Optimizing for Conditions

September 20, 2006

Hi Jill,

I wonder if you can give me a steer on a particular SEO problem.

I have a client who specializes in acupuncture and other alternative
remedies in London

We would like to optimise for the conditions she treats such as back pain,
insomnia, headaches, etc - about 40 different in all.  What is the best way
to present this to a search engine without having to write "acupuncture for
colds and flu" or some such other boring list which no real person would
want to plough through?

Similarly, areas we would like to say we cover -- about a dozen different
districts in South London -- without having to say "treatments available in
Clapham/Vauxhall/Narnia/Oz," etc.

Any advice?

Regards,

Stephen

++Jill's Response++

Hi Stephen,

I would create a "symptoms" or "conditions" main category page.  Then list
each of the various conditions, with a few sentences describing that
condition.  From each of those, you would place a link to go to a specific
page with more information about that symptom and how it can be treated
through acupuncture (or whatever alternative remedy).

This really makes sense from a user perspective, which means it also makes
sense from a search engine one.

You could do the same thing for the various cities where you offer service
(assuming you have offices in each of them).  You create an "our offices"
main category page, provide a wee bit of info, with the option to click to
learn more about what that particular office has to offer.

If you only have one office, but serve people from many different districts,
it's a bit trickier.  The best you can really do in that case is to have a
blurb somewhere that lists the various districts in which you have patients.


What you want to avoid is creating any pages specifically for search engines
that don't really make much sense for people.  They may work either
temporarily or even permanently, but they can be confusing to the people who
land on them.  The last thing you want to do is confuse your potential
customers!

Hope this helps!

Jill