The Local SEO Guide for Chiropractors: How to Get New Patients from Local SEO
Local SEO is essential for chiropractors who want to attract new patients, and this guide will provide everything you need to know about it. If you prefer to save yourself the trouble and let us handle it for you, contact us at 866.863.8452 or email us HERE. But if you want to learn more, keep reading:
So First, What Is SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?
First, let’s start with SEO basics. What is SEO? SEO stands for “search engine optimization,” which means optimizing your website and other online content for search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. These search engines are the tools people use to find information online. SEO techniques aim to improve your website’s rankings in search engine results pages. Nowadays, Google is the primary search engine that drives about 95% of all website traffic, so most SEO companies focus on Google as the primary target.
What is Local SEO and How Does it Affect Your Chiropractic Clinic’s New Patient Flow?
So, what is local chiropractic SEO, and why is it important for your practice? Over 80% of people use Google to find local chiropractors, so if you’re not there, you’re missing out. Think of local SEO as your virtual phone book. In the 90s, you could buy a full-page color ad in the phone book for $45,000 a year, or you could choose a catchy name for your practice and show up at the top of the free phone book listings. Today, SEO is your phone book. If you’re not doing SEO, you’re not showing up.
What’s the difference between Local SEO and General SEO?
What is the difference between general SEO and local SEO? General SEO aims to rank your website anywhere in the world, while local chiropractic SEO focuses on your local geographic region, such as around your office. As a chiropractor, you want to attract patients from the local area around your practice. Local SEO targets the organic listings and Google My Business (GMB) listings to improve your rankings in Google search results.
What are “Organic and Natural” Listings?
What are Google’s “organic listings”? Organic listings are the search results that appear below the ads at the top of a Google page, usually below the Maps listings (GMB). They’re also called natural listings because they’re thought to occur naturally or organically.
However, SEO techniques can improve your site’s visibility and increase your chances of showing up in organic listings.
What is Google Maps and does it matter?
What is Google My Business, and why does it matter? Google My Business (GMB) is a free tool that lets you manage your business’s online presence across Google, including on Google Search and Google Maps. GMB is crucial for local SEO because it helps your business appear in the Maps listings, which can account for up to 40% of all new patient inquiries from Google if you rank among the top three positions.
How Exactly do New Patients find your Chiro Clinic in Google?
Where do new patients find you on Google? When people search for local services like chiropractors on Google, they usually skip the ads at the top and go straight to the organic/natural results or Maps listings (GMB). Only 1 in 10 people click on the ads, so it’s more important to rank high in organic and Maps listings.
The next thing they do, is they go to the organic/natural results or Google Maps (GMB). They will look at maybe the top 3 to 5 listings there. The top three are guaranteed to get a look, top 5, potentially. No one goes to page 2 or beyond, most people don’t go beyond the fifth result at all. Now, these days there are so many, what we call “directories sites” such as Health Grades, etc. that a lot of people just skip right over those.
So how do your new patients find you? Well, unless you are in the top three of Google maps rankings, or the top 3-5 of Google’s natural results? They don’t. You do not get the new patient inquiry. They find your competitors.
Are all Chiropractic Local SEO Companies the same?
No, not all SEO companies are the same. Unfortunately, the SEO industry is similar to the construction industry where it’s difficult to find good contractors. In the case of SEO, there are companies that use outdated tactics that are ineffective or unethical strategies that can damage your reputation and require a complete rebranding. It’s essential to partner with an SEO company that specializes in your field and has a proven track record of successful, long-term relationships with clients. If you’ve tried multiple SEO companies and still aren’t seeing results, it’s likely that their strategies or tactics aren’t effective or both. When you’re ready to work with a reliable and effective SEO company, consider partnering with us – we’re called Surgeons for a reason.
Thank you for reading our guide to chiropractic seo. If you have questions, or would just simply like a consultation as to how we can help you contact us at: