The Internet is Now Used as the Primary Means of Finding Local Businesses, Including Healthcare Practices.

Not too long ago, most people tended to think of the Internet as the global marketplace —  the source where people would look up information and purchase goods and services from companies that were far away from their homes. But not anymore. According to a recent study by Comscore, 40% of all searches on the Internet are local in nature.  The general public are now using their computers as the primary means of finding or researching a local business rather than the local Yellow Pages.

Think about it. Computers with Internet access are now a common appliance in people’s kitchens, not to mention wireless home networks that allow for use of your laptop throughout the house. Now instead of the local Yellow Pages, today consumers use their computers as the primary means of finding or researching a local business.

What does this mean for you? Clients are researching your practice and other doctors too. If you aren’t taking steps to be found for local searches related to the services your practice provides, then you are missing out on potential new patients. You’re also potentially losing patients who may have tried to find you, but couldn’t because they looked for you by specialty within your local area, instead of your name.

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The Current State of Video on the Web

Video optimization is becoming more important as a mainstream aspect of search engine optimization. It can be a great way for you to expose your brand to users who may have otherwise not been familiar with your practice. With the launch of Universal Search from Google, which was explained in a previous issue of MedNews, you can expect to see more and more video results occupying the search engine results that are presented to potential patients.  Getting on board with this early can help you stand out amongst the competition and open up new avenues of exposure on the Internet.

Here are some common questions about MedNet’s Video SEO service and ways it can help you improve your website:

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"How do I improve my search engine optimization (SEO)?"

This is without a doubt the most common question doctors present to me. Since it is so common, I thought it would be ideal to share the question and answer with everyone. The answer is quite complicated; however, I have been blessed with a reading pool of probably the smartest people on the planet. Therefore, I have no reservations about sharing the answer with everyone.

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The Importance of SEO!

Imagine buying a beautiful sign for your practice that nobody could see or read because it had a cover on it. Potential patients, existing patients, and anyone else wouldn’t be able to find the office. It’s safe to assume that you would ask the sign manufacturer to remove the cover so people could locate the practice. Leaving a cover on the sign seems crazy, right?

An unsearchable website is like a sign with a cover on it. Websites are the electronic equivalent to a medical practice’s sign, but better — they provide information to potential patients, existing patients and everyone else that a sign could not possibly fit. An unsearchable website is not effective; it will not be found during a search engine query.

Installing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactics removes the cover from the website. Search engine optimization must become a long-term and permanent answer to your website’s traffic. A website without SEO seems crazy, right?

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Establish a Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Campaign to Augment Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Efforts

Even the most aggressive Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Plan can benefit from a SEM Campaign.  Why?  Because Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads can be used to maintain your website’s visibility regardless of the constant ups and downs of your organic rankings.  Because the position of PPC Ads can be controlled, they guarantee that your website will appear among the results of the search terms that you want to be found under.

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