Top 10 Cosmetic Surgery Marketing Tips for Plastic Surgeons

When it comes to your plastic surgery practice, figuring out how your website should best represent yourself and your staff is the most important aspect. But what good is the best looking website if your cosmetic surgery marketing doesn't help your patients find you online? If you're looking to target patients who are searching for plastic surgery in your area, here are the top 10 things you should be doing right now to promote your practice online.

1. Make your domain name count. In other words, your website name should help to optimize what Google and your patients are looking for. First, make sure it states what you do (plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery, rhinoplasty, day spa, etc.). Second, your domain name should mention the area in which you practice. Some plastic surgeons who want to cover multiple areas choose to have a small, 5 page website for each of the cities in which they want to attract patients. Alternately, you can target the largest metro area near your office.

2. Use alt tags and links behind your images. On your website, you'll likely have pictures to help illustrate your message. When you insert a picture, be sure to use the picture editor's option to add a description of the picture (sometimes referred to as "alt text"). Use your keywords in your alt description. This will help Google to recognize that your picture is about your main keyword and it will ultimately help you rank higher in their search engine for that page.

3. Do your keyword research! There's nothing worse than starting off on the wrong foot when it comes to online cosmetic surgery marketing. From the start, you should be utilizing free keyword research tools (like the keyword tool by Google) or hire a professional o help you. You're going to want to choose keywords that boost your ability to be found in Google when patients in your area search for your services.

4. Use only one keyword per website page. You don't want to give Google, or your patients, a mixed message. Therefore, choose one topic/keyword for each of the pages on your website. One page might be dedicated to abdominoplasty, one page to rhinoplasty, and another to liposuction. The point is that each of your pages should be driven by a topic-centric theme. It will help you rank better in Google!

5. Include your keyword several times on each page. Only using your keyword one time on your website page is not a strong enough message that your page is about that topic. You'll want to use your keyword about once per paragraph of text and link your keywords a couple of times on the page back to your home page.

6. Linking is essential. When linking your keywords on your website pages, don't overdo it or you could get penalized by Google for over-optimizing. Ideally, link 2-3 times per website page and be sure that the words you are making into a link (also called the anchor text) are consistently the same throughout your page. If you wanted your page to rank for "Miami Rhinoplasty", for example, you'd make all three of those words the link that takes your website visitors to your home page.

7. Title tags are important too. Your title tag is the name for each of the pages on your website. Though the home page's title tag usually gets the most attention (and that's very important), the other pages on your site need to be optimized in the title tag as well. Including your keyword or keyword phrase in the title of your page will help to tell Google how they should categorize your site.

8. Content first, then SEO. The content, or wording, on your website is the most important thing to your site visitors. They aren't coming to your site to judge how well you've optimized your site for the search engines. On the contrary - they want quality, helpful information that they can use to help guide them towards a decision about whether or not to make an appointment with you. Give them what they want - a library of quality articles and each page offering answers to their likely questions.

9. Videos make all the difference. In today's SEO and cosmetic surgery marketing plan, videos must take precedence in your overall strategy. Videos are not only geared towards every kind of learner, but are easier to take in than text alone. Add in that Google loves videos and ranks them highly in their search engine and you've got a formula for quick success. Make short introduction videos, procedure summaries, and patient testimonial videos. All of these are tailored to educating your prospective patients and building trust in them.

10. Write, write, write and include your keyword/keyword phrase. This can be in the form of a published article on a free article directory like EzineArticles.com or GoArticles.com. You can also publish works through your blog site. Another way to help your cosmetic surgery marketing is to put out press releases. Though many doctors shy away from this tactic for fear that they will say something less than newsworthy, that is not usually the case. Get the news out on the wire about an upcoming event, charity that your practice is supporting, a redesign of your office decor, a new patient promotion...anything that you think your patients would like to know about. Press releases are one of the most powerful online marketing tools we have!

So, take a moment to reflect on your own website. Have you already applied some of these SEO-boosting tips? If not, let us know if you'd like some help getting your site optimized for Google with scalpel-like SEO precision.