The most recent Good updates with Penguin and Hummingbird initially caused a bit of confusion in the world of SEO. Some sites maintained a healthy flow of traffic, white others saw a drop in rank. The latest Google algorithm is still fairly new and may take several months before its impact is fully understood. SEO specialists are working diligently to figure out what all the changes mean for the way they operate.
While SEO is learning the ins and outs of the Google changes, it is the perfect time for business owners, including plastic surgeons, to focus on other areas of their business that are equally as important in the attainment of new clients and in bringing back loyal patrons. In fact, your repeat customers will bring the most revenue to your practice.
Surveys of customer experiences indicate there are four areas that have the most weight when developing an impression:
- Professional, friendly staff
- High quality service
- A unique, personalized experience
- A good reputation
Courteous and compassionate physicians and staff rank above knowledge, attentiveness, and timeliness. Successful cosmetic surgeons are not the top specialists in their field only because of their expertise. They also have empathy for their patients, which is evident from the day of the consultation to follow-up appointments and beyond. Customers are more likely to select a physician who makes them feel comfortable and will return for any additional procedures. Your whole team, including front office staff, should be trained in projecting the same caring attitude toward patients. A bad experience with a receptionist could put a dark cloud over the whole visit. In fact, many negative online reviews are from patients who became disgruntled before they even met the doctor, whether it was over the phone or in person with the office staff.
Even the friendliest surgeon will not be able to bring back patients for touch-up procedures and additional treatments without a dedication to service. Patients expect high standards of care and when that is not delivered they will go to a competitor for future needs. Stay on the cutting-edge with continuing education. A new state-of-the-art procedure could be just thing to improve your service offerings. This will help you surpass patient expectations and they will not only return, but make recommendations to friends and family.
So while SEO specialists adapt to Google’s most recent changes, take the time to focus on another aspect of your business that is just as important as your online rankings – ensuring happy customers. You may even suggest they write a positive review on a site such as Yelp if they indicate their satisfaction or a testimonial that you can put on your own site.
Even the best practices have some room for improvement. It’s time to dig back into that old bag of tricks and update your customer service skills while SEO is wrapped up ironing out the Google details. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress.