5 Tips to Get the Most from Your Practice Blog


Blogging is still one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website and attract new patients. But are you making the most of your practice blog? Maybe not.

If you’re not, the big question is what should you be doing? The answer starts with numbers and ends with specific advice. So, let’s dig into some statistics, and then we’ll look at 5 tips you can use to put your blog to work for you.

 

Blogging by the Numbers

A massive study of blogging, which reviewed 912 million blog posts, revealed some helpful information that can help you improve the performance of your health care business blog. Here are some of its key findings.

 

Backlinks  

Backlinks are still one of the most important ranking factors for Google. The blogging study found that long-form content gets 77.2% more links than short-form content. That’s a huge difference, but it also has its limits.

The study also found that there was a sharp drop-off in links once a post crept over 2,000 words. But, that said, 94% of all the posts analyzed had no backlinks at all.

It’s also worth noting that some post formats and titles get more backlinks than others. The three most popular post types for backlinks were:

  • “What” posts
  • “Why” posts
  • Infographics

Those three formats got 25.8% more backlinks than “how-to” and video posts. 

 

Social Sharing 

You might think that blogging can help you out on social media, but the numbers don’t bear that out. For example, there’s no correlation between social sharing and backlinks.

It’s also interesting to note that very few blog posts perform well on social media. The study found that 1.3% of “power” posts generate 75% of all social shares.

There were some specific findings of the length of headlines (longer headlines get more shares) and questions (blog posts with questions in the headline get more shares than those without questions.) 

List posts are more likely to be shared than other posts, too – and by a significant amount. They get 218% more shares than “how-to” posts and 203% more shares than infographics.

The so-called ‘sweet spot” for getting your blog content shared on social media is between 1,000 and 2,000 words. 

One final statistic to inspire you: one study found that blogging can improve your chances of getting a high rank on Google by as much as 434%. How’s that for an impressive number?

 

Tips to Improve Your Health Care Business Blog

The data from that study is useful because it can provide you with a framework to improve your health care business blog. Of course, there’s more to worry about than backlinks and social media, but other bits of data from the study point in a direction that may be useful.

With that in mind, here are 5 tips to improve your blog.

 

#1: Create (and Stick to) a Blogging Schedule   

The first tip is to blog regularly and stick to a schedule. There’s some evidence to suggest that blogging four times a week is optimal. In fact, companies that blog at least 16 times per month get 3.5 times as much traffic as companies that blog between 0 and 4 times per month.

16 blog posts might seem like a lot. But what you may find is that creating a blogging schedule will help you be more disciplined about coming up with blog ideas and getting those posts written. And remember, you can always hire a writer to create blog posts for you if you don’t have the time or inclination to do that much writing.

 

#2: Give Your Posts Compelling Titles

It turns out that titles make a big difference when it comes to generating traffic, social shares, and backlinks. Here are some pointers:

  • List posts tend to perform better than other types of content on social media. That’s part of the reason that sites like Buzzfeed have so many lists. People like them and you can use that knowledge to grab more traffic for your site.
  • Give your posts long-ish titles. One study found that blog posts with titles that had between 6 and 13 words performed the best.
  • Ask a question. That big blogging study found that blog titles that asked questions got 23.3% more social shares than posts without a question.
  • Be provocative. Saying something that’s surprising or controversial can get people to click even if they’re not inclined to read blog posts. There’s a reason they say that curiosity killed the cat!

A rose by any other name might smell as sweet, but when it comes to blogging, names matter!  Need ideas?  Check out HubSpot’s blog topic generator or Inbound Now’s idea generator.

 

#3: Check Your Word Count

Earlier, we mentioned that the “sweet spot” for blog length is between 1,000 and 2,000 words, with longer posts getting more engagement, backlinks, and sharing than shorter posts.

Does that mean every post you write must belong? Of course not! But, if you’re in the habit of cranking out 300-500 word blog posts, it can help you to write a long post occasionally. It might turn into one of those so-called power posts that generate traffic on social media and Google.

 

#4: Add Compelling Images

This might seem like a no-brainer, but it’s surprising how many practices don’t bother adding images to their blog posts. There’s research that shows that people retain far more information when it’s presented with a visual aid than they do without visuals.

PRO TIP:  Pixabay.com and Pexels.com are both great no-cost options

 

#5: Add Social Sharing Buttons and Widgets

People are far more likely to share your blog posts if you make it easy for them to do it. That’s why it’s a good idea to add social sharing buttons to your posts.

Be smart about it, though. If you offer a full menu of social sharing buttons, you may find that it has the opposite effect to the one you want. Where’s your social media audience? If they’re mostly on Twitter, put a Twitter button and use the “Tweet this” widget to allow people to share key quotes from your blog. If you’re marketing practice-to-practice, put a LinkedIn button on your blog.

