Evolving Search Behaviour and the Veterinary World

Part of what makes the digital landscape so exciting is that it is constantly evolving. This is especially apparent at the moment, with COVID-19 meaning we’re all having to find new ways of working, many of which are, inevitably, online. As this innovation occurs, businesses and veterinary practices like yours are presented with new and increasingly exciting ways to connect with new clients, nurture your community, and achieve your core goals and objectives, while still complying with government and RCVS regulations and advice.

The ways in which we search for information online are changing. More than 50% of all Google searches now don’t result in any clicks and, notably, this figure is higher for mobile searches which sits at around the 60% mark.

This might sound alarming, but it should be reassuring to learn that vet practices with adaptable search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies still have the ability to drive significant levels of high-quality traffic from search. Let’s take a quick look at why this is happening and how you could adapt your digital strategy to ensure your practice remains competitive.

The rise of featured snippets

Google wants to help its users locate the information they are searching for as quickly and efficiently as possible. It has increased its use of snippets, which display key pieces of information directly in search engine results pages (SERPs), thereby reducing the need for searchers to click through to a website to locate what they are looking for.

How can my content appear in a featured snippet?

To capitalise on the additional search visibility that appearing in a featured snippet provides, you need to understand what your audience is searching for and the keywords they are using. Putting in the work here can pay dividends because research indicates that pages that have earned a featured snippet are more likely to also be featured for other closely related search queries.

Your site will also benefit from the addition of Structured Markup that will generate a rich snippet in SERPs. Regular snippets include a title tag, meta description and site URL, however, rich snippets incorporate other elements, such as reviews, video content, and information about your business including your practice address, contact information and logo. This makes them more informative and engaging, which will ensure that your practice stands out.

The importance of Google My Business

Increasing numbers of searches that do result in clicks are now driving traffic directly to online resources and services owned by Google itself. Submitting and carefully optimising content specifically for Google-owned services, including YouTube and Google Maps, is, therefore, becoming an increasingly integral aspect of comprehensive SEO strategies.

Google My Business (GMB) allows you to boost your practice profile and improve its visibility, both in real life and online. In addition to making it easier for your clients to find the physical location of your practice, it will also display your website in search results for local searches. So, if a potential client were to search “veterinary practice [your location]”, your business will be displayed above all organic search listings.

GMB also makes it easy for your clients to review the quality of the service they received. You can then go on to engage with this feedback, ideally by either thanking them or directly addressing any issues raised in a timely and professional manner. This will demonstrate that you care about your community and demonstrate that you consistently deliver a first-class experience for your clients and their pets.

How do I do this?

Doing a full SEO audit is hard work – however, that’s where we come in. After a conversation with you, our Account Managers can put together a summary of your core values, unique selling points, and key features, and use those to target your online presence. Our team are experienced at working with vets for this – we understand your business and we really want you to succeed! So give us a call for advice…