Expanding Pages vs. Writing Blogs—Which Is Better for SEO?
Content marketing is a world of moving parts. With each new search engine algorithm update comes a clearer understanding of what works and what doesn’t in the quest to reach the top of google. One of the most common dilemmas that medical and dental practices struggle with? Whether they should dedicate their time to maintaining their website pages or blog.
While blog posts are an extremely valuable section of a practice’s website, the content pages are arguably the most important for SEO. This is because the pages on a medical or dental practice’s website are typically the primary source of information for visitors. They are often at a higher tier of the website’s infrastructure and the destination of much of one’s internal and external linking efforts. You want to send current and prospective patients to this content to supply them with a thorough overview of what you offer. When comparing pages and blogs, each type of content has a unique purpose that differs from the other.
The Purpose of Pages vs. Blog Posts
Pages are the foundation of a website. They are pieces of evergreen content that hold the most fundamental details about a major topic, such as a procedure. Pages are often optimized for the parent topic (highest-searched key term), such as “Liposuction,” covering the basic information a patient should know before pursuing or committing to the procedure.
Blogs are used to supplement the grander purpose of the pages. They address related topics that are not practical for the overarching page, due to the timeliness or specific nature of the subject (e.g., “New Liposuction Technique Receives FDA Approval”). Blog posts often answer frequently asked questions, announce upcoming events, or share industry trends.
Should I Expand My Page or Write a Blog Post?
Expanding and refining your website pages over time is important—but so is keeping an active blog feed. When considering which area to put the most resources into, there is one guiding rule to live by: Pages are the cornerstone content of a practice’s website and should, therefore, be the highest priority in one’s content marketing strategy.
While blogs can achieve impressive rank in search results, pages are ultimately what rank the highest for parent topics, because they provide a comprehensive collection of procedural information. In addition, since it is well-known that Google prefers content that is regularly updated and relevant for users, pages should be viewed as not only the most important source of information, but also an evolving one that continuously gets better with time. After all, the best way to optimize for search engines is to cater to your readers. As time passes, search engines are becoming more and more cognizant of what benefits users.
What About Press Releases?
While the best strategy for content management is usually the continuous updating and expanding of pages on your website (along with an occasional blog post), press releases can also provide a significant benefit. Press releases can be great ways to: call attention to a recent award or honor you or someone else at your practice has received; offer your expert opinion on a trending news topic related to the medical or dental field; discuss a new treatment available at the practice; or even to just announce news about your practice or the fact that you’ve made additions or upgrades to your website. While it is typically a good idea to be selective with your press release strategy, releases can ultimately help drive viewers to specific pages on your website for more information, and they can help your overall public relations strategy by enhancing brand awareness and your online reputation. These options can be a nice addition to your overall content marketing strategy and help you maintain continuous outreach to your community.
Get in Touch with Our Marketing Specialists
If the ever-changing world of content marketing has you at a loss for how to improve your website and, consequently, your place in the SERPs, why not get help from the specialists? Our team at Rosemont Media can help you optimize your content and find the most rewarding balance of blogs, page creations, page expansions, and more. To get started with your customized marketing strategy, contact us to speak with one of our representatives!
Editor’s note: The original version of this post was published on August 7, 2018.