As a top eye surgeon, you offer one of the industry’s most cutting-edge laser eye surgery procedures.
You’ve likely performed hundreds of successful procedures and are confident that you offer better-quality patient care and procedures (compared to your peers).
Despite this, maintaining a steady stream of patient leads can be challenging.
Your waiting room should be filled with prospects eager for LASIK(Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis), but it often falls short.
Most of your patients come from referrals, which sometimes keeps your practice busy. But most days, your patient list is shorter than you’d prefer.
Maybe you’ve tried digital ads to address your lack of new non-referral clients. The problem is that you’ve yet to achieve your desired number of patient leads, consults, and procedure appointments.
You may have even tried partnering with an ad agency. Still, the results are the same: little to no increase in new patients and an unreliable flow of leads.
Every attempt at advertising your laser eye clinic seems like tossing hard-earned dollars down the drain.
You know ads can help increase and keep your consults and appointments coming. You just don’t have the time and expertise (and maybe patience!) to learn the ins and outs of successful advertising.
Can anybody help market your clinic effectively so you can focus on delivering quality eye care to patients?
We’re glad you asked.
As an agency with over 15 years of experience, we can help you.
For over a decade, we’ve managed nearly 2,000 client campaigns and built and refined a massive multi-million dollar dataset based on the information we’ve collected from our work with them.
We use this model to craft well-optimized ads that deliver and generate a reliable flow of qualified leads, consultations, and procedures.
We develop the optimal ad campaign for your practice using unique data analysis.
You also don’t have to worry about one-size-fits-all solutions that never work. We only offer ad strategies that fit your needs, preferred outcomes, and challenges.
That’s why you won’t hear guarantees when you come to us. Instead, you’ll partner with an agency that listens, takes the time to understand your practice, and performs an in-depth analysis of your current campaigns to identify what’s necessary to achieve your goals.
In fact, if our data and assessment show that our ad services won’t add value to your practice, we’ll tell you upfront. We’d rather be honest than waste your time and money on campaigns that will never work.
So, if you want customized laser eye surgery ads that get real results without draining your budget, you’ve come to the right place.
Let us handle your ad campaigns while you focus on what you do best: change people’s lives with laser eye surgery.
How Do You Promote LASIK?
Promoting LASIK requires a multi-faceted approach.
You can leverage digital strategies like PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, SEO (search engine optimization), and social media marketing:
- PPC Advertising: PPC is a straightforward ad option. You pay when someone clicks on your LASIK ad. Laser eye surgery PPC lets you promote your practice and services on expansive digital platforms, including Google, Bing, and Meta (Facebook and Instagram).
- SEO: Like PPC advertising, SEO is a marketing strategy to boost your digital presence. The difference is that SEO aims to rank you organically (non-paid) on SERPs (search engine results pages).
While digital agencies have different SEO approaches, ours does SEO using these methods:
- Identifying high-value, ROI(return on investment)-focused keywords
- Delivering original, high-quality, rank-ready, and authoritative content
- Building your DA (domain authority) via backlinks or referrals from reputable sources
Despite their differences, PPC and SEO share the same goal. They help your laser eye surgery practice attract more patients and schedule more consultations and procedures.
Fortunately, marketing isn’t an either-or program. You can implement both strategies simultaneously to improve your online presence on paid and organic channels.
You don’t have to take our word for it. We’ll let the numbers talk. Through our PPC and SEO services, Dr. Richard Zoumalan, a facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, achieved these stunning results:
| PPC | Start | Latest | Improvement |
| Conversion rate | 1.59% | 6.59% | 314.46% |
| CTR (click-through rate) | 0.88% | 13.84% | 1,473% |
| SEO | Start | Latest | Improvement |
| Leads (analytics) | 82 | 1,294 | 1,478% |
| Top 3 Google ranking | 1 | 438 | 43,700% |
| Top 10 Google ranking | 15 | 1,017 | 6,680 % |
The lead increase (from 82 to 1,294) means we’ve helped Dr. Zoumalan gain more prospective patients.
