Google has changed medical marketing solutions as much as Walmart has changed the retail industry over the years. Today, it’s not enough to keep up with the changes. Successful medical practices have to anticipate, prepare and recheck.
Walmart Is To Retail What Google Is to Medical Marketing Solutions
Walmart drove the big-box store one-stop shopping trend. If you wanted food, think Walmart. If you need toys, cosmetics, clothing, sporting equipment, home décor and more, think Walmart. That trend is changing for some areas of specialization in today’s world, and Walmart is answering the trend with Walmart Express stores.
Now, let’s focus on Google. Check out this short video from a 1994 Today’s Show, “What Is Internet”. At that time, few people could envision the potential impact that Internet would have on our lives…and on medical marketing solutions. Many of the changes have come about because of Google. Free business tools. Free email & storage (who worries about storage capacity now?). Price comparisons, shopping.
Google has recently added another obstacle for retail as a convenience for shoppers. When you search for many retail stores, you’ll find another search box in the results where you can search the store’s website. Retailers are concerned about competitor ads appearing on the search result page. This is retail right now, but I can see potential for this in medical marketing solutions. How about you?
4 Methods to Harness the Benefits for Your Medical Practice
Google continues to roll out features that help them harness the benefits of their audience. While many features are free to the public, consistently standing out among your competition in Google is demanding for a medical practice. Here are some things that you can do to harness the benefits:
- Get on the map: People use the Google search box and Google maps to locate doctors. The content comes from your Google+ business page and Google reviews. Own your Google+ and ask for reviews to boost your search results.
- Target locally: Don’t try to be everywhere at once. Start with a small location (think one zip code). When you’ve reached success, expand ads to another zip code. Targeting small areas helps you control your spending while improving the ad effectiveness.
- Maximize website SEO: Make sure that your website (and mobile website) has SEO-optimized content that works in location-based search results. When Google tweaks its algorithms, you must revise your content to meet their terms.
- Blog consistently: It takes a little effort to blog, and it’s time well spent. Blogs keep your website content fresh, so people come back. They boost your SEO and provide substance for social media. Optimize your blog SEO for complete benefits.
Does your practice need a little help in staying on top of Google’s search results? Attend our forum at Baker Gordon on February 12 if you’re in the Miami area. Or, contact PUMC experts for a consultation on potential medical marketing solutions that fit your unique needs. We can draw the Google map to success.