The 5 Most Important Healthcare SEO Trends You Need to Know for 2021

SEO is always changing – especially in healthcare. If you want to stay on top of Google and win more patients, here are five Healthcare SEO trends you need to know for you practice to rank well in 2021.

#1: Competition is Rising.

Third-party providers are here to stay.

Third-party listings like Healthgrades, Vitals, and ZocDoc can be helpful to maximize your visibility, but they can also rank higher than your website. Optimize your profiles across all platforms to ensure maximum exposure.

#2: Website Speed Matters.

“Core Web Vitals” coming in May 2021.

Google is officially making its “core web vitals” part of its ranking algorithms in May 2021. If you want to rank high on Google, your site needs to be blazing fast and meet these standards before then.

#3: Google My Business is Key

Local Search Matters.

Organic search results are being pushed farther down the page thanks to paid ads and the Map Pack. Want to get the first impression? Make sure your Google My Business profile has complete information and lots of reviews.

#4: Patient Intent is Changing.

Optimize for “Zero-Click” Searches.

“Zero-click searches” – when patients need a quick answer but don’t want to visit a website- are on the rise. These are great for practice visibility, but don’t often lead to new patient appointments. Take these into account when planning your marketing strategy for 2021.

#5: Vet Your Content.

Google Get Strict with Medical Content.

If you publish content on your site (hint: you should), make sure it’s vetted by an expert and is in line with standard medical consensus. Google is getting more strict with ranking healthcare content, so you’ll want to be extra careful when you publish.