Are you managing your practice’s search engine marketing (SEM), but not getting positive results? Start by meeting patients on their search engine journey. That’s where over 70 percent of healthcare consumers begin to look for you and your services. Use these tips as a guide:

Say “so long” to short keywords. Short-tail keywords are short and general, like “skin rash” or “arthritis.” In the past, short keywords drove SEO, but keyword algorithms have changed in the past few years. Today, short-tail keywords still drive traffic, but they don’t target your patient’s intent, especially when they’re ready to schedule a visit. For that, focus more on long-tail keywords and less on short-tails.

Welcome long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords have at least four words and are used in more specific phrases. For instance, “rosacea treatment near me” or “joint pain management for athletes.” Think like a patient that needs your healthcare services and wants to make an appointment.

Stay on the SEO best practices path. It’s tempting to change things up every few weeks to keep up with algorithm trends. But constant shifts in your SEO strategies could hurt you. Instead, stick with these best practices:

  • Optimize your page titles and descriptions.
  • Make sure your contact information is correct and visible.
  • Update your blog regularly with health tips.
  • Announce new health services and campaigns on social media.
  • Stay abreast of SEO trends, but don’t jump on each one immediately.

Make way for new CTAs. Your call-to-action (CTA) buttons are like street signs. They guide your visitor’s next steps. Drive engagement with simple, personal CTAs:

  • Learn your heart age.
  • Take the pain survey.
  • Download your health assessment.
  • Call now.
  • Schedule now.

Use A/B testing to learn more about your CTAs. Make small changes to the text, offer, color, and placement — and test again.

Play with paid ads. Before you start a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, understand healthcare policies for paid ads. Get the biggest bang for your PPC buck by geotargeting people in your area. Test keywords, ad content, landing pages, and the time of day your ad appears with new PPC technology.

SEM can be a powerful tool for your practice, but as you can see, it requires diligence and expertise to ensure ROI. Give us a call when you’re ready to launch your SEM campaign. We’ll walk you through the process and help you get the results you seek.