Doctor Reputation Management on the Internet
A doctor’s reputation is critical to the success of his or her practice and status in the community. Physicians spend years earning their credentials and developing their skills and their reputation is a major factor on whether word-of-mouth advertising sends patients to their office or drives them away. Everyone knows that the Internet has dramatically changed how people gather information and whether people are looking for a general practitioner or a specialist to assist with a health concern, a great many of them will look online first to inform their decisions.
With the popularity of blogs and online communities, it’s never been easier for people to post their opinions where anyone can see them. The anonymity of these outlets provides an opportunity to shower praise or cast aspersions. Negative publicity can show up in search results whether someone is looking for it or not. Further complicating the issue is the fact that the majority of Web users will not question the validity of the assertions, they’ll just move on. The negative posts will linger in their consciousness and influence how much confidence they place in a doctor’s professionalism.
What to Do About Online Doctor Reputation Management
An ethical, professional physician reputation management firm will tell you that removing negative online publicity is nearly impossible to accomplish. Unflattering comments online tend to propagate like a virus and attempts to eradicate them will not be effective. However, there are measures that can be taken to attenuate their impact by moving them off the first page of search results where they will be far more difficult to find.
Our Physician Reputation Management Process
Many of the same methods that are effective for Internet marketing can also be applied to doctor reputation management projects. Our approach to online physician reputation management includes:
- Consultation – We consult with the doctor to discern the nature of the negative online publicity and discuss the specifics of their situation.
- Research and Identification – We conduct extensive research to identify the sources of the problems and develop a plan of action.
- Crafting a Strategy – We then craft a strategy that has been tailored to address the specifics of the situation and submit it to the physician.
- Process and Implementation – After the doctor’s review and approval, we implement the strategy through a variety of techniques that have proven effective.
- Tracking and Adjustment – We continually monitor the progress of the campaign, track the results, and schedule a monthly meeting to discuss adjustments as necessary.
If you’re a doctor who is concerned about their online reputation, we encourage you to call us at call us today at 781-350-4364 or fill out a contact form for a timely reply. We can apply our Internet marketing expertise to address any issues you may have and proactively reduce the impact they may have on the success of your practice. Like the application of most remedial measures, the process will take time to achieve results but simply knowing that they are working may be the best prescription of all.
