Potential patients are using search engines, like Google, to find the services and procedures you provide. While there are many different ways to help increase your practice’s visibility in search engines, there’s only one way to guarantee placement: Search Engine Marketing (SEM).

SEM, more commonly known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, is a form of Internet marketing that promotes websites through paid ads on the top and side of all online search engines.

PPC ads nearly dominate search results. With engaging formats that drive high click-through rates and ROI, PPC is arguably the most effective form of advertising today!

Still not convinced? Take a look at these mind-blowing Google AdWords stats!

• 64.6% of clicks are from PPC ads or sponsored results
• Organic results account for only 14.8% of above-the-fold space
• The top 3 search results take 41.1% if clicks on a page
• In a recent study, 45.5 % of people couldn’t identify paid ads

View Word Stream infographic for more information.

Healthcare Pay-Per-Click Solution

While it’s still important to optimize your website for search engines, adding a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign can increase high-quality site traffic and increase conversion rates. Find out more about out SEM services and contact us to get started

Skype is known by most as a way to keep in touch with friends, family and co-workers. But health professionals are using Skype a bit differently! By using Skype to consult with patients and other healthcare professionals, healthcare communication has certainly been enhanced in many ways.

Uses For Skype in Healthcare

Here are a few ways doctors are using Skype to learn, educate and communicate:

• Consulting with patients who cannot necessarily travel to a practice. Whether it be because they live in a rural area, are immobile or cannot travel due to sever weather conditions.
• Holding one-on-one or group therapy sessions
• Providing first aid video instructions
• Hosting educational seminars for doctors

Check out the infographic below for more Skype uses and statistics.

Have you used Skype to communicate with patients? Let us know how you’ve used Skype at your practice.

Looking to connect with more patients online?

At MedNet we offer a range of services to help practices worldwide communicate with patients and potential patients. Contact us to learn more!

Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are quite possibly the most powerful and cost-effective way to send targeted and high-quality traffic to your website. By reaching patients in your area that are already searching for your procedures and conditions treated, your ads are more likely to convert visitors to patients than any other type of Internet marketing.

But it’s not as simple as that—choosing the best wording and the most persuasive calls to action are crucial in determining the success of your PPC ad campaign. Follow these tips to write copy that converts click to patients!

1. Be specific: PPC campaigns should target a specific popular procedure or a promotion that your practice is running. Make sure your headline is catchy and reflects exactly what you’re targeting.

A few examples of effective headlines are:

• 30% off Dental Implants- Limited Time Offer!
• $500 off LASIK- Over 40,000 Surgeries Performed
2. Use relevant keywords: Insert relevant search terms where appropriate. This helps ensure that patients find you through a related search query.
3. Use strong calls to action: Use strong action phrases, for example: learn more, free consultation, and schedule an appointment today! Adding discount percentages and limited time offers also can help increase clicks.
4. Create a powerful landing page: Consider creating a landing page specifically for your PPC ad. A landing page is a single page of copy presented to a user after he or she clicks an advertisement. Think of it as an extension of the ad, encouraging visitors to take action right then and there. An effective landing page captures leads by presenting a specific offer, a clear call to action, limited navigation, a simple contact form, and an overall defined “next step.” Learn more about creating effective landing pages here.
5. Test options: Test your ads! A/B testing allows you to vary and test your ad copy and calls to action to see which combinations generate the most clicks. Then, adjust your campaign accordingly for maximum return on investment!

Setting up Your Healthcare PPC Campaign

PPC ads are arguably the most effective form of advertising today. With PPC, you can achieve top placement in searches for a low cost and attract high-quality traffic! With years of experience launching and maintaining PPC campaigns and proven success in creating effective landing pages, we’ll help your practice generate leads and increase conversion rates! Contact a MedNet Representative to get started.

When it comes to gaining a competitive edge on the Internet, local listing websites are the best place to start – especially Google+ Local. One of the major benefits of these types of sites is that past clients can post reviews on the very same page as your business listing. These can help you win new clients and increase your credibility on the web.

But – you may be asking – how can patient reviews help my visibility in search engines?

To answer this, you have to understand how Google ranks websites. And, what it all comes down to is authority. The more websites that are pointing and linking to your site, the more authority your site has in the eyes of Google. And, patient reviews are no exception. Acting as inbound links, the more reviews your have, the more Google picks up on your business. Someone with a detailed listing and a large number of reviews is more important than a business without any reviews, at least when it comes to search engine authority. Plus, as an important added benefit, people are more likely to trust a business – especially a healthcare provider - when they read positive first-hand accounts from past clients.

