Online reviews play a crucial role in search engine optimization (SEO) for businesses across all industries — especially medical practices. Search engines want to serve their users with the most relevant sources based on what they are searching for. Nothing will make a brand more irrelevant than a bad online rating. Bad reviews position a brand to be unreliable and untrustworthy. It will stop patients from continuing their research journey about your healthcare practice. Most consumers don’t trust brand messaging. Instead, they search for user-generated content like reviews to understand the whole truth about a brand. Recent studies have shown that the average consumer reads 10 reviews before trusting a business.
It’s more common for someone with a bad experience to share their story than someone with a positive experience. In fact, the average dissatisfied customer tells 9 to 15 people about a bad experience. A consistent effort to increase the number of positive reviews will have a long-lasting impact on your healthcare practice’s online presence. Let’s explore effective ways to ask for reviews without bothering your patients:
Ask in Person
While the easiest way to reach a large audience is through a simple mass email blast to your whole database, that won’t get the results you need to improve your positive online review rating. The most effective way to get a meaningful, positive review is through personal conversation. Sparking a conversation with patients about why they chose your healthcare practice would make great online reviews. Helping them understand the importance of online reviews will encourage them to do their part — helping new patients make the right choice by choosing you.
The goal is to make leaving a review as easy as possible. Having printed QR code cards on hand will make leaving a review as quick and easy as possible. Doctors and staff should hand out these cards to all their happy patients.
Timely Text Messages
Smartphones are the easiest device to reach when it comes to communicating with your patients. Email inboxes and app notifications are always flooded with other brands trying to reach your same audience, so your practice should consider a more personalized route in the digital landscape. A well-timed text message with a link to leave a review is an effective way to reach your audience at the right moment. The text message should be sent within 24 hours of an appointment.
Run Social Media Campaigns
You know your social media followers already love and trust your practice. Social media has a built-in audience that is ready to show your brand praise online. Use your social media profiles to share praise your practice has already received through testimonial graphics. These will provide inspiration and encouragement for other social media users to leave a review on their own. Like all other channels, the goal is to make it easy to leave a review. The social posts a part of this campaign should directly link to the review site you want to drive positive reviews to.
Points Group has over 20 years of experience in driving better search results for healthcare practices. Let us help you create content that engages your audience and promotes your brand. Contact us and let’s get started today!
