How can I improve my vet clinic's ranking on Google?

25 years of marketing veterinary practices online have taught me that organic, free Google search consistently delivers the best return on investment for the vast majority of clinics.

However, becoming the leader of the pack on page one of Google is not easy in today’s crowded and noisy online world.

When I talk to vets about what they understand about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and how it relates to their practice, they usually mention keywords and some kind of magic manipulation that SEO experts do with their websites.

Actually, just like with veterinary medicine, there’s no magic (other than perhaps the healing power of cats…)

So, if you are paying for keyword manipulation and link building by SEO experts month in and month out, please stop.

Most of this activity is a waste of cash.

Just like becoming a great vet requires consistent, skilled effort over time, successful Google optimisation of vet websites comes from consistent, skilled and strategic effort over time.

Your vet marketing team needs to focus on 3 key areas if you are to climb the Google rankings successfully and enjoy new clients coming from free searches.

  1. Correct set-up and structure of your website
  2. Google Business Profile (Local Search)
  3. Adding more content to your correctly set up website

In this article, I look at each of these key areas and explain where to invest for best results.

1. Vet website set up and structure

Let’s talk about what makes a website rank (or not) on Google.

If you want some bedtime reading, here’s the Google guide to search engine optimisation.

We’ve followed this guide religiously since the first version appeared in 2008 (the same year I launched digital marketing company Brilliant Digital). And the results for our many hundreds of clients speak for themselves.

I love the fact that this guide is written by Google – not by someone who has a vested interest in manipulating keywords or building backlinks.

And if you don’t want to read every word, here’s a summary.

In your consulting room, you have two ‘patients’ to deal with: your actual patient and their owner.

Getting your website to rank on Google also requires that you focus on two audiences.

The first audience is Google bots

Your website must be set up for correctly for Google, or it will never rank. In terms of the technical set-up and structure, pitfalls to avoid are:

  • Failing to follow the Google Guide to SEO
  • Failing to weave carefully planned SEO into the website from day one
  • Off-the-shelf templates and themes
  • Drag and drop website builders (like Elementor) that clog your site with spammy code
  • Afterthought websites tacked onto operating systems

I cannot stress strongly enough that your initial vet website investment is super important. Invest in a decent website, and it will last you for years and pay you back in spades.

Go cheap, and you will go backwards.

The second audience is people

Once your website is set up correctly for Google, ongoing investment in content that appeals to new and existing clients is the key to climbing the Google rankings.

Google measures how people interact with your website, and this data affects your ranking. If people bounce off your website because it’s boring, unprofessional or poorly designed, your Google ranking goes down.

If they stay on your website and view multiple pages because it’s exactly what they were looking for, your Google ranking goes up.

2. Google Business Profile

Since most people visit a vet locally, your Google Business Profile is very important.

This is the local business listing you see on the front page of Google when you’re choosing any local service.

Settling up your profile with the required text and images is a fairly easy job – just a couple of hours, and you’re done.

The trick from there is to ask your good clients to post reviews.

This is super important because more and more consumers today rely on reviews as a key part of their decision-making. The younger your clients, the more important reviews are.

You need a system for collecting reviews, and you need your team to be behind it. Relying on random reviews is risky because a couple of bad ones can really hurt.

3. Adding more content to your website

Dog looking at his owner using laptop

The content on your website is what powers it to rank better and better for more search terms over time.

Ranking for things like ‘what age should I de-sex my kitten’ or ‘what vaccinations does my dog need?’ as well as ‘vet near me’ is very powerful.

If your website comes up in search and people like what they find on your site, there is every chance they’ll use your clinic if you’re local to them.

Google and your market want to see high-quality, original content on your website – and it’s important that you add to that content to appear regularly and consistently in the form of articles, blogs, news and case studies.

Consistent effort over time following a well thought out content marketing strategy is the best way to achieve the results and return you are looking for.

This is particularly important for referral centres where local search is less dominant, and building trust in your knowledge and experience is vital.

Once you have a good veterinary website and your Google local search is set up and humming, your investment should shift to adding content to your website. This is the route to the front of the pack where the gold lies.

Meet the author

Deb Croucher, BVSc CertVR, enjoyed 15 wonderful years as a vet practice owner. She traded her stethoscope for a laptop in 2008, founding Brilliant Digital, now one of Australia’s leading marketing agencies.

Deb remains at the helm of Brilliant Digital, and founded Specialist Vet Marketing to provide an exclusive service to fellow vets. Reach Deb via our contact page or arrange a free marketing audit here.

HOW WE DELIVER

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growth
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businesses

Veterinary Websites

WordPress websites crafted to educate & drive business.

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Content & Communication

Talk to and educate new and existing clients.

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Google Free Search SEO

Come up in free Google search for key terms.

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Google Advertising

Targeted advertising for return on investment.

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Email
Newsletter

Communicate regularly with clients and colleagues.

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Social
Media

Sensible social media investment ensuring ROI.

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Brochures & Leaflets

Beautifully designed leaflets to educate and inform.

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Case Studies

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Advanced Animal Dentistry

A new brand, effective website and strategic marketing grow this busy referral practice.

Advanced Animal Dentistry required a better-organised, more effective website with supportive marketing strategies and collateral to increase awareness of their services and educate vets and owners. New branding, a new website and a powerful marketing strategy are growing the business and supporting better patient outcomes.

Case Study

Vetaround

A powerful website and search strategy is key to driving ideal enquiry for Vetaround.

We have worked with Vetaround since 2012 and over that time Ari has relied on his website and marketing to grow his primary care mobile veterinary practice. Ari’s website reflects his compassion, care and commitment to excellent patient care and is a key business tool.

Case Study

Cat Specialist Services

A strategically planned and structured website is key to this leading referral centre’s success.

For this leading feline specialist centre, reaching owners and colleagues with the right information at the right time is a huge challenge. A strategically planned and structured website is key.