Benefits of Answering Questions in Your Website Content
When it comes to search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing, content is still king. The way your content is written and organized can not only benefit your website users, it can also provide you with a competitive advantage in regard to your site’s performance in search engine results. When educating elective healthcare clients on the best practices for content development, our experts at Rosemont Media stress the importance of creating informative, easy-to-understand content that focuses on answering the questions potential patients are asking in Google searches. By tailoring content with this approach, in combination with well-executed schema markup, your practice can enjoy a host of valuable search engine benefits that may translate into an increase in website traffic and a greater return on your marketing investment.
As you have probably noticed, Google often provides featured snippets and the “People also ask” (PAA) box—both are also generally referred to as “rich answers”—at the top of results. These rich answers pertain to specific questions and phrases that are either typed into the search box or spoken by users utilizing voice search. The location and draw of the featured snippets and PAA boxes on results pages are arguably among the most coveted and “authoritative” positions in modern search. Interestingly, your website does not have to be among the top organic positions to achieve rich answer status.
One valid concern when it comes to being featured in Google’s rich answers is that patients will get the information they need from the results page and never bother to click through to your site to read more. These incidents are referred to as “zero-click searches,” and do indeed occur regularly. However, being featured in a rich snippet can still help establish authority for your practice. Furthermore, obtaining one of these coveted positions may lead to the patient deciding to circle back to call the practice or visit your site at a later date, often through cross-device conversion. Ultimately, securing one or more of these valuable spots is in your best interest. Some techniques your practice can employ to increase the probability of being featured include:
- Website pages should follow a question-and-answer format tailored to the topic and subtopics of each page. Thoughtfully planned, well-organized pages and content updates through strategic content marketing plans are ideal for both the benefit of your website visitors and search engine performance.
- Questions should be well-researched to represent the most common inquiries your target audience is asking. You may want to consider the questions patients ask most frequently when you meet them in your office. An experienced content marketing specialist can also help guide you toward the most effective questions and long-tail keywords to include on your pages by using data-driven industry tools.
- Answers to your questions should be clear, relevant, and educational, while excluding overly promotional language. Keep in mind that search engine users are looking for straightforward answers to their questions from reputable authorities on the subjects they are researching. If they are drawn in by a rich answer pulled from your website, there is a good chance they will opt to visit your page to get more high-quality information.
- Incorporate schema markup that uses code signaling to make Google “aware” of your questions and answers. This makes it more likely your content will be included in featured snippets and PAA boxes. Our highly skilled developers at Rosemont Media effectively utilize schema markup where appropriate to help clients gain valuable rich snippet positions.
- Where applicable, use clear data that provides a precise answer for users—this is especially important for cost and pricing-related searches. Specific prices and/or price ranges for your products and services are highly recommended.
While these techniques are impactful, they do not work in isolation—they only represent one, yet increasingly critical, aspect of a successful online marketing strategy. For maximum positive benefit, these techniques should be integrated into your website’s comprehensive search marketing and SEO plan.
Rosemont Media Can Help
At Rosemont Media, we custom-create state-of-the art websites and powerful marketing strategies designed to help our clients grow their online presence and business. If you would like to learn more about how our innovative approach can help your medical or dental practice thrive online, we invite you to contact our knowledgeable representatives.
Editor’s note: The original version of this post was published on June 30, 2020.