The world of technology is changing rapidly and with the news of COVID-19 and social distancing, many health care providers will need to adapt or risk losing market share. If you run a medical office, work as a therapist, or own a health care facility, these digital marketing tips for your telehealth service can be a real boost to your business. Effective digital marketing will help you retain your existing patients and add new customers.
The health care industry and society as a whole benefit from telehealth by freeing up the hospital system for sick or critically ill patients. For example, an online consult with a physician can be handled through a secure, encrypted channel rather than a personal visit when dealing with less severe medical issues. In addition, therapists can continue helping their patients through online video sessions. But, the main question at hand is how to effectively reach people with your telehealth service.
Search Marketing Tips for Telehealth Services
This article provides 3 marketing tactics that can be implemented for an effective digital marketing campaign. In short, we’ll explore Google Maps Marketing, Organic Search and Paid Ad campaigns as the focus of this article.
Google Maps Marketing for Health Care Providers
When you consider the landscape of the search engine results (SERPs), you can break up the page into several categories:
- Paid Ads – Typically 3-4 ads show up at the top of the SERPs.
- Google Maps – Just below the ads are 3 prominent (unpaid) listings.
- Organic search – Organic listings are 10 unpaid results that show up below the map.
Google has a specific algorithm for determining your ranking position on the Google Map. This algorithm includes some of the following ranking factors:
- Distance – How close is your business to the person doing the search?
- Prominence – How prominent is your business around the web with links and articles?
- Relevance – How relevant is your small business for the search terms people use to find you?
With over 1 billion people that used Google Maps last year, you certainly want to show up prominently above your competitors with positive reviews, correct business information and categories, and an optimized listing. Having a local SEO company manage your listing with the right strategy could pay dividends for your health care business.
Organic SEO for Your Health Care Facility
Earlier, we explained how organic SEO consists of the ten listings that appear below the Google Ads and Google Maps area of the SERPs. To show up on the organic results (and the map listing), there is no amount of money you can pay Google to appear there. An experienced SEO expert is the answer for racing past your competition with regards to the Google organic results.
Some of the factors that can improve your organic ranking are as follows:
- Secure, HTTPS website
- 100% mobile responsive
- Page load time and Page speed
- Content quality
- On-Page SEO
- SEO Titles
- Link Building
The option to appear in organic search for popular phrases like “telehealth therapist for anxiety” or “telehealth services near me” can drastically change your business for the better. For the most part, people click one of the top 5 searches making it imperative that your business show up prominently on the SERPs.
Pay Per Click Advertising for Your Mental Health Office
Up until this point, we’ve discussed ways to rank naturally on the first page of Google for your industry terms. As a rule, this method requires hard work and perseverance for the long term. If you want quicker results, you can pay for Google Ads that appear at the top of the SERP. Accordingly, work towards optimizing your ad copy, landing page, and keywords used to get the most out of your ad spend.
Creating the right ad campaign is critical to your success. There are many factors, including the Google Quality Score, that determine your success or failure with each ad campaign. Since Google charges per click, you’ll want to ensure you have the right keywords to maximize relevant clicks and minimize costs.
Next, an effectively run Google Ads campaign certainly complements your SEO results. For example, if your business runs an ad for “best telehealth service for anxiety in Atlanta” and you have a top Google Ad for that term, a map ranking, and an organic search result, the trust of your business will skyrocket. When people trust your business, they are more likely to do business with you.
Get Started: Digital Marketing Tips for Telehealth
In summary, the time is now for developing your digital marketing strategy. Consider implementing these practical marketing tips to get ahead of the curve. If you don’t have the expertise or time, allow an experienced SEO agency to help. Contact us today for a free analysis of your web presence.