content as a key search engine optimization requirement. This change was called Panda. Bottom line—template content is out and original content is now “in.” (For tips about search engine optimization and content, please visit www.beyondindigopets.com/blog/.
  2. Education: As consumers, we know about cars, food products, cleaning products, and beer because of the amount of advertising we have seen on these subjects. However, we know minuscule amounts of information about veterinary health care and why we should pay for it. We just know as pet owners that we “sorta need it.” The job of content is to educate people about what the service is, why their pet needs it, and, frankly, why people should pay to have that service conducted.
  3. Engagement: If the content on your Internet marketing platforms is stale, boring, flat, and so on, then why should the consumer read it? The content needs to be written correctly in the proper style for the platform (website, Facebook, blogs, Twitter, Pinterest, eNewsletter, YouTube, newsletters, and so on) where it is placed, and it needs to ENGAGE the reader. If the content is not compelling, why should the consumer read it and, more importantly, why should they come back?

Placement for Engagement

Multiple times I have been asked: “Can I write the content once and copy and paste it across all my platforms?” No. Resist this urge to write material once, check the box, and just plaster it out there willy-nilly. You will lose your audience. Each platform has its own style and guidelines for the way content should be displayed, the length, and the tone of how it is delivered. Sure, the message across all the platforms can and should be the same, but the exact content in each place needs to be avoided. General guidelines are as follows:

  1. Online Review Areas: Everywhere people can leave you reviews online must be managed and monitored. The content on these pages needs to be accurate and updated on a regular basis. Once a review is left, then a thank you note needs to be given for positive reviews and an educational note placed for a crabby review. Each thank you/educational note needs to be unique to the post and should not be a standard reply.
  2. Website: Most veterinarian websites I see fall down on the job when explaining the services they offer and why people should use them. Website content needs to be 400 to 500 words per page, needs to educate the pet owner on what the hospital does and why they provide those services, and it needs to be optimized (coded) to be found in Google. The content style needs to be informative and educational in nature. Because protocols do not change every week in the hospital, do not expect to change content about what services you provide on a constant basis. Instead, a blog should be used for weekly educational updates. 
  3. Blog: Confusion reigns over what in the heck a blog is. Think of it as an online magazine that is educational in nature. Resist putting cute updates about the office pet on a blog (those type of updates go on Facebook/social media). Focus on short paragraphs, bullet points, and easy to understand educational topics that are timely. For example, in the spring a good topic would be flea, tick, and heartworm prevention.
  4. Social Media Platforms: A good framework for the tone and style of social media is a coffee shop. Conversations on social media areas are fun, chit chatty, ongoing conversations with a hint of education thrown in for flavor. Numerous times I have heard doctors say they wrote a beautiful article that is educational in nature and are disappointment nobody thought it was useful on Facebook. However, the picture of the office cat doing something cute went viral. The educational piece is great but needs to be placed on a blog. Correct placement is everything with content. (For tips on content for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+, check our blog each week during the month of May at www.beyondindigopets.com/blog/).

Monitor Its Success

Marketing needs to be monitored to make sure it is generating the results that are desired. Are people engaging with the content? Are they reading it? Is the post/page/tweet being passed to other people? To find out, monitor the statistics. Each platform mentioned above has its own statistics program that is included or can be added to determine the success of the created content. Monitoring, adjusting, and changing the content based on results is an ongoing process—but a necessary one.

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Posted in Blogging, Content, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Veterinary Marketing | Comments Off

SEO Rankings Reports – Considerations

Wednesday, June 13th, 2012

As most savvy online users know, search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing or improving the visibility of a website or web page so that searchers can more easily find that site. Needless to say, the more frequently a site is ranked on page 1 of search engines (e.g., Google), the better the chance that a searcher will visit that site. So, how do we measure how a site is ranking? A search engine ranking report is a simple way to give us a sense of where a website stands in major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Bing; these reports are a reference point for visibility and progress from month to month, especially given that traffic and queries can vary over time, from season to season.

For those receiving ongoing SEO services and ranking reports, broadly speaking, what are some basic aspects that are generally included?

Before we get into components of an SEO report, let’s first consider that the reporting should feature highly relevant keywords—meaning phrases pertinent to your industry, relevant to your area, and used frequently by searchers. Selecting appropriate keyword phrases is the foundation of getting a site found. Once these phrases are determined, elements of a ranking report basically include:

1) Monthly status updates
2) Keyword progress and change in status from previous month—again using keyword phrases that are relevant to your industry, your area, and what searchers actually use in search queries
3) Tasks performed
4) Recommendations for continual improvement

Numbers to look for: The lower your ranking number, the better your position. For example, if you are #1 in Google rankings, your site’s link is what searchers will see at the top of the search results page. Please note that rankings are definitely a moving target. Search engines are continually tweaking their algorithms and competitors are also working to improve their positioning and traffic. Your ongoing ranking will depend on such factors as the competition in your area, quality of incoming links to your domain name, and location for optimization, to name just a few.

