| Elective medical procedures including cosmetic | | | | marketing strategy based on targeting existing |
| surgery and aesthetic/dermatological services | | | | search engine traffic for terms relating to specific |
| present a unique opportunity to healthcare | | | | medical procedures. Something of a "black art" - |
| providers interested in marketing their services. | | | | search engine optimization (SEO) is difficult to |
| Few insurance companies reimburse for these | | | | implement effectively and results can vary greatly |
| procedures and consequently patients are usually | | | | between providers of SEO services, however the |
| required to pay out-of-pocket. This shift in | | | | rewards are considerable.Example: A prominent |
| payment process changes the market for | | | | dermatologist recently contracted my firm to |
| elective procedures in a number of ways as the | | | | provide online marketing for her Los Angeles and |
| patient:* - Can now choose any healthcare | | | | Santa Monica dermatology practices. Los Angeles |
| provider they desire | | | | is widely recognized as a destination locale for |
| * - Is more likely to comparison shop to find the | | | | aesthetic/cosmetic procedures and this physician |
| best/cheapest provider | | | | saw an opportunity to increase business by |
| * - May travel significant distances to visit their | | | | targeting both local and national/international |
| preferred providerAs a result of these changes, | | | | markets via online advertising and search engine |
| the market size for elective procedures is | | | | optimization. As of the date of this article, her site |
| effectively much larger than that for | | | | is ranked #1 on Google and MSN for "Los Angeles |
| insurance-reimbursed services as patients can be | | | | dermatologist" and she is seeing a 40% increase |
| sourced from outside of the provider's local | | | | in office appointments, all made directly through |
| geographic area. For example, skilled cosmetic | | | | her website.In this article I've focused mostly on |
| surgeons are highly sought after by patients in | | | | cosmetic/aesthetic services, however almost any |
| high-socioeconomic populations and these patients | | | | type of medical procedure where the patient is |
| are willing and able to travel significant distances in | | | | granted some freedom in their choice of provider |
| order to visit a top surgeon. The large, potentially | | | | can benefit from online advertising. Other |
| international, population for these types of elective | | | | applicable areas include complex procedures |
| procedures makes for a highly competitive | | | | relating to oncology or cardiology services. As |
| market - one that also happens to be ideally | | | | more and more patients go online to research |
| suited to online advertising.When people think of | | | | their healthcare options, online advertising will |
| online advertising they typically think of banner | | | | continue to grow as an important part of any |
| advertisements, however new marketing | | | | effective healthcare advertising campaign.Marshall |
| strategies such as search engine optimization and | | | | Clark is Founder and Principal Consultant of |
| contextual advertising are currently providing | | | | FirstRanked Healthcare ( - a privately owned |
| better returns and, if applied intelligently, can be | | | | healthcare marketing agency specializing in search |
| far more effective at generating new patients | | | | engine marketing strategies for pharmaceutical, |
| and increasing business for a healthcare | | | | medical device, and medical provider markets. |
| practice.Very briefly, search engine optimization is | | | | |