We’ve also improved his practice’s conversion rate by 6.59%, meaning significantly more people are taking action in response to their campaigns (more inquiries and consultations).
Beyond improving leads and conversions, we helped ensure their reliable flow by helping Dr. Zoumalan’s web pages appear in Google’s top three positions in the SERPs.
“I was never the least bit skeptical to work with [Digital Spotlight]. From the get-go, they seemed more knowledgeable and found errors that my previous company had made that put me at a disadvantage.
[They] helped me build an extremely functional and stylish website that I still use today and took me to the first page for everything that I was trying to promote within a very short period of time. [They’re] very responsive and very professional.
I have zero complaints and only [a] positive experience with [Digital Spotlight].”
Richard A. Zoumalan, MD | Dr. Richard Zoumalan Facial Plastic Surgery
Want to experience firsthand how our digital marketing approach can deliver higher returns on less investment? Consult our experts by calling 310 879 8003 or emailing contact@digitalspotlight.com.
Digital Marketing for LASIK Surgeons
Digital marketing aims to improve your laser eye center’s online visibility through organic marketing and paid ad solutions.
As a math-driven, results-oriented agency, our SEO service can help scale your LASIK practice by performing these tasks:
- Implementing an ongoing ROI-focused keyword strategy
- Developing and managing original, high-quality, engaging, and 100% human-written content
- Performing a preliminary technical SEO audit to eliminate thin or duplicate content, redirect checks, and resolve indexing and crawlability issues
- Increasing high-value citations or backlinks from industry leaders
- Bolstering brand reputation through reviews and citations on social media platforms and authoritative websites
Website for LASIK Patient Acquisition
When people click on your ads, they have to land somewhere where you can persuade them about the quality of your LASIK procedures.
You don’t just want them to catch a glimpse of your practice. You want them to explore the range of services you offer so that they become actual clients instead of casual readers.
How do you achieve this goal? Build a well-optimized website that showcases your unique procedures and qualifications.
Sounds easy, right? Write content, hire a web developer where you can publish it, and wait for patients to flood your waiting room.
But there’s a big piece missing from the picture. A website won’t matter much if it doesn’t rank at the top of search results.
That’s where the real challenge lies.
Every time a user searches for something online, search engines like Google trigger a billion calculations using thousands of variables.
Math is the language of search engines. If you want to get the most out of your website, you should learn how to harness the power of numbers.
That means working with people who understand the math behind those computations.
Our agency focuses on search systems and algorithms, so we achieve results that often leave amateurs scratching their heads.
By the time the competition catches on, you’re already miles ahead. Here’s how we’ll help you maximize your website:
Optimize for a Better User Experience
While user experience (UX) isn’t as crucial as optimizing your website for search engines, it isn’t just an optional feature.
Even the most engaging web copy falls flat if people can’t navigate your site smoothly.
Google understands this concern, so it considers UX-related factors as ranking factors.
For instance, site speed (how quickly users access and navigate your website) affects your website’s search ranking.
Google also considers mobile-friendliness to be a search ranking factor.
We use specialized tools, like PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals, to ensure your LASIK website meets Google’s mobile usability and ranking expectations.
Core Web Vitals refers to metrics measuring user experience, particularly interactivity, loading performance, and the page’s visual stability.
Make Conversion Easy
Potential high-value LASIK patients don’t usually begin their journey by visiting laser eye surgery clinics and asking about treatments. They typically start their research online.
Yours must be among the first practices they’ll see when looking for LASIK procedures on the web.
When they see you, you should ensure your website contains insightful copy optimized enough to encourage visitors to take action (convert).
If you don’t, potential high-value clients will slip through your fingers.
Here’s what we’ll do to optimize your campaigns for conversions:
- Allocate ad spend from a campaign that’s not performing well to another.
- Focus our optimizations on campaigns with optimal cost-per-conversions.
- Set up a campaign focusing on converting ads with the lowest cost-per-conversion.
Educate Visitors With Robust SEO Content
Google’s primary goal is to make the world’s information “universally accessible and useful.” The tech giant works hard to accomplish this goal through ongoing shifts in search systems and algorithms.
