Even though you can’t control what people think about you, what you can control is how you present your healthcare brand to cultivate a positive reputation.
When you’re a part of the healthcare industry, you always want to be seen as knowledgeable and having a patient-first attitude. However, your reputation as a brand goes beyond that. It also includes:
- Quality of care
- Your values and ethical integrity
- Community engagement
Reputation management involves monitoring and protecting your public perception, especially online. It’s an important aspect of running a healthcare brand because patients usually research providers online before booking an appointment. They can be easily deterred from booking an appointment with you if they see negativity surrounding your brand, such as poor reviews or controversy. When looking for a new provider, approximately three-fourths of patients look at online reviews.
Reputation management itself is essential for protecting your brand. In addition, it can help you to rank high on search engine results pages (SERPs) using search engine optimization (SEO). If you’re unsure about how, here are seven benefits to using SEO-driven reputation management:
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Builds trust with patients before the first appointment
A person doesn’t trust just anyone with their health. They have to believe that the provider always has their best interest at heart and will provide high-quality care. That’s why they check reviews and testimonials from past or current patients. This research helps them to form a foundation of trust with you before even stepping into your office. If they hear that other people trust you, it takes away some of the hesitancy to do the same.
Your reputation management strategy can use SEO approaches to push the good stuff to the top of SERPs because the algorithm sees you as trustworthy and credible. This can involve creating credible content that incorporates positive testimonials.
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Pushes down negative or misleading content
Even if you have a few negative reviews or past misleading content, proactive SEO can help to minimize its impact on your online presence by overshadowing that content with positivity.
Content, blogs and press releases that align with what the algorithm is looking for can outrank outdated posts that may not provide value, which could be hurting your reputation.
Even though the negative stuff will still live somewhere on the search engine, creating quality content creates a balanced and fair representation of your brand. No one can expect you to be perfect.
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Improves visibility on search engines
One of the main benefits of SEO is increased visibility, meaning that your brand appears in front of as many eyes as possible on relevant SERPs. Reputation management centers on promoting your brand (and defending it, when needed).
The details of your practice, such as staff profiles and provided services, play a role in shaping your reputation. With aspects like listing certifications and thoroughly describing the specialty-specific treatments you offer, you’ll be seen by both patients and the algorithm as credible and trustworthy. Those pages on your site can be ranked high on SERPs, leading to more people knowing who you are and what you do.
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Strengthens your brand authority in healthcare
When people talk about a provider’s reputation, one of the first things they’re likely to mention is how much insight and experience the provider has in their healthcare specialty. You want to be seen as an authority in your field, making you more likely to rank high on SERPs.
Having positive, search-engine-optimized content indicates your authority, showing patients that you’re an established leader in their field who they can put their confidence in. You can create content that balances information and patient accessibility so that they feel educated without being talked down to.
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Protects against crises and misinformation
Managing an online presence is never completely smooth sailing. If it were, then reputation management wouldn’t be so essential. Even if you do receive a bad review or news article, it doesn’t have to define your brand or diminish all your other positive reviews and coverage.
With SEO reputation management services, you can distribute factual, positive content to minimize damage. For example, if there are false claims being made in reviews or circulating on social media, you can properly address them with expert-led articles. In some cases, this may involve taking accountability for an issue or providing further context. This shows that you’re not trying to brush things under the rug, but rather showcasing the integrity that you pride your brand on.
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Enhances patient acquisition and retention
When you have a strong, positive reputation online, you’re likely to bring in patients who will return again and again after experiencing your quality care. Not only will you acquire patients who have confidence in your abilities based on their research, but you’ll also boost your patient retention once that research is backed up by personal experience in your facility.
SEO helps to reinforce and maintain your brand messaging across multiple channels, so that no matter how a patient learns about you, they’re able to get an understanding of your reputation. Consistency plays a key role in cultivating your online reputation and personality.
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Supports long-term growth of your practice
When you have a healthcare practice, you want to look far beyond your metrics for this month, or even this year. If you have the desire to grow, and perhaps even open up other locations, you have to think long term. And reputation management is the same way.
Reputation management helps you play the long game by regularly protecting and shaping your public image to encourage as many people as possible to complete conversions (i.e., becoming patients). It’s not a one-time fix but an ongoing process.
By creating and updating content on a regular basis to optimize it for the current algorithm, you’re keeping your brand visible and trustworthy. It helps you to thrive in a competitive digital landscape that’s always changing.
Want to attract new patients to your healthcare brand’s website? BURG+CO. can help you through reputation management and SEO services
Reputation management not only helps to cultivate and maintain a positive image of your brand, but it also helps you to rank highly on SERPs as a way to boost click-throughs and conversions. It helps you to build trust for solid patient-provider relationships, improve visibility for brand awareness and protect against negativity. If you’re ready to take control of the online narrative, BURG+CO. is here to help.
Our digital PR services focus on showcasing your brand’s integrity, establishing your leadership in your field and taking pride in transparency with your patients. We can help you to build and implement a PR strategy that helps you to manage your reputation for the best perception (and metrics) possible. Combine that with our SEO services, and you’ll see the growth that you’ve been looking for.
Our team has years of experience in helping healthcare brands improve their digital presence to attract new patients and retain existing ones. If you’re looking to perform better in search engine results and attract more potential patients to your site, we’re ready to talk to you to see how we can help.
Want expert support with your digital marketing? Connect with BURG+CO. today to explore how we can help your healthcare brand grow.