WEBVTT
00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:12.640
Hello and welcome to the Practice Marketing Podcast, highlighting successful strategies from North America's fastest growing clinics and experts so you can learn from their wins and power your practice growth.
00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.599
Hi, I'm your host, Neil Trickett, CEO of Practice Promotions.
00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:20.320
And today we're going to focus on how to rank your practice at the top of Google.
00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:25.920
And today we're joined by Amy Gray, who's our head of SEO here at Practice Promotions.
00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:40.799
And Amy leads our SEO team and works closely with physical therapy rehabilitation practice owners to help them improve their online visibility, attract more qualified website traffic, and generate more new patient inquiries through organic search.
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:47.039
And in this episode, we're breaking down an SEO and AEO and AI search and all this new stuff here.
00:00:47.200 --> 00:01:00.880
And we'll discuss how it works, what's changed with the rise of AI and tools like ChatGPT and what clinic owners need to focus on to ensure they're still being found online, being competitive at the top of Google and getting in front of patients who need them most.
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:02.799
So Amy, welcome to the podcast.
00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:03.679
Thank you.
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:04.560
Glad to be here.
00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:06.560
Always happy to talk about what we do.
00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:07.680
So yeah, totally.
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.760
So let's start with the basics, right?
00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:10.719
The fundamentals here.
00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.200
And so when we're talking SEO, what is that?
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:19.920
And why is it so important for clinics to really think about this as part of what they're doing, attract new patients?
00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:21.120
Yeah, sure.
00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:30.400
So SEO search engine optimization, to put it simply, it's the practice of making a clinic's website and online presence show up.
00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:34.079
So when patients are searching for the services you offer, you're visible.
00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:39.920
So I like to kind of think of it as making sure your digital front door is visible and easy to find.
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:46.560
And that is not just your website, that includes your Google Business profile, online reviews, et cetera.
00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:54.319
So what makes it really important for physical therapy clinics is the patient journey almost always starts online.
00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:04.079
So when someone wakes up and if they're either in pain or have stiffness following a surgery, their first move is gonna be to do a Google search.
00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.920
It's not gonna be to call an insurance agency or look in the phone book.
00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:13.680
So if your clinic is not appearing in those results, then they're gonna call your competitor.
00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:15.280
So that's why it's so important.
00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:24.000
Um, and we do know that almost the 90% of Americans will search online for health information before they'll see a provider.
00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:25.599
So yeah, totally.
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:29.840
And I mean, that is there's many forms of the online search, right?
00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:34.560
And it's falling fast, it's a lot of changes there, but fundamentally that's still true, right?
00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:44.800
That that people go online first to look for a service, they're looking for health information, they're looking at like what do they need to do to handle this particular pain or problem.
00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:46.000
Like they start there.
00:02:46.159 --> 00:03:01.599
And so if your clinic's not commanding those different spots there, whether it's at the top of Google, whether it's on Chat GPT, whether it's on uh local map searches like on Google, or even uh map searches on Apple on iPhones, right?
00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:04.400
Um there's Apple Business Connect and those kind of things, right?
00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:11.120
So being in being visible at the top of all these different types of searches is key to the success of your practice.
00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:13.919
And so just kind of curious a lot has changed.
00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:17.840
You know, this year's been bananas uh in terms of what Google has done.
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:29.039
And uh just kind of curious from your perspective, you know, um what's been what's been changing here over these last few years, and especially with you know, we've got these all these terminologies now.
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:33.199
We've got SEO, we've got local search, we've got AEO, we've got EIA overviews.
00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:35.120
Like what's going on here?
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:38.560
Yeah, so yeah, so you hit all of those.
00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:44.319
So I think that search behavior has shifted in three major ways.
00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:51.759
So it's how people are searching, where they're searching, and then what are they expecting now when they find you?
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:59.360
So um, you know, honestly, all three of those have changed pretty dramatically in just the last two or three years.
00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:12.639
So if we kind of dig into each of those a little bit more, um, so when we talk about how people are searching now, um it's more conversational, it's more condition specific.
00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:16.879
Um, you know, patients used to type little generic queries, right?
00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:23.439
Like physical therapy near me or you know, PT Clinic Enrichment, but that's not how people are really searching anymore.
00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:25.600
They're asking full questions.
00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:34.240
So, what's the best PT for sciatica, or how long does physical therapy take for whatever, a rotator cuff repair?
00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:36.800
So voice search has accelerated this.
00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:44.079
And you know, when you're talking in your phone or in a device, you're not just saying keywords anymore, you're asking full questions.
00:04:44.399 --> 00:05:00.560
So the implication for clinics is huge here because if your website says something generic, like we treat musculoskeletal conditions, you're invisible to the people that are searching for their specific condition or problem, right?
00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:03.040
Back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction.
00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:08.879
Um, so that's what people are looking for, and we need pages dedicated to those.
00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:10.639
So that's the how.
00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:18.399
The where um people are searching, it's not just Google anymore, and it's everything that you kind of just mentioned.
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:23.839
So for a long time, the patient journey started and ended on Google.
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.319
And that's mostly true like for the booking phase.
00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:33.199
So when someone's ready to call, they'll still go to Google Maps, but it's the research that has changed.
00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:47.920
So more and more people, especially like adults under 40, are starting on Chat GPT or perplexity, and they want to understand their symptoms before they ever even open a search results page.
00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:53.680
Um, and so what that means is your content really needs to serve two audiences, right?
00:05:53.759 --> 00:06:02.480
So it needs to rank on Google, uh, but also be the kind of authoritative structured content that AI tools will pull from.
00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:09.040
Um the good news there is that those two goals are almost identical in terms of what we do.
00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:18.079
So as long as we continue to write helpful content, condition-specific content, we win in both of those areas.
00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:23.839
Um, and then the third thing that I think really has changed is what people expect.
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:28.879
So before they even call, they want to know you and they want to trust you.
00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:41.040
And I think this is the one that surprises like in gym, not just clinic owners, but in general, people the most when they're talking about marketing their business online because it's the research piece that's coming first.
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:48.639
So before they even land on your listing, your website or whatever, they're trying to decide if you're trustworthy enough to even call.
00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:56.399
So they're looking at things like reviews, photos, whether you're speaking to something specific to them, like your condition or problem.
00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:05.920
Um and so, you know, that changes things because now your Google ranking isn't just a reputation thing, right?
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.439
Like it's part of your SEO.
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:14.240
So if you've got quality reviews, um, you know, recent reviews, you can outrank other clinics.
00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:20.800
So I think the big thing there is what they're expecting is not, I hope I can find someone that's good.
00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:24.560
I've already found someone's good that proven it before I made the call.
00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:28.639
So um, yeah, it's things have shifted a lot.
00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:38.959
When you put those three things together, um more specific searches, more platforms, higher trust, the old approach isn't gonna work anymore.
00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.480
So it's more than just a website or a listing.
00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:48.560
You have to have the right answer and be in the right place and have enough credibility for them to actually want to make that call.
00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:49.439
So yeah.
00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:53.759
So broad overview is the search behavior is evolving, right?
00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:54.399
It's changing.
00:07:54.480 --> 00:08:02.000
And so we have to change how we're approaching getting in front of patients because their their behavior is changing with that.
00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.720
And um, you know, uh things are changing out there.
00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:11.439
Google's gone through some of its biggest updates it's ever had in the last 20 years, this year, right?
00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:18.240
Especially like in March and April, and massive changes in the way Google does stuff in response to what the audience wants, right?
00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:20.800
And how people are searching is changing a lot.
00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:33.120
And um the the key thing is that we're we hear the the rise of Chat GPT and these these kind of um platforms that people are going deeper into asking questions and wanting the information.
00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:42.799
But I think the key thing to understand is it's still I think Google searches when it comes to like healthcare is still about 95% of searches, right?
00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:44.879
And only 5% in ChatGPT.
00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:53.360
It's slowly changing, but I still think you know Google's gonna be for a long, long time the 800-pound gorilla that you want to you know go after.
00:08:53.440 --> 00:09:00.399
Um, but within Google itself, just the way that the search results have come up has radically changed.
00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:04.000
And and I know this year was again another massive change through that.
00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:12.240
And I think about 46% of searches done now on Google pull up the AI overview first at the top.
00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:20.639
And so, you know, with those rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, with that Google AI overview, you know, is SEO still relevant for PT practices?
00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:21.440
Yeah.
00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:25.519
That's you know, that's a question that I think a lot of people are wondering.
00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:27.919
And my answer would be absolutely.
00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:44.720
So the most important thing that PT clinic owners need to understand about this new kind of rise in AI is Google has specifically excluded local healthcare provider searches from AI overviews.
00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:53.440
So as of right now, searches, those searches are still returning the traditional MAP-ac local results.
00:09:53.600 --> 00:10:01.919
So searches that drive actual new patients, physical therapy near me, PT clinic in Richmond, right?
00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:07.200
So those are still 100% traditional SEO territory.
00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:12.320
So where AI has changed things is it's earlier in the patient journey.
00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:15.679
So the like I mentioned before, it's the research phase.
00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:25.519
So if someone searches, how long does PT take after a surgery, ACL surgery, they're probably gonna get an AI overview.
00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:30.000
That's gonna answer their question without ever sending them to your website.
00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:31.919
So that's the real shift.
00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:44.320
And it's why we tell clinics focus less on broad informational content and more on the bottom of funnel, high-intent searches where patients are ready to book.
00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:57.120
Um, so you know, and then the other piece of this, and this is where it gets really interesting, is tools like Chat GPT, perplexity, things like that, they're becoming their own referral channel.
00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:06.799
So when a patient asks, like Chat GPT, who's the best PT for a pelvic floor, you know, you want your clinic to be what comes up.
00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:12.240
And so the way that you influence that is the same thing that drives traditional SEO.
00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:17.360
So authoritative content, strong reviews, consistent online presence.
00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:29.600
So I think while there has been a huge shift and different searches will kind of bring up different results, really good SEO today works on two tracks at once.
00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:39.120
So staying dominant in local search while building the credibility that AI systems are looking for and site at the same time.
00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:44.159
So I think the big thing is don't panic about AI, but don't ignore it.