Google also equips search quality raters to assess whether your content has a reliable E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness).
If your content addresses users’ queries directly, Google will consider you an authority in the industry.
In short, Google only values content that adds value to its users.
Suppose Google recognizes your practice as an authority. In that case, your website will appear at the top of the search results’ first page.
More searchers will think you are the number one LASIK surgeon, and more websites, including industry leaders, will link to your pages, boosting your overall online presence.
Our technical specialists, content strategists, and developers work closely to craft original, high-quality, and SEO-ready articles.
We’re here to do more than just touch up your current content and make a few adjustments.
We’re all about delivering high-value content. We dive deep into Google’s page one, identifying relevant search terms, ideal word counts, and subtopics customized to your target keywords.
We also use a cutting-edge tool that takes relevant keywords and analyzes your competitor’s content to craft rank-ready articles.
Local SEO
Local SEO can help improve your laser surgery clinic’s local search visibility.
Google decides to rank localized search results based on these three factors:
- Relevance: How well does your practice’s local profile match relevant searches?
- Prominence: How popular is your practice offline?
- Distance: How far is your center from the location term used in a search?
Google has been increasingly tweaking its search algorithm to facilitate local searches.
The good news is that our SEO strategy focuses on location-based targeting before general targeting to deliver the highest returns for your practice.
Suppose you run a LASIK eye center in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California. We can help you reach potential patients in your region through local SEO.
Google Business Profile (Formerly GMB) Listings and Citations
You might need to set up a Google Business Profile or GBP (formerly Google My Business) for your laser eye surgery practice if you want to:
- Establish your brand reputation through reviews
- Improve your online search presence on Google
- Manage your clinic’s information
GBP is a free local listing that features basic business info, including:
- Phone number
- Service area
- Photos
- Product or service offers
- Operating hours
- Health and safety measures
We’ll help you create a GBP if you don’t have one. We’ll ensure your GBP contains these essential info:
- Address
- Language
- Currency
- Contact details
- Links from local sites
GBP is vital to local search success today. Proving you’re a legitimate practice can increase your chances of securing a spot in Google’s local SERP sidebar.
Now, consistency is vital with GBP. Ensure the info you share on your profile matches those on your website, and keep your NAP (name, address, and phone number) consistent.
If your GMB details align with your website and local citations, Google will likely consider your practice legitimate.
Geographical Keyword Strategy
When looking for an eye surgeon, users typically start with local searches. Think “LASIK cost in LA” or “eye surgery Beverly Hills” for Californians.
We can customize your service pages to match these local queries, increasing your chances of ranking high in search engine results.
Optimized Location Pages
One of the first things we ensure for a new client is whether their website is set up correctly for their target location.
If you have many locations for your practice, don’t worry. We can provide search engine optimization solutions for every branch where you have a physical address.
Digital Reputation Management Best Practices: Reputation Management for Lasik Surgeons
As a veteran eye surgeon, you likely understand the essential role of brand reputation in attracting new patients and sustaining patient loyalty.
One way to bolster your practice’s brand image is to get featured on top-ranking web pages.
Some practices manage web assets, like social media pages and business websites, where they promote procedures.
Others position their practice on third-party platforms like online news channels, review sites, and open-source informational resources (think Wikipedia).
Extending your digital footprint using these virtual spaces can help defend your brand image during a reputation crisis.
Our solid ad strategy can help you lay a foundation for effectively responding to a brand reputation crisis.
We have a highly trained team of paid ads specialists who can help make your ad appear at the top of SERPs (search engine results pages).
We also develop a ranking defense plan.
We’ll clean up not just the reputation of the key terms you’re already known for but also any terms that might affect your brand in the future.
Every month, 50% of the search terms on Google are brand new. That’s why we’re always a step ahead, ensuring your online image stays positive and polished.
With our math-based, data-driven approach, you can rest easy knowing your ad rankings are safe from the competition.
We use proven strategies based on the latest industry insights, whether acquiring backlinks or crafting rank-ready ad copy.
Do you want your practice to appear before the right patients at the right time? We’ve got you covered.
