6 Reasons Why Blogging Can Work for Your Ophthalmology Practice

Ask anyone in marketing and they’ll tell you that “content is king.”  SEO tactics of old have been replaced by Google algorithms which can put a website at the top of the golden pile of search results or relegate it to the No Man’s Land (pages four and beyond) of Google search. 

You know that you need to keep your website content fresh. And you know that you need to engage your prospects through social media  to help.  But why on earth do you need to blog to get your ophthalmology practice noticed? Take a look around your waiting room. Ten years ago the ladies would have been knitting, and the men would have bee reading the paper or a magazine. What do you see now? Most likely patients will be on their phone, or even a tablet or laptop. Times are changing. 

1. Blogging gives you access to your target market.  The United States has almost 300 million internet users.  That’s over 86% of the country.  That means that almost 90% of targeted patients in your area have Internet access.   If they’re online and searching for ophthalmology services, you need to be there, too.  And they are online and searching.

2. Consumers are looking for you online.  According to Bright Local’s 2014 Local Consumer Review Survey, 57% of consumers have searched online for a local business more than 6 times in the last year. 39% have searched online for a business at least once per month.  15% have searched online almost every day.   How many potential customers is that for your ophthalmology practice?

3. Blogging increases your search engine rankings. According to HubSpot, companies that blog have 97% more inbound links.  The Google search algorithms place importance on inbound links and rank companies with more links higher. Period.

4. Blogging gives you a way to answer customer questions.  Where do you go when you are looking for an answer like, “How often do I need to see an ophthalmologist?”  Personally, I go to Google.  And I type that question into the search bar.  Imagine how great it would be if a potential customer typed in that question and found a blog, from you, entitled “How Often You Need to See an Ophthalmologist.” Bingo.  Instant credibility.

5. Blogging helps you develop leads for your business.  On every blog post, you can offer content that your prospects want and need.  For example, on “How Often” blog post above, you could attach a checklist entitled “10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Ophthalmologist.”  In order to get that checklist, your prospect has to give you their name and their email address.  According to HubSpot, 92% of companies who blog multiple times a day acquire at least one customer through their blog.

6. Blogging makes you a real resource for your community. If you publish two to three blogs per week, before long you will compile a fairly significant library of questions and answers for your prospects.  In a few months, your practice is going to show up on the first page of Google search results for a question or two. And, after a year of consistent blogging, your rankings should continue to increase for more and more keywords.  

As you can see, blogging can only help your business get noticed.  So get started today. Add a blog to your practice website and start writing! 

So what?

Why do we care so much about blogging for medical practices? Well, we see results through blogging, especially for companies who are in niche markets or who are in businesses where competitors typically don’t blog.  With positive and consistent effort, you can get your practice noticed online and generate more business.  That’s the bottom line. Want a consultation, or have a question? Contact us.

Gone are the days of bombarding prospects with print, TV and radio ads.Fortunately, inbound marketing offers a cost-effective method for closing more deals.

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