You’ve heard it before: content is king. But, what does that mean? Does Google understand the meaning of the words on your website?
Yep. And with the Knowledge Graph back in May 2012, it’s getting better every day.
In February, Google made an announcement about health information and the Knowledge Graph:
“One in 20 Google searches are for health-related information. And you should find the health information you need more quickly and easily.
Over the next few weeks, when you ask Google about common health conditions, you’ll start getting relevant medical facts right up front from the Knowledge Graph. We’ll show you typical symptoms and treatments, as well as details on how common the condition is—whether it’s critical, if it’s contagious, what ages it affects, and more.”
Information Engine to Knowledge Engine
Google’s goal is to deliver it’s users with the best possible search results. In order to do that, it’s moving from being an information engine to being a knowledge engine.
There are more than 60 trillion web pages on the internet. You read it right, trillion with at T.
Here’s how it works: Google crawls the web, sorts information and indexes it. When someone does a search, Google’s algorithm jumps into action. Numerous variables will narrow the possible results you see including your physical location, the type of device you’re using, your search history, social media interactions, etc. Then, there are more than 200 factors that Google uses to filter and rank web pages and ultimately deliver a specific set of results.
SEO’s Secret Sauce
What are these 200 factors, you ask? Finding out is like trying to get the recipe for the secret sauce, but we do know a few things they’re looking for:
Website & Web Page Quality
Quality comes in many forms. It is important for your website design to be current and easy to use. Make sure you pay attention to best practices when it comes to layout, site speed and mobile usage.
Page quality means having good content. Articles on your website should be at least 300 to 500 words in length and strike the right balance for mentioning your target keywords (just enough, but not too much). Grammar and spelling matter – so take the time to craft copy that is easy to read.
Engagement
Engagement is a factor that goes into determining the quality of an individual web page or website. How long a user stays on a page, whether or not they share it on social media, if they come back to your website more than once. We’re now seeing search results influenced by social media. If one of your social media “friends” has reviewed a place or posted about a business, you may see that information filter into your search results.
Media Rich Sites
Photos and video are important elements of a quality web page or website. Make sure the photos are high resolution. Google can’t read photos, so make sure you have an alt attribute, which is the text alternative that tells the search engine what is in the photo.
Freshness
Google likes to see websites that are fresh and routinely updated as opposed to being static. Visitors want current and relevant information, so be sure to update your website routinely.
Website Security
Search engines spend a lot of time combating spam. Make sure your website is checked regularly to be sure it hasn’t been compromised. If you do find a problem, fix it quickly and report it to Google so they can restore your status.
Context
We touched on this earlier when we talked about how Google gives you results based on things like where you are, what kind of device you’re searching on and what kinds of searches you’ve done in the past.
Another area where context comes into play is with the content. Think about the multiple meanings of some common dental keywords like “crown”, “veneer” and “implant”. Be sure to give these keywords the proper context by including other words like “dental”, “teeth”, “dentist”, “cosmetic dentistry”, etc.
Making The Knowledge Graph Work For You
It’s important to make sure that your website contains useful information for patients about the things they care about and are searching for. There are other things you can do to make sure your dental practice stays visible in the search engines:
- Making sure you’re signed up for Google My Business. This tells Google your basic business information and is integrated with Google maps. Complete your profile and upload high resolution images of your business.
- Encourage your customers to leave positive reviews for you on your Google+ Business page as well as other social media profiles like Facebook and Yelp.
- Create rich content for your website on a consistent basis. Consider adding a blog where you can inform patients about common dental problems and information about your practice.
Need Help Marketing Your Dental Practice?
Let Dental Revenue show you how you can reach your full potential with a high performance dental website and dental marketing strategy.
Contact us today: 866-799-7789 or schedule a demo online.