Medical website promotion

The fact that sales and services have moved to digital has not bypassed the medical field either. More and more people prefer to make an appointment with a doctor, get a consultation or buy medicine online. Therefore, it is important to understand that medical website promotion is a necessary component of the company’s success in general.

Features of medical website promotion

Medical services’ website promotion does not differ much from the promotion of other resources. Well-known channels for attracting visitors are involved in this process: search engine optimization, SMM, targeted advertising, etc.Then what is the main difference? In the content. Since medicine is the field that is responsible for the health and life of people, any advertising of medical services on and off the Internet is regulated by law. Yes, while promoting medical sites, you should:

• under no circumstances guarantee the user recovery after treatment or taking the drug;
• to be as useful as possible for the client;
• to be ethical and objective.

Stages of medical services’ website promotion

Website’s structure optimization

A well-thought-out structure with a competently used semantic core is one of the main conditions for a resource to get to the top of the search engine. The promotion of a medical clinic, laboratory or aggregator site is based on the following basic structure: 

• Home page
• Services
• Cost
• About us
• Contacts
• Blog

This type of site should focus on the fact that the client can learn as much information as possible about the company and this or that service, get acquainted with the doctors and equipment of the clinic, and make an appointment/consultation.The Blog section, which is often neglected, helps drive additional traffic to the site with useful articles and clever use of keywords.But a pharmacy or a medical equipment store has a structure similar to a standard online store. But the catalog plays an important role here. And it should be convenient for different groups of users — both patients and specialists.

Content quality

Even the most well-thought-out medical site promotion will take it to the top for a short time if you do not pay due attention to the content. Its usefulness should permeate every page.After all, if the text helped the client and answered important questions, the information in it is true — it will be trusted. And trust entails a good reputation and, as a result, traffic growth. So:

• during the process of filling the page with content, do not neglect the advice of specialists;
• study and review the material;
• follow innovations and developments in medicine.

Technical optimization

Technical (internal) SEO optimization is the foundation for the medical center or pharmacy website promotion. Internal optimization consists of:

• download speed;
• correct page marking and correct layout;
• well-thought-out structure + internal linking;
• site security for users’ data.

It is necessary to take care of this at the initial stages because if such work is not done, further site indexing and promotion will not be easy.

External optimization

Site promotion cannot be done without external optimization. It is responsible for the image and popularity of the resource outside its borders. External SEO medical clinics and pharmacies promotion is based on the fact that your site «shines» on other platforms, and it is accessed by links.How to effectively provide the site with external links? There are several methods:

1. Publication of articles and other content on other authoritative resources will provide backlinks and increase authority. 
2. Activity on various thematic forums, in reviews — the so-called crowd marketing (word of mouth).

This tool also works for the recognition of the company and can provide a wider audience outreach.

Other promotion tools

In addition to the standard medical site SEO promotion, it is important to remember other methods that can play into the company’s hands.

SMM for the medical center

Social networks are fully used in business. And SMM for the medical center can do wonders too. Facebook and Instagram are reliable sources of site traffic. They can increase brand recognition, allow you to customize advertising specifically for your target audience, and receive feedback from customers.

SERM in promotion of medical clinic website

SERM (reputation management) is focused on increasing trust in the company. The main principle of the tool is to replace and/or eliminate negativity with positivity.Reputation management consists of the following main stages:

1. Actively monitor bad reviews and company mentions in a negative way.
2. Listen to your audience and respond to negative feedback.
3. Encourage customers to write positive reviews about your company.
4. Use the power of social media: post good reviews and stay in touch with your followers.

PPC advertising of medical services on the Internet

Contextual advertising in the field of medical services is an effective tool. If it is properly configured, the ad reaches the target audience directly. But Google Ads has a number of restrictions on medical services and medicines advertising, so it is worth studying the requirements of the service in advance.

Possible promotional errors during independent medical site promotion

You can promote a pharmacy or clinic without the help of outsourcing companies. A plus of such a solution is cost savings. But there is a big risk of not being able to cope with the task at the proper level. There are the following errors during independent medical site promotion:

• you filled the site with low-quality content;
• the structure is poorly optimized, and semantics wasn’t worked out;
• your site is full of poor-quality links;
• you don’t keep up with Google search results updates; 
• there is no comprehensive approach to promotion. 

Of course, this is far from the entire list of errors and problems during independent site promotion. But if you know how to analyze the shortcomings and constantly study Internet marketing tools, you can avoid these troubles and bring your site to the first position in the search engine results.