The good news here is that it’s not hard to improve your health care business blog. It’s mostly about being aware of what the numbers say and figuring out a blogging schedule and strategy that’ll work for you. If you do that, the clicks, shares, and links will follow.

So… if you are a private practice healthcare business owner and you are looking to grow and scale your practice or generate more new patients for the practice – we are here for you!  Drop a comment below if you have questions or if you’d like to set up a call with us go here: https://chat.practiceinsidersedge.com/PIE-Triage-Call


How To Add Your Health Care Business To Apple Maps


Apple Maps is the third most popular map service on the market today. With 23 million monthly unique visitors, they are right behind Google’s 154 million and Nokia HERE’s 27.7 million

Is Apple Maps worth the time for a health care business and your practice? 

As you’ll soon discover, it’s a worthwhile investment and a key part of your local search and review management strategy. 

What we’re covering in this presentation:

  • What is Apple Maps?
  • Apple Maps vs. Google Maps
  • Siri with Apple Maps
  • Apple Maps and CarPlay
  • Who uses Apple Maps
  • How does Apple Maps handle Ratings and Reviews
  • How to get your health business listed in Apple Maps
  • The future for Apple Maps
  • Why Apple Maps should be a Priority for your health care business

 

Apple Maps is a web mapping service exclusive to iOS, iPadOS, WatchOs and macOS. As the name suggests it’s built by Apple Inc., but before launch in 2012 they announced that their app would include turn-by-turn navigation, 3D maps with Flyovers from your phone or tablet (or computer), as well as Siri – all of which are designed exclusively for you!

 

Apple Maps offers a variety of features:

  • Turn-by-turn navigation with spoken instructions for vehicles, pedestrians, and public transportation.
  • Apple patients can use the app while driving via CarPlay, and via Siri, Apple’s voice assistant app.
  • It can also be used to see real-time traffic information. Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, is integrated into navigation.
  • Maps display points of interest provided by approximately twenty companies, including Booking.com, Foursquare, TripAdvisor, and Yelp.
  • Users can drop pins on the map to save places for later retrieval.
  • The satellite view features Flyovers, three-dimensional satellite views in designated locations.
  • The Nearby feature displays points of interest for each category. Points are shown with their names, distances, and reviews on Yelp.

 

Apple Maps integrates with many third-party providers, such as Yelp and Booking. This means that you can use Apple Maps to find a restaurant or hotel without having to switch back and forth from one service’s app to another.

 

Apple Maps vs. Google Maps

 

Apple Maps is an exclusive application to Apple devices, while Google Maps is available for both Android and iOS. There are some important differences that you should be aware of before installing either app on your device:

 

  • Apple shares data contextually taking a subtle approach. Google gives the user everything.
  • Apple has flyover mode, a 3D landscape of buildings and structures. Google has Street View.
  • Apple integrates Siri tightly with Apple Maps, and other apps in your phone (e.g., location data for your photos) tell Siri where you’d like to go, and navigation is seamless.
  • Google Voice Assistant works in a similar fashion but isn’t as tightly integrated with the rest of the software and hardware in your device.
  • Both Apple and Google integrate Maps with mobile devices, vehicles, watches, and smart speakers.
  • Apple Maps doesn’t hold onto your data!  Apple goes out of their way to protect your privacy. According to Apple, “When you use Apple Maps, your route from A to B is scrambled into sections on Apple servers because nobody else should know your entire route.“

 

If you want a navigation experience that’s seamless, one where your Apple Maps app is natively integrated with all of our products? Then it may be the best fit.

Google Maps is the best mapping tool on the market, providing you with detailed data and giving you access to a wide variety of information.

It’s a smart idea to add your health care business to both Google and Apple Maps. 

Siri with Apple Maps

 

Using Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, you can perform several types of searches starting off with the activation keyword “Hey Siri.”

For Instance, 

  • Hey Siri, take me home.
  • Hey Siri, where is the nearest Pizza shop?
  • Hey Siri, where is the nearest (local business)?
  • Hey Siri, what’s the traffic like in Philadelphia?
  • Hey Siri, what time is the Phillies game tonight?
  • Hey Siri, show me Independence Hall in Philadelphia?

 

Siri is remarkably intuitive, handling searches with several variables.

 

Apple Maps and CarPlay

 

With CarPlay, iPhone users can now start their car with a simple touch of the screen. And even better than that, you’ll never have to look down at your phone again – just take advantage of Siri’s voice control!

It’s all hands-free of course. 

