Help More Patients Find Your Chiropractic Practice
As the internet evolves, so does the way patients hear about you. While in-person word-of-mouth recommendations and newspaper ads were once enough to drive traffic through your doors, they are no longer the most efficient or cost-effective marketing strategies.
But that doesn’t mean things have changed that much. Word-of-mouth referrals are still the best way for patients to learn about your chiropractic practice, but now take the form of online listings and reviews.
Best Platforms to Find a Chiropractor:
– Online Directories
– Review Sites
– Search Engines
– Maps
– Applications
– Practice Websites
Keep reading to learn how online directory listings and reviews can make or break a patient’s decision to choose you as a provider.
1. Online Directories: Where Most Patients Find You
Your website may be your official platform, but it is only a fraction of your online presence. Did you know over half of all patients pick a provider based on information found outside their official website?
Patients will likely find your practice information in an online directory first. You’ve probably used one before, like Yelp and Google Maps, but there are also online directories that cater to chiropractic practices, like ZocDoc and WebMD.
Online directories enhance your practice’s visibility and help you rank higher on search engine results. When they actively search for a provider online, patients are often ready to book an appointment as soon as possible, and you want to make sure they can easily find you in those search results. Since less than 25% of people click past the first page of Google, appearing at the top of these searches can be hugely valuable for you, especially if your practice is in a densely populated area.
2. Inaccurate Information Drives Patients Away
Now you know your online presence goes beyond your practice’s website. You appear on many online directories, such as maps or review apps, even if you didn’t create these listings yourself.
Did you know some of these online listings likely contain incorrect data about your practice?
Directory sites combine web crawlers, user-submitted data, and business-submitted data with complex algorithms to determine what content is accurate and should be displayed online. However, these solutions sometimes get the data wrong, which is why:
– Nearly 70% of healthcare listings lack correct phone numbers
– Almost half of all healthcare listings contain basic address errors, misdirecting patients
– Close to 30% of these online listings have at least one name-related error
If someone searches for your practice and gets outdated contact or address information, they may not be able to contact you, or their maps app will take them to the wrong location. Patients will understandably choose another provider if their first experience is negative or confusing.
So what’s the most important thing you can do for prospective patients? Ensure your practice information is accurate wherever you are listed online.
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3. Quality Listings = Better Search Ranking
Your listings influence your ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs). Search engines, like Google, use algorithms to determine the consistency of your practice information wherever it appears online. Practices with consistent listings rank higher than those with outdated or incorrect data.
– As technology evolves, so does the way patients connect with a chiropractor. In fact: 90% of US smartphone users count on their devices for reviews, directions, and other location-based services
– Nearly 75% of people with voice-activated speakers, like Amazon Alexa, claim this technology is part of their daily routine. These devices do not display information on a screen but audibly through a speaker. That means it’s especially vital to ensure the accuracy of your practice data wherever you appear online.
Consistent, quality listings help you rank higher, appear more established, and stay ahead of your competitors. Remember, people rarely click past the first page of Google results. Practices that do not maintain their listings fall to the bottom of search results, hurting their visibility, credibility, and profits.
4. The Dangers of Duplicate Listings & How to Avoid Them
Duplicate directory listings are a data quality issue all types of businesses can face, but they can significantly impact your ranking. When web crawlers come across multiple versions of contact or location information, they cannot tell if that data belongs to the same practice or if it belongs to several different ones.
This confusion prompts the directory to create duplicate listings, causing patients to leave reviews in various places instead of the primary listing associated with your practice. Online reviews play a role in your search ranking. When they are scattered, your practice will likely not appear on the first page of Google results because web crawlers cannot verify if they belong to your practice.
5. Online Reviews Encourage Confidence in Your Practice
Consumers’ appetite for information is voracious and still growing. 93% consult online reviews in their buying journey, but this doesn’t just matter to retail stores or restaurants. Consulting reviews have become a critical step in the patient process and can make or break their decision to choose you.
Positive reviews give patients confidence and peace of mind in choosing your practice, while negative ones do the opposite. Healthcare ranks as one of the top industries where reviews influence credibility the most. In fact, 81% of patients rely on reviews to select a provider, and this reliance has nearly doubled since pre-pandemic days.
If managing and enhancing your online presence feels overwhelming, it may be useful to outsource to a third party with industry insights like Online Chiro. These solutions can help you reach more patients, appear more credible, and improve your website while you focus on what matters most– your patients.
Conclusion
With technology constantly changing, keeping up with patient needs and staying ahead of competitors relies on the strength of your online presence. Maintaining your listings on Google Maps, Yelp, and wherever else you appear online improves your practice’s visibility, profitability, and patient base.
Getting started has never been so simple. With one affordable service, you can enhance your search ranking, strengthen your online reputation, manage your website, social media, and more. No matter what your needs are, Online Chiro has a custom package fit for your chiropractic practice. In your free one-on-one consultation, count on one of our Marketing Specialists to develop a customized strategy that gets you more positive reviews and more booked appointments.
About
nline Chiro is a unique, affordable online marketing service for chiropractors, offering powerful websites, advertising, social media, reputation management, search engine solutions, telemedicine, and patient education. Unlike most digital marketing services, we have deep insight into the chiropractic industry, which allows us to seamlessly market practices and maximize our clients’ success.
Trusted by dozens of premier Chiropractic associations, Online Chiro prides itself in building strong online presences that attract more patients, save time and money and simplify your processes. All under one roof. For more information, or to see a demo, visit onlinechiro.com.
