Search engines (SEO)

Search engine optimisation, usually shortened to SEO, is everything that helps people find you on Google.

You do not need to be an expert. Two well-filled fields per page do most of the work.

Where these settings are

1. Open the page: Websites → Pages → « Edit ».

2. In the right-hand panel, scroll down to the « SEO » section.

The meta title

This is the blue clickable line Google shows in its results.

Simple rules:

• around 60 characters maximum (a counter appears under the field);
• say what you do and where you do it;
• do not repeat your own name on every page.

Good examples:

• Home nursing care in Lausanne | Care Plus
• Sports massage and lymphatic drainage — Bern

Bad examples:

• Home — tells nobody anything.
• Page 2 — even less.
• The best practice in Switzerland, care, nurse, massage, home, Lausanne, Geneva — a pile of keywords. Google spots that and penalises it.

The meta description

This is the short grey paragraph under the title in the search results. It is your pitch in two lines.

Simple rules:

• around 150 characters;
• write a real sentence, addressed to a human being;
• end with an invitation to act.

Good example:

Independent nurse in Lausanne. I come to your home for your daily care. Covered by basic insurance. Book your appointment online.

The three other things that really matter

SEO is more than these two fields. These three habits are worth more than any technical trick:

1. Write for your patients, not for Google

Use the words your patients actually use. They do not search for « paramedical services at the domicile »; they search for « nurse at home Lausanne ».

2. Describe your images

Every photo can have an alt text. Google does not see images: it reads their description. See Alt text and focal point.

3. Name your pages clearly

An address like /home-nursing-care is understood by Google. /page-3 says nothing. See Understanding pages.

A draft page is never found

Google only indexes what is online. Check that your important pages are set to Published. See Publishing and unpublishing.