You’ll boost your reputation and attract more patients by consistently appearing at the top of SERPs.
Promoting LASIK Surgery With Google Ads: Google PPC Strategies for LASIK Providers
Google Ads lets you promote your LASIK services and laser eye surgery practice via Google’s vast advertising network. You can raise brand awareness and conversions using the following ad products:
- Google Search: Lets you feature your ads on the Google Search ad network or Google Search partners like the New York Times and Amazon.
- Google Display: Allows you to advertise your practice via the Google Display Network (GDN).
GDN comprises two million apps, websites, and videos, letting you reach over 90% of internet users.
- Google Remarketing: Ensures your ads target “tagged” visitors.
Google Remarketing allows you to reengage existing patients to act, such as booking an appointment.
- Google Shopping: Enables you to market your practice’s brand, procedures, and essential information to people actively searching for your services.
We’ve had an amazing working relationship with Google for years, for which the search giant granted us Platinum status, Google’s elite partnership tier.
This recognition means we’ve demonstrated that we have a highly trained, Google-certified staff who can:
- Manage a fast-growing client list
- Retain clients for extended periods
- Invest high levels of ad spend
As a Google Premier Partner, we hear about new features first. We’ll test them for you before other surgeons even know they exist, giving you a competitive edge.
Maximize Return With the Right Account Structure
A Google Ads account is like a filing cabinet. Each campaign serves as a drawer with related ad groups stacked inside. Each ad group contains categorized ads and keywords.
Tidying up and structuring your account structure can help you:
- Keep your ad’s relevance
- Manage your ad budget more effectively
- Discover optimization opportunities
For example, a well-structured account can help you control and fine-tune your bid strategy.
Facebook Advertising for LASIK
As more people have internet access, the reach and popularity of social media sites continue to increase.
In April 2024 alone, Facebook had over three billion monthly active users. As of early 2024, Facebook reported a 3.1% year-on-year audience growth. These facts show that the social media platform still attracts new users.
There is so much potential if you display your LASIK ads on social media. Facebook is a powerful ad platform offering solid analytics, diverse ad formats, and accurate targeting options to help you target your desired audience.
Facebook Ads can also help boost traffic to your website, increase your practice’s online visibility, and generate leads or sales.
Fortunately, our agency can help turn your Facebook ad spend into quality leads.
We offer tailored and affordable Facebook advertising solutions for your practice regardless of size.
Our Facebook Ads service includes several ad formats that can help engage potential patients and allow you to highlight your services creatively:
- Image ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads
Do you want to use Facebook Ads to display promos for your LASIK practice for the first time but don’t have a Facebook Ads Manager account?
Don’t have the time to register an account and run the ads yourself?
We can create your ads account, adjust your settings, and set up your payment method.
Effective Channels for LASIK Surgery Providers
It isn’t wise to invest all your eggs in one basket (for example, invest your entire ad budget into just one paid ads channel).
Say you only advertise on Facebook, and the social media platform (for some reason) banned your account. In that case, you could lose your only source of leads (your Facebook ads).
As you know, where your paid ads show ultimately depends on your chosen advertising method.
For example, paid ads on Google Ads will be shown on Google’s advertising network, including its search and display network. Meanwhile, paid ads on YouTube will appear on the video-sharing platform.
These multiple advertising channels provide you with a range of options to choose from.
Full-Funnel Paid Media Strategy
A conversion funnel refers to a patient’s possible route to a consultation or procedure. The funnel may be divided into three levels with different focus:
- Top of the funnel: Raising awareness for your practice and procedures
- Middle of the funnel: Engaging prospective clients to nudge them to service consideration
- Bottom of the funnel: Endorsing your procedures to move potential clients from consideration to conversion
We aim to put your clinic’s website before potential clients whenever they search for answers to laser eye surgery-related queries.
Our strategy targets searchers who are likely deep in the buying cycle or those interested in your offer.
We can also develop informative, attention-grabbing, and engaging content that moves prospective patients from understanding your services to scheduling appointments with your clinic.
