January 2017 Ceatus Chronicles
Going Mobile
Google’s Mobile First Index could drastically change your rankings and visibility
Google announced last year that more than 65% of searches now occur on mobile platforms. As more and more Google users opt to conduct their searches via smartphones and tablets, it has become clear to Google that its algorithm, index and search results need to reflect this trend. With this in mind, in October of last year Google announced that it would begin creating and ranking its listings using primarily the mobile version of websites. According to search engine land, “Google has started to use the mobile version of the web as their primary search engine index.”
Websites designed only for desktop (no mobile component) will still begrudgingly be indexed by Google but the move towards mobile-first will significantly slant rankings in favor of mobile and responsive websites.
What Does Mobile First Index Mean?
As always, the Google announcement is vague as to the implications of this change and how it will impact website owners. It does seem clear that by favoring its mobile index, Google is taking steps to actively promote mobile-friendly websites in its search results, potentially to the detriment of businesses that only have desktop-compatible websites. It also seems clear that the mobile-friendly sites will now have to stand on their own. That is, Google will rank websites in the Mobile First Index based on the content of the mobile-friendly version and not that of the desktop version. This will be an issue for many mobile websites that were only intended to be a streamlined supplement to the main, desktop website. In these cases, thin content, poor linking strategy and possibly unsophisticated coding will now be the data Google uses to the detriment of the rankings for both versions of the website.
Good News for Ceatus Clients
The good news for Ceatus clients is that if we developed your mobile or responsive website, our staff took care to ensure that your site has all of the same content and SEO components as desktop sites. As a result the Mobile First Index should benefit your rankings. BAMM!
Time to Mobilize
Regardless of Google’s direction, it’s still wise to have a great mobile strategy. With 65% of the search volume on Google emanating from mobile devices and with Google now beginning to use a mobile-based search index, the time is now to ensure you have a good mobile-friendly platform for your online presence. For now Google will continue to crawl your desktop site, maybe, but if that’s all you’ve got, your days are likely numbered. As Google put it, “Our algorithms will eventually primarily use the mobile version of a site’s content to rank pages from that site.”
As if that weren’t enough reason to bolster your mobile strategy now, consider this: a mobile-friendly site also improves the user experience, which means lower bounce rate, higher time-on-site and significantly increased conversion. In other words, a more compelling experience for your potential patients!
So if you have not converted your site to mobile-friendly (preferably responsive, so that the full website is present on mobile devices), time is of the essence. But make sure you do the conversion correctly so that the mobile version is as robust as the desktop.
CEATUS Tip Of The Month
Hello…Is It Me You’re Looking For?
How a single negative experience can drive patients away
Results of a recent survey showed that for many patients (up to 30%), a single negative experience is enough to drive them away from your practice. Of those, 80+% are (or should we say, were) long-term patients. And if they express their negative experiences on social media or review sites, 60% of people who read their negative comments are influenced by them.
Obviously it’s important to address whatever has occurred, but this is after the fact. The real question is, how do you protect yourself proactively? First, by implementing a good social media strategy so that if a prospective patient reads a disgruntled patient’s comment, they can easily click over and see friendly, informative and engaging posts on your practice’s social media platforms, along with happy patients.
Also implement a comprehensive reviews program so that prospective patients can easily find the myriad of patients who are singing your praises. This two-pronged strategy will help ensure that you maintain control over your practice’s reputation.
Ask the Experts
Q: When asking patients for reviews, is it better to focus on requesting reviews for the “practice name” or the “doctor name”?
A: It’s important to use a reviews management system that does both! Why? Some prospective patients use doctor-based search terms (e.g. “Dr. John Smith reviews”) while others use practice-name terms (i.e. “Practice Name reviews”), and your reviews need to capture both of these groups of searches.
A reviews management system that allows you to solicit reviews for both types of searches, such as the Ceatus Reviews Manager, gives you full coverage, allowing you to achieve a comprehensive online footprint. And because most other practices DO NOT use a system capable of soliciting both, you will have a significant advantage over your competitors. Talk about a five-star strategy!
Have any questions about your Review Strategy? Call us today at 858-454-5505 or email us at contactceatus@ceatus.com.
Maximize Your Internet Strategy
Come by the Ceatus booth for a FREE website evaluation!
Caribbean Eye
Cancun, Mexico
February 3-6, 2017
Booth 6
Stop by and meet the Ceatus Digital Marketing experts at the Caribbean Eye meeting.
Also, Ceatus CEO David Evans, PhD, will be leading a discussion focusing on reviews strategies and how they affect your practice’s success. So don’t miss it!
Raving Reviews=Revenue
Saturday, February 4, 2017
8:27 AM – 8:34 PM
Chicago Dental Society
Chicago, Illinois
February 23-25, 2016
Booth 4327
Looking to defy winter and heat up your Digital Marketing strategy? Visit the Ceatus team at Booth 4327 for a FREE Digital Marketing evaluation!
Moving on App
Productivity Apps to get you going in 2017!
Love your email again. Spark quickly lets you see which emails are important, allows you to set reminders to get back to emails you don’t have time for, and cleans up the rest. It also boasts a smart search feature, so digging through your inbox is a thing of the past, as well as quick replies and integration with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive…etc. Signed, Sealed, Delivered!
Reading
Imagine waking up every day to a condensed rundown of the news everyone will be talking about. Enter The Skimm. True to its motto — “We read. You Skimm” — the app allows you to avoid all the online chatter and get straight to the news of the day. And thanks to the app’s calendar integration, you’ll never miss a TV show premiere, National Siblings Day or State of the Union address. Read to Succeed!
GoodReader allows you to read virtually any file from your phone or tablet — perfect for the person on the go. More specifically, it lets you read, annotate and sign PDFs and view MS office, TXT and HTML files. An added bonus: you can easily access servers and transfer your files to Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive…etc. Open Sesame!
Password Organizer
Coming up with unique passwords for sites you visit has never been more important, but remembering them all sometimes feels impossible. 1Password allows you to create (as the app’s name suggests) one master password with which you can secure dozens of website logins, Wi-Fi passwords and more. One password to unite them all!
To-Do List
Any.do claims that over 15 million people depend on on Any.do to GET THINGS DONE! From shared lists and a personal assistant to assigned to-dos and nudges to review your daily tasks, this is the task-management app to end all task-management apps. Git-Er-Done!
Finance
Finally, there’s a place to monitor your money across all bank accounts, seamlessly budget, keep track of your spending and pay your bills in one place. Mint also keeps track of your credit score and gives you tips to help improve it for free. Think of it as a one-stop shop for all your finances. Cha-Ching!
Sleep
Be productive while you sleep…well, sort of. A good night’s sleep is the best way to be productive the next day. SleepTime+ uses your phone sensors to measure the quality of your sleep and wake you up at the optimal time. In addition to metrics and a smart alarm, SleepTime+ comes with soundscapes to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Good Night, and Good Luck!
