Best Local Citation Sites for Health and Medical Businesses
Should health and medical facilities use citation sites?
What is a local citation and how does it help SEO?
Citations are references to a business listed on an online directory. They include crucial information about each company. This includes things like their location, customer service email, phone number, and website. It may also include supplemental media like photos, videos, or social links.
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These citations are designed to make it easier for customers to find the business. It may also provide information to help searchers make decisions on which service provider to use, such as previous client reviews or vetting certifications.
What are the benefits of business directories for health and medical businesses?
For medical practices, online directories can be extremely helpful in encouraging patients to come to you. Studies have shown that patients search multiple directories before deciding on a provider. Even if they have a preliminary list from their insurance company, they will still research on their own.Â
Listing on reputable directories will enhance your credibility with searchers and search engines. This helps new patients trust you with their care. Citations also help customers find providers that are the best fit for them, based on search criteria. In this way, directories can help you find patients that match your services and treatment approach.
What is the purpose of directory submission sites for health and medical businesses?
Online directories are a great way to help patients find your practice. Most importantly, they can also help you become more credible with search engines. The more often your business is found on these directories, the more likely it will be considered a credible resource by search engines. In turn, the search engines are more likely to recommend your business to users as a “top result”. This makes your practice more visible to local patients.
Best 110 Healthcare Companies Directory Submission Sites for Local SEO
What should you consider when creating local citations for healthcare companies?
Actually, many directories will automatically list healthcare companies on their site. So, before you create your citation, check to make sure you can’t just claim an existing listing. If you do have to create your listing, keep these points in mind.Â
- Consistency. One of the most crucial parts of creating a great citation is to make sure that the information you provide is consistent across all directories, websites, and other place that your business is listed. This will prevent search engines from getting confused if, say, you have a different email or phone number on one site compared to another.
- Quality. Make sure that you choose citation sites that are relevant to your business. Prioritize directories that focus on your service area, industry, and specialty. This will help the listings work more efficiently by directing more relevant patients and search engines to your company. Listing your business outside of your service area or industry can actually confuse search engines and make them less likely to recommend you to users.
- Quantity. When we say quantity, we're talking about the quantity of visitors to the directory site. Choose directories that have higher visitor traffic. Those are the ones that will be more likely to be used and trusted by a variety of patients. Those are also going to be referenced more often by search engines.
- Priority. Just like you do in your everyday work, always keep your patients top-of-mind while writing citations. Be sure to include high quality content and relevant information to make the citations more effective. Keep information accurate and consistent. You should also take time to think about what information your patients would want to know before making a decision. This will help you determine what information to include in your listings.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I create a citation for a healthcare company?
You can create citations for your healthcare company yourself, with the help of a service, or through an independent service provider. All of these options are valid, but they have different benefits and costs. Creating citations yourself is the most affordable—learn more using resources like Brightlocal. Citations created by professionals, such as freelancers through Fiverr or Upwork, are likely to be the highest quality. A great happy medium is offered by Brightlocal, which creates affordable, professional-grade citations.
2. How much will it cost to list my medical facility on online directories?
Listing your business may not cost anything, as many directories do not charge a fee. The cost is usually in creating the citations, which can cost between $0 and $5 at minimum. The Brightlocal citation service costs about $2 per citation. A freelance service provider can charge as little as $5 per citation.Â
3. What are the different kinds of business citations?
There are two kinds of business citations: structured and unstructured. Structured citations are usually used for directories that target specific service areas, industries, or specialties. Unstructured citations are used everywhere else—since they’re great for general listings.
4. What is local citation management for healthcare?
Local citation management helps healthcare companies by targeting local customers or potential patients. It involves choosing citation sites that will be most likely to be resourced by these local people. The best citation sites in your area will recommend your facility and encourage patients to come to you. Directories that have high authority (aka. higher site traffic) are the most used by the general public. Those are the ones that will be most effective.