With New Internet Marketing and Advertising Platforms Come New Opportunities
Ad platforms constantly update to ensure users get the most reliable, accurate, and relevant answers to their queries.
Who drives these innovations? Engineers, statisticians, and mathematicians—not marketers—who develop search engines.
Do you want to maximize new opportunities and stay ahead of the marketing game? Your best bet is to work with an agency that understands how math specialists and tech experts think and speak (math and numbers).
Our one-of-a-kind, math-driven approach lets us transform your practice into a marketplace leader using tools as powerful as Google’s analytics.
We can sniff out the faintest ranking signals and spot search system changes before your competitors even know what’s coming.
Gaining Insights With Data-Driven Marketing
What sets our agency apart from the herd is that our advertising and marketing strategy doesn’t run on speculation. We follow the math where it leads.
We dive into numbers and large-scale data because our founders aren’t just no-nonsense businesspeople. They’re also math specialists.
Our CIO (chief innovation officer), Anish, leads our research and development. He’s the guy you want in your corner if you want to outsmart the competition.
Very few people worldwide craft ads using multi-variant testing, statistics, and data modeling.
When you work with us, you get access to a multi-million dollar dataset built over 15 years of managing nearly 2,000 client campaigns.
We use the info we get from these tools and techniques to develop targeted ads that convert.
Our work continues after we’ve helped you rank your ads. We fine-tune your campaigns to keep you getting more leads while lowering your ad spend.
What to Know About LASIK Advertising
LASIK ads can attract potential patients and help them start their journey to better vision. But today’s internet-savvy patients want more than “just the basics.”
They will likely spend considerable time researching the healthcare procedure and stick with content that fully informs them.
That’s why your advertisement should be well-researched, engaging, and relevant to your prospective patients.
Our agency can help you craft ad copies that speak directly to your target audience.
Here are some things we do to develop high-quality, targeted content:
- Ensure the article is original, logical, and factually correct
- Optimize headings for target-specific keywords
- Fix internal links
- Ensure the article has no low-value, thin content
Learn more about what many potential patients consider when researching the LASIK procedure in the below section.
Be Fully Informed About the LASIK Procedure
Many prospective patients want to learn as much information as possible before considering surgical procedures like LASIK.
Simply offering your services at low prices won’t be enough to make them book an appointment with you.
To be fully informed about LASIK, today’s patients might:
- Read about the LASIK procedure on authoritative websites, including the official websites of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (https://www.aao.org/) and the US Food and Drug Administration (https://www.fda.gov/)
- Talk to friends and family members who have firsthand experience with LASIK
- Discuss with their physicians whether LASIK is ideal for them
Your target audience usually sees LASIK ads first when researching the procedure. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure your ad is informative, comprehensive, and easy to understand.
Know the Technology and How LASIK Works
Potential patients want to know how LASIK works and what to expect before, during, and after the procedure.
Your ad may be more engaging if you explain the technology underlying LASIK and detail the process clearly.
Providing insightful answers to your target audience’s questions regarding recent advances in LASIK may help build their confidence about the procedure and encourage them to take action (for example, schedule a consultation with you).
Know the LASIK Surgeon
Potential LASIK patients don’t just want to learn about the procedure. They also want to know you (the surgeon). Here’s why:
Trust is an essential aspect of their medical decision, from seeking care to recommending an eye doctor.
One way to build trust is to inform prospects about your background, certifications, and training. These people are about to entrust their health to you. They want to feel confident that you have the necessary skills and experience to deliver the desired outcome.
Sure, detailing your procedure and backing up your claims with scientific evidence assures patients they made the right healthcare decision.
That said, incorporating relevant details about you can reinforce this trust and make your ad sound more convincing.
Make Sure They Are a Good Candidate for LASIK
Not everyone is eligible for a laser vision correction.
For example, the American Refractive Surgery Council (RSC), a US-based organization comprised of the country’s leading vision correction experts, says that around 15% to 20% of individuals interested in LASIK are ineligible due to issues like thin corneas and unstable prescriptions.
