It is more critical now than ever before for medical providers and practices to market themselves online. Nearly 20% of all Google searches are health-related, and nearly 80% of Internet users seek medical information online. This means if you’re not currently utilizing your website, social media, or other online marketing initiatives, you probably should be. Building a successful online marketing strategy involves having a solid understanding of these three core elements: Search Engine Optimization, Content Marketing, and Social Media Marketing.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)- Most internet researchers click directly on the page that appears first in their search results, which explains the importance of high ranking. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of ensuring that a website ranks high on the list of results produced by the search engine for a given term.
Building a solid SEO strategy consists of the utilization of relevant keywords and valuable content related to those keywords.
SEO should include:
- Relevant keywords
- Useful content that is shared
- Images or videos
- Backlinks from reliable websites
Content Marketing- is a strategic marketing approach with the primary goal of creating and distributing valuable and relevant content, to a specific and clearly-defined target audience with the goal of driving action from the consumer.
Strong content marketing should help build consumer confidence in your brand and company. Some examples of online content marketing include blogs, articles, infographics, pictures, videos and even e-books.
Social Media Marketing- Social media marketing is the process of increasing website traffic through the use of social media sites. Social media marketing efforts typically include creating content that attracts readers and encourages them to share it across their social networks. Social media is more than just keeping in touch with friends or clients. For businesses, it can be a valuable tool that combines SEO and content marketing to help increase search engine rankings. For medical practices, making the most of social media means interacting with your patients and providing them with content that is relevant and informative. It is a helpful way to let patients know you are accessible and invested in their health.
These three elements are just a foundation, but by starting with the basics you can build a successful strategy that works for your practice.