Smarter SEO Can Increase Traffic for Your Pet or Veterinary Website

Just as the latest generation of pet products includes “smart technology” that understands what’s happening with the health of a pet —

You can take a smart approach to your pet or veterinary website SEO (search engine optimization) by understanding what’s happening with your customers and prospects.

You see, search engines are your best friend when it comes to knowing your prospects’ needs and wants.

In what ways?

Well, search engines are smarter now. Their sophisticated algorithms can understand the intent of searches: what people are truly looking for.

And, because they have a better understanding of the intent, they’re also favoring web content that provides the best answers for each person making a search. That means those pages show up first.

Let’s look at an example related to a pet-product website.

Imagine that a new puppy owner is looking for help with crate training.

She’d love to find a how-to web page, with instructions, tips, and maybe even a video demonstration.

She may or may not be ready to buy a crate right now, but for the moment, her intent is to SOLVE HER MISSION: understanding how to crate train her pup as quickly and effectively as possible.

Now, if your business happens to sell dog crates, you’d be doing yourself a huge favor by creating helpful (and optimized) content that this new puppy owner will appreciate.

That’s because Google (and other search engines) will more likely see your content as the best for that audience — and rank your pages up high in the search results.

Here’s how you do it.

First, you want to consider the most relevant search words (keywords) for this topic.

In this case, “crate train a puppy.”

Next, type that phrase into Google. You’ll see several ideas on what you can write about on your web page or blog post — to provide the best content for that intent.

For instance, when Google shows results for a search, such as “crate train a puppy,” it also shows two sections with other keywords: “People also ask” and “Searches related to.”

In the image below, you can see what people also ask when it comes to crate training — in the form of questions.

Next, you can find several other keywords under “Searches related to:”

Some of the suggestions are questions, and some are just phrases.

In any case, all these suggestions give you excellent clues on what to write about in your web content.

So, if you’re writing a web page about “how to crate train a puppy,” you’ll want to use that phrase — and other variations as suggested by Google — in your content.

Maybe something like, “How to crate train a puppy in just 3 easy steps” as the headline on the page.

Or, “How to crate train a puppy at night and enjoy 8 hours of bark-less sleep.”

Make it a fun challenge to come up with a page headline that uses the main keyphrase (“crate train a puppy”) in a unique and intriguing way.

Finally, write the best web page for that subject!

Fill it with useful steps, tips, photos, video if possible, and more. Make it amazing, so readers will be wowed.

Here’s an important tip: the best web pages don’t push a product right away. First, be sure you’re giving what the prospect wants — information on how to solve the problem.

If you follow this advice and present excellent, helpful, how-to pages packed with useful information, focused around an “intent” keyword — you’ll win over prospects and make them more open to considering your products.

We’ve used this technique for a number of client blog posts, and it’s worked wonders. One client even said to us, “Whenever we post a helpful, how-to blog post, the phone starts ringing immediately to inquire about our products.”

Aha! What a great formula.

• Start with the intent (search question or phrase)
• Provide helpful how-to content… wonderful, long pages filled with highly useful and unique tips
• Conclude with a mention of your products or services that can help with that intent. (In the example of writing a great page on how to crate-train a puppy, at the end, mention that you happen to sell the best crates.)

Now that you have a formula, I have a question for you:

What’s the intent of prospects looking for solutions you can provide — in your pet or veterinary web content?

You could come up with a list of topics and make a content plan for each question prospects may ask.

Then, dive in a provide excellent content. Soon, you’ll attract new prospects who are delighted to have found you!

Until next time,

Here’s to a prosperous pet website!

Pam Foster
PetCopywriter.com