Online pharmacies provide an important source of healthcare information and services, helping people to access the treatment they need easily and quickly. However, pharmacies are also businesses, and it’s important to have a website design that attracts customers and rates highly in search engine results pages.
One of the most effective but sometimes overlooked ways to do this is through the use of content marketing. Here is a look at the best ways to use content on your pharmacy website.
Build trust with useful and authoritative information
Customers often search for guides to health complaints to check their symptoms and help them understand the causes and treatments. Pharmacists are qualified and authorised to give advice and offer treatment for a range of common health conditions, yet patients are often unaware of what these are and make an unnecessary doctors’ appointment instead.
Include guides to diagnosing and treating ailments without a prescription, such as coughs and colds; hay fever and minor allergies; earache and earwax build ups; minor skin conditions such as rashes; sunburn and insect bites; minor infections; and digestive issues such as diarrhoea; and minor injuries.
Furthermore, make patients aware of any tests the pharmacy offers, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. This can be done through the inclusion of blogs, short videos, and FAQ pages. You can expand on basic information about blood pressure tests by offering diet and lifestyle tips to manage high blood pressure, as well as discussing medications.
Focus on long-tail keywords
Customers tend to search health conditions with questions or longer phrases rather than just one or two words, so by targeting your content around these key queries, you will be able to increase your position in search results pages.
They may not appear at the top of the list of keywords, but they are more likely to attract traffic that will lead to page visits and conversions, because it is more relevant to the needs and search intentions of customers.
Keep content accurate and fresh
It’s important to regularly update your content, not only to keep up with seasonal trends but also to ensure that the information and advice is always accurate and compliant with legal guidelines or regulations. All health-based information should clearly reference sources and be verified by a relevant professional.
Search engines such as Google are now highly sophisticated at filtering web content, and if the information is stale and rarely updated, this can affect your rankings. Regular updates also provide an opportunity to promote new products or services, such as winter flu vaccines or hay fever treatments in spring at times when customers will be actively looking for them.
Social media crossover
Social media is another important digital marketing strategy for pharmacies, and regular content gives you the opportunity to publish links to websites across your various social media platforms. This increases your visibility through likes, shares, and backlinks to other websites.