Ask the Experts | Practice Management & Professional Issues | SEO for Audiologists SEO for Audiologists Dave Smriga June 20, 2011 Print Question How can I become an expert in search engine optimization (SEO) to maximize my website's presence on the Internet, when I'm trying to run all other aspects of my private practice? Answer Answer: SEO depends on many different factors. For search engine appeal, highly ranked websites have hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of information embedded. All of that information is associated with that website's URL, and are thus visible to search engine crawlers who determine that the Web site is rich in content. Highly-ranked Web sites also have hundreds to thousands of inbound links, daily fresh content updates, robust video content, and also leverage the content in blogs and social media networks. AuDNet, is helping audiologists by providing more economical and less time consuming ways to maximize their individual practices' search engine appeal. The key is to link the practice's website content and contact information to a "tower website". A tower website is an intensely capitalized website focused on optimizing search engine appeal through techniques, strategies and knowledge of search engine crawler criteria that increases the likelihood that the website will appear on the first page of search engine results listings. For example, when a search engine user is searching hearing related topics, AuDNet's tower site www.NowiHear.com. contains not only general information regarding the topic being searched, but it also contains videos and blogs and fresh daily content on hundreds of website pages in addition to links to the member audiology practices so that, once a consumer decides (based on the www.NowiHear.com information) to see an audiologist, this tower website directs them to a member audiologist in their area. The tower website makes the individual practice's website much more visible to internet searchers.As I mentioned, video is an important trigger for search engines to pay attention to, so we have also developed high quality, professional, video presentations on numerous audiology related topics for NowiHear.com. In addition, individual practices can also upload video content about their practice to our YouTube portal, which links to our website. Video also serves to attract consumers who may not want to read pages of text, but who may be interested in watching a short video. AuDNet has also leveraged the content in the social media networks. One of the features of NowiHear.com is a blog page where we add new consumer-friendly, consumer-oriented content several times a week, which then e-mails fans on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, alerting them of a new blog post. The other strategies involved in securing and maintaining good SEO - such as fresh content, blogs, new videos, information downloads and more - are taken care of automatically through www.NowiHear.com. Through links and audiology locator listings, individual audiology practices can benefit from all of our investment and ongoing effort, so you can focus on running your practice. For more information, please visit www.NowiHear.com or call AuDNet at 800-308-7290.David J. Smriga is founder and President of AuDNet, Inc., a nationwide audiology marketing and media engagement organization funded through the group purchasing power of the audiology community. Mr. Smriga has been a tireless advocate for building stronger consumer recognition and demand for audiology care both locally and nationally. Through his articles and lectures, Mr. Smriga continues to engage the audiology community and the general public, seeking to make audiology care the first thing American's think of when seeking hearing or balance care. Dave Smriga Founder and President of AuDNet, Inc. Related Courses Presenter David J. Smriga, MA Changing Consumer Behavior: the Realities of Audiology-centered Marketing [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #16478 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; IHS/1.0 Cost: Free to View In order for audiology to be effectively marketed, a fundamental shift in consumer thinking needs to occur. Instead of thinking, "I have a hearing loss, I need to get hearing aids", consumers need to be thinking "I have hearing loss, I need to see an audiologist". This article makes the case for how audiologists can achieve this shift in consumer thinking. Course Details Presenters Larry Engelmann, AuD Kathy Foltner, AuD, FAAA Autonomy: Realities, Myths, & Impact for Audiology [Recorded Course] Course: #11407 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; Calif. HADB/1.0 Cost: Free to View Most audiologists desire autonomy, yet few understand that professional autonomy goes beyond patient care. This session will examine the impact of professional practice setting on autonomy; compare education costs, compensation, return on investment (ROI), and contributions for various limited license practitioners; identify lessons audiology can learn from other healthcare professions; and suggest ways to positively impact autonomy in audiology. Course Details Presenter Kathy Foltner, AuD, FAAA Ethical and Legal Issues Impacting Audiologists [Recorded Course] Course: #8342 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/1.0; AHIP/1.0; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; IHS/1.0; Kansas DHE, LTS-S0035/1.0 Cost: Free to View This session provides an overview of Fraud & Abuse including both legal and ethical considerations in the practice of audiology. The costs associated with fraud, the effects of fraud, the indicators of fraud, audit triggers, and the consequences of fraud will be identified. Course Details Presenter David J. Smriga, MA Are We (Still) Asleep At The Wheel? An Update from Seven Years Ago [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #19303 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/0.1; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; IHS/1.0 Cost: Free to View The "corporatization" of hearing care distribution in the United States has continued its expansion since Smriga first reported this phenomenon in 2004. In that initial report, based on the public information available at the time, we estimated that 46% of 2004's non-Veteran's Administration (VA) U.S. hearing care outlets (i.e., clinics, hospitals, universities, private practices, dispensing outlets, etc.) were independently owned, autonomous in their decision-making and unaffiliated with a larger corporate business entity. In that report, we also predicted that by 2010, the number of independent, autonomous and unaffiliated providers could shrink to as little as 22% of the total non-VA provider market as long as expansion by business corporations seeking to own and manage hearing care distribution in the United States continued to remain uninfluenced by the audiology community.This updated report attempts to summarize the 2011 status of U.S. hearing-care-provider corporatization, and documents the changes that have occurred since 2004. Course Details Presenters David J. Smriga, MA John T. Zeigler, AuD Audiology Centered e-Patient Marketing: Getting a Return on Your Internet Investment [Text/Transcript Course] Course: #18996 CEUs/Hours Offered: AAA/0.1 Intermediate; ACAud/0.1; BAA/1.0; CAA/1.0; IHS/1.0 Cost: Free to View This text discusses marketing an audiology practice via the internet. Benefits of internet marketing and use of specific search engines will be included. Course Details
