When it comes to online marketing, search engine optimization is the word of the day. Orthopedic practices are realizing that in our digitized world they must change their approach to encountering clients. Instead of depending on flashy, blatant advertising, practices have to be found by potential patients who are doing their own research, especially on the web. This change in marketing strategy has produced countless collections of SEO tips for orthopedics: content, social media, the use of key phrases… you’ve heard all of these and more. Now it’s time to take that collection of tips and tricks and create a more unified effect with the help of some lessons from storytellers.
SEO Tips for Orthopedics Depend Upon Stories
In his blog post “Creatures of Story”, Jonathan Gotschall writes that we are all storytelling creatures for whom “story is like gravity: an inescapable field of force that influences everything, but is so omnipresent that we hardly notice it.” We may not notice this narrative matrix that makes up our understanding, but it is there nevertheless; these SEO tips for orthopedics can help your practice tap into the power of this infrastructure in order to create stronger connections with current and future clients.
Consider the Audience
When it comes to storytelling, the first question is: who is my audience? What do they want or need right now? This is the same place your internet marketing for orthopedics needs to start. Search engine optimization differs from older styles of marketing because it is based entirely on what the client thinks he or she needs. The words that they type into Google or Bing could lead them straight to your website, or down a long rabbit hole of frustrating attempts to answer their search. It’s your job to consider the questions and concerns your audience have and make sure that when they begin to search for answers, your site is there to offer trustworthy authoritative answers.
Make it Personal
General overviews are okay, but we as people are much more likely to make connections when something is personal. So often, we love stories because of the characters we can relate to. We all know that “content is king” is one of the best SEO tips for orthopedics, but with that comes the challenge of what your blog or social media account should be talking about. Again, think of the client first, and then get personal. As you answer the questions or concerns your potential patients may have about orthopedics, make sure to include anecdotes or testimonials that give them a sense of human connection to your practice.
Be Concise and Consistent
Finally, we all know the pain of listening to a story that just rambles on and on with no point or end in sight. When stories are told well, they have the power to evoke excitement, comfort, or even action, but when they are aimless and endless, all that storytellers achieve is agony or boredom in the audience. A powerful narrative is consistent, with an identifiable theme running throughout; it is also concise, so only the necessary details are included. Your content should follow those same rules of thumb, sticking with short paragraphs and a focused goal. Don’t just jam a bunch of keywords and phrases together; tell a brief story, answer a question, and make a connection to your reader.
Just like storytelling, these SEO tips for orthopedics get better with time and practice. Keep working on it, and contact us for more help and SEO ideas.
