You might be thinking: a hospital or healthcare facility doesn’t need social media marketing. That might be true if you’re content with the facility coming up as a search result behind other competitors in your area.
A social media presence, combined with Search Engine Optimization, boosts the likelihood that patients will turn to your facility for treatment.
You might also think that SEO and social media are two separate ballparks. But there is actually a lot that social media can do for your search engine ranking. Here’s a few reasons how a digital presence can affect your healthcare facility.
Sharing Increases Visibility
One of the most common social media practices is sharing. If someone likes a product or service, they usually recommend that product or service to their friends and family through a direct link.
This increases the visibility of your website, which can lead to a content creator deciding to link your page on something they post. The more your link jumps around from person to person, the higher your search engine ranking becomes.
As a healthcare professional, providing quality services will make patients more likely to recommend you to others. This behavior will only increase your website traffic and make it easier for potential patients to find you.
Social Media Encourages Interaction
It’s becoming increasingly simple for us to express our likes and dislikes through social media. Getting users to interact with a link on a post that is doing well in terms of likes, retweets, or just general engagement is effective because it attests to the quality of whatever is being linked.
Higher quality posts have higher rankings, and therefore social media engagement is a deciding factor in where your content appears on search engines. Invest some time into formatting your text, including high-quality images and videos, and encouraging interaction in the forms of likes or comments.
Ultimately, producing good content is the simplest and most effective way to rank higher on search engines. Don’t skimp on social media interaction because it is the quickest and most direct way to access a potential patient.
You’ll Drive Traffic to Your Site
More exposure means more engagement. Simple right? Having a strong social media presence means there are more possible ways for a consumer to discover you. If you have more website visitors, there’s a higher chance that those people will seek out your services or treatments.
Search engines also show social media accounts when you’re searching for something specific. If someone is searching for you and they find several different outlets where you can be reached, they’ll have a more comprehensive understanding of what it is that you do.
The SERP (search engine results page) is your friend. The more you appear on it, the more memorable you are.
Social Media is the Modern Search Engine
Essentially, social media platforms act as search engines in and of themselves. These platforms are a tremendous resource that a lot of people tap into as their first method of seeking out a product or service.
Social media is a large community of people who exchange information at a rapid rate. It is full of recommendations, questions, and company’s seeking to supply a need. People are constantly inquiring about health online, so being present on every platform gives you the opportunity to be the one who fulfills whatever need people are seeking to satisfy.
Your Local SEO Will Improve
Local SEO is important because sometimes consumers will be searching for a good or service with an immediate need in mind. These types of consumers will act quicker than those conducting a general search. Social media makes it easy to have a higher ranking if you’re taking location into consideration.
When creating your accounts, include the location of your business in your bio, tag a location in all of your posts, and target your ads by zip code. These simple tips will drive potential patients your way in no time.
Conclusion
Social media can be a powerful tool for any healthcare professional looking to implement better SEO practices. It’s clear that there is a direct connection between social media and SEO, so refining your social media presence can increase the number of patients seeking out your services or treatments.
Need more help? See how our services can help you market on social media.
