Including search engine optimization (SEO) for pain management clinics in your healthcare marketing strategy can help your practice gain visibility online — and new patients. Even the best pain management practices are unlikely to attract new patients if they don’t show up in Google search results.
Three-quarters of patients have searched for a healthcare provider online, and nearly all searchers choose from the top organic search results. Therefore, securing prominent search rankings is a critical growth strategy.
By focusing on search engine optimization (SEO) and local search strategies, you can help elevate your pain management practice above the competition online and ultimately drive long-term practice growth. Here are the top tactics to help your practice climb to the top of the search engine results page (SERP).
1. Create pain management website content with SEO in mind.
When it comes to your pain management practice website, the rule ‘less is more’ does not necessarily apply. In fact, the more content you have on your website (for the right keywords), the more chances you have to snag the coveted page one spot that leads to more website traffic.
To show Google that your pain management clinic is the most relevant practice to serve up in search results, think of your website as your resumé: Take the opportunity to brag about everything you do. Create website content that touts the exceptional care and services you offer, the talented providers on your team, the pain management therapies or techniques that you apply, and your approach to care.
Establishing a unique web page for each service you provide, and every condition you treat, is an essential strategy to help you rank higher for those keywords. When writing your content, remember to think like a patient: Answer the questions you hear most frequently and use layman’s terms instead of medical jargon.
2. Enhance your overall web presence.
In addition to your website, dozens of online directories and sites can help funnel new patients to your pain management clinic. Sites like Facebook, Yelp, Bing, and Vitals — along with your critical Google business profile — aggregate information about your practice to help prospective patients find what they’re looking for.
Take advantage of these free opportunities to promote your practice by claiming these profiles across the web. For optimal SEO, ensure your key practice details (name, phone number, address, providers, services, hours of operation) are accurate and consistent across all sites. This signals to Google and other search engines that the information is correct and worth serving up to internet searchers. Take your profiles a step further by adding high-quality photos and any relevant details that set your practice apart from the competition.
3. Elevate your pain management content by blogging consistently.
Blogging is one of the most popular types of content marketing and with good reason. A well-produced blog helps you connect with current and prospective patients, while also helping search engines better understand what you do. This allows Google and its competitors to connect the right searchers to your pain management practice.
To fuel your SEO properly, it’s important to host the blog on your practice website (not a separate site) and publish posts regularly that relate to your specialty and services. When you combine a blog with a social media strategy, you’ll drive even more traffic to your website.
4. Focus on your online reputation.
Pain management practice marketers may not know that online reputation does much more than demonstrate your commitment to the patient experience; it also plays a critical role in local search performance.
That’s because Google considers a higher volume of online patient reviews as a sign that your pain management clinic is frequented often, therefore having greater relevance in your community.
Google will also only serve up pain management practices with a minimum average rating of four stars in any search queries that use the term ‘best’ (e.g. ‘best pain management provider near me.’). Enhancing the patient experience is required to meet that four-star threshold; in turn, your practice shows up in more local searches, which increases website traffic and helps drive patient acquisition.
To boost your reputation metrics, consider implementing automated patient satisfaction surveys. Data has shown that asking for feedback correlates with more proactive online reviews. Sending out surveys also demonstrates to patients that you’re listening. With a positive impact on both SEO and patient perception, your overall online reputation can become a key business strength.
Take your pain management clinic to the top with search engine optimization
In summary, few digital marketing strategies offer pain management practices the powerful impact that a comprehensive SEO plan can deliver. By increasing online awareness of your pain management clinic with these proven SEO tactics, you’ll be well-positioned to land more new patients and meet your practice growth goals.
What should you do next?
1. Schedule a free PatientPop demo.
2. Measure your online performance using our competitive scanner.
3. Check out a pain management clinic’s guide to marketing and advertising in a modern world.
