Search Engine Optimization in LASIK Marketing: White Hat V. Black Hat SEO in Ophthalmology
By Michael Dobkowski
Choosing a credible SEO company in ophthalmology is critical to your life as a practice. The importance of this will continue to grow, as the Internet becomes the clear driver of refractive patient volume within marketing. Making a mistake on this level could land you a lawsuit or the act of getting black listed by the search engines. After several years of the ophthalmology web development companies (Ones present in industry shows) figuring out SEO, most of the legitimate companies have learned to practice white hat techniques. It is not worth the risk for either these companies or the doctors to try and cheat the search engines. The concern lies more with practices working with companies that A. do not understand ophthalmology, B. do not have a clue about SEO.
Inexperienced companies might committ a black hat SEO technique without even knowing it. LASIK tends to be the most polluted aspect of ophthalmology search engine positioning. Currently today there are several bogus lasik websites that have no clear goal but to gain position and deceive the search engines. This is like driving 85 miles an hour. Sooner or later these sites will be discovered. The increasing amount of link farms in lasik is concerning and leading to cluttering of page 1 results on google. Sometimes it is hard to find one website on page 1 for a term that is a practice site not a directory or a link farm.
Michael Dobkowski is an ophthalmology practice marketing consultant for Glacial Multimedia Inc. If you need assistance with an Internet strategy please contact us 207.878.5900