When considering digital marketing, veterinarians may face the challenge of remembering to think like a pet owner rather than a medical professional. While the medical knowledge needed to treat pets is of the utmost importance, we should always remember the KISS principle when it comes to digital marketing: Keep it simple, stupid.
Can you guess why the term ‘veterinarian’ is not the most highly-searched keyword used by pet owners? It certainly applies to the pet industry, and it seems like a no-brainer. However, this valuable keyword has officially landed itself on Wikipedia’s list of common misspellings. This is just one of the reasons why the competitive key phrase, ‘animal hospital,’ holds the throne as one of the most highly-searched key phrases in the veterinary industry. Easy to spell, easy to remember.
Take a look at the difference in the volume of search results for the two keywords. Which would you prioritize when optimizing your website?
Thinking in layman’s terms is important, especially when it comes to the medical industry. If the average viewer cannot spell a topic or recall it quickly, they are less likely to Google it.
Still not convinced? Try Googling ‘ovariohysterectomy near me,’ and then Google ‘spay near me.’ You will notice not only the difference in the web results that pop up, but again we see a drastic discrepancy in the number of search results for the two key phrases.
It is smart to keep the pet owner and their needs in mind. If there is a fancier way to describe something, save it for the exam room (where your client is already in the mindset to be educated).
In this day in age where we have everything available at our fingertips, online consumers expect to find convenient, quick results that they can digest with little effort. This must be considered when embarking on a digital marketing plan. After all, your clients come to you because you are the expert. They don’t need overcomplicated concepts or definitions to understand that you know best; they just need you to be present when they have a pet need at hand.