You’re a highly skilled and seasoned surgeon offering innovative vision correction procedures. However, patient leads, consultations, and bookings aren’t where you’d like them to be.
You’ve heard of digital marketing‘s power. Still, the sheer number of available tactics and the constant need for testing and optimization can be overwhelming.
Perhaps you’ve even partnered with digital marketing agencies in the past, only to be let down by generic campaigns that fail to understand the unique needs of your practice.
If this scenario of unmet potential sounds familiar, you’re not alone
Like many busy and dedicated laser eye surgeons, you may find yourself in a challenging situation: You want to attract more qualified patients, schedule more consultations, and perform more procedures.
However, without the time and resources to manage e a complex digital marketing campaign, it’s hard to see a way forward.
We understand your frustration. That’s why we’re here to offer a different approach: custom marketing strategies built from a robust dataset built on our 15+ years of managing over 2,000 client campaigns.
Forget cookie-cutter solutions—we take the time to understand your unique challenges, objectives, and budget constraints through research, website and campaign audits, and data analysis.
We let our inside track on the mathematics of digital marketing pinpoint the most effective initiatives, allowing us to create strategies designed to deliver your desired results and maximize returns.
The best part is that we’ll never ask for your commitment unless we believe you’re a good fit for our services. After all, we don’t want to waste your invaluable time and money.
So, let us take the digital marketing burden off your shoulders so you can focus on what you do best—providing exceptional eye care and performing life-changing laser eye procedures.
Continue reading to discover how our unique data-driven approach to laser eye surgery marketing can help keep your medical practice competitive.
Or you can hear it straight from the experts. Call us at 310 879 8003, email contact@digitalspotlight.com, or visit 2450 Colorado Avenue, Suite 100E, Santa Monica, CA 90404.
What Is LASIK Marketing?
Do you ever feel like your laser eye surgery practice is stuck on autopilot, going through the motions but not generating the patient leads and conversions it deserves?
That’s what happens if you don’t promote your practice online.
Here’s the truth: you can offer the most cutting-edge vision correction services, such as LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis). Still, patients won’t know your practice exists if it’s not on the web.
After all, roughly 97% of people use digital channels, such as social media platforms and search engines, to discover businesses, products, and services—like the ones you offer.
Enter LASIK marketing. LASIK advertising can enhance your practice’s online presence, reach prospective patients, and drive them to schedule a medical procedure.
How It Works
LASIK eye surgery marketing has a straighforward goal: get your practice noticed by potential patients seeking freedom from glasses and contact lenses.
But how you achieve that goal can feel overwhelming—there are countless ways to approach digital advertising. Fortunately, we’re not your average online marketing agency.
We ditch the confusing jargon and blind faith tactics. We translate digital marketing speak into plain English and work alongside you to craft a clear and effective strategy.
So, with that out of the way, here’s how we’ll put your laser eye surgery practice on the map:
- SEO: Search engine optimization involves boosting your organic (nonpaid) search rankings by tweaking your website’s on-page, off-site, and technical elements.
- Paid ads: This digital marketing strategy increases the visibility of your refractive surgery practice and promotes your services via targeted “sponsored” advertisements.
- SMM: Social media marketing entails utilizing organic posts and paid ads on social sites to build connections with potential patients and drive them toward your website and offerings.
- Email marketing: This tactic involves sending personalized messages to past clients, allowing you to reconnect with them and keep your practice top-of-mind.
Understanding Your Target Audience
Do you want to know the secret behind a successful marketing campaign? It involves understanding your target patients inside and out, including what motivates them to consider procedures like LASIK.
Why? Simple: your message, regardless of how well-crafted, will be brushed aside if it’s not directed at the right people. It’s like fishing using the best bait in a lake without fish.
So, who is your target audience? Who are the individuals most likely to convert into loyal patients and book consultations and procedures? Let’s find out, shall we?
How Large Is the Target Market for LASIK?
If you’re struggling to fill your appointment list, you might think there isn’t a demand for ophthalmologists or laser eye surgeons—at least, not a substantial one. But you’d be wrong.
In 2023, the global market size for LASIK eye surgery was 3.53 billion. Forecasts predict that it will grow to a valuation of 5.21 billion by 2031, mainly thanks to the US (United States).
What Factors Are Driving the Increase in Interest in LASIK Surgery?
Various theories are floating around to explain the surge in Americans undergoing LASIK and other laser eye procedures, from pandemic-related reasons like fogged glasses to economic factors.
The most interesting theory, however, involves millennials (born between 1980 and 2000). This demographic accounts for most of the US population and is more prone to vision problems than other age groups.
Who Is the Target Market for LASIK?
As of July 2024, the millennial demographic comprises people between the ages of 24 and 44. Therefore, it makes sense that patients between 35 and 42 are the most common targets for LASIK.
However, that doesn’t mean the younger crowd isn’t a potential goldmine for your healthcare practice. This demographic just needs the right nudge to consider LASIK and other vision correction procedures.
Here’s where digital marketing shines. When you partner with us, you can be confident that you’ll reach and engage your most valuable patients in the right place and time with messages that resonate with them.
How are we so sure? Advanced statistical analysis, data modeling, and multi-variant testing guide our marketing efforts, ensuring everything we do is backed by the numbers—not guesswork.
How Can You Improve Patient Experience?
What people say about your laser eye surgery practice online can affect your ability to secure patients. After all, most, if not all, check online reviews before committing to a surgeon.