To engage this market, you could launch an ad featuring tips on how prospective patients can determine if they’re eligible for LASIK to help inform their medical decisions.
What Is the Trend in Laser Eye Surgery?
The future of the laser eye surgery market looks promising. In 2023, the global market size of LASIK eye surgery was valued at 2.3 billion USD (US dollars).
The industry’s value will likely grow exponentially in the following years. Estimates say the LASIK market will have a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 5.12% between 2023 and 2033.
A CAGR measures the yearly growth rate of an investment, assuming it compounds over time. With a steady CAGR, the LASIK eye surgery market’s value will likely exceed $3.79 billion by 2033.
As of July 2024, 700,000+ LASIK procedures are performed in the US annually.
As an eye surgeon, you probably already know these market and economic trends in laser eye surgery.
Technological developments continue to improve outcomes and safety.
Consequently, patients are increasingly seeking out LASIK to reduce their dependence on glasses and contact lenses.
Ensure your laser eye surgery choice is informed and wise. Because when it comes to your vision, there’s no room for error.
Why Local TV Ads Are Not the Answer
While TV ads can increase brand awareness, they are a shotgun approach that wastes significant money and possibly reaches even uninterested viewers.
LASIK patients tend to be more savvy. They do extensive research online before booking a consultation, so targeted digital marketing is far more effective for attracting the right patients.
Target Perfect Patients for Your LASIK Marketing and Advertising Through Facebook Ads
Facebook’s detailed targeting allows you to reach people based on demographics, interests, and behaviors.
Use carousel ads, video testimonials, and engaging images to showcase your LASIK expertise and results.
Nurture leads with educational content and retargeting to move them through the funnel.
Who Monitors LASIK Advertising to Ensure It Is Accurate?
In the US, two national government agencies regulate medical advertisements: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA monitors medical equipment, including those used in laser eye surgery. It also ensures the accuracy of medical marketing content regarding any procedure, such as LASIK.
The FTC reinforces this consumer protection measure by prohibiting ads containing deceptive and misleading information.
Some states may also enforce laws that safeguard consumers’ safety and well-being.
What do these facts mean for your ad strategy? They mean this:
If you don’t want your ad to be taken down, you must ensure it only contains accurate content.
Is Cheap LASIK the Best? Ultra-Cheap LASIK Is Fake Advertising
Like other transformative procedures, laser eye surgeries come with a price. It’s no secret that LASIK can be expensive.
As you know, ads for ultra-cheap LASIK services often imply that the procedure isn’t reliable or potentially harmful.
Guidelines for Refractive Surgery Advertising
In September 2002, the AAO (American Academy of Ophthalmology), ASCR (American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery), and ISRSAAO (the International Society of Refractive Surgery of the American Academy of Ophthalmology) released a joint statement regarding refractive surgery ads.
Here are some details about the statement that may interest you:
Statement of Purpose
These guidelines aim to help ophthalmologists ensure they provide accurate, informative advertising of refractive surgery and remind them of their legal obligations regarding their services.
Legal Framework
The FTC, FDA, and select states prohibit inaccurate and deceptive advertising regarding refractive surgery, including FDA-approved lasers used for LASIK procedures.
Here are some examples of ads that may be prohibited under the law:
- Advertising containing accurate info but conveying a misleading impression
- Deceptive claims, whether made implicitly or explicitly
- Ads that omit information, affecting consumers’ behavior regarding a particular service or procedure
The ophthalmologist is held responsible if patients make deceptive or unlawful claims and their testimonials are used to promote a clinic.
Definition of Advertising
The statement defines advertising as the use of offline and marketing materials to promote a procedure, including:
- Radio and TV (television) ads
- Seminars
- Print ads, such as patient informational brochures
- Internet ads
Accountability
Doctors are legally responsible for the accuracy of their ads. They are accountable under the law even if they hire a marketing service provider or an advertising agency to develop them.
Substantiation
The FTC mandates that advertisers should have a “reasonable basis” for the claims they make in their ads.
Health and safety claims regarding refractive surgery procedures, like LASIK, must be substantiated with “competent and reliable” scientific evidence.
