www.CHESTERCMS.org
Endorsed for CCMS Members
Can Patients Find You? Steps For Improving Your Online Presence
I
n the past, accessing medical care has been difficult for patients, with issues ranging from limited availability to choosing which provider is best for them. As an independent medical practice, it’s important to make sure your patients can get the care that they need without the hassle. In order to ensure that new patients look to you for quality care over the leading hospital systems, your practice should be easy to find and communicate with. The creators of PracticeBeat, an all-in-one practice growth platform, have outlined the six steps of the patient journey and how you can utilize them to grow your independent practice.
Step One: Attract Patients Through Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Listings Management & More The “attract” stage of the patient journey is all about how patients will find you. In this day and age, if someone is feeling an ailment or seeking a healthcare provider, the first thing they will do is use a search engine to find a provider near them. In fact, 80% of patients use internet searches to find a medical provider and 70% of them start from Google. 6 CHESTER COUNT Y Medicine | SPRING 2022
If you want your practice to be the one that they find, then you need a strategy that will include things like: • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Search is the #1 driver of traffic to content sites, beating social media by more than 300%. Using SEO tools and best practices helps to put your practice on the map. • Listings Management: With listing management, information such as your address, hours, and more are accurate and up to date. Nearly half of all Google searches consist of users seeking local information. Additionally, reviews make up 15% of how Google ranks a business in search results. • Social Media & Advertisement: Social media presence is a bare minimum requirement for successful practices. It is important to go further than just posting and have an effective strategy that is created for your target audience. Advertising and engaging with your target audience on multiple social media platforms can increase your potential for patient acquisition.