00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:44.639
Yeah.
00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:50.960
So if you're investing in SEO right now, you're actually positioning yourself really well for both.
00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:52.080
Yeah.
00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:54.159
Yeah, that makes total sense.
00:11:54.399 --> 00:12:03.840
And um we have to realize like what is fueling the AI results, and it's it's a scraper tool.
00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:12.000
It scrapes the information that's out on the internet, it's scraping the um and trying to deliver an answer for your question, right?
00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:24.720
So it if you have um and it's looking for, just like with Google, you know, it's looking for the most um it has the most authority, it has the most relevance.
00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:47.519
And so that's where if you have really, really good content on your website and you have good indicators uh that you have a lot of connections online, you have a lot of great reviews, you have a lot of pictures, you have a lot of things happening within social media, all of that which is part of SEO anyway, um, that is what fuels the search results or the results in Chat GPT, for example.
00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:48.320
Yes.
00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:53.279
And so, like you said, don't panic, just it's all about good practices.
00:12:53.600 --> 00:13:02.480
And uh and so when it when it comes to SEO, I I think what you really need to look at is um is your website a good content machine?
00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:07.919
Uh is it and then from an online presence, do you have very good business profiles?
00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:24.799
So we're talking about Google Business Profiles, we're talking about uh Apple Business Connect, we're talking about Bing places like these different ones, and then there's lots and lots of thousands of different directories online from Yahoo and Waze and Uber and all these kind of different um businesses online, these directories.
00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:30.159
And so is your business information correct in all of these types of listings?
00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:32.159
Uh are you on those types of listings?
00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:32.799
That's another thing.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:40.000
A lot of clinics don't have enough of the information on those types of uh directories, and so that's an area for improving uh SEO.
00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:42.000
And then there's things like bike links, right?
00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:48.879
In bank links is basically your how your uh business is mentioned on other websites or linking from other websites to your website.
00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:52.000
So things that you should do, that's a good local practice.
00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:56.000
Are you uh part of your local business uh chamber of commerce?
00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:57.600
Business chamber of commerce.
00:13:58.080 --> 00:13:59.360
Um it's very simple, right?
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:08.320
Pay maybe 50 bucks a year, 100 bucks a year, and you get uh uh your information, your directory on the local uh chamber of commerce, and that that then links back to your website.
00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:09.200
That's a backlink.
00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:16.720
Or are you part of a local soccer association that you could have your website uh linked to?
00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:18.879
Again, it builds credibility in Google's acts.
00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.639
So things that you can definitely be doing yourself from an SEO perspective.
00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:27.120
But all of that affects both Google rankings and also affects AI.
00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:27.919
Exactly.
00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:29.759
Yeah, great points, all of them.
00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:30.720
And and they do.
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:37.600
It's you know, it's really when you're looking at it, you can almost look at it holistically, the way that it all works together, right?
00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:43.519
So your traditional core best practices for SEO are are going to help you.
00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:56.480
And there's there's some slight differences, there's a few things we can do slightly different, but for the the most part, the things that we do and um you know, the things that we're focusing on will help you in both directions.
00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:57.919
So excellent.
00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:07.120
And so we know that content, putting content on our website, so articles, blogs, the pages that we have that are specific to the services we provide.
00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:14.320
Um you know, many clinic owners are hearing that AI can create this content for them and do the SEO for them.
00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:25.600
And so just kind of curious, like what how why couldn't someone just go and use Claude or use Chat GPT and say, hey, give me uh what should I do for SEO on my website?
00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:30.080
And and what can you write me an article, a blog post about this and then go do it?
00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:33.600
So what's the difference between do it DIYing it yourself, right?
00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:35.759
Or or having a real SEO strategy?
00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:37.600
Yeah, this comes up a lot.
00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:40.240
We get this a lot, and I and I really do get it.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:45.200
You know, AI tools are impressive and right now they're flashy and they're new.
00:15:45.279 --> 00:16:00.080
And so the temptation is real, whether you're looking at a more cost-affordable agency who offers to use AI to help, or if you are like a clinic owner and you're like, you know what, I can use AI and I can do this.
00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.519
I don't need, you know, I can handle it myself.
00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:14.879
So it feels like to me, it feels like AI has kind of lowered the barrier a little bit so that you think you don't need real strategy that it can replace it.
00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:19.440
Um, and that's where a lot of people can get into trouble, that kind of thought process.
00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:22.320
So I will think about it like this.
00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:24.320
So this is a little analogy here.
00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:32.000
Um, so AI is like having a really fast carpenter, but a fast carpenter without a blueprint is just making sawdust, right?
00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:36.080
So AI can write content quickly, it can help with keyword research.
00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:36.639
We know that.
00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:38.320
It can draft meta descriptions.
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.519
So it's genuinely useful for execution.
00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:45.360
But what it can't do is walk into your market.
00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:52.799
It can't understand your competition or figure out what conditions you should be building pages around for your clinic.
00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.039
It can't earn you backlinks.
00:16:55.200 --> 00:17:02.559
Um, so it's not going to truly build the kind of clinical authority that Google is rewarding, right?
00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:08.400
Um, you know, and that last part matters now more than ever.
00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:12.000
So we all know that Google has a quality framework, right?
00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:12.720
Eat.
00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:18.799
So we're looking for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trust, trustworthiness.
00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:25.039
Um, that, and that's gonna come from content that demonstrates real clinical knowledge.
00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:30.240
So I think it's, you know, prompting chat GPT, you know, at 10 p.m.
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:43.839
after a full day of treating patients, um, or even an agency doing that same process for you for every client is gonna produce content that is looking pretty thin, you know, under Google's lens.
00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:46.880
And they're getting better at telling the difference.
00:17:47.200 --> 00:18:16.880
Um I think that's uh I I saw that recently that um you know Google's policies are updating where uh they're they are penalizing more content that is just straight AI created versus content that's very dialed into the locality and the specifics about that practice that mentions like uh you know specific um outcomes of a result with a patient, for example, like the more they're looking for for real content, right?
00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:31.279
Because there's you know, like uh we see it happening, there's just gazillions of AI slop being generated out there and thrown up, and Google doesn't, you know, it doesn't help Google's customers uh called this AI slop, right?
00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:36.720
So they're they're being much more picky now, they're putting things in place, you know it's even coming, uh they're gonna get stricter with it.
00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:37.759
But how can you use it?
00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:40.319
Like what you our team uses a lot of AI, right?
00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:52.240
We use a lot of AI for for SEO analysis and all kinds of things there too, but you you need that human strategy and collaboration with with the clinic in order to really dial in what's what's most impactful and helpful for them.
00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:53.279
Exactly.
00:18:53.519 --> 00:19:06.960
Yeah, and I think the a good way to think about it is yeah, use AI to move faster, but pair it with PT specific strategy, you know, clinician-reviewed content, you know, things like that.
00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:14.559
So, and then back it up with other like technical and local SEO and the other things that you're not, you know, using AI tools for.
00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:19.359
Um, but content volume is not the same thing as an SEO strategy.
00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:28.720
So using AI um kind of to make you faster, I think it just needs to be paired with a good solid base.
00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:29.359
Yeah.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:30.559
Totally.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:36.400
And so for a clinic uh out there, obviously we we work with hundreds and hundreds of clinics.
00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:42.799
I'm just kind of curious, what are some of the biggest SEO mistakes that you see uh PT clinics making today?
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:46.960
The top 10% of PT owners aren't just surviving, they're thriving.
00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:48.160
But what's their secret?
00:19:48.319 --> 00:20:02.960
Well, Neil Trigott's new Market to Grow book reveals how the top 10% of PT practices leverage marketing systems to simultaneously grow their new patients, attract top talent, and boost profit in their practice.
00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.880
You can learn from their secrets.
00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:10.960
Visit practicepromotions.net slash book to claim your free copy of Market to Grow.
00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:12.240
Yes, you heard that right.
00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:17.519
We are shipping a free copy of Market to Grow to all podcast listeners who want it.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:22.480
Just visit practicepromotions.net slash book to claim your free book.
00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:24.400
And now back to the show.
00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:29.440
Yeah, um, I think the biggest things, they're not technical really.
00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:35.200
They're more kind of strategic gaps um that are really common.
00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:42.319
So one of the biggest things would be um treating your business profile as a set it and forget it uh task.
00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:49.759
So um most clinic owners will claim a listing, put in your address, you put in your phone number, and you move on.
00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:57.839
Um, but a business profile as part of strategy, that's often the very first thing that a patient is going to see.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:04.480
So before your website, before your reviews, before anything else, they're coming across your business profile.
00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:23.279
So I think um making sure that it's fully built out, categories, service descriptions, conditions, regular photos uh being added, consistent reviews, all of those things um need to be done and really is a great strategy for outranking competitors, right?
00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.680
Even ones with bigger websites, larger budgets.
00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:33.440
It's that is probably the highest ROI move in local SEO is optimizing your Google business profile.
00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:39.279
So I think that's one mistake is kind of not paying attention to that and leaving it half finished.
00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:44.480
Um, the uh one other thing that I do see a lot would be generic content.
00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:46.559
So we talked about this a little bit earlier.
00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:51.359
So in you know, you really need to be specific because that's how people are searching now.
00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:59.519
So um, you know, if you don't have dedicated pages that speak to conditions that your patients are looking for.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.920
um then you're invisible.
00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:09.519
And so the you know the clinics that are winning have very specific pages written with clinical depth for specific content.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:16.000
That's gonna be like your your knee pain page or your GMJ page or your public health page, like those kind of things, right?
00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:16.640
Yes.
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:22.640
And so you know great example would be our, you know, our websites for our clients are really fully built out.
00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:28.400
And we really try to address all of the things that a potential patient is coming and looking for.
00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:34.880
And you know one other thing that I'm thinking about while we're talking about this would be review generation.
00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:47.920
So that also is something that I think people are leaving on the table and maybe I don't know if you'd call it a mistake, but it's definitely something that not only Google is looking at, but patients are looking at.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:58.480
So growing review count consistently is another area where I think people maybe not necessarily making mistakes but just leaving a lot on the table.
00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:03.200
Yeah or overlooking it right and 100% agree with you on all those points.
