By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthcare cybersecurity
    4 Helpful Tips on How to Protect Your Medical Practice Against Cyber Attacks
    October 24, 2021
    Health Check Diagnosis Medical Condition Analysis Concept
    6 Health Woes With Online Remedies
    January 19, 2022
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    Eight Things Men Should Know About the Male Menopause
    April 24, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy nursing school habits
    Healthy Habits for Nursing Student Nursing School Students
    May 24, 2024
    High Deductables
    High-Deductible Insurance and Rising Bad Debt
    July 24, 2015
    How People Are Taking Advantage of Health Deals in the Recent Recession
    February 5, 2021
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: 5 Search Engine Marketing Tips for Medical Practices
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > 5 Search Engine Marketing Tips for Medical Practices
eHealthSocial Media

5 Search Engine Marketing Tips for Medical Practices

Jonathan Catley
Last updated: September 12, 2017 9:28 pm
Jonathan Catley
Share
6 Min Read
digitalmarketing.jpg
SHARE

As medical marketing competition continues to heat up, healthcare organizations need to up their digital advertising game if they want to see a solid ROI. The ever-increasing role of digital media in the patient path to treatment represents a huge opportunity for medical marketers looking to generate new revenue for their practices while reducing overall costs — Google processed more than 28 billion healthcare-related searches last year, generating more than seven billion impressions and 1 billion clicks in the measure. However, as more and more patients turn to search engines as their primary resource for medical information, the level of competition has increased substantially. This increased competition, paired with stringent HIPAA regulations and Google’s ban on medical remarketing, has made the medical adspace a difficult one to break into. According to recent data, the average cost-per-click (CPC) for medical ads is $3.17, a full $0.85 higher than the average across all industries. At the same time, the average click-through-rate (CTR) for medical ads is 1.79%, 0.12% lower than the average CTR across other verticals. With competition this stiff, medical practices must optimize their approach to search engine marketing (SEM) to stay competitive. If you’re unsure of how to get the most out of SEM, these five tips will help you get your footing.

Contents
Landing Pages for Information-Hungry PatientsTargeted Marketing Makes for Top-Notch CampaignsMobile MattersClear, Consistent Contact InformationKeep an Eye on the Metrics

Landing Pages for Information-Hungry Patients

A commonly overlooked aspect of digital campaigns is building high-quality landing pages. If your content isn’t relevant, informative, and digestible, your online audience will likely move on to the next search result. When it comes to optimizing your landing page, the first step is making your copy as legible and scannable as possible. Avoid overly complex explanations and make use of headers and bullets to immediately direct your readers to the most important information on the page. You’ll also want to make sure that each page includes a clearly defined call to action (CTA), making it as easy as possible for prospective patients to request additional information, contact you directly, or even better, book a new appointment right then and there.

Targeted Marketing Makes for Top-Notch Campaigns

One of the major factors contributing to medical keyword competition is the sheer diversity of organizations that typically get lumped into the same categories. Just look at the top five U.S. healthcare search queries: Walgreens, FitBit, CVS, PubMed, and WebMD — very different companies with very different clientele. You should try center your keyword targeting strategy around more resource-driven phrases, rather than symptom- or diagnosis-centric ones. For example, if you’re a practice specializing in cardiology, it’s best to focus on transactional search queries like “heart surgery” or “heart disease treatment options,” rather than more general queries such as “cardiovascular disease” or “high blood pressure.”

Mobile Matters

62% of smartphone users report having used their devices to search for health-related information, and perhaps even more importantly, more than half of the aforementioned annual 28 billion healthcare-related Google searches now occur on mobile. Clearly, mobile advertising is more important than ever, and medical marketers must capitalize on this trend if they want to remain competitive now and in the future. A good first step is checking whether or not your landing pages pass Google’s “mobile-friendly website test.” You should also target certain ads for mobile by including mobile-friendly language.

More Read

Health Business TV: Cash for Specialists, eVisits, Nursing Shortage Myth
Beyond the C-Suite: 3 Ways to Build Customer Focus
Make Your Hospital’s Facebook Page a Content Generator
ICD-10 Readiness Survey Results
Disparities In Congenital Heart Defect Detection, Treatment

Clear, Consistent Contact Information

When it comes to running a successful campaign, the consistency of your N.A.P. — shorthand for Name, Address, and Phone Number — is key. If a prospective patient clicks on an ad and arrives at a landing page only to discover there’s no clear indication of how to book an appointment or contact your practice directly, there’s a good chance they’re not going to end up converting. Moreover, you should take advantage of Google’s ad extensions for all of your campaigns. In addition to extending the real-estate of your ad and making it easier for patients to actually convert, extensions have also been known to improve ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Keep an Eye on the Metrics

Perhaps most importantly, you need to establish a high-level metrics and analytics strategy at the outset of any campaign. SEM success demands flexibility and constant optimization in accordance with updates to Google’s algorithms, changes in consumer preferences and habits, and changes in your own service offerings over time. By tracking web users as they transform from prospects to leads to new patients, you’ll be able to determine which channels are performing best and allocate your spend accordingly.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

Social Media

Blogworld and New Media Expo Offer Social Health Track

November 2, 2011

Video: How to Prevent Costly Healthcare IT Security Breaches

September 3, 2011

HealthVaulth: mHealth Heavy Weight

March 20, 2013

Time for some healthcare New Year’s resolutions

December 17, 2015
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?