As a plastic surgeon, you are probably well aware of the challenges of attracting new patients. While you undoubtedly receive some referrals from other medical professionals as well as satisfied clients, many patients prefer to self-refer. When that happens, the prospective patient usually does a Google search and begins to scroll down the results in order. So, to make sure you attract as many new patients as possible, you have to find your way to the top of the search results. SEO for plastic surgeons We'll walk you step-by-step through our proven process to move your practice to that critical place at the top. Before we get started, however, let's look at why local SEO is so important for plastic surgeons. 3 reasons why plastic surgeons should invest in local SEO The Yellow Pages are out, Google is in: At one time, you could find new patients by posting an ad in the Yellow Pages and waiting for potential clients to call. Today, however, an impressive 97% of people search for local businesses online, and Google still dominates search. Free traffic: Although its appearance is changing, advertising is still one of the biggest expenses for many small businesses. By improving your Google rankings, you'll have a steady stream of free traffic that you can convert into patients. Fast results: National and international businesses must wait, on average, 6 months to a year to see much movement in their Google rankings. However, as a plastic surgeon, you have a huge advantage. You are only competing with other plastic surgeons in your immediate vicinity, not those on the other side of the country. Many of your competitors have not yet begun to harness the power of local SEO. With a targeted campaign, you could reach the first page of Google's local rankings in as little as 30 days. Step 1: Determine your keywords The first step of your local SEO campaign is simple. Make a list of keywords that describe your services. For example, you can try keywords like "cosmetic surgery," "tummy tuck," and "facelift." When your list is fairly complete, create a free Google AdWords account. You don't have to start an ad campaign, but the AdWords account will give you access to Google's free keyword planning tool. This tool allows you to enter your chosen keywords and find out how much traffic they get. It also suggests additional related keywords that might not be on your list. With this information in hand, you are ready to select exactly which keywords to use. All keywords can be classified into two types: Purchase intent: Keywords with purchase intent indicate that a potential customer is imminently ready for your services. For example, a search for "breast reduction in New Orleans" likely indicates that someone knows what they want and is looking for the right plastic surgeon to perform it.Your local SEO campaign should focus on purchase intent keywords, as these produce the fastest results. Include them on your home page and build your services pages around them.Research intent: Search intent keywords are used when a potential customer is looking for information. He or she may want plastic surgery in the future, but is not ready to have it done. For example, someone searching for "non-surgical rhinoplasty" may be unhappy with their nose, but is starting to consider their options. Don't get rid of them, however, as they are very useful in blog posts and FAQs. These posts introduce you to potential clients who might come to you when they're ready to do a job. Step 2: Optimize Keywords When you have your final list of keywords, it's time to optimize them in two places: your Google My Business page and your website. Here's what to focus on: Google My Business Think of your Google My Business page as a sort of mini-website that will appear in the "Map" section of Google's listings. It gives potential new customers a brief description of your services and increases your overall online presence. It can also increase your ranking quickly, as it is much easier to achieve a high ranking with a Google My Business page than with a website. For best results, make sure these items are accurate and complete: Verification: First, you must claim your page and go through Google's verification process. When you see a check mark and the word "Verified" next to your business name, you're ready to move forward. NAP: Your NAP, or business name, address and phone number, must be completely accurate and consistent across the Internet. Let Google know that your business is local by listing a local phone number instead of an 800 number. Categories: Google requires categories to focus on services rather than results. In addition to plastic surgeon, include any additional services you offer, such as laser hair removal service or day spa. Try to create 3-5 categories. Description: The description is a brief description of your practice that ends with a call to action. Keep it between 100 and 200 words in length, and use a format similar to: {Practice name} offers {cosmetic surgery and laser hair removal, or similar} professionals in {your city}. {Provide some information about your background and/or why patients love you} Call {phone number} today for a free consultation. Hours: Make sure your practice hours are up to date and consistent across all of your online listings. Images: Images can