Industry: Healthcare (Physical Therapy)
The SEO Design Chicago team developed a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for a multi-location physical therapy practice aiming to increase patient acquisition, improve online visibility, and establish itself as the leading rehabilitation center in its service areas.
294%
increase in organic search traffic
212%
increase in new patient appointments
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149%
increase in positive online reviews
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Challenge:
- A growing physical therapy practice with multiple locations struggled to differentiate itself in a competitive healthcare market
- They needed to educate potential patients about the benefits of physical therapy
- Needed to showcase their expertise across various conditions and treatments
- Attract direct access patients
- Build relationships with referring physicians while competing with both large hospital systems and standalone clinics.
Solution:
Condition-Specific SEO Strategy
- We implemented a comprehensive SEO strategy focusing on specific conditions treated by physical therapy (e.g., back pain, sports injuries, post-surgical rehabilitation)
- Created in-depth, medically accurate content for each condition and treatment approach
Patient Education Hub
- Developed an extensive online resource center with articles, videos, and interactive tools covering various aspects of physical therapy, injury prevention, and rehabilitation exercises
- Positioned the practice as a trusted source of information
Before and After Patient Stories
- Created a series of detailed patient success stories
- Showcased treatment journeys and outcomes for various conditions
- Treatment journeys were optimized for search and used across multiple marketing channels
Video Exercise Library
- Produced a comprehensive video library of therapeutic exercises and stretches, categorized by body part and condition
- Video library was used on the website, YouTube, and social media to demonstrate expertise and provide value to potential patients
Local SEO Optimization
- We optimized Google Business listings for each location
- Created location-specific landing pages
- Built local citations to improve visibility in local search results
Targeted PPC and Display Advertising
- Created highly targeted Google Ads and display advertising campaigns
- Ads focused on specific conditions, treatments, and geographic locations, with separate strategies for direct access to patients and physician referrals
Social Media Health Tips Campaign
- Developed an engaging social media strategy across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
- Shared daily health tips, exercise demonstrations, and patient success stories to build trust and showcase expertise.
Online Appointment Booking System
- Integrated a user-friendly online appointment booking system
- Allowed patients to easily schedule initial evaluations and follow-up visits
Email Marketing Automation
- Implemented segmented email campaigns for different patient groups (e.g., new patients, current patients, discharged patients)
- Able to nurture relationships
- Provide valuable health information
- Encourage consistent adherence to treatment plans
Physician Referral Portal
- Developed a secure online portal for referring physicians to easily send patient referrals and track their patients’ progress
Patient Review Management
- Implemented a strategy to encourage satisfied patients to leave positive reviews on Google, Healthgrades, and other healthcare platforms
- Promptly addressing any concerns or negative feedback
Community Health Events
- We created a digital campaign to promote free community health screenings and educational workshops
- Increased local visibility and attracted potential patients
Results:
- Increased new patient appointments from an average of 85 to 265 per month across all locations
- Improved website traffic from 6,000 to 23,640 monthly visitors
- Grew social media following from 3,800 to 16,700 across all platforms
- Increased the average Google rating from 4.4 to 4.9 stars, with a 149% increase in total reviews
- Achieved first page rankings for 78% of targeted local and condition-specific keywords
- Generated 312 new patient appointments through the online booking system in the first six months
- Improved website conversion rate from 2.5% to 4.3% for appointment requests
- Reduced cost per lead acquisition by 37% through optimized PPC and display advertising campaigns
- Increased email open rates from 20% to 34% and click-through rates from 2.2% to 4.9% with segmented campaigns
- Boosted patient retention and adherence to treatment plans by 28% through improved communication strategies
- Achieved a 92% satisfaction rate for the online appointment booking system
- Increased average patient lifetime value by 35% through effective marketing of comprehensive treatment plans and wellness services
- Generated 95 new physician referrals through the online referral portal in the first year
This case study illustrates how a comprehensive, education-focused digital marketing strategy can help a physical therapy practice overcome competitive challenges, effectively communicate its value proposition, and achieve significant growth in patient acquisition and retention. By positioning the practice as a trusted authority in rehabilitation and leveraging technology to improve patient education and access to care, the practice was able to attract more direct access patients, strengthen physician relationships, and establish itself as a leading provider in its service areas.
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