With around 77 percent of people using search engines to look for health information on the Internet, you might assume that simply providing insightful information on your official health care provider blog, complete with keyword integration in the titles and body of the content, will attract traffic naturally.
To some extent, this is true. Hypochondriac or not, people do their research where it is most convenient and accessible. Location of the provider or blog/website, however, is likely limiting your reach and exposure to that city only.
In other words, readers in other cities will not convert to your patients after reading your content. The good news is that there is a workaround for this problem: localized content.
What is localized content and why does it matter?
Localized content is content specific to an audience in specific geographic locations. It is something that has gained tremendous importance in search engine optimization (SEO), with marketers scrambling to tailor their blog content for local searches.
When you perform a Google or Bing search, the results you see are highly influenced by your location as determined by your IP address. So, if you live in or are visiting Los Angeles and ran a search for “24-hour pizza delivery,” you would get a list of pizza places within Los Angeles.
The same principles apply to the health care industry. With many health care providers having offices in different states and cities, it is important that they make it easy for their patients to find them, regardless of geographic location.
So, the question is: How do you localize your health care blog/website and its content?
Use local SEO hacks
Google points out routinely that it wants content on websites and pages to be relevant to their users. This is where keywords come in, as they help define quality content.
Relevant keywords are especially important in the metadata of your pages. This includes:
- Meta titles
- Meta descriptions
- Keywords
Metadata flags search engines directly, showing them a brief description of what a certain page has to offer.
The key here is to use keywords that help local consumers find information about their health care needs online.
For example, this is what the metadata for a Denver clinic’s website would look like:
Title: Denver Dermatologists | Skin Clinic in Denver, CO
Meta Description: Denver Dermatologists is a leading provider of skin treatments in the Denver area. Call our offices today to schedule a consult with Dr. John Doe.
Keywords: Denver Dermatologists, Denver Skin Clinic
Notice how the content in the metadata revolves around a specific location: Denver. This ensures the website, as well as its blog and individual pages, will be found by potential patients in Denver.
Another example would be a nationwide provider called the “United Dermatological Center.” One of its clinics is located in Denver. In this case, all you would need to do is create a separate page for the Denver clinic to reach out to the city’s local audience.
Sponsor local events
One of the best ways to localize your health care company’s marketing campaign is to sponsor or participate in events within your community.
Let us go back to United Dermatological Center. Perhaps the company could sponsor a local 5K run in Minnesota, where they have one clinic. The company could then announce this sponsorship on their blog, the local press, and other blogs, all of which will create local awareness.
After the event, the company’s blog and website can offer a recap of the activity and point out once again that there is a United Dermatological Center clinic in the city.
Factor in language
In addition, it is important to consider the language(s) spoken by your patients. If you have a clinic in Miami, for example, your target audience may be more inclined to read a blog written in Spanish than English, which means you might want to consider translating content to make it more localized. In fact, studies show that 75% of consumers prefer to buy products in their native language.
Recap
There are three basic ways to leverage localized content on your website or blog:
- Use local SEO strategies
- Establish a local presence through events
- Provide content in other predominant languages besides English
If you need help implementing strategies, let us handle it for you. At Tempesta Media, all of our writers are located within the United States. We ensure the delivery of high-quality, localized content, no matter where you are on the map.
