If you’re entrusted with marketing for doctors, you know your challenges. Budgets are often limited and your work doesn’t always seem like the highest priority. But there’s one thing you need to do and that’s get the medical practice listed in all major directories.
The key directories are Bing, Yelp, Yahoo and other brand names. Then there’s the niche listings that might not bring huge traffic volume, but still make a collective impact.
Get ready for some very tedious work. The best directories got that way because they don’t allow anyone to throw information onto a form and hit submit. The major directories likely already have your doctor’s practice listed and you need to go about claiming ownership.
If you’re employed directly in the doctor’s office this should be fairly easy. There’s usually a verification phone call required or at least an e-mail sent to an address with the URL of the practice website in the e-mail address. An outside consultant will have to jump through some hoops to make sure a staffer at the office handles the verification call or e-mail when it arrives.
Once you’ve got access to the listing, be attentive to the details. Make sure the Saturday hours are accurate. If the office opens at 8:30 AM, make sure it doesn’t say 8 AM online. If you make a mistake, there’s a good chance negative reviews will show up in your listing.
In a similar vein, double-check your address listing, especially if the practice has multiple locations. Have a nice photo ready to upload. Most directories will give you roughly 250 words to describe the practice. Don’t waste these. Make sure they’re keyword-optimized for the health care areas you want to emphasize.
Finally, monitor the feedback given by reviewers. Thank people who wrote something nice. Politely respond to the dissatisfied. Every business get negative reviews, but an area as sensitive as health care demands you be seen responding to valid concerns.