Importance of SEO and SEM

One of the most frequent questions that we receive from our clients is about the difference between SEO, SEM and SMM. Although these terms are becoming increasingly common, most people are still unsure of what they stand for.

Whether you’re looking to update the look of your site, increase your search engine ranking or start branching out into social media marketing in order to reach new clients, you’d benefit from knowing about SEO, SEM and SMM.

Here's what they mean, how they differ and what each one  
do for your business:

·         SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a series of strategy aimed at increasing your website’s visibility in search engine results – essentially, improving your chances of being found when patients are searching for the treatments and services you offer. A combination of on-site and off-site factors, the goal of any SEO campaign is to drive high-quality traffic to your website, outrank the competition and win new patients.

·         SEM. Also known as sponsored listings, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) involves the placement of targeted advertisements in a user's search engine results. Based on a bidding system, your paid ads will be only visible to users who meet certain location and demographic criteria. Because you only pay when visitors click on your ad, SEM advertising is one of today's most efficient marketing strategies.

·         SMM. Social Media Marketing (SMM) is an important way for marketing practices to reach their current as well as potential clients. Having an active social media presence has become an invaluable part of expanding your reach and establishing trust on the Web. An active Facebook, Twitter and Google+ allows you to build your own reputation and brand, establishing a relationship with clients and setting your business apart from the competition.

Social Media Marketing Terms to Know

Social media isn't just something millennium are obsessed with. In fact, if social media is used correctly it can greatly benefit your business! Becoming a professional at social media marketing isn't as difficult as you'd image! To follow are some of the top social media terms every business man should know when it comes to marketing their business service!

1.    Circles- "Circles" are your groups of followers on Google+. This social media platform allows you to group followers into organized circles. For example, followers can be grouped as "existing clients" and "potential clients" so you can send out information specifically to your target audiences.

2.    Comment- These are reactions your readers and followers post on your blogs and social media posts. It is important to respond to comments and remain engaged socially with your followers.

3.    Connections- This is what LinkedIn calls "friends" and "followers." LinkedIn is a great way to remain connected with professional organizations and colleagues.

4.    Facebook- There's no way you haven't heard of this social media platform by now. Facebook is the most used social networking platform in the world and it connects individuals, business, and organizations.

5.    Hashtags- Are tags used on social media platforms as a way to organize posts. They are marked with a pound symbol. For example, if you search #socialmediamarketing on Twitter or Facebook you will see any posts with the same hashtag. It's a great way to search for information or to see what people are talking about locally.

6.    HootSuite- This is a social media management system that allows users to link all of their social media accounts and schedule posts to effectively maintain a constant web presence.

7.    Klout- Is a tool for measuring your social media performance. Just set up an account with Klout, link your social media accounts, and you can get weekly reports showing you how dominant your social media activity is!

8.    Link building- is a term often thrown around by professional marketers that specialize in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Link building is when website owners try to generate inbound links to their own site through blogging to improve search engine result ranks.

9.    Search Engine Optimization (SEO)- is the organic process marketers use to improve your websites search engine ranking results.

10.  Retweet- This is when a Twitter user sees your tweet and likes it enough to repost it. In the world of social media, a retweet is like a virtual high five! Retweets are great because they are posted with your Twitter handle on them, so when a follower retweets something you have posted, it reaches a larger audience!

Four Ways to Show Up on a Search Engine

There are four different ways your website can show up on a search engine results page (SERP). Each type of search result has different benefits, and some results you can try to influence through search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO). To follow is a look into the different types of search engine results, and what you can do to influence your medical practice website's rank.

Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing Are Directly Related

Searches can be organic and inorganic. Website owners have less control over organic search results than inorganic search results, which can be paid for.

Organic Search Result

·         These searches show up after the paid advertisements

·         The order in which websites are ranked through organic searches is constantly changing

·         Organic searches are based solely on user's search terms

·         SEO can help boost organic search results over time through targeting keyword search

Inorganic (Paid) Search Results      

·         Pay Per Click (PPC) advertisements ensure that your website shows up on the first  page of a SERP

·         PPC through Google AdWords offers many benefits to website owners

·         Site owners only pay whenever their ad is clicked

·         Helps increase traffic to site, but does not impact organic search results

·         Website owners can set their own budget

Local and Map Search Results

Local and Map search results are unique to the web user's location. Google Analytics is constantly changing the way websites rank and show up on SERPS. Here's the top three ways you can improve your SEO for local and map search results.

·         Include the city and state of your business location in the landing page title

·         Boost the authority of your site by adding unique, fresh content often

·         Boost page authority of landing page URL

Autosuggest Search Results

·         When a web user types in search terms and Google suggests the rest

·         Suggestions are based on real searches being performed by other web users

·         Suggestions are different for everyone, and change based on location

·         Google learns its users searches, and will autosuggest based on the web user's previous searches