00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:12.880
And I think I think the key thing to understand is that in order to build your practice, attract more patients to come to you, you you have to dominate these searches, right?
00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:19.759
You have to be high up on the rankings as people choose the top of of Google more than they choose the bottom of Google.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:21.359
And they certainly don't go to page two.
00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:22.400
Right.
00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:28.000
So we we got to be at the top of Google and it's like you said it's not a set it and forget it.
00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:29.759
You have to realize like it's dynamic.
00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:36.160
Google makes hundreds of changes a year and they make three to five major ones each year.
00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.960
So things change all the time with Google.
00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:55.519
So you're you're playing in Google sandbox and you have to be very dynamic and you have to be consistent with constantly updating your marketing your website your online presence in order to position yourself right it's a battle for the top just think of it that way.
00:23:55.839 --> 00:24:03.920
So yeah the key things that are going to help you get there is like are you do you have consistent processes in the clinic for getting reviews?
00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:13.519
Like do you have software systems are your therapists trained or your front desk trained on asking reviews do you have targets for everybody in terms of like how many reviews you want them to get in a month?
00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:14.960
Where's the machine right?
00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:19.119
So build the machine for getting reviews it people look for that trust factor.
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:25.519
They look for what people are saying about your clinic those kind of things do show up also in search results.
00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:35.200
So it's critical and then the the business profile again that's not something you just do one time like you you have to keep updating the photos in there right add new videos.
00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:39.599
You need to add um new posts and articles in there.
00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:42.880
So blogs are a great thing to do from your website post them up in there.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:48.640
There's a lot it's dynamic right you can't just do it one time optimize it and then never think about it again.
00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:49.279
Right.
00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:56.480
Exactly yeah and the you know the review piece too it just the volume that you need it's just not going to happen organically.
00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:07.519
So it's great like that you're mentioning like processes and how are you going to do this and how are you going to request these reviews um to get the volume that you need to really make a difference and make you stand out versus your competitor.
00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:08.240
Got it.
00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:19.039
And so we we hear this terminology there's uh SEO which is search engine optimization there's local SEO and there's AEO which is answer engine optimization.
00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:28.960
Just kind of curious for our audience out there, like how important is local SEO for physical therapy practices and and what role does that play in attracting new patients?
00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:30.400
Kind of like what is it to begin with?
00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:33.599
Like what's what's the difference between that and just like organic SEO?
00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:44.960
Yeah so you know local SEO um this is like for physical therapy local SEO isn't just one part of the strategy.
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:55.200
I would say it basically is the strategy right so PT is inherently a local service nobody's driving 45 minutes twice a week to go to treatment.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:11.039
So the question really isn't like whether it matters it's whether you're showing up when the right patients in your area are looking right so this is SEO that we are going to do and and implement on your site so that you can be found in your local market.
00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:13.200
You can compete in your local market.
00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:18.400
You know the centerpiece of local SEO is the MATPAC.
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:32.880
So those the three business we know but so for people watching the three business listings that appear at the top of the results when someone searches like physical therapy near me, that's where the majority of new patient clicks happen.
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:38.000
And so it's entirely separate from where you rank in regular search results.
00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:42.640
So there's the difference between you know kind of an organic result and a and a local result.
00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:50.400
So a clinic can have a really great website and still lose patients every day because they're not showing up there.
00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:53.279
So that is a strategy in itself.
00:26:53.519 --> 00:27:44.319
So when you want to make that map pack it kind of comes down to three things that Google is going to look at they're gonna look at relevance distance and prominence right so distance you can't control but relevance like how clearly your presence communicates the conditions that you treat um you know and then who you serve and then prominence your reviews your directory listings the consistency of your posting and information across the web those are entirely in your hands and built deliberately like over time so yeah so there is there's a definite difference there um and you know a big piece and we've talked about this a a a lot so reviews and ratings are a big piece of local ranking signals.
00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:55.200
And so you know a clinic that has 200 recent reviews at 4.8 stars is going to outrank a clinic with 40 reviews right almost every time.
00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:07.119
So um here again just kind of another um mention of the importance of review generation and looking good it's definitely a direct labor when it comes to local SEO.
00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:22.720
Absolutely yeah so that that's one of the one of the factors right that that Google takes into consideration uh but it's not the only one and I think that's a confusion sometimes for practice owners like oh if I just get a lot more reviews I'm gonna rank you know number one on the map pack.
00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:30.400
That's not how it works right it's it's like maybe five or 10% of what Google takes into consideration of its rankings.
00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:45.119
But what's what is super critical about it is it's what the actual person is looking at you know if they they see a clinic with a thousand reviews and they see another one with 10 reviews well they're in their mind they're gonna look at the one with the thousand reviews and they click on it.
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:51.440
Well when they click on it more Google likes that they're gonna show you more because you're getting clicked on more than someone who's got 10 reviews.
00:28:51.599 --> 00:29:03.680
So it does factor into it that way but it also builds the emotional trust of the patient to to explore you before a competitor just because you have more reviews.
00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:28.559
So yeah that review generation is such a critical part uh of it um and and you know I just think back to like when when I was a when I was a PT uh I remember treating a patient and we were kind of talking about technology and geeking out stuff like that and I remember him talking like because back in those days it was like Netscape and AOL and that kind of stuff and he was saying oh have you heard of this thing called Google?
00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:30.079
Like what's Google?
00:29:30.319 --> 00:30:32.319
Right and that was I don't know 25 plus years ago but here we are today right and that's you know a major part of everybody's life in terms of how we find stuff um but it the search results back then were just top 10 right just top 10 right and then and then came along ads and they started to put a few ads at the top and then you know fast forward to today well we've got for 46% of searches that that are not local based right that are like service specific but uh AI chunk at the top underneath that we might have say three to four ads and then we've got the the map right and then we've got more sponsored ads and then we've got the top 10 at the bottom right so we have this really long search page now but most of it now is pay to play or AI um and but if it's someone like hey what's the best physical therapy clinic near me well it's going to show the map part at the top right and then the or or or sometimes usually like the ads you might get like two to three ads at the top an ad in the map section and then three organic ones in there too.
00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:34.720
So um everything plays together.
00:30:34.960 --> 00:31:15.759
So you need to be doing Google ads to be at the very top but you also need to be in the the local search strategy on that and then of course you've got your further down the page is SEO but one thing I really try to explain to practice owners too is that it's not just about being the the the number one spot and to me it's about it's we see it time and time again repetition on the page is what moves people to click into your website to to call you so ideally if you have your ads running you're gonna be at and someone turns uh searches for physical therapy near me you're gonna have your ads pop up at the top right so it'll be number one spot there too.
00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:19.119
You should then be able to get a second ad spot in the map section.
00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:27.680
So that's two spots you show up or uh organically in that local map section so now you got three spots and you show up in the top ten uh underneath and now you got four spots.
00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:42.000
So if I'm a patient and I'm looking through and I see your name four times on page one of my search I'm much more likely to click on you than someone who uh just has one like they don't do ads and they're just maybe on the map section.
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:44.240
I'm gonna choose you because you're mentioned four times.
00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:46.720
So that's part of overall strategy too.
00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:47.359
Right.
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:48.960
And that you know that's a great point.
00:31:49.119 --> 00:32:00.720
And this it and it a little bit of an aside going back to what we talked about earlier is local provider searches are specifically protected right from AI overviews.
00:32:00.880 --> 00:32:32.160
And so you know it's not going to be an AI generated summary um you're gonna get when you're looking for those doing those local searches you're gonna get the map the listings or reviews um and so the kind of what's really going to fill your schedule as a clinic owner um is investing in local SEO right in addition to the to everything else it's kind of like one big view but local SEO definitely um still does have an advantage that I'm not sure AI is going to erode that anytime soon.
00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:35.680
Yeah it's gonna be definitely still very important.
00:32:36.160 --> 00:33:11.119
Yeah and and Google they make a lot of money right so they they're they're fighting it just as hard as as everybody else right so they they're they're changing things up they're they they want to keep command of the market they're not gonna go anywhere anywhere different with that um so you know SEO uh we often view it as a long-term strategy so what kind of what what's the some of the expectations for clinic owners like hey I need a rank better in Google I'm gonna work with an agency on that and then next week everything will I'll be number one right like how is that realistic like what what what's typically the length of an SEO strategy?
00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:24.559
Yeah you know we get these kind of questions a lot our department does um and I think it's one of the most important expectation setting conversations right that we can have really in all of digital marketing.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:29.039
But it's also a definitely a frustration for um clinics.
00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:33.119
So I think there's a couple things to consider.
00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:41.279
So if we're starting from scratch or if we're working with you know an existing website that already has a little bit of history it might be a little bit different.
00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:43.839
But it really is kind of a long game.
00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:56.000
But so for an established clinic that already has a website maybe has some reviews some sort of online presence even if you haven't been actively working in it you're not starting from zero.
00:33:56.160 --> 00:34:03.039
So Google already has a little bit of sense of who you are and in that case some foundation work has been done.
00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:10.800
So I would say first three months you might be producing early signals faster than if you're starting out fresh.
00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:51.840
So Google business profile improvements keyword movement on less competitive terms growing review counts kind of within that first window by month six your content work happening consistently meaningful ranking gains could be realistic at that point and um you know if you're in a mid-sized market you might hit the Mat pack for core terms somewhere within that six month range for brand new websites it really is a different story right so you have to factor in domain authority for sites that have no history.
00:34:51.920 --> 00:35:26.719
So if we have a new client that's coming on first time hasn't had a web presence Google really needs time to trust that site before it's willing to rank it competitively so that doesn't mean that nothing happens early on like your business profile can still perform regardless of your website age um but organic rankings are going to take longer to build so truly um I would plan for more of the six to 12 month before you're really competing the the biggest caveat really for both situations is market competition.
00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:38.079
So if you're in a smaller market you might see movement within 90 days right but if you're going after like physical therapy Charlotte North Carolina it's much more of a competitive fight.
00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:54.960
Yeah so the strategy is the same um you know but what you're up against determines how long it's gonna take you to reach the top but I'll I will say this so you know SEO unlike paid ads they stop the moment that you stop paying SEO compounds.
