77% of search engine consultations lead prospective patients to their first medical appointment, and around 68% of clicks belong to the five first organic listings. So, this is a clear picture of the importance of search engines in reaching a healthcare specialist and thus activating patient engagement.
Furthermore, 7% of all Google searches that occur in a single minute, roughly 70,000 visits, are related to healthcare searches. So, if you think this channel is not influential, we invite you to rediscover its potential for patient outreach.
In fact, can you imagine that 15% of all health-related searches are new? This means prospective patients have never made them before. Moreover, the trend has been a constant since 2013, from a base of approximately 1 trillion searches occurring annually.
So, what is the impact of all these facts? First, Google now concentrates on georeferenced SEO (local); this involves more practices investing in digital advertising but more prominently in their online reputation and authority (SEO). This results in more patients visiting the web when seeking medical information and taking the option to schedule a medical visit.
To make the healthcare on the web issue more relevant, healthcare providers said they lagged off when it comes to digital marketing knowledge, especially in contrast with other industries. Here is where Search Business Group comes to the rescue.