When you’re looking to discover a new restaurant or you need a special frying pan, where do you look first? Most likely on the Internet. The same goes for healthcare providers these days.
People’s digital-first mentality means a robust digital presence is not just an option but a necessity for healthcare professionals. Building and maintaining a strong digital footprint can have a significant impact on your ability to attract and retain patients, and it will determine your accessibility and popularity in the future as digitization becomes paramount.
Here are five key strategies to elevate your online presence and engage with your audience effectively.
1. Digital Presence Management: Expand Your Reach
A mere website isn’t enough in the competitive healthcare landscape. Diversify your online presence across multiple platforms like Yelp, Zocdoc, Healthgrades, and Google My Business. Ensure consistency in your brand messaging, logos, imagery, and service offerings and keep information updated to make it easier for potential patients to find you.
2. Local SEO: Harness the Power of Search
Harness the potential of local search engine optimization (SEO). Statistics reveal a staggering volume of health-related queries on Google: Around 7% of Google’s daily search queries are related to health. This equates to 70,000 searches per minute and more than 1 billion per day.
Optimize your website and listings with local keywords pertinent to your practice and location, for example Neurological Surgeon, Palm Springs, California. You can also cultivate backlinks from reputable local sources such as media sites, newspapers, local medical authorities and partner locations to improve your visibility in local search results.
3. Leverage Google Reviews: Cultivate a Positive Reputation Online
Encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews on your Google Maps and other platforms that you use such as Zocdoc and Yelp. As a rule, we recommend sending 2 review reminders to patients via digital communication and asking them to leave a positive review each time they visit your practice. Positive reviews not only bolster your credibility but also keep potential patients on platforms you control, mitigating the risk of negative content on third-party review sites.
4.Mobile-Friendly Websites: Optimize Accessibility
A user-friendly, mobile-responsive website is indispensable. Given the prevalence of mobile device usage, prioritizing mobile compatibility enhances user experience and accessibility.
While there are many tools out there that allow you to create a simple website from templates, they often fall short on usability and are hard to customize. Consulting a website and user experience expert will help your practice establish seamless navigation and quick access to essential information.
5. Social Media Engagement: Educate and Connect via Your Digital Presence
Engage with your audience through social media platforms. Share valuable content related to your practice—discuss medical conditions, share recent research insights, and offer general health advice. We recommend sharing daily content, with daily tips for things that are top of mind, such as which sunscreen to use on a particularly hot day.
Sharing educational content and patient stories on social media positions you as a knowledgeable and trustable professional invested in patient education and care.
Having a strong digital presence offers immense opportunities for healthcare professionals to connect with patients and expand their reach. By implementing SEO and Social Media strategies thoughtfully and consistently, healthcare practitioners can bolster their online presence, foster trust among patients, and establish themselves as authoritative and reliable sources in their respective fields.
