A few months ago I was talking to a client that was investing in a brand new website and question came up, “Where are the most important areas I should be spending my time and money when creating a new website?”  And I realized they were about to make the same mistake that many healthcare staffing agencies make and one that I feel can make your make or break your business.

How does SEO Work?

SEO is the process of structuring a website’s content so search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing can find it.  Most people use search engines to help find websites using relevant terms or keywords.  The search engines read your website with a bunch of robots looking for those specific keywords and will have them show up in the search. If you don’t have your website structured with those relevant keywords then search engines won't be able to find your site, then potential recruits or clients will not even know you exist - which is a serious problem.

Myth #1:  SEO is not important

You build your dream home.  It sits far back on its own very big plot of land and you have a swimming pool, a theatre room and a driving range.  The kitchen and entertaining areas are immaculate and you can’t wait to entertain all of your friends and family.  The invitations are sent with the address but the only problem is you are so far out in the country that cell phones and GPS won’t work and you forgot to give directions on the invitation. No one can find your house so no one shows up to your party. 

That is the same problem you can have with your website if you don’t focus on Search Engine Optimization or SEO.  Healthcare staffing agencies spend so much time, energy and money on their website because they realize that it is their most important marketing tool and it is beautiful with all of the features a great website should have but just like your house if you don’t have good directions no one can find your website.

Myth #2:  One and Done

You cannot optimize once and be done because SEO is ALWAYS a work in progress.  Every new job posted on a healthcare staffing agencies website should be optimized for those specific keywords related to that job.  Think about it, if you have an awesome therapy job in southern California, you want to get applicants for and if a potential recruit types into a search engine “occupational therapy jobs southern California” – you want your job to pop up on the list right?

There are many ways that you can keep working on SEO such as blogging, researching new keywords, and maximizing your Pay Per Click spend.  All of these need to be managed on a monthly if not weekly basis.

Myth #3:  I can do it ALL by myself

Many healthcare staffing agencies think that they can do all of the optimization themselves.  Question, did you create the website yourself?  Most likely the answer to that question is No.  Here is the problem, SEO is not your core competency and takes a lot of research and time to get it right. If you do something wrong you can get your website blacklisted by the search engines. So, in my opinion spend your time on what you do best, recruiting and selling to healthcare facilities and hire someone that knows search engine optimization.

There are two companies that work on SEO that I know do a great job.  One of which does websites from the ground up and SEO which is Jason Lander and Staffing Robot.  The other focuses on SEO and PayPer Click and that is John Ellis at Crescent Interactive.  Feel free to give them a buzz and tell them BlueSky sent you!