Evidence may include any or a combination of the following:
- The physician’s own outcomes
- Clinical studies
Clinical studies are more reliable when they undergo peer review and are replicated in other studies.
Advertisers are also responsible for all their claims, including those reasonably implied.
An “a friend told me” (anecdotal) evidence isn’t enough. If there’s info that puts the claims in perspective, the advertiser should disclose it to prevent deception.
Finally, the ad should express all disclosures clearly so people can read and understand them.
Informed Consent
Informed consent is the process where a patient is educated by a healthcare provider regarding the benefits, risks, and alternative options to any given intervention or procedure.
As a matter of practical consideration, the joint document doesn’t expect the ad to include all the elements of appropriate informed consent disclosures.
The FTC staff mandates that some advertising claims include vital information that appears in informed consent forms.
The ad must not conflict with the risk disclosures in informed consent forms. Advertisers cannot use the informed consent forms as a loophole for deceptive advertising.
Testimonials
The FTC views a patient’s testimonial or endorsement in two ways:
- As an indirect claim about the procedure’s safety, health benefits, performance, and effectiveness
- As a claim that the patient’s experience represents the typical experiences of the physician’s patients (unless the ad discloses the general outcome of the procedure)
So, advertisers cannot make indirect claims using testimonials that they could not support if made directly.
MD and Expert Endorsements
Physicians can only endorse efficacy claims for products and services if these professionals meet the following criteria:
- They have the qualifications necessary to evaluate the service
- They provide an independent evaluation
- They disclose in the ad any personal or financial conflict of interest
Advertising Claims
Refractive surgery patients have different needs, goals, and preferred surgical outcomes.
As such, ads cannot replace the actual discussion between the potential surgery patient and their ophthalmic surgeon.
This interaction ensures that the patient’s needs, expectations, and concerns are addressed before any procedure is performed.
Efficacy Claims
The guidelines for refractive surgery advertising also included examples of advertisement claims that may be legally challenged. These claims may include:
- “Throw Away Your Glasses!”
Many consumers may interpret this headline as guaranteeing that the procedure will eliminate their need for corrective lenses.
Patients may challenge this claim legally since the physician cannot guarantee that they will have 20/20 vision and be “free from glasses,” including reading glasses.
- “See naturally with refractive surgery!”
Consumers may understand “see naturally” as “see without corrective aids,” such as corrective or contact lenses. Like the “Throw Away Your Glasses” claim, patients may challenge this guarantee legally.
- “98% of our patients see 20/40 or better postoperatively—good enough to pass a driver’s test in most states!”
This explicit claim showcases a particular patient group’s success rate. Physicians who include them in their ads should be able to provide a study or analysis of patient records to support the claim.
Some consumers may also understand the “good enough to pass a driver’s test” as another “no more glasses” claim.
They might think (based on the ad) that since they can pass a driver’s vision test, they might not need corrective lenses for other activities.
Meanwhile, an acceptable ad claim may look something like this:
“If you can read the small print but can’t see well at a distance, visit Drs. Smith and Jones to learn more about LASIK—our typical nearsighted patient–after refractive surgery–no longer needs glasses for many activities.”
The headline suggests that LASIK can only treat nearsightedness and informs consumers that they might still need glasses for other activities post-surgery.
Comparative Efficacy Claims
The document also commented on three examples of ads that use comparative phrases like “better than” and “the best results”:
- “We use a scanning laser so that you get the best results.”
This ad claimed that scanning lasers achieve better outcomes than nonscanning ones. That’s acceptable only if the physician has reliable and competent scientific evidence to substantiate it.
- “This laser is ranked highest by the FDA.”
Ads shouldn’t compare lasers without evidence to back their claims. Plus, the FDA doesn’t rate devices comparatively.
- “Our (LASIK) surgeons are more experienced than any of their colleagues in (Florida).”
This ad strategy is risky. Physicians who make these types of claims should produce reliable, up-to-date evidence based on the number of procedures each refractive surgeon has performed in the area.
