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In the past, potential patients were more likely to request doctor referrals from colleagues than they are today. In the modern workplace, people at work are more inclined to rev up their search engine and select providers by rank and ratings. Why? Simple - more opinions neatly boxed for them to sort through and make a decision with… and search engines are how they are used to getting most of their information.

One thing that hasn’t changed in the workplace (on that is commonly overlooked as a source of referrals) is what I call “the referral baton”; it is the moment someone leaves their desk around lunchtime or at the end of the day (let’s call this person Colleague #1) and casually transfers a small bit of information to a coworker (Colleague #2). I generally goes something like this:

Colleague #1: “I’m going to the eye doctor.”
Colleague #2: “Oh, I’ve been meaning to set up an eye doctor visit – can you tell me how yours goes?... Can I get the name and number?”

Colleague #1 is most likely to have found their doctor via going to an insurance list and then checking out providers on the search engine or going to the search engine and checking out provider’s participation on the insurance list. If you are not “searchable” i.e. have “rank & ratings” in search, it’s likely you’re missing out on these two very important avenues of new business – the people at their desks searching, and the people who piggyback off of them benefiting from the “referral baton.”

To get more new business you need to be active within the space where your potential clients are searching for the services and products you offer. In most practices nowadays it’s the search engine space. Our practice has studied and found that more than 8 out of 10 of our new patients find us online, whether it’s going to their insurance companies website to find the providers listed, or searching in a search engine, usually Google. If they go to their provider list, they often follow up with a Google search to check recommendations and get more information about the practice. If they go to a search engine first, they find the best options and compare it to their insurer’s website to see it the provider participates in their plan.

Search engines offer the healthcare seeker:

(a)a more efficient means of finding healthcare,
(b)the ability to obtain ratings and
(c)convenience; they’re within reach at all times, whether on the desktop or mobile device.

Consumers are also apt to assume that a practice that shows up high in search engine rankings is a higher-level place to get healthcare then one with a lower ranking or none at all. People are also steering away from ads, traditional and online, and are leaning more towards organic search engine listings (listings they believe are unpaid for) and online recommendations, as they feel they are a way to judge the trustworthiness of a business. This search engine rank & referral baton scenario plays itself out daily in the companies that you hope to draw business from. Get to the top of search, get your ratings up and more batons will cross the finish line, which in this case means patients across the front door of your office.

To learn how you can improve your position in search and get online ratings, check out my book “Searchial Marketing” on Amazon.com http://www.searchialmarketing.com or leave a comment on this blog and I’ll be happy to answer it.

- Alan N. Glazier, OD, FAAO
Founder/CEO
Shady Grove Eye and Vision Care
Rockville, MD

Twitter Handle: @EyeInfo
Blog: http://www.youreyesite.net
Website: YourEyeSite.com

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