Do you want to promote and grow your physical therapy practice? Do you need to extend your reach and gain new patients? Well, local SEO may just be one of the best ways that you should seriously consider!
Local search engine optimization (SEO) has taken on a more significant role especially for local businesses. In these present times, more and more patients live in a digital world and are searching for their next physical therapist online. Gone are the days of the phone books, paper directories, and yellow pages. Instead, consumers use online search engines to find and know more about businesses, including physical therapists – and you need to position yourself to be on the top of those local searches.
73% of the patients turn to Google to search for local medical practitioners and 89% rely on the internet to solve personal healthcare queries even before visiting and consulting with a specialist
So how does local SEO work for physical therapists?
Local SEO, which refers to the process and various methods employed to improve visibility in search engine rankings like Google and Bing. It is considered as an indispensable digital marketing strategy especially in today’s world of stiff competition and digital technology innovations.
In fact, as revealed by several recent studies, 73% of the patients turn to Google to search for local medical practitioners and 89% rely on the internet to solve personal healthcare queries even before visiting and consulting with a specialist. Local SEO for healthcare providers such as PTs has, indeed, become more essential than ever to promote their practice and services and bring more patients to their clinics.
Benefits of Local SEO for Physical Therapists
1. Increase the visibility of your clinic or facility online
To boost online visibility, stay on top of local searches, and stand out among competitors, it is imperative to develop and implement the right SEO strategies. Most people tend to view and read the first results on the search engine results page (SERP) and will barely make it to the second page.
Therefore, you need to come up with effective tactics to dominate the search results and get your practice on top of Google and other search engines. Such strategies include:
- Setting up and optimizing your Google My Business (GMB) profile
- Optimizing your website (and make sure that it is mobile-friendly)
- Local link building
- Consistently creating high-quality, informative content
- Using the right keywords
- Creating social media profiles
2. Help prospective patients to easily discover and learn more about your practice
In this digital era, most of your prospective clients are online. They often rely on information available on the internet for their healthcare needs such as practitioners within their community, clinic location and hours, and available services. By staying on top of local search engines, patients requiring your services can easily find your website. SEO puts your practice in front of patients looking for your services and exactly what you offer.
3. Reduce marketing costs
Employing local SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy. Not only is it far cheaper, as compared to traditional advertising such as TV, radio, and print, but it is also more agile and direct way to communicate with potential clients.
Among various digital marketing strategies, local SEO belongs to the low risk- high reward group. It requires minimal investment and can utilize several free online platforms. If it is well-implemented, it can also guarantee an excellent return on investment rate. You can reach a targeted but steady client base and gain more patients even with spending less on advertising.
4. Boost website and foot traffic
Optimizing and using local SEO effectively will improve the placement of your website, reach more clients and consequently encourage patients who fit your target demographic to visit your page. Often, this will lead to conversion and ultimately increase in foot traffic to your clinic.
Your SEO strategy therefore necessitates a well-designed, good quality and fast website with the right and accurate content and call-to-actions in order to convert your visitors to new patients.
5. Gain patients’ trust and confidence
Many patients tend to have more confidence in businesses that appear on top of the search engine results. It is a common perception that those who dominate the results page offer a credible practice. As such, you need to work your way to the top and consistently stay there based on consumers’ behavior and engagement, and how they interact with your online assets like your website, social media accounts, and GMB profile.
Do you who want to keep pace with the digital transformation and position your practice for the long-term trend?
Do you want your community to find and discover your clinic right at their fingertips?
Local SEO may just do the trick for you – and more!
The Writers' Block PH 