There’s no shortage of content online—but there’s also no shortage of demand. With more than 90% of Americans on the internet, the web is a crucial source of information for millions of prospective patients in need of addiction treatment services.1 Search engine optimization (SEO) helps your addiction treatment center rank higher when those individuals use Google to research their options. This key strategy connects your content and insights with users who need your help most.
Addiction Treatment SEO Best Practices
For your addiction treatment center, reaching your audience is even more important than just connecting—it’s about getting prospective patients the life-saving care they need.
Since 68% of internet journeys start with a search engine, getting addiction treatment SEO right is essential.2 Understanding search engine algorithms and how to work with them is the first step toward ramping up your addiction treatment center’s digital marketing.
1. Finding the Right Keywords for Addiction Treatment SEO
If you know one fact about search engines, it’s probably that keywords determine which results show up. So what are your keywords? What questions are users asking? Do you have the answers to those questions on your website?
First, make a list of topics related to your treatment center and your services. Include topics like addiction, recovery, and any special programs you offer, like dual diagnosis, detox, or medication-assisted treatment.
Next, break these topics into subtopics. For example, recovery might break down into “recovery from alcoholism,” “recovery from heroin addiction,” “12-step recovery,” and “recovery counseling,” depending on the services your center provides.
Once you have a list of topics in mind, start turning them into actionable keywords. Use these to guide your content plan and web design. Ranking for longer phrases or questions is often easier, so start there. But don’t be afraid to chase more popular keywords by creating targeted, high-quality content for your site.
2. Work the Keywords Into Your Site
Now that you’ve identified the top keywords for bringing users to your site, start putting them to work! Which pages on your website actually use your target keywords? Are you writing blog articles that answer questions related to those keywords? Is your website tagged appropriately with your most important keywords?
Incorporating keywords into your site might seem like a never ending task, but this step is an essential part of addiction treatment SEO. Without keywords, search engines can’t index and show your site to the users who need your services. So, use your priority keywords regularly without stuffing them into every sentence (which tells search engines you’re just writing marketing copy, not helpful content).
Many addiction treatment centers have brick-and-mortar buildings. This means your primary audience is likely to be within a specific geographical region. To optimize your local SEO, include your address and geographical location on your site. When users search for “addiction treatment centers near me,” these elements help your site appear in the results.
If using keywords doesn’t feel like your area of expertise—don’t worry! Addiction treatment digital marketing experts are a great resource and will optimize your strategy.
3. Use Analytics to Measure Success
Once you incorporate your keywords, start tracking which ones are actually driving users to your site. This is why more than 28 million websites use Google Analytics.3 Even before ramping up your addiction treatment SEO, poke around in your analytics report to discover factors driving leads to your website now.
But don’t stop there. Lean into your successes and existing foundation with similar strategies for new keywords! And don’t forget to check your analytics dashboard routinely to see if your efforts are paying off or if you need to pivot to a new approach.
Whether it’s your first time conducting keyword research for your website or you need advice on how to adjust your strategy to match the latest search algorithm updates, Dreamscape Marketing can help. Call us at 888.307.7304 to schedule a discovery call and learn more about our addiction treatment digital marketing services.
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