drastically improve patient engagement, and show potential clients that you do great work. Add some photos of your practice, your staff or your satisfied patients (with their permission, of course). Your images should have sharp focus, be between 10KB and 5MB in size, and have a minimum resolution of 720px x 720px. We also recommend replacing the generic Google My Business background image with a branded image. Website Optimization Start with your "main" pages, which are your home page and your service pages, making sure to optimize them for your purchase intent keywords. Then, you can focus on your "content" pages, or FAQs and blog posts, which are optimized for your search intent keywords. Here's what to do: Home page: The most important element of your home page is the title tag, which serves the same purpose as a chapter title in a book. It should be between 50 and 65 characters long and formatted similar to: Plastic Surgeon in {Your City} | Next is the meta description, which lists your main services and ends with a call to action. Make sure it is between 100 and 150 characters in length, and close to this format: {Practice Name} offers quality {cosmetic surgery and day spa services, or similar} in {your city}. Call {phone number} today to schedule your free consultation. The H1, or visible headline, should be concise and descriptive, and should include your main category. This format works well: {Plastic Surgeon} in {City, State}. The last key element is the text on your page, which should be between 500 and 1000 words, clear and descriptive, and well edited. Provide some information about your practice, briefly explain your main services, and close with a strong call to action. Introduce your main keyword naturally. Service pages: Each main service needs its own keyword-optimized page. Optimize each service page exactly as you did the home page, making sure to substitute the relevant keyword. Step 3: Collect citations and links Now that the framework is in place, you are ready to collect citations and links. These boost your online reach and help improve your Google rankings. Citations: A citation is simply an online directory listing of your NAP business (name, address and phone number). There are general national directories (yellowpages.com and Facebook), general local directories (Chamber of Commerce website) and specific medical directories. Your NAP should be identical in all listings. Before you spend the money, check Google Analytics. There is no point in investing in a site that generates no traffic or conversions. Links: Your Google rankings depend heavily on inbound links from authoritative websites. Focus on building relationships, both online and in person, with those who offer complementary services, from general practitioners to gyms, and then ask if you can exchange links. Tools like Moz Open Site Explorer will show you where other local plastic surgeons find your links. Step 4: Collect reviews Patient reviews serve a dual purpose: they convince potential patients to try your services and they let Google know that your practice is legitimate. All review sites can help, but to get the fastest boost in rankings, focus on reviews on your Google My Business page. Email your satisfied patients with a link to your Google My Business profile and ask them directly to write a review. Doing this regularly will ensure a steady stream of reviews. Step 5: Track your results The only way to know if your local SEO campaign is getting results, and to identify areas that still need work, is to track your results. There are many different ways to analyze the data, but these 3 main metrics are the most important: Rankings: Google personalizes the search results that are displayed based on the user's previous browsing behavior. This means that the only way to know your actual ranking on Google is to use a tool. The free Google Search Console (formerly Google Webmaster Tools) is a good place to start. Ask your webmaster to install it and check the results once or twice a month. We like the one offered by RankRanger, which tracks Google My Business pages and web pages, and provides automatically updated ranking data from all your SEO campaigns. Traffic: To track your website visitors, or traffic, you can't go wrong with Google Analytics. You can see total traffic, traffic to each individual web page, and the percentage of visitors coming through Google search. Review your report once a month and keep an eye on long-term trends. Conversions: A conversion is a specific action you want your leads to take. In the case of a plastic surgeon, it may be a registration for a free consultation. In Google Analytics, you can track conversions over the phone and online, find out which of your services generate the most conversions, and discover which web pages have the lowest and highest conversion rates. Ready to get started? DOWNLOAD YOUR GOOGLE MAPS GUIDE FOR SURGEONS Now you understand why a comprehensive local SEO campaign is so important to attract more potential patients to your plastic surgery practice. At MENTEDIGITAL, we specialize in helping plastic surgeons attract more local patients through Google. If you would like help with your SEO, please contact us for a free quote. September 12, 2022Recent Posts
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