00:35:55.199 --> 00:36:00.960
So every month of that consistent work is going to make the next month more effective.
00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:10.400
So if you if you if you stay patient and stay consistent um those are the clinics that we end up seeing do really well.
00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:15.519
Yeah it's like saving money right it's compounding interest it'll get better and better over time.
00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:31.679
It just takes time for it to like get to the point that you want right and and I think it's really important for for practice owners to understand too like it's such a critical part of the the growth of your business is something that really needs a lot of attention and professional help but it's it's not an instant fix.
00:36:31.760 --> 00:37:19.920
You're playing again in Google sandbox right you're you're under what Google is doing and you're trying to play by their rules and you're trying it's like dating right Google's your your dream um you know partner there and you want to like really wow them and have them pay attention to you and like you the most it takes some dating to get there right uh so that's that's the key thing with SEO but again you can you can sidestep some of that uh long-term strategy with pay right so that's where Google ads come into play like if you really like need to get things rocking quickly like Google ads you can get up there you can be performing pretty good within 30 to 60 days uh using Google ads right um and then SEO kind of comes up behind that and again and as you mentioned Amy it's very it's very different depending on the market.
00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:32.239
So if you're in a kind of a rural uh city or rural kind of town you're gonna probably gonna get you know much faster results but if you're in New York City or Boston or you know San Francisco like you're you're gonna be very competitive.
00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:47.199
It's gonna take some time uh for that um so just kind of curious you know working with a lot of our clients there what what do you say practice promotions does differently when it comes to SDO compared to other you know low-cost agency or even now like different AI solutions?
00:37:47.599 --> 00:38:04.000
Yeah so one of the things that I love is that practice promotions was built specifically for physical therapy and rehab right not general small businesses not for healthcare broadly but for the for PT clinics and by physical therapists.
00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:28.000
And so I think that vertical focus changes everything about how we approach SEO so the thing about AI generated content that most people who are just using the tool and and they don't realize it until they look really closely is AI can sound like it understands physical therapy without actually understanding it, right?
00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:45.679
Like it knows the words it can string together a sentence and you know it can talk about manual therapy and therapeutic exercise and it can look like pretty convincing on the surface but it doesn't understand how a patient describes their shoulder pain at 10 p.m when they're looking for help.
00:38:46.159 --> 00:38:54.079
It doesn't necessarily know what conditions are driving the most new patient volume can't make clinical judgments and things like that.
00:38:54.159 --> 00:39:11.440
So that's the difference between content that ranks and content that converts like it can help you write content to rank um but something that I'm really proud of at Practice Promotions is, you know, our content copywriting team is led by a physical therapist.
00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:14.239
And that's not what you're gonna find using AI.
00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:16.800
That's not what you're gonna find at a generic agency, right?
00:39:16.960 --> 00:39:18.000
AI platforms.
00:39:18.159 --> 00:39:20.000
And so that makes a real difference.
00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:24.880
It means the content that we're producing it's not just optimized for search.
00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:26.400
It's clinically accurate.
00:39:26.480 --> 00:39:39.360
It's written in language that patients actually use um when they're searching and so it really reflects the patient experience uh from someone who's lived it on the treatment side right who's actually writing for us.
00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:47.360
So I think for SEO specifically it matters you know enormously for Google's quality framework.
00:39:48.239 --> 00:39:52.000
And our demonstrated expertise is exactly what they're going to reward.
00:39:52.159 --> 00:40:00.000
So genuine clinical knowledge um and and you know it doesn't just read better it's gonna perform better.
00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:14.159
Yeah totally agree with that and we had we had a great um podcast with Mena our head of copywriting there who's PT and former practice owner and he's been in AI copywriting and all kinds of stuff for for years.
00:40:14.400 --> 00:40:30.079
And it's very interesting because you you you you got to have that blend of knowledge personalization you can leverage AI to some extent with that too but he said it was very fascinating because a lot of the a lot of kind of the the data and research stuff AI will what you call hallucinate.
00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:48.480
So it actually makes stuff up right and so you'll come up with this made up stuff that you think is stats or research but it's really just AI just made it up right and that that is a a concern uh that we see in in different websites different content that's going out there like is that really legit?
00:40:48.559 --> 00:41:24.960
Like is that something that's that's coming across so uh yeah it's it's definitely comes with a warning um with with just purely trying to solve everything with AI and we do have um clients that are using AI a lot within their practice that's fantastic I think it can really increase your capabilities in your practice but one of the challenges that we get on our side is that oh I I uh use ChatGPT and I did an SEO analysis and then you know it comes up with all these things and again this is coming off of what it's scraping off the internet which is not really relevant to the strategy in your practice.
00:41:25.119 --> 00:41:53.920
So it's going to give you a lot of times like just false answers or things that aren't really going to make the impact that you need for your physical therapy website or physical therapy SEO and so that's where you have to you have to be careful in using the um the outputs of AI make sure that it matches with what um humans are recommending in experience level right where can you have the best of both worlds but I'm sure you hear that too on your side Amy.
00:41:54.320 --> 00:42:08.559
Yeah I do and you know it's I I don't want to make it sound like uh AI isn't a useful tool for us because like you're saying it really does have a place and it can be very useful and helpful but it definitely shouldn't be just taken at base value.
00:42:08.719 --> 00:42:21.440
So the the human review um and and putting that experience into it I think is the is the thing to to use them kind of hand in hand if you if you if you're gonna use AI.
00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:23.920
But yeah it can definitely be helpful in creating content.
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:56.559
I just think it's that that personal touch um you know to to know is this is this answering a question that my you know potential patient is gonna is gonna ask am I answering it the right way am I using the terminology that they would ask and um you know so not just for search I think AI does write really well for search it's gonna write content that ranks right but what we want is content that converts so we're trying to really put that piece together between the content and the patient.
00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:44.639
Yeah we're we're two different audiences we're speaking to Google and AI search and we're also speaking to our both people we got to uh structure our websites for both types of people our content online our our online presence and all those kind of things and um I you know I was just thinking about as we're talking about that I'm sure I'm sure now uh a lot of our um clients and our our uh audience out there that are you know in the trenches with treating patients I'm sure you're getting patients come in on their phone with a chat GPT pulled up of like hey chat GPT says we should treat my knee this way and I'm sure you're you're frustrated with that like no this is my experience you know this way that we should be treating your knee I'm sure you're getting that 100% now in your practice.
00:43:44.719 --> 00:43:48.239
But that's what what life is like um so you've got Dr.
00:43:48.400 --> 00:43:49.440
Google now you got Dr.
00:43:49.679 --> 00:44:14.960
ChatGPT and uh I think people are I mean what we're hearing is that people are using a lot more AI uh and and they're searching as we said at the beginning in a very different way like research type of of type of searches that are going on now much deeper type of searches that are going on now how is your clinic going to show up for that and there's a lot that can be done to keep you at that competitive advantage that that edge that you need for your practice to grow.
00:44:16.719 --> 00:44:22.480
So uh yeah any any final words of advice here for our audience to improve their SEO?
00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:46.880
Yeah you know I think just what I said before we don't need to panic about AI right it's a great useful tool but we we don't need to ignore it either and and we're not certainly so I think what is going to happen is the clinics that will thrive are the ones that are going to understand what parts of SEO have changed and what parts are it's durable as ever, right?
00:44:47.280 --> 00:44:53.519
So double down on local Google's made it clear that local provider searches belong in traditional search.
00:44:53.599 --> 00:45:02.320
So we're going to double down on that the clinic that owns MatPAP in their market has a total competitive advantage and AI is not going to change that.
00:45:02.960 --> 00:45:07.519
At the same time invest in being cited by AI, not just ranking on Google.
00:45:07.760 --> 00:45:14.960
So you know the next thing showing up will be when a patient asks Chat GPT who's the best PT for public floor issues, right?
00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:18.000
So invest in being cited by AI.
00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:19.119
Don't ignore it.
00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:24.800
But the biggest thing is continue making content that is actually helpful.
00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:36.719
Keyword stuff blog posts that's over AI systems and Google alike are rewarding content that has demonstrates expertise answers actual questions.
00:45:37.119 --> 00:45:39.119
And so those things haven't changed.
00:45:39.199 --> 00:45:57.519
Those are the things that we are still doing for all of our clients you know we're just paying a little bit closer attention so build your reputation infrastructure pay close attention to local but also just keep that content helpful keep it authoritative and you're going to do well in both places.
00:45:57.840 --> 00:45:58.880
Excellent advice there.
00:45:59.119 --> 00:46:11.199
Thank you Amy and I appreciate you coming on the podcast here today and helping our audience understand uh what they can do about SEO and AI searches out there, just the changes that are are happening in the world and how we can stay competitive with that.
00:46:11.280 --> 00:46:12.000
So thank you.
00:46:12.320 --> 00:46:14.079
Well thank you for having me appreciate it.
00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:16.960
Yeah so for all our listeners out there thank you so much for joining us.
00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:49.119
Hope you got a lot out of today's uh podcast don't forget to like and subscribe to the Practice Marketing Podcast and also check out our YouTube channel where we have these videos as well as a lot of other technical videos and of course on practicepromotions.net where you can get our free marketing kit as well as all these uh tips and advices for your practice so this is Neil from the Practice Marketing Podcast wishing you much success in your practice a free way for you to support our show is by leaving a five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
00:46:49.280 --> 00:46:54.480
It's a chance for you to tell us what you love about the show and it helps others discover it as well.
00:46:54.639 --> 00:46:58.800
Just scroll down to ratings and review on your phone and click write a review.
00:46:59.039 --> 00:47:14.000
Thanks for
00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:12.640
Hello and welcome to the Practice Marketing Podcast, highlighting successful strategies from North America's fastest growing clinics and experts so you can learn from their wins and power your practice growth.
00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.599
Hi, I'm your host, Neil Trickett, CEO of Practice Promotions.
00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:20.320
And today we're going to focus on how to rank your practice at the top of Google.
00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:25.920
And today we're joined by Amy Gray, who's our head of SEO here at Practice Promotions.
00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:40.799
And Amy leads our SEO team and works closely with physical therapy rehabilitation practice owners to help them improve their online visibility, attract more qualified website traffic, and generate more new patient inquiries through organic search.
