SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is what helps websites get seen in search engines. Equine marketers like us use SEO to tell search engines that a website is trustworthy and useful, and this is ultimately what drives search engine traffic to your website.
This article outlines three reasons why equine vets need SEO, and how they can utilise SEO to get their business found online and attract new clients:
Why is SEO Relevant to Equine Vet Marketing?
When people run a search engine query (let’s say they Google “equine vet practice Kent”) the search engine algorithm will determine which website pages to display and where. Search engines use a range of factors to decide if and where a website should rank for each search. These factors relate to how trustworthy, useful and original the website is likely to be.
An equine vet is required to be trustworthy, experienced and authoritative in order to gain and retain clients, and this also applies to getting people to visit your website and ultimately register as a client. Therefore, equine vets should be using SEO to demonstrate these attributes, both in the interests of getting their business found online, and convincing potential clients.
Remember: SEO is about making your website useful, trustworthy and engaging to your target audience. This is what search engines are looking for when ranking websites.
Get Your Equine Vet Practice Found Locally
Equine vet practices usually operate within a specific geographical area. This could be across one or more counties, or across a wider region. Search engine data* shows that people often use area-based search terms when searching for an equine vet. For example, people might search for “equine vets near me” (average 1,600 monthly searches) or “equine vets worcestershire” (average 30 monthly searches). It makes sense to ensure that your website is optimised to rank for all of the geographical areas covered by your equine vet practice.
How to Optimise for Local Searches
We will cover local SEO in more detail in another blog, but there are a few things to consider when optimising your equine vet practice website for local searches.
Firstly, you should find out which areas are being searched, and how often. Sometimes, the specific towns, villages or counties you cover may not receive many or any searches. However, a more general geographical area (e.g. West Midlands, Scotland, South East) may attract a higher number of searches. You will need to assess search volumes alongside your coverage area in order to determine which search terms you will target and how.
Secondly, you will need to consider whether it’s worth creating a full landing page for a geographical area, or whether you will cover the keywords throughout your website. In many cases, both approaches are recommended for maximum visibility.
Thirdly, you should aim to use your Google My Business profile, which should allow you to specify your location and coverage area.
Build Trust in Your Equine Vet Practice and Your Website
Any equine vet knows how important it is for clients to trust them. By placing their beloved horses in your care, often in distressing circumstances, your clients are putting enormous trust in you. There is also a financial element. Clients are likely to spend a lot of money on their horse’s veterinary care, even if some of that is covered by insurance. Therefore, it’s safe to say that trust is key.
Trustworthiness is vital not only to securing new clients, but also to getting your website seen online. Search engines, such as Google, look for signs that a website is trustworthy. Sites that it considers to be trustworthy are likely to rank better in the search results, so this is a really important element of SEO.
How to Build Trustworthiness from an SEO Perspective
Content that is factually accurate, cites other trustworthy websites, is transparent about who wrote the content and provides secure connections and payment portals is likely to be considered trustworthy. Furthermore, providing up-to-date contact information is also a way of demonstrating trustworthiness.
Demonstrate Your Veterinary Expertise
Your prospective clients want a vet that is experienced, qualified and knowledgeable, and so does Google! By demonstrating your expertise in equine veterinary science, routine care, first aid and other relevant topics, you are telling Google and its users that you know what you are doing!
How to Demonstrate Your Expertise as an Equine Vet
Demonstrating your expertise is best done in the form of a blog. Posting regular, informative, accurate and engaging articles is one of the best ways to improve your SEO.
Carrying out keyword research is the crucial first step in any SEO blogging strategy. This means that you will write about topics that are actually being searched for online. Examples could include “signs of laminitis in horses” (average 260 monthly searches) or “what is colic in horses” (average 720 monthly searches).
Remember who your audience is. Your blog articles are being written for horse owners, not other equine vets! Consider what they need to know, and how you can convey that information clearly.
If you decide to use the proper or scientific name for something (e.g. the proximal phalanx), put the common name alongside it in brackets (e.g. the long pastern). This improves the readability of the article, which is good for SEO as it makes the copy more engaging and useful to the average equestrian.
Equine Vets Marketing by Purple Horse Marketing
At Purple Horse Marketing, we help equine vets get found online. Our equestrian SEO specialists are able to help your website rank better in search engines using a combination of SEO best practice and effective content strategy.
We are a specialist equestrian marketing agency, and our sector-specific knowledge allows us to bring digital marketing expertise to the equine industry. A big part of our work includes writing search engine optimised blog articles and website content for equine vet practices, and our ability to understand complex veterinary topics and convey them to the average horse owner helps to bridge the gap between vet and client. Discover our equine vet marketing services and contact our equestrian marketing agency today.
*SEO data from SE Ranking, June 2023
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