As search engines continue to evolve, so should your marketing strategy. By now, you probably already know that content is king. In today’s fast-paced world, the average consumer has more information at their fingertips than ever. They are knowledgeable, always looking for the best and most reliable products, services, and providers.
However, over time, search engines have become more and more complex. Consumers are using search differently, and search engine algorithms have shifted accordingly. Instead of limiting their search to keywords, consumers now “speak” more conversationally to search engines. In return, search engines have become better at predicting what searchers are looking for (and vice versa). This is where pillar content comes in.
Understanding Pillar Content
The evolution of inbound marketing has led to an influx of content. However, not all content is good content. Search engines look for reliable, quality work that contributes to the conversation. At the same time, readers wade through content by skimming through articles to find the best content. The structure of online content is so imperative that we released a blog on writing quality content for skimmers a couple months ago.
Pillar content is an easy way to establish authority on a given keyword or topic cluster. Google, which collectively controls 90% of the search market, prefers such clusters, built around a single pillar page. Pillar pages encompass all aspects of a topic with more in-depth blog posts. These blog posts hyperlink back to the pillar page, boosting the page’s overall linkability and search engine ranking.
How Search Algorithms Affect Your Practice
There are three major Google algorithm updates that you should keep in mind when considering your practice’s marketing strategy: Penguin, Hummingbird, and RankBrain. The Penguin algorithm update came out in early 2012 and penalized sites that were “keyword stuffing” or using other spam tactics. It preceded the Hummingbird algorithm update, which came out in mid-2013.
The Hummingbird algorithm update focused on translating readers’ inquires into meaningful results. Instead of searching for individual keywords, Google took users’ entire searches into context to direct them to the most relevant results. The RankBrain algorithm update, announced in late 2015, improved upon this even further by looking for pages with related keywords. Altogether, these three updates have made Google search more intuitive than ever.
As a result, any successful content marketing strategy needs to understand a searcher’s intent while also predicting the keywords they are most likely to use. Of course, it can be tedious and time-consuming to think about every keyword variation your target consumer may use. Topic clusters allow you to provide quality content across multiple core topic areas while also creating an efficient information architecture that will naturally boost your search engine rankings.
Doctor Genius Content Packages
At Doctor Genius, we can take care of all your digital marketing needs — including any pillar content. As part of our broad spectrum of services, we offer two content packages: Content Ignition Packages and Keyword Content Packages. Both are designed to fit Google algorithms to organically boost your site’s credibility and rankings.
How Content Ignition Packages Work
Content Ignition Packages can contain anywhere from 12 to 70 blog posts. These packages are focused on specific topics, such as tooth whitening or open enrollment. You can choose to deploy a blog post once a week or once every few months. Content Ignition Packages also include social media throws for optimal clickability.
These blog posts are contextual, meaning they are consistently adding content to any relevant service pages via blog snippets and internal linking. Each blog post will also link back to four other related blog posts.
Google will note these changes, along with any additional blog posts, each time they crawl the site. As such, the algorithm will view the site as “live” — producing consistent, relevant, and authoritative content. For example, a Content Ignition Package with 70 posts over six months will lead to 2.69 updates per week, not including any other blog posts you may add. Each blog post will include five links, adding up to a total of 350 internal links.
How Keyword Content Packages Work
Our Keyword Content Packages offer one hub topic page and four sub-pages. They also include six blog posts focused on each of the sub-pages’ topics, making for a total of 24 blog posts over a year. As such, Keyword Content Packages are best for practices that specialize in a single keyword or concept.
As opposed to Content Ignition Packages, which offer many posts on many topics, Keyword Content Packages allow for in-depth writing on a single subject. It may help to think of a Keyword Content Package as an extension of your existing service pages and ongoing blogging to include five additional pages and 24 new blogs. This specialized approach gives you a competitive advantage for any searchers looking for knowledge on a niche topic, especially when deployed gradually.
Why Content Packages Matter
When it comes to optimizing your digital marketing strategy, overhauling your website is just the beginning. Since Google prioritizes relevant results, each new site will see a considerable rankings boost once it goes live. After all, most websites are approved with hundreds of pages of authoritative content.
The problem with relying on these initial results is that they will eventually stagnate, even with monthly blog posts — especially if competitors target refresh their webpage content all at once or post more frequently or new websites continue to emerge. Both the Content Ignition Packages and Keyword Content Packages build on your site’s existing information architecture with valuable, comprehensive, and relevant content.
Get Started Today
Our content packages can help your practice establish and maintain an authoritative web presence, so you can focus on treating your patients. Our team is expanding quickly to continue bringing you innovative new assets to your practice’s digital marketing arsenal. If you are interested in learning more about how we can help improve your search engine rankings, reach out to our support team today at 877-477-2311.
Doctor Genius, located at 2 S Pointe Dr #200, Lake Forest, CA 92630, provides a range of services for practice success. We seek to meet our clients’ needs by providing a variety of marketing, SEO, practice optimization tools, and coaching to transform the healthcare experience. Though we work to provide the most accurate information, the content found on this website is solely intended for entertainment purposes. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that the information provided is entirely correct. You may not use the information on this site to cure, prevent, or diagnose a perceived medical issue. If you have healthcare-related needs, please speak directly to a healthcare professional. Never self-perform medical treatments discussed on this website. All images displayed are also for entertainment purposes only, and personal experiences may differ. Please note that the business tactics mentioned on this site might not be applicable to your industry or practice.