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:47.039
And in this episode, we're breaking down an SEO and AEO and AI search and all this new stuff here.
00:00:47.200 --> 00:01:00.880
And we'll discuss how it works, what's changed with the rise of AI and tools like ChatGPT and what clinic owners need to focus on to ensure they're still being found online, being competitive at the top of Google and getting in front of patients who need them most.
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:02.799
So Amy, welcome to the podcast.
00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:03.679
Thank you.
00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:04.560
Glad to be here.
00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:06.560
Always happy to talk about what we do.
00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:07.680
So yeah, totally.
00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:09.760
So let's start with the basics, right?
00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:10.719
The fundamentals here.
00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:13.200
And so when we're talking SEO, what is that?
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:19.920
And why is it so important for clinics to really think about this as part of what they're doing, attract new patients?
00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:21.120
Yeah, sure.
00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:30.400
So SEO search engine optimization, to put it simply, it's the practice of making a clinic's website and online presence show up.
00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:34.079
So when patients are searching for the services you offer, you're visible.
00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:39.920
So I like to kind of think of it as making sure your digital front door is visible and easy to find.
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:46.560
And that is not just your website, that includes your Google Business profile, online reviews, et cetera.
00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:54.319
So what makes it really important for physical therapy clinics is the patient journey almost always starts online.
00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:04.079
So when someone wakes up and if they're either in pain or have stiffness following a surgery, their first move is gonna be to do a Google search.
00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:07.920
It's not gonna be to call an insurance agency or look in the phone book.
00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:13.680
So if your clinic is not appearing in those results, then they're gonna call your competitor.
00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:15.280
So that's why it's so important.
00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:24.000
Um, and we do know that almost the 90% of Americans will search online for health information before they'll see a provider.
00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:25.599
So yeah, totally.
00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:29.840
And I mean, that is there's many forms of the online search, right?
00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:34.560
And it's falling fast, it's a lot of changes there, but fundamentally that's still true, right?
00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:44.800
That that people go online first to look for a service, they're looking for health information, they're looking at like what do they need to do to handle this particular pain or problem.
00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:46.000
Like they start there.
00:02:46.159 --> 00:03:01.599
And so if your clinic's not commanding those different spots there, whether it's at the top of Google, whether it's on Chat GPT, whether it's on uh local map searches like on Google, or even uh map searches on Apple on iPhones, right?
00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:04.400
Um there's Apple Business Connect and those kind of things, right?
00:03:04.479 --> 00:03:11.120
So being in being visible at the top of all these different types of searches is key to the success of your practice.
00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:13.919
And so just kind of curious a lot has changed.
00:03:14.240 --> 00:03:17.840
You know, this year's been bananas uh in terms of what Google has done.
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:29.039
And uh just kind of curious from your perspective, you know, um what's been what's been changing here over these last few years, and especially with you know, we've got these all these terminologies now.
00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:33.199
We've got SEO, we've got local search, we've got AEO, we've got EIA overviews.
00:03:33.360 --> 00:03:35.120
Like what's going on here?
00:03:35.680 --> 00:03:38.560
Yeah, so yeah, so you hit all of those.
00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:44.319
So I think that search behavior has shifted in three major ways.
00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:51.759
So it's how people are searching, where they're searching, and then what are they expecting now when they find you?
00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:59.360
So um, you know, honestly, all three of those have changed pretty dramatically in just the last two or three years.
00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:12.639
So if we kind of dig into each of those a little bit more, um, so when we talk about how people are searching now, um it's more conversational, it's more condition specific.
00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:16.879
Um, you know, patients used to type little generic queries, right?
00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:23.439
Like physical therapy near me or you know, PT Clinic Enrichment, but that's not how people are really searching anymore.
00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:25.600
They're asking full questions.
00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:34.240
So, what's the best PT for sciatica, or how long does physical therapy take for whatever, a rotator cuff repair?
00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:36.800
So voice search has accelerated this.
00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:44.079
And you know, when you're talking in your phone or in a device, you're not just saying keywords anymore, you're asking full questions.
00:04:44.399 --> 00:05:00.560
So the implication for clinics is huge here because if your website says something generic, like we treat musculoskeletal conditions, you're invisible to the people that are searching for their specific condition or problem, right?
00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:03.040
Back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction.
00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:08.879
Um, so that's what people are looking for, and we need pages dedicated to those.
00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:10.639
So that's the how.
00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:18.399
The where um people are searching, it's not just Google anymore, and it's everything that you kind of just mentioned.
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:23.839
So for a long time, the patient journey started and ended on Google.
00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:26.319
And that's mostly true like for the booking phase.
00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:33.199
So when someone's ready to call, they'll still go to Google Maps, but it's the research that has changed.
00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:47.920
So more and more people, especially like adults under 40, are starting on Chat GPT or perplexity, and they want to understand their symptoms before they ever even open a search results page.
00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:53.680
Um, and so what that means is your content really needs to serve two audiences, right?
00:05:53.759 --> 00:06:02.480
So it needs to rank on Google, uh, but also be the kind of authoritative structured content that AI tools will pull from.
00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:09.040
Um the good news there is that those two goals are almost identical in terms of what we do.
00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:18.079
So as long as we continue to write helpful content, condition-specific content, we win in both of those areas.
00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:23.839
Um, and then the third thing that I think really has changed is what people expect.
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:28.879
So before they even call, they want to know you and they want to trust you.
00:06:29.040 --> 00:06:41.040
And I think this is the one that surprises like in gym, not just clinic owners, but in general, people the most when they're talking about marketing their business online because it's the research piece that's coming first.
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:48.639
So before they even land on your listing, your website or whatever, they're trying to decide if you're trustworthy enough to even call.
00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:56.399
So they're looking at things like reviews, photos, whether you're speaking to something specific to them, like your condition or problem.
00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:05.920
Um and so, you know, that changes things because now your Google ranking isn't just a reputation thing, right?
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:07.439
Like it's part of your SEO.
00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:14.240
So if you've got quality reviews, um, you know, recent reviews, you can outrank other clinics.
00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:20.800
So I think the big thing there is what they're expecting is not, I hope I can find someone that's good.
00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:24.560
I've already found someone's good that proven it before I made the call.
00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:28.639
So um, yeah, it's things have shifted a lot.
00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:38.959
When you put those three things together, um more specific searches, more platforms, higher trust, the old approach isn't gonna work anymore.
00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.480
So it's more than just a website or a listing.
00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:48.560
You have to have the right answer and be in the right place and have enough credibility for them to actually want to make that call.
00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:49.439
So yeah.
00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:53.759
So broad overview is the search behavior is evolving, right?
00:07:53.839 --> 00:07:54.399
It's changing.
00:07:54.480 --> 00:08:02.000
And so we have to change how we're approaching getting in front of patients because their their behavior is changing with that.
00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:06.720
And um, you know, uh things are changing out there.
00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:11.439
Google's gone through some of its biggest updates it's ever had in the last 20 years, this year, right?
00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:18.240
Especially like in March and April, and massive changes in the way Google does stuff in response to what the audience wants, right?
00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:20.800
And how people are searching is changing a lot.
00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:33.120
And um the the key thing is that we're we hear the the rise of Chat GPT and these these kind of um platforms that people are going deeper into asking questions and wanting the information.
00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:42.799
But I think the key thing to understand is it's still I think Google searches when it comes to like healthcare is still about 95% of searches, right?
00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:44.879
And only 5% in ChatGPT.
00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:53.360
It's slowly changing, but I still think you know Google's gonna be for a long, long time the 800-pound gorilla that you want to you know go after.
00:08:53.440 --> 00:09:00.399
Um, but within Google itself, just the way that the search results have come up has radically changed.
00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:04.000
And and I know this year was again another massive change through that.
00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:12.240
And I think about 46% of searches done now on Google pull up the AI overview first at the top.
00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:20.639
And so, you know, with those rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, with that Google AI overview, you know, is SEO still relevant for PT practices?
00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:21.440
Yeah.
00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:25.519
That's you know, that's a question that I think a lot of people are wondering.
00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:27.919
And my answer would be absolutely.
00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:44.720
So the most important thing that PT clinic owners need to understand about this new kind of rise in AI is Google has specifically excluded local healthcare provider searches from AI overviews.
00:09:45.200 --> 00:09:53.440
So as of right now, searches, those searches are still returning the traditional MAP-ac local results.
00:09:53.600 --> 00:10:01.919
So searches that drive actual new patients, physical therapy near me, PT clinic in Richmond, right?
00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:07.200
So those are still 100% traditional SEO territory.
00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:12.320
So where AI has changed things is it's earlier in the patient journey.
00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:15.679
So the like I mentioned before, it's the research phase.
00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:25.519
So if someone searches, how long does PT take after a surgery, ACL surgery, they're probably gonna get an AI overview.
00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:30.000
That's gonna answer their question without ever sending them to your website.
00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:31.919
So that's the real shift.
00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:44.320
And it's why we tell clinics focus less on broad informational content and more on the bottom of funnel, high-intent searches where patients are ready to book.
00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:57.120
Um, so you know, and then the other piece of this, and this is where it gets really interesting, is tools like Chat GPT, perplexity, things like that, they're becoming their own referral channel.
00:10:57.279 --> 00:11:06.799
So when a patient asks, like Chat GPT, who's the best PT for a pelvic floor, you know, you want your clinic to be what comes up.
00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:12.240
And so the way that you influence that is the same thing that drives traditional SEO.
00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:17.360
So authoritative content, strong reviews, consistent online presence.
00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:29.600
So I think while there has been a huge shift and different searches will kind of bring up different results, really good SEO today works on two tracks at once.
00:11:29.679 --> 00:11:39.120
So staying dominant in local search while building the credibility that AI systems are looking for and site at the same time.
00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:44.159
So I think the big thing is don't panic about AI, but don't ignore it.
00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:44.639
Yeah.
00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:50.960
So if you're investing in SEO right now, you're actually positioning yourself really well for both.
00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:52.080
Yeah.
00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:54.159
Yeah, that makes total sense.
00:11:54.399 --> 00:12:03.840
And um we have to realize like what is fueling the AI results, and it's it's a scraper tool.
