Starting tomorrow, the latest change to Google’s algorithm will begin to have a significant impact on the search results of your practice. This is one of the largest changes in Google history. This is so significant that CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo discussed the implications on her morning show today saying, “businesses who rank 1 or 2 for important phrases could drop to as low as 8 or 9 if they ignore the change.” This could make the difference between a first page ranking and a second page ranking which we all know is like the difference between night and day.
What is the change? It is very SIMPLE.
“The change comes down to one very important criterion: whether your website, landing pages, and blog are fully optimized for mobile.”
If you’re not sure what that means, take out your mobile device i.e. Iphone, Ipad or other smart phone / tablet, and enter the web address of your practice into the search bar. How does the site appear? If it is mobile optimized it should be easy to read and navigate as you scroll down. If not, the site will appear off-set, forcing you to pull, pinch, scroll, enlarge, etc. The latter WILL create challenges for your practice in terms of your ability to rank for the important phrases associated with your practice.
I.e. Botox your town.
If you are not sure what THAT means:
The lower you rank for key phrases the fewer clicks you will receive, the fewer clicks less consultations, less consultations fewer appointments / patients, fewer patients LESS revenue. This cannot be overstated.
In addition to your website, conduct the same test for any landing pages you are using and your blog as well as any email marketing communication being sent from the practice.
Why has Google instituted this change? Once again it is very simple and based on math. While this number varies slightly by industry, on average more than 60% of searches conducted on major search engines are launched from a mobile device. So they have little choice but to conform to the demands of modern consumers. In the case of your practice, modern “medical” consumers.
Keep in mind, approximately 80% of these modern medical consumers start their search for a treatment or procedure on the internet via a major search engine. This is not something that can be ignored. (See THAT statement above).
This morning as I was leaving the house I stopped to hug a family member (no need to call them out by name) and as I leaned in this person said “I am really in a hurry.” I said, Hey let’s stop for ten seconds and focus on what’s important. They did and we did. Changed the whole direction of the day.
What’s the point? This is ABSOLUTELY one of those times in life when you MUST stop and take 10 seconds to focus on what’s important. In this case, your practice’s ability to FIND, SERVE AND KEEP more patients profitably. You owe it to yourself AND you owe it to those patients who would benefit from your expertise.
If you are a Crystal Clear client, I apologize in advance for taking up your time. You know EVERYTHING we create is 100% mobile responsive and has been long before this became an issue.
If you are not a Crystal Clear client and you are concerned about the impact of this change on your practice, please give us a call. We can walk you through the process and get you up and running in less than 30 days.
Feel free to call myself or Tom Couture directly on our mobile phones. We know this may be unsettling for some people.
Tim Sawyer, President (401) 742-7725
Tom Couture, Executive Vice President (401) 954-0675
We look forward to hearing from you.
Tim