Safety Claims
The FTC and FDA monitor the use of words like “safe” and “safe and easy” because some advertising materials fail to disclose significant risks associated with certain procedures.
Ads that use “safe and easy” to describe LASIK are generally inappropriate, especially if they don’t include risk disclosures.
Misleading safety claims may be subtle.
Suppose an ad states that a PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) laser vision correction “doesn’t involve knives or cuts to the eye.” In that case, the ad would be true but potentially misleading.
PRK procedures use excimer lasers instead of blades (true). Still, the ad’s claim seems to suggest that PRK is a noninvasive procedure (not true)
An acceptable ad could be something like: “The FDA has determined that the use of excimer laser is safe and effective for LASIK.”
Permanence and Predictability Claims
Ads for medical procedures may also include claims of permanence. These claims may convey that “permanent” means “stable” throughout the patient’s post-surgery.
The FTC’s concern is that the claim doesn’t disclose the possibility of instability or regression.
Success Rate Claims
Suppose a surgeon claims that “90% of LASIK patients achieve 20/40 vision or better.”
In that case, they should ensure the claim is based on a scientifically reliable clinical study. The surgeon must also ensure that the procedure follows the same protocol indicated in the study.
“Painless” Claims
Reasonable consumers may interpret the statement “LASIK is safe and painless” to mean that the entire procedure (pre-op, during, and post-op) is painless.
However, as a surgeon, you likely know that patients undergoing refractive surgery may experience pain and discomfort after surgery.
You may even prescribe patients pain relievers to address the pain or discomfort.
That’s why “painless” claims are almost always inaccurate or deceptive.
Complying with various policies can sometimes be overwhelming. Some restrictions might make you think you can’t express what you initially wanted in your ads.
Fortunately, ad platforms usually publish advertising standards so they won’t disapprove of your ads.
Understanding when ad content violates legal and ethical guidelines can help ensure your ads get approved.
We can help check your ads and website or landing page for factors that don’t align with existing platform policies and provide recommendations.
What Is the Latest Eye Correction Technology?
A recent report from RSC shows that LASIK has a high success rate. Nearly all patients achieved 20/40 vision, and over 90% achieved 20/20 vision or better.
And LASIK’s technology just seems to keep improving.
LASIK has evolved beyond its early stages and advanced into a new era of safety, precision, and individualized eye care.
Here are five recent innovations in the field of LASIK technology:
- Wavefront-guided LASIK
This technique uses your unique eye health to individualize vision correction.
Wavefront-guided LASIK maps out the details of a patient’s cornea to spot even the smallest irregularities.
As such, it can help refine treatment plans with incredible precision.
Plus, this procedure won’t just help restore a person’s visual acuity. It can also enhance their vision with clarity and sharpness beyond conventional methods.
- Topography-guided LASIK
This technology analyzes corneal topography (eye’s surface) to create a highly individualized treatment plan.
Topography-guided LASIK can sharpen your vision and reduce side effects like halos and glare.
- Femtosecond Laser Technology
Surgeons may use these ultrafast, high-precision lasers to create the corneal flap during the procedure.
Femtosecond lasers’ accuracy makes the surgical process safer, reducing the risk of complications.
With this innovative laser eye technology, surgeons can make corneal flaps with remarkable consistency, providing patients with better visual outcomes.
The LASIK market is booming, and laser eye surgery techniques continue to advance.
To make the most out of this trend, partner with an ad agency that understands the math behind paid ads and the uniqueness of your practice.
Who better fits this need than us, a team of math and marketing specialists?
While our first language is numbers, we’re always happy to listen and talk with people. This way, we can develop an ad strategy that matches your practice.
Still, when it comes to securing a high ad ranking, the numbers matter most.
Let’s talk strategy if you’re serious about becoming a leader in your field. Many of our clients are surgeons—and have been for years.
Our unique, data-driven approach has helped them maximize their budget’s lead volume and patient flow.
Call us at 310 879 8003 for a no-pitch, no-obligation consultation. Find out which ad strategy your laser eye surgery practice can’t afford to miss. Let us help you turn your ads into powerful tools that attract more LASIK patients!