00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:12.000
It scrapes the information that's out on the internet, it's scraping the um and trying to deliver an answer for your question, right?
00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:24.720
So it if you have um and it's looking for, just like with Google, you know, it's looking for the most um it has the most authority, it has the most relevance.
00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:47.519
And so that's where if you have really, really good content on your website and you have good indicators uh that you have a lot of connections online, you have a lot of great reviews, you have a lot of pictures, you have a lot of things happening within social media, all of that which is part of SEO anyway, um, that is what fuels the search results or the results in Chat GPT, for example.
00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:48.320
Yes.
00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:53.279
And so, like you said, don't panic, just it's all about good practices.
00:12:53.600 --> 00:13:02.480
And uh and so when it when it comes to SEO, I I think what you really need to look at is um is your website a good content machine?
00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:07.919
Uh is it and then from an online presence, do you have very good business profiles?
00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:24.799
So we're talking about Google Business Profiles, we're talking about uh Apple Business Connect, we're talking about Bing places like these different ones, and then there's lots and lots of thousands of different directories online from Yahoo and Waze and Uber and all these kind of different um businesses online, these directories.
00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:30.159
And so is your business information correct in all of these types of listings?
00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:32.159
Uh are you on those types of listings?
00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:32.799
That's another thing.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:40.000
A lot of clinics don't have enough of the information on those types of uh directories, and so that's an area for improving uh SEO.
00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:42.000
And then there's things like bike links, right?
00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:48.879
In bank links is basically your how your uh business is mentioned on other websites or linking from other websites to your website.
00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:52.000
So things that you should do, that's a good local practice.
00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:56.000
Are you uh part of your local business uh chamber of commerce?
00:13:56.559 --> 00:13:57.600
Business chamber of commerce.
00:13:58.080 --> 00:13:59.360
Um it's very simple, right?
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:08.320
Pay maybe 50 bucks a year, 100 bucks a year, and you get uh uh your information, your directory on the local uh chamber of commerce, and that that then links back to your website.
00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:09.200
That's a backlink.
00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:16.720
Or are you part of a local soccer association that you could have your website uh linked to?
00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:18.879
Again, it builds credibility in Google's acts.
00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.639
So things that you can definitely be doing yourself from an SEO perspective.
00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:27.120
But all of that affects both Google rankings and also affects AI.
00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:27.919
Exactly.
00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:29.759
Yeah, great points, all of them.
00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:30.720
And and they do.
00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:37.600
It's you know, it's really when you're looking at it, you can almost look at it holistically, the way that it all works together, right?
00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:43.519
So your traditional core best practices for SEO are are going to help you.
00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:56.480
And there's there's some slight differences, there's a few things we can do slightly different, but for the the most part, the things that we do and um you know, the things that we're focusing on will help you in both directions.
00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:57.919
So excellent.
00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:07.120
And so we know that content, putting content on our website, so articles, blogs, the pages that we have that are specific to the services we provide.
00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:14.320
Um you know, many clinic owners are hearing that AI can create this content for them and do the SEO for them.
00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:25.600
And so just kind of curious, like what how why couldn't someone just go and use Claude or use Chat GPT and say, hey, give me uh what should I do for SEO on my website?
00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:30.080
And and what can you write me an article, a blog post about this and then go do it?
00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:33.600
So what's the difference between do it DIYing it yourself, right?
00:15:33.679 --> 00:15:35.759
Or or having a real SEO strategy?
00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:37.600
Yeah, this comes up a lot.
00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:40.240
We get this a lot, and I and I really do get it.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:45.200
You know, AI tools are impressive and right now they're flashy and they're new.
00:15:45.279 --> 00:16:00.080
And so the temptation is real, whether you're looking at a more cost-affordable agency who offers to use AI to help, or if you are like a clinic owner and you're like, you know what, I can use AI and I can do this.
00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.519
I don't need, you know, I can handle it myself.
00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:14.879
So it feels like to me, it feels like AI has kind of lowered the barrier a little bit so that you think you don't need real strategy that it can replace it.
00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:19.440
Um, and that's where a lot of people can get into trouble, that kind of thought process.
00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:22.320
So I will think about it like this.
00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:24.320
So this is a little analogy here.
00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:32.000
Um, so AI is like having a really fast carpenter, but a fast carpenter without a blueprint is just making sawdust, right?
00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:36.080
So AI can write content quickly, it can help with keyword research.
00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:36.639
We know that.
00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:38.320
It can draft meta descriptions.
00:16:38.399 --> 00:16:41.519
So it's genuinely useful for execution.
00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:45.360
But what it can't do is walk into your market.
00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:52.799
It can't understand your competition or figure out what conditions you should be building pages around for your clinic.
00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:55.039
It can't earn you backlinks.
00:16:55.200 --> 00:17:02.559
Um, so it's not going to truly build the kind of clinical authority that Google is rewarding, right?
00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:08.400
Um, you know, and that last part matters now more than ever.
00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:12.000
So we all know that Google has a quality framework, right?
00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:12.720
Eat.
00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:18.799
So we're looking for experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trust, trustworthiness.
00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:25.039
Um, that, and that's gonna come from content that demonstrates real clinical knowledge.
00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:30.240
So I think it's, you know, prompting chat GPT, you know, at 10 p.m.
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:43.839
after a full day of treating patients, um, or even an agency doing that same process for you for every client is gonna produce content that is looking pretty thin, you know, under Google's lens.
00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:46.880
And they're getting better at telling the difference.
00:17:47.200 --> 00:18:16.880
Um I think that's uh I I saw that recently that um you know Google's policies are updating where uh they're they are penalizing more content that is just straight AI created versus content that's very dialed into the locality and the specifics about that practice that mentions like uh you know specific um outcomes of a result with a patient, for example, like the more they're looking for for real content, right?
00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:31.279
Because there's you know, like uh we see it happening, there's just gazillions of AI slop being generated out there and thrown up, and Google doesn't, you know, it doesn't help Google's customers uh called this AI slop, right?
00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:36.720
So they're they're being much more picky now, they're putting things in place, you know it's even coming, uh they're gonna get stricter with it.
00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:37.759
But how can you use it?
00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:40.319
Like what you our team uses a lot of AI, right?
00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:52.240
We use a lot of AI for for SEO analysis and all kinds of things there too, but you you need that human strategy and collaboration with with the clinic in order to really dial in what's what's most impactful and helpful for them.
00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:53.279
Exactly.
00:18:53.519 --> 00:19:06.960
Yeah, and I think the a good way to think about it is yeah, use AI to move faster, but pair it with PT specific strategy, you know, clinician-reviewed content, you know, things like that.
00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:14.559
So, and then back it up with other like technical and local SEO and the other things that you're not, you know, using AI tools for.
00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:19.359
Um, but content volume is not the same thing as an SEO strategy.
00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:28.720
So using AI um kind of to make you faster, I think it just needs to be paired with a good solid base.
00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:29.359
Yeah.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:30.559
Totally.
00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:36.400
And so for a clinic uh out there, obviously we we work with hundreds and hundreds of clinics.
00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:42.799
I'm just kind of curious, what are some of the biggest SEO mistakes that you see uh PT clinics making today?
00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:46.960
The top 10% of PT owners aren't just surviving, they're thriving.
00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:48.160
But what's their secret?
00:19:48.319 --> 00:20:02.960
Well, Neil Trigott's new Market to Grow book reveals how the top 10% of PT practices leverage marketing systems to simultaneously grow their new patients, attract top talent, and boost profit in their practice.
00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:04.880
You can learn from their secrets.
00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:10.960
Visit practicepromotions.net slash book to claim your free copy of Market to Grow.
00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:12.240
Yes, you heard that right.
00:20:12.400 --> 00:20:17.519
We are shipping a free copy of Market to Grow to all podcast listeners who want it.
00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:22.480
Just visit practicepromotions.net slash book to claim your free book.
00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:24.400
And now back to the show.
00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:29.440
Yeah, um, I think the biggest things, they're not technical really.
00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:35.200
They're more kind of strategic gaps um that are really common.
00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:42.319
So one of the biggest things would be um treating your business profile as a set it and forget it uh task.
00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:49.759
So um most clinic owners will claim a listing, put in your address, you put in your phone number, and you move on.
00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:57.839
Um, but a business profile as part of strategy, that's often the very first thing that a patient is going to see.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:04.480
So before your website, before your reviews, before anything else, they're coming across your business profile.
00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:23.279
So I think um making sure that it's fully built out, categories, service descriptions, conditions, regular photos uh being added, consistent reviews, all of those things um need to be done and really is a great strategy for outranking competitors, right?
00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.680
Even ones with bigger websites, larger budgets.
00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:33.440
It's that is probably the highest ROI move in local SEO is optimizing your Google business profile.
00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:39.279
So I think that's one mistake is kind of not paying attention to that and leaving it half finished.
00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:44.480
Um, the uh one other thing that I do see a lot would be generic content.
00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:46.559
So we talked about this a little bit earlier.
00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:51.359
So in you know, you really need to be specific because that's how people are searching now.
00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:59.519
So um, you know, if you don't have dedicated pages that speak to conditions that your patients are looking for.
00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.920
um then you're invisible.
00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:09.519
And so the you know the clinics that are winning have very specific pages written with clinical depth for specific content.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:16.000
That's gonna be like your your knee pain page or your GMJ page or your public health page, like those kind of things, right?
00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:16.640
Yes.
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:22.640
And so you know great example would be our, you know, our websites for our clients are really fully built out.
00:22:22.720 --> 00:22:28.400
And we really try to address all of the things that a potential patient is coming and looking for.
00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:34.880
And you know one other thing that I'm thinking about while we're talking about this would be review generation.
00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:47.920
So that also is something that I think people are leaving on the table and maybe I don't know if you'd call it a mistake, but it's definitely something that not only Google is looking at, but patients are looking at.
00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:58.480
So growing review count consistently is another area where I think people maybe not necessarily making mistakes but just leaving a lot on the table.
00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:03.200
Yeah or overlooking it right and 100% agree with you on all those points.
00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:12.880
And I think I think the key thing to understand is that in order to build your practice, attract more patients to come to you, you you have to dominate these searches, right?