CarPlay with Siri voice control gives you the hands-free experience and navigation of Apple Maps without ever taking your eyes off the road. You can use both car controls as well or report issues using Apple Maps.

Who uses Apple Maps?

 

If you’re an Apple user then your maps are on apple’s map service. It was the default mapping app for all of their devices until Google Maps replaced it in 2012.

Here’s why Apple Maps is important.

Apple says 1.65 billion Apple devices are in active use overall and 900 million to 1 billion+ users in 2019 with a total of 4.66 billion internet users worldwide as of 2021

Here’s why this matters.

Apple Maps is more popular than Google Map on iPhones and Apple devices, as evidenced by its 3x greater usage.

There’s more.

DuckDuckGo uses Apple Maps to display maps and navigation data in their search results. 

Although DuckDuckGo doesn’t collect user information, it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact number of users. 

However, earlier this year they hit an important milestone: 100 million searches per day! 

This may not seem like much but it’s significant because Duck Duck Go’s new users come from Google and Bing. It’s indirect competition!

This should be a real reason to consider getting your health care business on Apple Maps!

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How does Apple Maps handle ratings and reviews?

 

Initially, Apple Maps relied on third-party providers like TripAdvisor and Yelp.

Apple has decided to start rating health care businesses in their Maps app. For now, these ratings are being provided by third-party sources but it is only a matter of time before Apple decides to offer them themselves.

 

Apple’s rating system for products, services and businesses went live in 2019 with the MacOS 14 beta 6 update. This thumbs up/down ratings system allows users to rate their favourite things – it is a work in progress!

 

Apple’s new rating system will allow users to leave reviews about local, regional and national businesses.

The company has not shared the specific timeframe for adding content to their ratings and reviews yet. They have, however, mentioned that they hope “to add more services and features in future.”

Here’s how to get your health care business listed in Apple Maps

 

You can add your Apple Maps listing via Apple Maps Connect. A free Apple ID is required. Here’s how you do it.

 

  1. Head over to mapsconnect.apple.com
  2. Sign in with your Apple ID (you’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one)
  3. Search for your health care business using the search fields above. If you don’t see your health care business, you can also add it
  4. Once you’ve found your health care business, you’ll be prompted to verify your account
  5. Once verified, you’ll be able to edit the content on your page

 

You can add the following information to your Apple Maps listing:

 

  • Business Name and Phone Number
  • Clinic Address
  • Hours of Operation 
  • Place Status (Open / Closed)
  • Links to your apps, website, Yelp, Facebook, Twitter Profiles
  • Apple Pay Accepted (or Not)
  • Categories

 

Apple makes this a simple and straightforward process. Just follow the prompts, provide the necessary info, and your health care business should be ready to go!

 

The future for Apple Maps

 

Apple Maps is an essential part of the Apple product ecosystem, and it’s a service that offers marketers something different than Google does. Where other platforms want to lure in advertisers with slick marketing campaigns or free services like Waze, Apple prefers focusing on developing groundbreaking new products instead. As their line-up matures, they have moved into creating subscription plans for many features within its map app – such as traffic updates and satellite images.

Apple seems to be taking on Yelp and TripAdvisor with its own ratings service. The features of the reviews will most likely look very different from what we’ve been accustomed to in order for Apple to make a name for itself as an innovator.

This means the time to prepare is now.

Apple Maps should be a priority for your health care business

 

One of the biggest mistakes health care businesses make is putting all their eggs in one basket. Not only does this risk your health care business, but it can also be an inconvenience for patients who want to leave a review with another site and need you to sign up first before they do so. 

 

This means that while Google receives the lion’s share of reviews, enough negative or mediocre ones could cost them potential new patients down the line if patients associate these past stories as current occurrences instead of just bad luck or timing-related incidents.

In order to put a new spin on your marketing strategy, take the time for review management. If you notice iOS users in analytics surveys and follow-ups, make sure that Apple Maps is part of your plan moving forward. Particularly because Apple makes it super easy!

So… if you are a private practice healthcare business owner and you are looking to grow and scale your practice or generate more new patients for the practice – we are here for you!  Drop a comment below if you have questions or if you’d like to set up a call with us go here: https://chat.practiceinsidersedge.com/PIE-Triage-Call


6 Local Lead Generation Tips For Your Healthcare Business


For healthcare business owners, lead generation (attracting new prospective patients) can be the difference between success and failure. You need repeat patients to stay afloat but you also have to look for new leads online if you want your practice to scale.

In the age of technology, it seems that everyone has a computer in their pocket. 97% of people learn about local health care companies through the internet so if you’re not online to meet your patients’ needs and wants, they’ll go elsewhere for what they need!

