The U.S. healthcare industry spends upwards of $30B a year on marketing. That’s not surprising considering the near $3.5T yearly spend.
What is surprising is how influential healthcare marketing can be.
84% of hospital research starts online. Almost half of those searches turn into a booked appointment. Your operation is losing out if it’s not active online!
The following offers an overview of online healthcare marketing strategies.
Before You Begin: Google’s Algorithm and E-A-T
Google changes its search engine ranking algorithms all the time. One of these major updates had a huge impact on health websites. The change places quality health resources at the top — as expected — which many are calling it: “E-A-T” SEO.
E-A-T is:
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
What does this mean for health marketing?
- The content should be well-researched and backed by science
- The individuals behind the content/site should be reputable
That’s not to say you can’t rank health-related articles in Google. But, do know that Google wants proven information and guidance for its users.
Hint: Don’t expect a holistic article to outrank studies by medical labs.
Healthcare Marketing Best Practices
People are well adapted to online research. They demand quality information, and Google is answering that call with how they’re sculpting results. Therefore, your foray with healthcare marketing should begin with best practices.
Search Engine Optimization
Effective SEO starts with:
- An optimized website
- Rigorous keyword research
- Structured data/content
Begin with the website:
- Use a quality hosting service for fast page speeds
- Use a mobile-friendly website theme for adaptive design
- Structure the navigation and pages by topics and sub-topics
- Give every page a unique title and description
- Use unique content for each page
These items should cover the basics of the website’s SEO. Next, you’ll use keyword research tools and analytics to discover keywords. These keywords define pages/topics, which improve search rankings and placement.
Finally, you’ll add structured data to each page so it appears in local search. This includes NAP and schema markup so Google understands what the site’s about.
Content Marketing
Healthcare content marketing is about amplifying website and social media content.
People want to learn about healthcare topics and services. So, you deliver it to them by crafting content that answers questions and fulfills needs.
- Research topics relevant to your industry, practice, and niche
- Provide helpful pieces addressing questions, comments, and queries
- Share items on social media and use feedback to refine the content plan
First attempt at crafting content for your operation? Take a look at the competition, solicit questions, or use Google. You could start with what you know, too.
The goal is offering new content — consistently — so it attracts search users. Then, it pitches services and products that align with the user’s need and intent.
Pay-Per-Click
Everything in this post, to this point (SEO and content), influence the PPC efforts:
- You’ll use relevant keywords discovered with tools and analytics
- You’ll craft content for the ad, landing page, and website
As for best practices:
- Test and optimize the creative and copy
- Monitor campaigns to improve performance
- Define target audiences and placement
Here are some good strategies for online healthcare marketing using paid placement. Otherwise, this is one of those areas you may want to consider pros.
Adapt as Rapid as the Industry
The healthcare industry has on a trajectory for rapid growth and disruption. Those participating in it should embrace healthcare marketing to survive.
Adapt your marketing strategy to mirror the demands of the healthcare market.
This article offered a mere glimpse of marketing for healthcare operations. Continue exploring great marketing opportunities through the guides on the site!