00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:19.759
You have to be high up on the rankings as people choose the top of of Google more than they choose the bottom of Google.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:21.359
And they certainly don't go to page two.
00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:22.400
Right.
00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:28.000
So we we got to be at the top of Google and it's like you said it's not a set it and forget it.
00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:29.759
You have to realize like it's dynamic.
00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:36.160
Google makes hundreds of changes a year and they make three to five major ones each year.
00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.960
So things change all the time with Google.
00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:55.519
So you're you're playing in Google sandbox and you have to be very dynamic and you have to be consistent with constantly updating your marketing your website your online presence in order to position yourself right it's a battle for the top just think of it that way.
00:23:55.839 --> 00:24:03.920
So yeah the key things that are going to help you get there is like are you do you have consistent processes in the clinic for getting reviews?
00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:13.519
Like do you have software systems are your therapists trained or your front desk trained on asking reviews do you have targets for everybody in terms of like how many reviews you want them to get in a month?
00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:14.960
Where's the machine right?
00:24:15.039 --> 00:24:19.119
So build the machine for getting reviews it people look for that trust factor.
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:25.519
They look for what people are saying about your clinic those kind of things do show up also in search results.
00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:35.200
So it's critical and then the the business profile again that's not something you just do one time like you you have to keep updating the photos in there right add new videos.
00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:39.599
You need to add um new posts and articles in there.
00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:42.880
So blogs are a great thing to do from your website post them up in there.
00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:48.640
There's a lot it's dynamic right you can't just do it one time optimize it and then never think about it again.
00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:49.279
Right.
00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:56.480
Exactly yeah and the you know the review piece too it just the volume that you need it's just not going to happen organically.
00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:07.519
So it's great like that you're mentioning like processes and how are you going to do this and how are you going to request these reviews um to get the volume that you need to really make a difference and make you stand out versus your competitor.
00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:08.240
Got it.
00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:19.039
And so we we hear this terminology there's uh SEO which is search engine optimization there's local SEO and there's AEO which is answer engine optimization.
00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:28.960
Just kind of curious for our audience out there, like how important is local SEO for physical therapy practices and and what role does that play in attracting new patients?
00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:30.400
Kind of like what is it to begin with?
00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:33.599
Like what's what's the difference between that and just like organic SEO?
00:25:34.160 --> 00:25:44.960
Yeah so you know local SEO um this is like for physical therapy local SEO isn't just one part of the strategy.
00:25:45.119 --> 00:25:55.200
I would say it basically is the strategy right so PT is inherently a local service nobody's driving 45 minutes twice a week to go to treatment.
00:25:55.359 --> 00:26:11.039
So the question really isn't like whether it matters it's whether you're showing up when the right patients in your area are looking right so this is SEO that we are going to do and and implement on your site so that you can be found in your local market.
00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:13.200
You can compete in your local market.
00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:18.400
You know the centerpiece of local SEO is the MATPAC.
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:32.880
So those the three business we know but so for people watching the three business listings that appear at the top of the results when someone searches like physical therapy near me, that's where the majority of new patient clicks happen.
00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:38.000
And so it's entirely separate from where you rank in regular search results.
00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:42.640
So there's the difference between you know kind of an organic result and a and a local result.
00:26:43.039 --> 00:26:50.400
So a clinic can have a really great website and still lose patients every day because they're not showing up there.
00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:53.279
So that is a strategy in itself.
00:26:53.519 --> 00:27:44.319
So when you want to make that map pack it kind of comes down to three things that Google is going to look at they're gonna look at relevance distance and prominence right so distance you can't control but relevance like how clearly your presence communicates the conditions that you treat um you know and then who you serve and then prominence your reviews your directory listings the consistency of your posting and information across the web those are entirely in your hands and built deliberately like over time so yeah so there is there's a definite difference there um and you know a big piece and we've talked about this a a a lot so reviews and ratings are a big piece of local ranking signals.
00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:55.200
And so you know a clinic that has 200 recent reviews at 4.8 stars is going to outrank a clinic with 40 reviews right almost every time.
00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:07.119
So um here again just kind of another um mention of the importance of review generation and looking good it's definitely a direct labor when it comes to local SEO.
00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:22.720
Absolutely yeah so that that's one of the one of the factors right that that Google takes into consideration uh but it's not the only one and I think that's a confusion sometimes for practice owners like oh if I just get a lot more reviews I'm gonna rank you know number one on the map pack.
00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:30.400
That's not how it works right it's it's like maybe five or 10% of what Google takes into consideration of its rankings.
00:28:30.640 --> 00:28:45.119
But what's what is super critical about it is it's what the actual person is looking at you know if they they see a clinic with a thousand reviews and they see another one with 10 reviews well they're in their mind they're gonna look at the one with the thousand reviews and they click on it.
00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:51.440
Well when they click on it more Google likes that they're gonna show you more because you're getting clicked on more than someone who's got 10 reviews.
00:28:51.599 --> 00:29:03.680
So it does factor into it that way but it also builds the emotional trust of the patient to to explore you before a competitor just because you have more reviews.
00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:28.559
So yeah that review generation is such a critical part uh of it um and and you know I just think back to like when when I was a when I was a PT uh I remember treating a patient and we were kind of talking about technology and geeking out stuff like that and I remember him talking like because back in those days it was like Netscape and AOL and that kind of stuff and he was saying oh have you heard of this thing called Google?
00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:30.079
Like what's Google?
00:29:30.319 --> 00:30:32.319
Right and that was I don't know 25 plus years ago but here we are today right and that's you know a major part of everybody's life in terms of how we find stuff um but it the search results back then were just top 10 right just top 10 right and then and then came along ads and they started to put a few ads at the top and then you know fast forward to today well we've got for 46% of searches that that are not local based right that are like service specific but uh AI chunk at the top underneath that we might have say three to four ads and then we've got the the map right and then we've got more sponsored ads and then we've got the top 10 at the bottom right so we have this really long search page now but most of it now is pay to play or AI um and but if it's someone like hey what's the best physical therapy clinic near me well it's going to show the map part at the top right and then the or or or sometimes usually like the ads you might get like two to three ads at the top an ad in the map section and then three organic ones in there too.
00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:34.720
So um everything plays together.
00:30:34.960 --> 00:31:15.759
So you need to be doing Google ads to be at the very top but you also need to be in the the local search strategy on that and then of course you've got your further down the page is SEO but one thing I really try to explain to practice owners too is that it's not just about being the the the number one spot and to me it's about it's we see it time and time again repetition on the page is what moves people to click into your website to to call you so ideally if you have your ads running you're gonna be at and someone turns uh searches for physical therapy near me you're gonna have your ads pop up at the top right so it'll be number one spot there too.
00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:19.119
You should then be able to get a second ad spot in the map section.
00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:27.680
So that's two spots you show up or uh organically in that local map section so now you got three spots and you show up in the top ten uh underneath and now you got four spots.
00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:42.000
So if I'm a patient and I'm looking through and I see your name four times on page one of my search I'm much more likely to click on you than someone who uh just has one like they don't do ads and they're just maybe on the map section.
00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:44.240
I'm gonna choose you because you're mentioned four times.
00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:46.720
So that's part of overall strategy too.
00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:47.359
Right.
00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:48.960
And that you know that's a great point.
00:31:49.119 --> 00:32:00.720
And this it and it a little bit of an aside going back to what we talked about earlier is local provider searches are specifically protected right from AI overviews.
00:32:00.880 --> 00:32:32.160
And so you know it's not going to be an AI generated summary um you're gonna get when you're looking for those doing those local searches you're gonna get the map the listings or reviews um and so the kind of what's really going to fill your schedule as a clinic owner um is investing in local SEO right in addition to the to everything else it's kind of like one big view but local SEO definitely um still does have an advantage that I'm not sure AI is going to erode that anytime soon.
00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:35.680
Yeah it's gonna be definitely still very important.
00:32:36.160 --> 00:33:11.119
Yeah and and Google they make a lot of money right so they they're they're fighting it just as hard as as everybody else right so they they're they're changing things up they're they they want to keep command of the market they're not gonna go anywhere anywhere different with that um so you know SEO uh we often view it as a long-term strategy so what kind of what what's the some of the expectations for clinic owners like hey I need a rank better in Google I'm gonna work with an agency on that and then next week everything will I'll be number one right like how is that realistic like what what what's typically the length of an SEO strategy?
00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:24.559
Yeah you know we get these kind of questions a lot our department does um and I think it's one of the most important expectation setting conversations right that we can have really in all of digital marketing.
00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:29.039
But it's also a definitely a frustration for um clinics.
00:33:30.240 --> 00:33:33.119
So I think there's a couple things to consider.
00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:41.279
So if we're starting from scratch or if we're working with you know an existing website that already has a little bit of history it might be a little bit different.
00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:43.839
But it really is kind of a long game.
00:33:44.000 --> 00:33:56.000
But so for an established clinic that already has a website maybe has some reviews some sort of online presence even if you haven't been actively working in it you're not starting from zero.
00:33:56.160 --> 00:34:03.039
So Google already has a little bit of sense of who you are and in that case some foundation work has been done.
00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:10.800
So I would say first three months you might be producing early signals faster than if you're starting out fresh.
00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:51.840
So Google business profile improvements keyword movement on less competitive terms growing review counts kind of within that first window by month six your content work happening consistently meaningful ranking gains could be realistic at that point and um you know if you're in a mid-sized market you might hit the Mat pack for core terms somewhere within that six month range for brand new websites it really is a different story right so you have to factor in domain authority for sites that have no history.
00:34:51.920 --> 00:35:26.719
So if we have a new client that's coming on first time hasn't had a web presence Google really needs time to trust that site before it's willing to rank it competitively so that doesn't mean that nothing happens early on like your business profile can still perform regardless of your website age um but organic rankings are going to take longer to build so truly um I would plan for more of the six to 12 month before you're really competing the the biggest caveat really for both situations is market competition.
00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:38.079
So if you're in a smaller market you might see movement within 90 days right but if you're going after like physical therapy Charlotte North Carolina it's much more of a competitive fight.
