Eyeworld

108 | EYEWORLD | APRIL 2022 P RACTICE MANAGEMENT Contact Dahl: bdahl@medcgroup.com Genteman: lgenteman@medcgroup.com Rabourn: crabourn@medcgroup.com by Brian Dahl, Luke Genteman, and Chase Rabourn About the authors Brian Dahl Project Manager Medical Consulting Group Springfield, Missouri Luke Genteman SEO Specialist Medical Consulting Group Springfield, Missouri Chase Rabourn Social Media Manager Medical Consulting Group Springfield, Missouri References 1. Leverage Marketing. How Far Down the Search Engine Results Page Will Most People Go? www.theleverageway.com. 2. Statista. Number of monthly active Facebook users worldwide as of 3rd quarter 2021. www.statista.com. receive almost 95% of web traffic. 1 If a business isn't showing up on the first results page for rel- evant keyword searches ("ophthalmology near me," "eye doctors"), that business has a search engine optimization (SEO) problem. As algo- rithms from search engines like Google are con- tinually updated to meet user needs, companies with a comprehensive and nimble SEO strategy can improve their rankings and be noticed by more potential customers than those without. Optimizing keyword content on websites is only one piece of the SEO puzzle. Technical measure- ments such as site speed also play a role. Google wants its users to have a positive experience, and the parameters set within its algorithms are designed to validate and award those websites that accommodate the requirements of these algorithms with the desirable top spots. Branding: Digital profile audit When users search for information online, their perception of a business and their path to pur- chase will be influenced by all they click, view, watch, and read. If a business proactively main- tains a clean, consistent brand presence online, users will be exposed to and slowly become F or ophthalmic practices to thrive in 2022, effective digital marketing strat- egies are a must. Some owners may "think" their business's digital profile is in good shape, when in reality so much more could be being done. Here are a few touchpoints every ophthalmic practice should consider when organizing and strategizing digi- tal efforts. SEO: Still a priority Remember going through the business listings of the phone book and seeing companies like AAA Towing, AAA Plumbing, or AAA Insurance? That "AAA" prefix was utilized for one purpose: to appear in the first spot of the business listings in the phone book, which listed businesses alphabetically. The thought business owners had was that the first spot, or the first company that was listed, would get the most business out of shear exposure. They weren't wrong. Today the strategies behind this business hack are quite different, but the goal remains the same: show up in the first spot. Any business that doesn't actively optimize its website and webpages for search engines is likely missing out on site traf- fic and potential customers. Research shows that links to sites on the first page of search results Digital marketing and branding: What to consider in 2022 continued on page 110

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