Ranking reports should be kept in context and are certainly only one facet of the much larger picture of an online marketing campaign. Although good rankings do not guarantee traffic and new customers coming in the door, they are worthy of consideration and a piece of the overall performance pie.

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Posted in Content, Search, Search Engine Optimization, Website Statistics | Comments Off

Content is King: 10 Tips for Optimization

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

SEOSearch engines (e.g., Google) are the key to finding specific information on the vast expanse of the World Wide Web. Without sophisticated search engines, it would be virtually impossible to locate anything on the Web without knowing a specific URL/web address.

One of the main ways that search engines create results for search queries is based on content relevance. Relevance relates to how close the content of any given web page matches the term being searched, which takes into consideration factors such as the page title tag, headings, paragraph text, and anchor/link text of links to the web page. The goal is to create more relevance to improve search engine ranking, as well as, of course, the ultimate goal of increased traffic and an influx of new clients/customers.

How are web pages made more relevant so that searchers will find your site? Search engines scan for the frequency and location of keywords (which are words that a searcher is typing into search engines — like Google — to find what they need) in the process of finding web pages that match any given search. Those web pages with a higher frequency of keywords in context are typically considered more relevant, therefore enabling a site to rank better in the search engines. For example, if a searcher wants to find boarding services for his or her dog, and lives in Springfield IL, that searcher might find your site/services online by typing terms in Google such as “pet boarding Springfield IL” …so if you have terms that correlate with the search query (service/product and location) integrated appropriately throughout your site, search engines will then consider your website a better match for that search query.

In optimizing your site for search engine relevance, keyword phrases should be included in each of your web page’s meta tags as well as link text, image tags, page headings, and, of course, any paragraph text. When adding or making changes to the page content on your site, consider the following tips:

  1. Relevance: Use language that is geared toward what the average person uses to search for your services, as opposed to technical terms, or what may be commonly used in your industry. The terms and the text need to be “client-focused” and “search-friendly” so that the searchers and search engines will easily find your website and services.
  2. Page headings: Include keywords in page headings/headlines of each page. It’s best if page headings are styled as “H1” in code of site.
  3. Links: Integrate keywords into link text (anchor text), so instead of “Click here to read more info about preventive care and pet wellness,” instead use “Read more about preventive care on the pet wellness page….”
  4. Keyword density: This is the percentage of the number of times a particular keyword or keyword phrase is used in comparison to the total amount of words in the article, page, or site. If your web page is devoted to selling a service, such as pet dental care, the SEO-savvy writer would insert the relevant keyword phrase “pet dental care” a certain number of times in the page/site. If the appropriate keywords are not included in the content, or if the keyword percentage rate is too low, the search engine may not pick up on the words that the searcher entered and the search will be useless. If the keywords have too high a density and the search engine detects keyword stuffing, the search engine can end up giving your site a poor showing in the rankings. Better to stay safely under 5% keyword density. If your keyword integration is an organic process that does not interfere with readability, you are on the right track.
  5. Location keywords: Don’t overlook the importance of including the locations (towns, sections of city) where you want to be found and not just service keywords.
  6. Formatting: Search engines reportedly pay more attention to bold/italic keywords. Use this for phrases that you really want to emphasize and, again, don’t sacrifice readability.
  7. Structure for the web (scanning): Readers of web pages primarily scan text, so shorter paragraphs, use of subheadings, bulleted lists, conversational tone, and presenting key points first will make it easier for readers to integrate what they are reading as well as find what they need.
  8. Number of words per page: We recommend at least 200 words of paragraph text per page (with keywords appropriately integrated, of course) and better if 250 to 500 words. Give search engines and readers of your website plenty of relevant copy to scan. Educational information, Q&A segments, and short case studies are easy to read, can fill out the page nicely, and provide ample opportunities to integrate keywords.
  9. Blogs: Search engines love blogs for their dynamic content. Make sure your content is “linkable” and search-engine friendly by providing helpful informational copy with keywords included in post titles, links, post URLs, tags, and, of course, paragraph text.
  10. Avoid unethical practices: Strategies like stuffing/hiding white keyword-laden text in white background of a website’s pages is considered unethical and against search engine guidelines. Don’t risk getting your site banned.

Needless to say, writing for search engines so that searchers can easily find your site is different than writing for print material. Web pages optimized for search engines and searchers take into account all of the above and enable more potential customers to easily find your website and services.

If you’d like to learn more or would like help optimizing your web site’s content, give us a call. We’d be happy to help!

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Posted in Search, Search Engine Optimization, Veterinary Marketing, Websites | Comments Off

Your Brand, Your Reputation

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

How Do Pet Owners View Your Business?

