A client in the South wanted to increase its premium channels business, and ultimately its patient base. But its efforts to do so, mainly through its website, were ill-met.

So the partners decided to advertise, still on the web but targeted to potential patients, via pay per click, also known as paid search marketing.

They made a good choice, by all accounts. Counting organic and paid traffic since December, this practice has had more than 1,865 prospective patients click on through to the practice’s website.

As of early November the practice conducted 367 consultations and performed 177 LASIK and PRK procedures. For its end, the practice spent about $8,000 and converted ¼ of these patients, spending $16.32 per conversion.

Care Credit estimates that the average cost of LASIK for both eyes ranges between $3,000 and $5,000. You don’t need a calculator to figure out that the practice came out in the black on this one.

AN EXPLANATION

First, let’s explain what pay per click, aka paid search marketing is. You have seen it plenty of times. Say your spouse is looking for a weekend getaway. You type in bed and breakfast within 100 miles of me in your browser, and ads, all paid by the individual sponsors, surround the list of B+Bs that the web browser has found. Advertisers pay the internet site, or search engine, by the month: the more they pay, the more times their ad pops up when an internet surfer goes looking for what the advertiser is selling.

Paid search marketing is one of the largest channels for new patient acquisition in ophthalmology. Patients look for services on the web for LASIK, dry eye treatments, cataract surgery, floaters treatments. Since 2008, more people searched for the word ‘LASIK’ between January and July than at any other time, according to Google Trends, the site that keeps track of such things.

Here is why paid search marketing makes so much sense for an ophthalmology practice.

When patients want any kind of service or care, and they turn to a search engine for information, they have intent – they are already thinking about, considering buying, or attaining some sort of information. When they look, you can deliver your message.

Location on the page is important: Google says the top three spots (generally speaking, for any ad) get 46% of the clicks on the page. Other important information about pay per click: people used their mobile phones in 53% of searches, and in 36% of searches, the connection is location.¹

MEET THIS ESSENTIAL MARKETING METHOD

Several important factors go into a successful and predictable paid traffic strategy in ophthalmology. The key is to find an offer that works, ensure proper conversion tracking and monitor your data consistently. Then increase your budget and scale. To help illustrate this |we have provided with you a case study of two clinics that are succeeding with Google AdWords.

UNDERSTANDING EFFECTIVE OBJECTS FOR CONVERSION

We have selected two practices that are above average with their approach to LASIK marketing and are following guidance regarding budget, design and lead follow-up.

We’ve already discussed Practice A; Practice B is from the Northwest. While there will be some regional variation in terms of lead acquisition, our national findings indicate people want vision correction all over the U.S. The results from the campaigns were good, exemplifying what an experienced paid search company mixed with well thought-out design and engagement can do.

WHAT DO THE DATA TELL US?

1. Use of landing pages and conversion objects

Traditional paid search companies couldn’t convert visitors because they used secondary web pages instead of uniquely designed, attractive landing pages with conversion methods in the correct places. Using a landing page lets you set up the necessary tracking objects and provides you with clear access to your data.

The key metrics we like to track are:

1. Click-through rate
   The percentage of people who see your ad and click through to your landing page.
2. Conversion rate
   Those who take the next step: a desired action.
3. Cost per conversion
   Total amount of your ad dollars to generate a lead, or inquiry.
4. Conversions by type
   (lead source tracking)

Once people visit your site, it is important to know what was the media type that got them there in the first place.

3. Consider adding additional conversion assets to your website

You want to develop a stable of conversion assets for your website. Liken them to adding more fishing nets to your boat. It gives additional entry points for prospective patients to engage with you. Not every patient will engage with a contact form or phone number. Being creative with your offers can exponentially expand your lead volume and really maximize the media spend.

LASIK SELF-TEST

Together, our two firms have created at least 500 pay per click landing pages, so we can say from experience that the LASIK self-test (an on-site questionnaire) is the best landing page conversion feature that you can offer. More than half of all conversions our clients receive come via the self-test. It allows the potential patient to interact with you and to learn more about the visual condition.

Add an opt-in form and then direct patients who do opt-in to a confirmation landing page. On this page you can have a welcome video, testimonial videos, links to your Yelp, Facebook and Google pages, and your online scheduler.

PRICE REQUEST FORM

By adding a pricing tab on your website navigation bar, you give yourself another potential engagement point with the prospective patient. What pays, we have found, is having a higher daily budget so your ad’s exposure is much higher. Like Client A’s.

ONLINE SCHEDULER

By having an online scheduler you enable patients to take action and convert to a consult, without having to speak to them directly. The most ideal solution is to have a live integration with your practice management software.

WEBINAR SIGN-UPS

Webinars are a good medium for the practice’s surgeons to engage with prospective patients and ultimately accelerate a buying decision.

Ten days prior to hosting our live webinar, we post a pop-up form to the footer of our client’s website because this will boost registrations.

FINANCING REQUEST

Most clinics have links to financing options like Care Credit, Alphaeon or Green Sky. While this is great, one additional opportunity is to add a “Have financing questions?” opt-in form.

LASIK INFO KIT (PATIENT GUIDE)

The Patient Guide is an excellent piece of content that should be in every refractive practice’s portfolio. On your home page, have an opt-in form for your patient guide.

Ophthalmology practices that consistently focus on a predictable paid traffic campaign stand poised to increase their market share. OM

REFERENCE

1. PPC Trends and Statistics. Powertraffick. http://www.powertraffick.com/ppc-trends-and-statistics . Accessed Nov. 16, 2017.

About the Authors

Michael Dobkowski is a senior partner, managing director of search strategy and internet marketing at Glacial Multimedia Inc. He is a digital marketing veteran with 17+ years of experience helping ophthalmologists. At medical conferences, Mr. Dobkowski provides vital education about digital medical marketing concepts. Contact him at 207-878-5900 or michael@glacial.com.
Visit www.glacial.com

Michael King is the founder of LASIK Marketing Agency, which provides strategic consulting and digital marketing solutions for ophthalmologists. Michael is a passionate visionary and dynamic thinker who has enjoyed working as a Peak Performance Consultant for Anthony Robbins. He has over 12 years of experience in ophthalmology having served as the vice president of Marketing for King LASIK in Canada and the United States.