Social Media Healthcare: Effectively Using Google+

24 Jan Social Media Healthcare: Effectively Using Google+

When it comes to social media healthcare, visibility matters. With this in mind, if your social media plan doesn’t already include Google Plus, it’s time to seriously consider joining. Not only will Google Plus provide you with the potential for additional page views, but also it can increase your organic search ranking — all of which can lead top positive SEO results in the long haul.

Interested in learning how Google’s own social network can positively benefit your practice’s social media plan? Read on!

Google Plus can potentially increase your organic search ranking.

It’s a basic tenet of social media healthcare: Rankings are king. And although Google software engineer Matt Cutts has stated that the social network has nothing to do with rankings, independent studies state otherwise; public posts on Google Plus can help organic search results in the same way that posting to a blog can give your website a fresh boost. Implementing keywords into the first 45 to 50 characters of your Google Plus post will translate into the title in your Google search results — this can play in your practice’s favor overall.

So, track your trending keywords and plug them into your practice’s posts; for instance, if you’re trying to grab traffic for the “weight loss programs” keyword over the holidays, maximize your keyword space by writing your title in a way that encompasses the meaning of your post without sacrificing quality. After all, social media healthcare should be search engine optimized, but it should also maintain that all-important reader appeal.

Make the most of social media healthcare with Google Plus communities.

Think of Google+ Communities as online forums categorized by topic; they can be public or private, and feature plenty of opportunities for healthcare marketers to join important conversations. Public content can be indexed by Google’s algorithm, which can play in your favor if you’re posting under your brand’s social media healthcare profile.

Here are a few communities to consider: Social Media for Healthcare, Mobile Health, and Healthcare Marketing. However, since there are plenty of Google Plus communities to browse, don’t forget to get topic-specific; search for communities relevant to the webpages and blog articles you want to promote, and share your links with care.

How do I get started? 

Begin by taking a look at what other healthcare pages have built into their Google Plus profiles; successful pages, like HealthCare.gov and the Mayo Clinic, feature weekly posts incorporating share-friendly images. What do we mean? Well, the photos that accompany your posts should serve as a preview for your content; consider integrating superimposed text and high-quality photos to really take your social media healthcare on Google Plus to the next level.

Additionally, consider the cover photos on successful Google Plus profiles; it tends to be the first thing people see when they click over to your page, so it should be something that represents your brand in a positive way. Use photos at the appropriate size, and make sure the image translates well on desktop, mobile, and tablet browsers. (This same principle applies to your profile picture.) Not only that, but your posts should remain public — that way, Google’s search algorithm has a chance to index your page and subsequent content.

While Google Plus tends to feature less activity compared to other social media networks, like Twitter or Facebook, you can still use its features to your benefit; for instance, consider hosting a Google Hangout FAQ session, and publicizing it on your practice’s other social media pages. Creative thinking, consistent updates, and quality material will always benefit your practice in a good way — and Google Plus is a great place to get to work.

Interested in learning more about social media healthcare on Google Plus? Contact HealthCare Marketing Group today for more information!