Computer with Brand StampBusiness owners tend to become overwhelmed with managing their brand. Typically, the first question is where to start? To help with what to look for when doing a quick review of your online brand, I have created a checklist. First, sit down at a computer and grab a pad of paper and pen to go through this exercise. It might help to have a person who is an outside observer walk through this process with you to give a different perspective.

  1. Do a search for your town, state, and the word “veterinarian.” Is your business listed on the first page of Google? Do you have reviews? What do they say about you? Remember, 70% of people use online reviews when making a purchasing decision. If you have more negative reviews then positive ones, would you want to use your business services based on this information? Neither do the people who are researching you.Are other reviews placed with other review services? You can see by either scrolling your mouse to the right of your listing, triggering a fuller listing of your business to pop up, or by doing a search in Google for the name of your business with the word “review” after it, such as “ABC Veterinary Hospital, Anytown, State, Reviews.” What pops up? Typically, there are multiple places people are leaving online reviews about your business. Remember, you cannot turn these review places off! The only option is to take control of these sites by encouraging happy customers to post reviews and engaging with the ones who do post via responses to reviews.Can people also click on this search engine/review results in Google or elsewhere and go to your website? Or does it go nowhere? If the click cannot take people through to your business website, then your marketing circle has a big disconnect and people will most likely pursue another search result.
  2. If you can click through to your website, is the correct logo showing? Can you read the name of your business? Are the animals in the logo the species you see at the hospital? When was the last time your logo was updated? What does it say about your business? Current? Out of date? Fun? Serious? Is this what you want people to glean from your logo when they view it?
  3. What about your website? Does it look out of date? Are social media icons listed that enable people to leap to the next point in your marketing circle? What about a blog? Sign up for a newsletter? YouTube videos? What about your services? To see an example of the newest model of website design integrated with social media, look at www.animalmedical.net. How does your website compare to this one?
  4. Finally, Facebook and Twitter should be accessible from the business website and from each other, and the website should link back to both. These crosslinks help complete the marketing circle. For an example of how this would look on Facebook, please visit www.facebook.com/NapervilleAnimalHospital. Questions to ask about these platforms are:
    • Does your business have a Facebook page? If so, who are the admins for the page? The owner of the business should be one of them.
    • Has the Facebook page been used to its full potential, meaning graphics, links to other pieces of the marketing circle, and pictures added?
    • On Twitter, has a custom background been added?
    • Has the Twitter account been slaved to the Facebook page—at least to start if there are not enough resources in the hospital to manage both platforms?
    • Has a marketing plan been created that focuses on a single message from the hospital brand per month? If so, is one person in charge of this message or are many going in different directions?

How did your business fare? Any disconnects? Please let us know how we can assist in making your marketing circle stronger and connected. For a free consultation, please visit http://www.beyondindigopets.com/contact/.

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Posted in Digital Marketing, Marketing, Online Reputation Management, Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social media, Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized, Veterinary Marketing | Comments Off

What Should I Write About? Tips for Your Veterinary Blog

Friday, October 28th, 2011

If you’re thinking about starting a blog for your veterinary practice, you may be wondering, “What should I write about?” Well, your high school English teacher was right. Write what you know.

Almost anything that affects your practice can be turned into a blog post. Unlike an article or pamphlet, blogs are intended to be immediate and casual. Strive for an informal, newsy tone.

For starters, try these:

Information about pet health. How to brush a dog’s teeth, how to give a cat a pill. Any general pet health information you routinely give clients can make a great blog post.

Current events or issues affecting pets in your area. Has a pet food recall affected your area? A local tick infestation? A heat wave that could pose a danger to unprotected pets? Blogging timely issues like these help get information to your clients (and potential clients) quickly. Over time, they’ll think of your site as a place to look for answers to timely issues.

Questions from clients or readers. “Mailbag” blog posts are always popular. You probably get asked dozens of questions each day about common pet health issues. Select a few of general interest and answer them in a blog post. Better still, ask readers to submit their questions by email or give them to your receptionist. Of course, you’ll only answer those where you’re comfortable giving general information.

Changes in your practice – Get a new dental laser machine? Show it off. Just finished remodeling your boarding area? Pictures please. We all like to hear what’s new. It’s fine to be excited to let everyone know what’s happening at your practice. The key is to keep the tone light rather than like a press release.

Local events you’re sponsoring or participating in. Will you have a table at Homecoming Days? Helping with a food drive for a local shelter? Let people know about the event in your blog so they can participate. Don’t forget to do a follow-up post with photos of the event.

Write about what others are writing. One of the great things about blogs is that you aren’t limited to your own content, but can comment on news, articles, videos and other blog posts. Give your take on a local news story affecting pets, share a useful (or funny) pet video, bring an article you read to your client’s attention or even comment on another blog post. Just be sure to give credit and a link to the original work.

 

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