Every veterinary practice with a mind towards growth needs to have a blog on its website. And when we say blog, we don’t mean a place where you publish upcoming events and make posts about team members’ birthdays. You can save that for your social media. Instead, your blog should be a tool you can use to reach more local pet owners, so you can get more visits to your website, more phone calls, and more patients in the door.
Below, we break down all the reasons why a quality, up-to-date blog is a boon to your veterinary website, and your practice. Let’s get started.
Having a Blog can Turn You into a Trusted Authority for Local Pet Owners
Having a pet in the family is a big responsibility, and it inevitably results in lots of questions. Why is my cat peeing on the carpet? Why does my dog drool so much? Pet owners type these and other questions into Google Search every day. If you can answer them in your veterinary website’s blog, over time you can build up an audience that sees you as an expert they can trust to provide accurate and helpful information, and perhaps, provide ongoing care for their pets.
Keyword research makes it easier to see what kinds of questions pet owners in your area are asking most often, so you can come up with new and interesting topics to cover in your blog. There should be no shortage of topics to cover, and publishing 1-2 blog posts per month will keep things fresh and reinforce your status as a pet care authority. Also, it helps to look back on older blog posts and edit them as needed to correct outdated information, and to freshen up the content so you can share it again when the need arises.
A Blog can Enhance Your SEO and Raise Your Google Search Ranking Locally
This is a big one. If your website is optimized for Google Search, then your blog should be, too. An optimized blog is another way for you to increase your online visibility and gain an edge over your local competitors. Here’s how:
- Your blog content uses specific keywords and key phrases that match the intent of your target audience
- Your blog content includes your target location(s), which narrows down the search for local pet parents and increases your visibility
- You can link to other pages on your website from your blog to keep visitors on your site (and possibly encourage them to give you a call)
- Share and link to your blogs from Facebook, Instagram, and any other social media platform you use to usher more traffic to your website
- With time and consistency, you can build back links to your website through other influential organizations/content creators, which can increase your ranking (and your status as an authority)
As mentioned in the last section, keeping your blog going with monthly posts is essential to keeping it relevant and useful. Maintaining your blog can help you maintain a prominent place in Google Search.
Increase Your ROI by Promoting High Revenue-Generating Services
Want to get more appointments for services that generate greater revenue? Create a blog post that addresses a specific pet owner problem by offering up the service in question as a viable solution. For example, you can decide to write a blog titled “Why Your Pet Has Bad Breath” as a way to raise awareness about dental disease and the effects it has on dogs and cats. You can also include a link or two that leads to your dental care page, so people can get more information there. At the end of the blog post, you should include a call to action that encourages pet parents to call and schedule a dental exam and possible teeth cleaning, which can resolve their pets’ bad breath.
This blog post should achieve a couple of things: First, it should help your website rank for a high-volume keyword or phrase, such as “bad breath in dogs” plus your target location. As we discussed above, this should make it easier for local pet parents to find your blog article when they’re searching for answers. Second, the blog should prompt more pet parents to contact your veterinary practice to schedule a dental appointment, which should result in more pet teeth cleanings and more revenue.
Need Help Getting Started?
Starting and maintaining a blog isn’t something you can do overnight. It takes a lot of hard work, commitment, and knowledge of the market.
Don’t be overwhelmed! At InTouch, we know all about blogging best practices, what pet parents are searching for online, and how to combine all of the information we discussed above into a cohesive, results-driven marketing strategy. To find out more about our blogging prowess and how it can benefit your practice, get InTouch at (800) 493-9003!