It may shock you that many aesthetic clinic and dental practice owners often dismiss the power of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), as some perceive it to offer slow results, preferring to invest exclusively in push marketing techniques such as paid ads and direct mail.

However, let it be known that the push marketing approach is way more expensive in the long run and misses out on the substantial benefits of pull marketing strategies like SEO. With over 940 aesthetic clinics and roughly 11 587 dental practices in the UK, can you really proverbially and literally afford not to have all hands on deck?

Let us learn more about it.

The Real Cost Of Ignoring SEO

Long-Term Costs: In general, push marketing strategies involve anything from SEO, Pay-Per-Click (PPC), social media marketing, flyers, direct mail, and even content marketing, to name a few to attract consumers to products (in this case, patients to services). However, not all push marketing strategies are created equal. Some come with this advantage, and others with that advantage. Strategies like PPC advertising, as effective as they may be at that moment in time, actually require continuous investment. Because the moment you stop paying, your visibility drops and this cycle can lead to high expenses without building lasting value. Whereas a push marketing strategy like SEO can help your clinic, practice, or business build a strong online presence and drive consistent traffic over time. How does the famous saying go, slow and steady wins the race?

Diminishing Returns: The cost of customer acquisition through paid ads can increase exponentially as competition grows in the long run. This trend is particularly evident in the aesthetic and dental sectors, where highly competitive keywords can significantly drive up the cost per click (CPC). To put it somewhat into perspective, the average CPC within the healthcare sector can range anywhere between £1.8 to £3. When it comes to competitive keywords, it can cost you so much more.

Decreased Visibility: Do not be fooled, without proper SEO, your website may not rank where you would like it to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). This, of course, makes it difficult for potential patients to find you! Because when was the last time you clicked on page 2 of your search engine results? Our point exactly. This reduced visibility can thus result in decreased website traffic and fewer inquiries and appointments, ultimately impacting your business’s growth and profitability.

Lost Patients: Tying in with the above, lower online visibility also means you risk losing potential patients to competitors who have optimised their websites for search engines.

Lower Conversion Rates: Poorly optimised websites often experience higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates, meaning fewer patients complete desired actions like scheduling an appointment or filling out a contact form.

Negative Online Reviews: Even though negative reviews do form a normal part of any online business, it does not mean they should be ignored. And without a strong online presence, you may be slightly more vulnerable to negative reviews and comments from dissatisfied patients. Therefore, it can harm your clinic’s reputation and deter new patients.

Decreased Brand Awareness: This is a big one! By neglecting SEO, it can lead to a weaker brand reputation, making it harder for potential patients to trust and recognise your clinic or practice. This diminished brand awareness can result in fewer referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations, crucial factors for growing a successful practice.

Limited Data And Insights: Ignoring SEO also means you may not have access to valuable data and insights about your website traffic, patient behaviour, and search trends. This can seriously affect your decision-making process, as data = making strategic changes = results.

Why SEO Is Always Worth The Wait

SEO is always an investment worth making! Why? Because it is designed to help your clinic, practice, and business rank higher in organic search results. Remember, once you achieve a higher ranking in the SERPs, the traffic to your site continues without the need for ongoing payments (unlike PPC ads).

Not to mention, higher organic rankings also significantly boost your credibility! As mentioned earlier, potential patients searching for services that you offer are more likely to trust and choose clinics or practices that appear at the top of organic search results.

Cost Benefits Of SEO Vs. Other Marketing Practices

  • Lower Average Cost Per Click: Even though SEO is the more economical investment to make vs PPC, it is important to note that the initial investment in SEO can be substantial. BUT businesses that invest in SEO can drastically reduce their long-term marketing costs as organic search results generate clicks without ongoing payments.
  • Higher ROI: SEO tends to deliver a higher return on investment (ROI) compared to other marketing channels. Since it is designed (and when implemented properly) to consistently attract organic traffic, it helps lower your overall cost of customer acquisition. In fact, studies conducted by the Search Engine Journal have shown that SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate, compared to only 1.7% for outbound leads like direct mail or print advertising.
  • Compound Growth: The effects of SEO compound over time, since content created today can continue to attract visitors tomorrow, and for months or even years thereafter. This cumulative effect means that the initial time and money invested in SEO can yield increasing returns as your content library grows (and ranks higher)!

What We Have Learned

If you own an aesthetic or dentist clinic, then please, we implore you, do not hesitate to invest in SEO! It really makes a world of difference.

The reality is, that trying to thrive online without it is not only digital madness, but could also become a very costly mistake that nobody has time for.

Sure, all push marketing tactics come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. However, when it comes to cost-effective long-term marketing, SEO reigns supreme.

Think of it this way, when you invest in a new aesthetic or dental device or simply expand services, it often requires patience before seeing a return. SEO is no different. It builds sustainable traffic gradually over time.

Sure, it may be tempting to rely solely on the immediate results of push marketing, but believe us when we say, that by properly integrating SEO into your marketing strategy ensures that your business remains visible and credible over the long haul!