Word-of-mouth marketing strategy has its advantages up to some extent. However, you cannot always depend on this strategy to increase the patient footfall in your hospital or clinic. Rather, you need to focus on investing in a robust digital marketing strategy that aligns with your long-term business goals.
Almost 5% of all daily Google searches are health-related.
Many patients use Google to find their best option when searching for a healthcare practitioner. They are more likely to schedule an appointment when your website appears at the top of the search engine. If you are not at the top, your competitors are. As a result, you may create missed opportunities and lose out on new patients. That is why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising are crucial elements for every medical marketing team.
The goal of Medical SEO and PPC is to get your medical practice on top of the search results. These marketing strategies help your business rise above the competitors and win both paid and organic traffic. As a medical practitioner, you may wonder which is better: SEO or PPC? However, the best strategy is to leverage both SEO and PPC, creating a healthcare marketing strategy that converts precise leads to satisfied customers. While SEO is like planting a seed and waiting for it to become a fruit, PPC signifies instant gratification. Let’s delve deeper to find out the advantages of both strategies and the relationship between the two.
The Need for Search Engine Optimization for Medical Marketers
Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a cost-effective, unpaid content-based strategy that increases your organic online presence. It helps you own space on the Google search engine, which builds brand trust and credibility. Moreover, with a robust SEO strategy, you won’t lose your organic ranking on the search engine only because a competitor has a higher healthcare marketing budget than yours. A well-organized website structure, on-page optimization, high speed, and user-friendliness are some essential aspects that can make or break your SEO strategy.
An SEO strategy is usually applied by healthcare practitioners who aim for one or both of the following:-
- Constant organic traffic and leads
- Build the brand reputation of an industry leader
The strategy is especially effective when your practice has a long sales cycle and the patients conduct extensive internet research. However, it requires time and effort to build relevant content, and it can take about six to twelve months to witness an increase in site traffic, even with the most robust SEO campaigns. Once your website gains traction, it can easily stay on top of keyword rankings.
The Need for Pay-Per-Click for Medical Marketers
Sometimes, the target keywords in healthcare marketing are so competitive that it takes a long time to achieve the top rank on the search engine through a purely organic strategy. This is when medical marketers turn to Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. With PPC ads, you must pay a fee every time someone clicks the ad. You can benefit from using PPC advertising if you want to drive immediate traffic to your clinic or hospital. Moreover, these campaigns can allow your team to adapt quickly to the changing environment.
PPC strategies have the advantages of time sensitivity and targeted campaigns. With PPC, you can reach a highly targeted audience. Services such as Google Ads let you target a specific audience based on time, day, location, and other demographics. The strategy may be useful when you want to promote the following:-
- New products and services
- New practice locations
- Promotions, sales, and discounts
The obvious disadvantage of PPC advertising is the financial cost, as it requires a huge budget for marketing.
Using SEO and PPC Together
Relying completely on either SEO or PPC as your marketing strategy may not produce the desired results. While PPC may help your website stay visible on the search engine, once you turn off the ads, your website will lose its competitive advantage. On the contrary, an SEO strategy may take time to scale your services.
A more comprehensive strategy includes both SEO and PPC to help you achieve the best of both worlds. How? PPC advertising can make your website visible to patients when they require your services the most, and an SEO strategy can help you build long-term credibility with the patients.
Additionally, PPC allows you to learn a lot about your target audience, which in turn can help you better target your SEO efforts. For instance, if you create PPC ads for different areas in a city, you can determine the area most interested in your ads and services and then create relevant content for that target audience to improve your search ranking. Similarly, if you have a high search ranking for a particular procedure, you can create PPC ads for that procedure to convert new leads into patients. The advantages of using PPC and SEO together include:-
- Higher reach
- Quick results
- Ability to test different messages
- Cost-effective strategy
Bottom Line
Medical marketing is an extremely competitive field. Therefore, marketing teams must coordinate and work together to position your website and increase ROI on the campaigns. Constantly reviewing and optimizing your SEO and PPC strategy is the key to outranking your competitors in the healthcare sector.
SEO and PPC are both very effective marketing strategies for the healthcare sector. However, the strategy that works best for you depends on the goals of your medical practice. While some healthcare providers may employ either one of these strategies, others may require both SEO and PPC. But first, it’s critical to understand how the strategies work and when they are the most effective. After understanding the strategies, you can develop a marketing campaign that aligns with your long-term goals.
Gain an Edge Over Competitors With the Best Healthcare Marketing Services
Looking to expand your patient base with healthcare marketing? A marketing agency like HCreative can be your ideal choice. With best-in-industry digital marketing tactics, our team can help you improve your online presence and drive-in organic as well as paid traffic. Get in touch to learn more about how our healthcare marketing services can help you grow your practice.
