Why Google Hates Your Home Page
In seventh grade, an English teacher taught me an important life skill: how to properly fold and unfold The New York Times to neatly reveal one section at a time to read without making a mess, destroying the whole newspaper or calling unwanted attention to myself.
I learned the front page of the newspaper held the most important information, and when the paper was folded horizontally, the reporting on top half of the front page was referred to as “above the fold” --- the very top headlines that upon reading would provide the gist of the day’s news.
Applying this to your website, the section of your home page that is visible without scrolling, is also above-the-fold. It is important real estate, because it takes just 2 seconds for site visitors to form an opinion of your practice and it’s what they see before they “invest” in scrolling to learn more.
The who-what-where-why of your site should be immediately apparent, starting with the headline/tag line (i.e. Dr. Smith, Brooklyn’s Best Podiatrist for Runners).
And surprise: Google has a new algorithm or two about your use of above-the-fold space. In the last few months, Google has made it clear that it would reward home pages that focus on user satisfaction, rather than on tactics to earn a higher rank in search results. There must be helpful, visible content above the fold. Keyword stuffing, ads before content, and non-relevant hero images (photos) do not serve users. To do well in Google’s Page Quality ratings, main content should reflect expertise and trustworthiness. Nothing misleading or inaccurate.
Health websites are held to higher standards than other sites. This is why a plug-in site will not work for you; a graphic designer who does websites will not work for you; and a marketing agency that handles multiple industries will not work for you.
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Podiatry Content Connection is the #1 Podiatry-Only comprehensive online marketing group. We are expert at designing Podiatry websites and provide weekly, fresh online content – both a blog and a companion article (no one else in the industry comes close), to get and keep you on page one of Google search. To learn more, and to schedule your Free Practice Acceleration Session, text or call 917 572-5088 or RandyRosler@ PodiatryCC.com.