00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:54.960
Yeah so the strategy is the same um you know but what you're up against determines how long it's gonna take you to reach the top but I'll I will say this so you know SEO unlike paid ads they stop the moment that you stop paying SEO compounds.
00:35:55.199 --> 00:36:00.960
So every month of that consistent work is going to make the next month more effective.
00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:10.400
So if you if you if you stay patient and stay consistent um those are the clinics that we end up seeing do really well.
00:36:10.719 --> 00:36:15.519
Yeah it's like saving money right it's compounding interest it'll get better and better over time.
00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:31.679
It just takes time for it to like get to the point that you want right and and I think it's really important for for practice owners to understand too like it's such a critical part of the the growth of your business is something that really needs a lot of attention and professional help but it's it's not an instant fix.
00:36:31.760 --> 00:37:19.920
You're playing again in Google sandbox right you're you're under what Google is doing and you're trying to play by their rules and you're trying it's like dating right Google's your your dream um you know partner there and you want to like really wow them and have them pay attention to you and like you the most it takes some dating to get there right uh so that's that's the key thing with SEO but again you can you can sidestep some of that uh long-term strategy with pay right so that's where Google ads come into play like if you really like need to get things rocking quickly like Google ads you can get up there you can be performing pretty good within 30 to 60 days uh using Google ads right um and then SEO kind of comes up behind that and again and as you mentioned Amy it's very it's very different depending on the market.
00:37:20.079 --> 00:37:32.239
So if you're in a kind of a rural uh city or rural kind of town you're gonna probably gonna get you know much faster results but if you're in New York City or Boston or you know San Francisco like you're you're gonna be very competitive.
00:37:32.320 --> 00:37:47.199
It's gonna take some time uh for that um so just kind of curious you know working with a lot of our clients there what what do you say practice promotions does differently when it comes to SDO compared to other you know low-cost agency or even now like different AI solutions?
00:37:47.599 --> 00:38:04.000
Yeah so one of the things that I love is that practice promotions was built specifically for physical therapy and rehab right not general small businesses not for healthcare broadly but for the for PT clinics and by physical therapists.
00:38:04.639 --> 00:38:28.000
And so I think that vertical focus changes everything about how we approach SEO so the thing about AI generated content that most people who are just using the tool and and they don't realize it until they look really closely is AI can sound like it understands physical therapy without actually understanding it, right?
00:38:28.079 --> 00:38:45.679
Like it knows the words it can string together a sentence and you know it can talk about manual therapy and therapeutic exercise and it can look like pretty convincing on the surface but it doesn't understand how a patient describes their shoulder pain at 10 p.m when they're looking for help.
00:38:46.159 --> 00:38:54.079
It doesn't necessarily know what conditions are driving the most new patient volume can't make clinical judgments and things like that.
00:38:54.159 --> 00:39:11.440
So that's the difference between content that ranks and content that converts like it can help you write content to rank um but something that I'm really proud of at Practice Promotions is, you know, our content copywriting team is led by a physical therapist.
00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:14.239
And that's not what you're gonna find using AI.
00:39:14.320 --> 00:39:16.800
That's not what you're gonna find at a generic agency, right?
00:39:16.960 --> 00:39:18.000
AI platforms.
00:39:18.159 --> 00:39:20.000
And so that makes a real difference.
00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:24.880
It means the content that we're producing it's not just optimized for search.
00:39:25.039 --> 00:39:26.400
It's clinically accurate.
00:39:26.480 --> 00:39:39.360
It's written in language that patients actually use um when they're searching and so it really reflects the patient experience uh from someone who's lived it on the treatment side right who's actually writing for us.
00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:47.360
So I think for SEO specifically it matters you know enormously for Google's quality framework.
00:39:48.239 --> 00:39:52.000
And our demonstrated expertise is exactly what they're going to reward.
00:39:52.159 --> 00:40:00.000
So genuine clinical knowledge um and and you know it doesn't just read better it's gonna perform better.
00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:14.159
Yeah totally agree with that and we had we had a great um podcast with Mena our head of copywriting there who's PT and former practice owner and he's been in AI copywriting and all kinds of stuff for for years.
00:40:14.400 --> 00:40:30.079
And it's very interesting because you you you you got to have that blend of knowledge personalization you can leverage AI to some extent with that too but he said it was very fascinating because a lot of the a lot of kind of the the data and research stuff AI will what you call hallucinate.
00:40:30.159 --> 00:40:48.480
So it actually makes stuff up right and so you'll come up with this made up stuff that you think is stats or research but it's really just AI just made it up right and that that is a a concern uh that we see in in different websites different content that's going out there like is that really legit?
00:40:48.559 --> 00:41:24.960
Like is that something that's that's coming across so uh yeah it's it's definitely comes with a warning um with with just purely trying to solve everything with AI and we do have um clients that are using AI a lot within their practice that's fantastic I think it can really increase your capabilities in your practice but one of the challenges that we get on our side is that oh I I uh use ChatGPT and I did an SEO analysis and then you know it comes up with all these things and again this is coming off of what it's scraping off the internet which is not really relevant to the strategy in your practice.
00:41:25.119 --> 00:41:53.920
So it's going to give you a lot of times like just false answers or things that aren't really going to make the impact that you need for your physical therapy website or physical therapy SEO and so that's where you have to you have to be careful in using the um the outputs of AI make sure that it matches with what um humans are recommending in experience level right where can you have the best of both worlds but I'm sure you hear that too on your side Amy.
00:41:54.320 --> 00:42:08.559
Yeah I do and you know it's I I don't want to make it sound like uh AI isn't a useful tool for us because like you're saying it really does have a place and it can be very useful and helpful but it definitely shouldn't be just taken at base value.
00:42:08.719 --> 00:42:21.440
So the the human review um and and putting that experience into it I think is the is the thing to to use them kind of hand in hand if you if you if you're gonna use AI.
00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:23.920
But yeah it can definitely be helpful in creating content.
00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:56.559
I just think it's that that personal touch um you know to to know is this is this answering a question that my you know potential patient is gonna is gonna ask am I answering it the right way am I using the terminology that they would ask and um you know so not just for search I think AI does write really well for search it's gonna write content that ranks right but what we want is content that converts so we're trying to really put that piece together between the content and the patient.
00:42:56.800 --> 00:43:44.639
Yeah we're we're two different audiences we're speaking to Google and AI search and we're also speaking to our both people we got to uh structure our websites for both types of people our content online our our online presence and all those kind of things and um I you know I was just thinking about as we're talking about that I'm sure I'm sure now uh a lot of our um clients and our our uh audience out there that are you know in the trenches with treating patients I'm sure you're getting patients come in on their phone with a chat GPT pulled up of like hey chat GPT says we should treat my knee this way and I'm sure you're you're frustrated with that like no this is my experience you know this way that we should be treating your knee I'm sure you're getting that 100% now in your practice.
00:43:44.719 --> 00:43:48.239
But that's what what life is like um so you've got Dr.
00:43:48.400 --> 00:43:49.440
Google now you got Dr.
00:43:49.679 --> 00:44:14.960
ChatGPT and uh I think people are I mean what we're hearing is that people are using a lot more AI uh and and they're searching as we said at the beginning in a very different way like research type of of type of searches that are going on now much deeper type of searches that are going on now how is your clinic going to show up for that and there's a lot that can be done to keep you at that competitive advantage that that edge that you need for your practice to grow.
00:44:16.719 --> 00:44:22.480
So uh yeah any any final words of advice here for our audience to improve their SEO?
00:44:22.880 --> 00:44:46.880
Yeah you know I think just what I said before we don't need to panic about AI right it's a great useful tool but we we don't need to ignore it either and and we're not certainly so I think what is going to happen is the clinics that will thrive are the ones that are going to understand what parts of SEO have changed and what parts are it's durable as ever, right?
00:44:47.280 --> 00:44:53.519
So double down on local Google's made it clear that local provider searches belong in traditional search.
00:44:53.599 --> 00:45:02.320
So we're going to double down on that the clinic that owns MatPAP in their market has a total competitive advantage and AI is not going to change that.
00:45:02.960 --> 00:45:07.519
At the same time invest in being cited by AI, not just ranking on Google.
00:45:07.760 --> 00:45:14.960
So you know the next thing showing up will be when a patient asks Chat GPT who's the best PT for public floor issues, right?
00:45:15.280 --> 00:45:18.000
So invest in being cited by AI.
00:45:18.159 --> 00:45:19.119
Don't ignore it.
00:45:19.920 --> 00:45:24.800
But the biggest thing is continue making content that is actually helpful.
00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:36.719
Keyword stuff blog posts that's over AI systems and Google alike are rewarding content that has demonstrates expertise answers actual questions.
00:45:37.119 --> 00:45:39.119
And so those things haven't changed.
00:45:39.199 --> 00:45:57.519
Those are the things that we are still doing for all of our clients you know we're just paying a little bit closer attention so build your reputation infrastructure pay close attention to local but also just keep that content helpful keep it authoritative and you're going to do well in both places.
00:45:57.840 --> 00:45:58.880
Excellent advice there.
00:45:59.119 --> 00:46:11.199
Thank you Amy and I appreciate you coming on the podcast here today and helping our audience understand uh what they can do about SEO and AI searches out there, just the changes that are are happening in the world and how we can stay competitive with that.
00:46:11.280 --> 00:46:12.000
So thank you.
00:46:12.320 --> 00:46:14.079
Well thank you for having me appreciate it.
00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:16.960
Yeah so for all our listeners out there thank you so much for joining us.
00:46:17.039 --> 00:46:49.119
Hope you got a lot out of today's uh podcast don't forget to like and subscribe to the Practice Marketing Podcast and also check out our YouTube channel where we have these videos as well as a lot of other technical videos and of course on practicepromotions.net where you can get our free marketing kit as well as all these uh tips and advices for your practice so this is Neil from the Practice Marketing Podcast wishing you much success in your practice a free way for you to support our show is by leaving a five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts.
00:46:49.280 --> 00:46:54.480
It's a chance for you to tell us what you love about the show and it helps others discover it as well.
00:46:54.639 --> 00:46:58.800
Just scroll down to ratings and review on your phone and click write a review.
00:46:59.039 --> 00:47:14.000
Thanks for
