How to Update the Content on Your Veterinarian Site for A Big Google Boost

When was the last time you dusted off your veterinary practice’s website, cleared the cobwebs, and did a little spring cleaning?

It sounds a little silly, but that’s actually a pretty good metaphor for what you need to do if you’re aiming for better rankings on Google.

Consider this: Google’s job is to deliver the people using their search platform with what they deem to be relevant content. A large part of how Google determines this is how new or “fresh” it is.

Many veterinary practices have been doing business for decades. If yours was an early adopter to the World Wide Web, your website very well may have content that’s twenty years old or more!

How often you should update your content to keep Google happy can vary, but it’s safe to say that if your content is old enough to drive, it’s time to give it a second look. Generally speaking, a veterinarian who checks their content for freshness once every six months or so will be way ahead of their competition.

In addition to any new content you’re creating, such as blog posts, new service pages, or other informative information, you can breathe new life into your preexisting content. Let’s take a look at how to start:

Always Start by Performing an SEO Audit on Your Old Content

An SEO audit need not be intimidating or overly complex. Essentially, it just involves taking a look at your older content and making sure that it follows the best practices for SEO. 

Here’s an example of the key components to look out for during your audit:

Keywords. These are the important words and phrases you want to rank for, which should be naturally distributed throughout your content.

Page speed. How quickly your page loads has a fairly substantial impact on your SEO. Faster is better, so make sure that your images are properly compressed and, if using a content management system like WordPress, that you have a caching plugin activated.

Mobile optimization. By some estimates, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets account for as much as half of all internet traffic. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile, Google will swiftly penalize it.

Broken links. Are you sure those links in your content are leading to relevant, active sources? Double check them.

SSL. An acronym for Secure Sockets Layer, enabling SSL on your website will make it more secure for users, look more professional, and improve your SEO.

Also be sure to look at competing websites—especially if they rank higher than yours. Oftentimes they can be a goldmine of SEO information. Take note of what they’re doing, then do it better. Google will notice.

Add or Update Rich Media Sources to Increase Engagement & Boost SEO

“Rich Media” is a term used for non-text-based content. In other words, the video, audio, and images present on the page where your content lives. Google likes pages that have a variety of these elements, because they tend to make for a better user experience.

Give the Content a New Layout and Design to Spruce Things Up

This won’t always apply, but as you’re working on updating your content, consider whether there’s a better way to organize the information you’re presenting. Since you’re likely to be removing old information and adding new text, videos, images, and so on, it could be that you need to move these things around so that they “flow” better for a reader. 

Rewrite, Update, and Edit the Content as Necessary

Read over your existing content carefully, and consider ways that you can rewrite or edit what you published in the past. Ask yourself if there’s a better way to phrase a sentence, if there’s new information that can be added, or if you can otherwise improve the content.

For example, make sure to use subheadings and break down your content into bite-sized “chunks” for easier consumption. You don’t necessarily have to start from scratch, but odds are you can find significant portions of the content that can be rewritten in a better way.

Want to Rank Your Veterinary Practice Website Higher in Google? We’ve Got Your Back

If you’d like to learn more about how to rank your veterinary practice website higher in the Google search engine results pages, our team of experts here at The Veterinary Marketing Firm are here to help. Founded by vets for vets, we know from personal experience how important online visibility is for your practice. Please feel encouraged to call us today for more information at (727) 537-6064 or schedule a no-obligation consultation to learn about how we can boost your search engine rankings.