There are many misconceptions about search engine optimization among chiropractic website companies. For instance, one company advertises a "gold package" where you can have "10 Search Terms" on your site for an extra fee.
This is a scam, pure and simple.
Why? Because no website is limited to any number of search terms. The number of search terms you rank well for is dependent on the content on your site. Not a silly list of keywords you pay for.
A great article on WordTracker describes the idea of "long tail search optimization, but here's the gist:
Most chiropractors are fixated on the idea of targeting the big key phrases: "Chiropractor in Arlington Texas" or "Schererville Indiana Chiropractic."
And those are important search terms to target, because quite a few people search for those terms.
But did you know that a larger number of people are search for more specific things, such as:
Arlington TX headache treatment
Arlington TX sciatica treatment
Schererville IN back pain treatment
These non-primary key phrase searches are the long tail of search, and it's very easy to optimize your website for these searches.
How? The thing to keep in mind about Google is this: Google wants to provide the best search result for the searcher. The better the search result, the more likely it will be for the person to keep using Google, and the more money that Google will make.
So, if you have a page on your site about "Schererville IN carpal tunnel," guess what? You're going to rank highly (probably #1) for that search term. (Test it out for yourself. Go to Google and search for "Schererville IN carpal tunnel" and you'll see one of ChiroHosting client sites pop right to the top.)
This technique is very simple. All you have to do is come up with a list of conditions you work with, and then create a little mini-page on your website for each of those exact key phrases you wish to target. Make sure you use the proper title tags and description tags, too, which helps Google index your page.
"What if I don't have the time to write a dozen articles?" Check out Craigslist or Elance.com and find a freelance writer. They can write up a dozen articles quickly for you for a reasonable fee. (Just make sure to get some examples of their work first.)
If you have any questions about chiropractic search optimization or how to exploit the long tail effect, give us a call at (800) 295-3346 and we'll be happy to answer your questions.