Strapped for ideas? Here are a few ways to encourage patient reviews:

• Reach out through your social networks. Create social media posts on your Facebook, Twitter and Google+ that encourage patients to review your services.
• Compile an email list. When patients check in to your office, ask them if they would like to opt-in to receive practice emails. Send a message to everyone on your list.
• In-office kiosk. Place a designated computer or tablet in your waiting room. Encourage patients to review your services right then and there.

Today, your online success can seriously influence your offline success. Make sure you’re being seen online!

Medical SEO Service

Be seen on the web – win new patients! Find out what a SEO Package from MedNet can do for your practice today. Contact a MedNet representative.

Pinterest quickly became the top website for referral traffic, beating Facebook, Twitter, even Google. But according to All Things Digital, new Pinterest rules may make it more difficult for marketers to obtain website hits from Pinterest.

Pinterest is now blocking three types of links when they are “pinned” by a user:

• Affiliate links will be blocked. Affiliate links help the original “pinner” get a cut of sales from purchases made by people who click on the link.
• Pins with links to sites with URL shorteners like Bitly or ow.ly will lead viewers to a Pinterest roadblock sign warning them not to proceed.
• Tracking codes added to URLs, for example links generated with Google’s URL builder, will be removed before the pin goes public.

A Few Ways to Get Referral Traffic Without Being Spammed

• Pin informative blog posts
• Remember: No URL shorteners
• Share FAQs from your site
• Share Procedure and Condition information from your site
• Repin and interact with others for more repins and likes!

Follow us on Pinterest! We’d love to see your boards!

Sure, Facebook is a great marketing platform to reach new patients, but how else has social media and modern technology contributed to the booming cosmetic surgery industry? Studies suggest the spike of cosmetic surgery has to do with the way consumers see themselves on social media sites, videochat services and smartphones. Experts say the angles aren’t always flattering; and high-tech cameras and high-resolution screens allow consumers to see more of themselves than ever before.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, cosmetic procedures saw an 82 percent increase between 1997 and 2011. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported 5 percent rise in facelifts and a 71 percent increase in chin augmentations, the two most Facebook-friendly surgeries, according to an article by Beta Beat.

Popular Procedures Influenced by Social Media and Modern Technology

Beta Beat also reported the following procedures most influenced by social media:

• Facelift
• Chin Augmentation
• Botox
• Rhinoplasty

Go Social to Reach Patients!

In addition, the amount of conversation and interactions on social media sites about these popular surgeries also plays a role. Getting involved with social media is a great way to reach patients where they’re already present—on Facebook, Twitter and Google+! Find out more about our social media solutions and contact us today to get started.

Which social networks are most popular among healthcare institutions? What are the benefits and concerns of using social media in healthcare? This new infographic released by Healthcare IT News answers these questions and more!

Going Social in Healthcare

This survey found Facebook to be the most popular social network among health professionals, followed by Foursquare. Check out a few other ways healthcare professionals can use social media:

Going Social to Reach More Patients

As you can see, social media platforms offer a variety of ways to reach patients. Interested in going social? At MedNet, we’ll launch and manage your entire social media campaign, sending out frequent status updates and blog posts to grow your network of patients. Contact us to get started!

Do older adults make up a large portion of your patient base? Perhaps you’ve been reluctant to invest in an online marketing strategy because you think your patients seek information offline. Well, recent studies suggest you may want to reconsider!

Pew Internet Reports…

• 53% of U.S. adults 65+ use the Internet to look for information
• 70% use the Internet daily
• 34% of U.S. adult Internet users 65+ use social networks
• 86% of U.S. adults Internet users 65+ use email
• 48% use email daily

Additionally, for the most part, the amount of older adults using the Internet and participating in social networking has steadily increased over the past 10 years, and has rapidly increased over the past year.

Reach your target audience!

With the number of seniors searching the web on the rise, it’s a great time to start boosting your web presence. Internet marketing strategies allow you to target web users by specific age group, geographic region and online behavior. Contact a MedNet Representative to discuss furthering your online presence.

Want to make sure your patients stay safe in the summer heat? From children to parents, to frequent tanners and athletes, we’ve got you covered! We created a Pinterest board with some of our favorite guides and articles with tips for having a safe and healthy summer.

Visit our board and send us your favorite guides and articles! Also remember to follow us on Pinterest!