Local lead generation strategies provide a way for you to capture prospective patients from these searchers. It doesn’t require much cash up-front to generate leads and local patients who want your services. 

This is the most efficient strategy if you have small resources and can’t afford expensive advertising, but still need more people walking in through the door!

If your audience is localized in a small area, and competition can be high. But you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on ads or marketing strategies when there are other ways for your practice to get the attention it needs without spending more than what’s already allocated.

 

Here’s are 6 Lead Generation Tips for Local Healthcare Businesses:

 

  1. Build an Email List Through Localized Lead Magnets

Lead magnets are a creative way to get contact information of prospective leads. But since you’re a local healthcare business, there’s no point in sharing a generic lead magnet that will attract people across the globe. 

Instead, create one specific for your target audience and localized so it only attracts patients who live around this area!

 

  1. Use Targeted Social Media Ads

Ads are an excellent way to get your practice in front of the right people. These targeted search results will allow you to reach potential patients no matter where they go online, making sure that more eyes on what you have to offer and improving revenue as a result!

If you find Google ads expensive, start with a small budget, and gradually increase it once you understand what works and what doesn’t for your practice. 

Facebook ads are the next best local lead generation platform for small businesses with its 2.5 billion users and unmatchable targeting capabilities. 

When you run a Facebook leads ad, it shows in the newsfeed with a form for adding contact info right there in the newsfeed. This convenience gets you 20% more leads compared to Facebook ads leading to landing pages. 

 

  1. Create a Blog (and post to it)

A blog is a great way to communicate with your patients about your products, services, vision, and the commitment to serve. It allows you to attract your patients and involve them with your brand continuously. 

Your blog provides a way for your company to connect with patients in an honest and meaningful fashion. Blog on subjects that will interest your audience, while highlighting the benefits of working with you.

Blogs also allow you to target relevant keywords and help your website appear in the search engines for more related keywords and it improves the overall visibility of your business. 

Using your geographical location in blog titles and URLs also will be beneficial for your health care business as it contributes to improving local SEO (search engine optimization).  You can check out our blog here: https://practiceinsidersedge.com/blog/ 

 

  1. Build Localized Landing Pages

When you direct your leads to a landing page, it becomes the determining factor for effective conversion. When patients are looking for products or services in a specific location, they are much more likely to engage with a localized promotion than one that is not targeted at their needs and wants.

Localized landing pages also improve your local search rankings when someone searches with location modifiers such as “physical therapist near me,” or “chiropractor in Hershey PA” etc.

You’ll see more conversions with local Google or geo-targeted ads when they lead to the closest branch, rather than a generic landing page.

 

  1. Optimize Local Listings

With more than 96% of Americans owning a smartphone, you need to make sure your business is listed on local directory sites. 

You can expect competitors in the area to be doing this too so if they’re not already prepared for that competition then it’s time they start!

Mobile technology has taken over America and with mobile usage steadily increasing people are using their smartphones as an everyday tool.

In fact, 93% of adults use their phone daily or almost every day according to Pew Research Center data from 2016-2017. 

Because nearly everyone owns a smartphone these days, health care businesses should take advantage by listing themselves on at least one major online directory site like Google My Business (formerly known as Google Places).

Top local listings are:

  • Yahoo Local
  • Yelp
  • Bing Local
  • TripAdvisor
  • Foursquare
  • Angie’s List 
  • YP
  • Better Business Bureau
  • GlassDoor
  • Biz Journals
  • CitySearch
  • Manta
  • White-pages and more!

Optimizing your Google My Business page not only improves your visibility but also gives your SEO a boost. It ensures that your practice shows up when someone looks up the internet for related products and practices.

 

  1. Keep in touch with your leads!

This should go without mentioning, but after acquisition, one might agree the next step is to keep in touch with your leads!

It’s not enough to generate a lead by asking for their email address. Keep in touch with your leads and remember that they may be busy, distracted or forgetful when it comes to following up on your lead magnet! 

Sending them an automated follow-up sequence will help you build rapport and show that you care about what matters most – keeping these prospects engaged until they are ready to purchase from your practice!

Similarly, if you get some leads during an offline event, make sure to follow them up through email or a phone call to encourage them to take action or move one step down the sales funnel. 

Following up on cold leads is another excellent way to keep your cold leads in the loop. Create an automated email series to pull them back into the sales funnel. 

 

These 6 Local Lead Generation Tips for Small Healthcare Businesses are just a few proven methods!

If you need more lead generation for your business, try these tips!

By the way, if you don’t have time to implement these ideas into your marketing and need assistance with the technical aspects, we would be delighted to help!