Once your website is looking at a million dollars, it can be tempting to sit back and think your online work is complete. The reality is very different as it’s highly unlikely that potential patients will simply flock to your website because it looks fantastic.
The online medical industry is highly competitive and having a new website and even some new engaging content is not going to be enough to stand out from your competitors. That’s where search engine optimisation (SEO) can be a game changer for your practice.
When you search for something on Google, good SEO is what helps a website rise to the top of the search results. It is particularly relevant to the medical industry (whether medical professionals like it or not) as people Google health concerns and find their doctors online.
The medical practices that dominate the search results get the lion’s share of new patients. If your practice is not on the first page of Google search results, your website won’t get the traffic needed to generate consistent new leads and new patients.
Raises practice visibility and attracts new patients: Referrals and word of mouth can only take you so far. If you’re ready to scale your practice and attract a steady flow of new patients, SEO can help by bringing traffic to your website so visitors reach out for bookings.
Cost efficient: SEO is often regarded as one of the most cost-efficient doctor marketing campaigns around. Although it varies somewhat from industry to industry, leads from search engines like Google have a close rate of almost 15 percent. This is much more effective in comparison to outbound leads (these include cold calling and email campaigns) which have a close rate of just 1.7%.
Improved user experience: The Google algorithm rewards websites with fewer technical flaws. That means that digital marketing agencies like Your Medical Marketing take the time to ensure your website always provides a superior user experience.
24/7 opportunities: One of the exciting features of SEO is that it can work for you 24 hours a day. Traditionally, once your practice closes no further bookings can be made. However, with search engine optimisation and online booking functionality, new and returning patients can reach out and make bookings at any time.