KEYWORD SPAMMING

Are you familiar with the phrase "keyword spamming" or "keyword stuffing"? It's what happens when a writer uses a keyword (or phrase) over and over again with the intention of ranking higher in Google's listings. Take a look at this sample:

Buy natural birdseed from us! Your bird will love his new natural birdseed. Natural birdseed is great for your bird!

Wow.  
Clearly, their goal is sell natural birdseed. But, did you have any appreciation for the way it was presented? Of course not.

I know many of us have stumbled across similar text. It's annoying, isn't it? Not only does it lack any sort of value, but you come away feeling overwhelmed by sentences that don't educate or inform. The sole purpose of that passage was to inundate a search engine with keywords.

When you create online content for your own medical, health or wellness practice, you want to educate your readers - NOT frustrate them. There's a lot of value in keywords for search engine optimization (SEO). When done correctly, holistically placed keywords are a goldmine for your business. They can draw new readers to your site and help your Google rankings. 

When creating content for you, I focus on giving your audience useful, information-rich content that uses keywords appropriately and in context.  If you're need of a blog, article, or some new "About Us" content for your web page, let's chat!

 BUILDING YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE IN 3 STEPS

Building an online presence for your clinic or health business can be overwhelming. What do your clients and patients really need to know? What would entice them to make an appointment or purchase a product or service? 

Tackling your online presence can also be time consuming because it’s not just something that happens overnight.  However, some simple goal setting tricks will have you on your way!

1.  WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS
 Below are some of the goals you can start with.

Do you want to: 

• provide information about your product or services?  
• increase awareness about your practice or business?
• generate leads?
  
  

It could be all of the above!

Let's start small and consider your main goal.
Are you a medical professional who has just moved to a new area?  Or, maybe you're a counselor who has earned her license. Perhaps you've begun a health and beauty product line and no one knows about it...yet!  If any of these apply, your goal is to simply create awareness.

But, what if you're established and business is slow. Maybe you're devoting fewer hours each week to your practice and more time to dealing with insurance companies. Or, you had to take some time off and now business is sluggish. If this sounds familiar, your goal is to re-kindle excitement.

Take some time to think about the personal situation you're in and let's dive into getting you successfully online!


 2. SET UP YOUR WEBSITE
Number two is downright daunting - especially if you lack technical skills or don't  have the time to devote to it. 

To start with, your website will have two basic  jobs. It will tell people who are you are and how to find you!
For most of your potential customers, it will be the starting point where they can learn more about what you have to offer, know about the work you have done so far, and contact you for further discussion.

There are some great options for creating your own website. Here are a few of my favorites that require little to technical experience. Each of these are "drag and drop" oriented meaning that you can create a great looking site with little to no coding knowledge.
Weebly
Bookmark
Wix
Duda

But, what if you simply don't have the time or patience to do it?

I can help you set up a BRAND NEW PAGE from SCRATCH!

That's right - I not only can write your website content, but I can build your entire web presence. If you would like me to build your site, let's chat!

3. GET ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Have you noticed that most people have a love/hate relationship with social media? Some dive in headfirst and embrace it, while others prefer to stay far away. Whether you're a fan or not, being active on social media will help others realize that you're available to help them!

It's easy to feel overwhelmed with the number of social media sites available today. To keep it simple, lets start with the top three:

• Facebook
• Twitter (or Instagram)
• LinkedIn

Chances are that you've not only heard about these sites, but may already have begun your profile page on at least one. It's important to set up your account as a business.
 
Here's an important piece of advice. Don't sign up for a social media outlet if you can't or don't plan to post regularly.  You won't generate interest if you can't communicate with those who choose to follow you. 
Here are some useful tips to build a brand on social media:

• Project a professional image of your company by using beautiful photos and backgrounds. Try using images from Upslash.com instead of simply searching for photos online and using something that may be copyrighted. The images on Upslash are  100% FREE. Use them!
• Decide how often you'll post and then stick to that schedule. Normally, you should post up to three times a week on Facebook, once or twice a week on Linkedin and daily on Twitter.  Your followers will become accustomed to seeing posts at certain times. Some may actually log in to ensure they see your information first. Your following will stick with you if you give them well written, informative content. 
• Do not post only about your products and services. You should provide value by talking about your industry or provide useful tips.
• Respond to comments and engage your audience. The more you engage with your potential clients, patients and customers, the more trust you'll instill. Consider each of your replies carefully before hitting "send". Check for grammar and spelling - they still count!  If the comment is unfair or downright negative, always thank them for their feedback and then follow-up with them offline via email or a personal phone call. People are often eager to lash out online as it's easy to hide behind the curtain of anonymity.