Fortunately, our reputation management services can help control what information internet users see about your medical practice online. However, the best way to ensure people sing praises about your practice is to provide a positive patient experience.
Here’s how you can do that:
Let Them Choose the Music
Various studies have found that eye surgery patients who listen to relaxing music feel less anxious and may even require less sedation. But every patient is unique.
What constitutes “relaxing” music for one person may be a nails-on-a-chalkboard experience for another. So, why don’t you go the extra mile and let your patients choose their guilty pleasure song?
Place Yourself in Their Shoes
Pretend you’re not a top-notch surgeon. Instead, imagine yourself facing laser eye surgery. You might feel a rollercoaster of emotions—excitement for better vision and distress about the procedure.
That’s what patients walking through your practice’s doors feel, and that’s why empathy is critical. Remember, a well-informed, relaxed patient will likely recommend you to others.
Keep in Touch
Any self-respecting laser eye surgeon knows the patient journey doesn’t end when the client gets up from the operating table. After all, they’ll be vulnerable post-procedure.
Did they get home safely? How are they feeling? Are they experiencing any discomfort? By checking in with them, you show you care and ensure potential issues are caught early and addressed quickly.
How to Improve Your Website’s Google Search Ranking
When you’re Googling something, which result do you typically click on? Which of Google’s recommendations will most likely have the information you’re looking for?
Chances are you’ll check one of the first three results. Statistics show that the top three results generally get 75.1% of the clicks, which means other people think the same way as you.
What does this information tell us? Climbing the Google rankings ladder is your best chance of getting noticed by potential patients and driving them toward your laser eye surgery offerings.
The question is, “How does one raise their Google search ranking?” Here are some tried-and-tested ways:
Identify the Search Queries of Potential Patients
Suppose someone is considering LASIK surgery or other vision correction procedures. What questions or keywords will they likely type into Google?
Singling out what these terms and phrases are and intelligently integrating them into your website are critical for boosting your search engine results page (SERP) position.
After all, Google checks these keywords to determine if your laser eye surgery website’s content is relevant to the user’s search query. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about picking the wrong keywords with us.
We use a sophisticated process utilizing industry-standard tools, including Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Keyword Planner, to choose the most profitable keywords to leverage in your campaigns.
We also have full-time researchers who constantly monitor the web for trends and patterns, allowing us to keep pace with evolving searcher preferences and behavior.
Ensure a Mobile-Friendly Website
These days, most people use their smartphones for everything, including searching the web. Around 63% of Google searches in the US occur on mobile devices.
Google knows this and has awarded mobile-friendly web pages with higher SERP rankings. That’s why our digital marketing process involves tweaking websites for mobile usability, which includes efforts like:
- Incorporating responsive design, such as enabling content to display or scale depending on the user’s screen size
- Ensuring your web page’s HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) headers redirect users to the device-appropriate version of your site
- Adding accessibility features such as descriptive alt text for images on your mobile pages
Learn What Influences SEO
Search engine optimization helps Google understand your laser eye surgery website and whether it’s the best answer to a searcher’s question.
Unfortunately, many elements can influence your SEO ranking, with some saying there could be over 200 ranking factors. Keeping up with them is where 99% of businesses and professionals struggle.
But we work differently. Instead of trying to tick all of Google’s checkboxes, we focus our efforts on 20% of the factors that provide 80% of the impact on your rankings.
This approach includes optimizing your website’s on-page, off-site, and technical components, including the following:
- PageSpeed score: This metric measures how quickly your web pages can be opened. Our job is to ensure that your website scores 90 or higher.
- Internal links: These hyperlinks enable your website visitors to navigate between pages. We ensure that the pages you want to rank on Google aren’t “orphans” or pages without links.
- Backlink profile: Backlinks are like referrals from other websites that redirect internet users to your pages. We curate high-quality backlinks from relevant and authoritative sites to improve your Google rankings.
- Content quality: We audit your existing content, outline SEO-focused content creation guidelines, and produce informative, rank-ready articles and blogs incorporating keywords that hit user intent.
- Website security: As part of our SEO process, we’ll acquire an SSL (secure sockets layer) signed by a trusted authority, giving visitors secure site access.
Why LASIK Practices Need Digital Marketing
It’s true—digital marketing isn’t the only way to reach potential patients. For instance, we get many of our clients through traditional channels like word-of-mouth referrals.
But if there’s a reason why LASIK and other laser eye surgery practices need digital marketing, it’s that patients are no longer what you’d call “passive.”
They now proactively manage their healthcare, searching for procedure information, reading reviews about medical professionals, and booking consultations online.
Want proof? Here are the monthly Google search volume (number of searches) figures in the US for some of the keywords related to LASIK and other vision correction procedures:
| Keyword | Search Volume *based on July 2024 data |
| lasik eye surgery | 110,000 |
| lasik eye procedure | 110,000 |
| laser vision correction cost | 90,500 |
| laser eye surgery | 60,500 |
| laser eye correction | 60,500 |
This data implies that if your laser eye surgery practice doesn’t have an online presence, you’re missing out on thousands of potential patients.
What Are the Best LASIK Marketing Strategies?
Many self-proclaimed digital marketing “gurus” will claim that the “best” LASIK marketing strategies should involve this and that. But we’re not gurus, and we’re not trying to be.
So, allow us to tell you something different: there aren’t any “best” strategies. Every laser eye practice—including yours—is unique and requires a tailored solution.
After all, what’s “best” for one surgeon and is effective at bringing in patients, consults, and procedures may not be the strategy your unique situation needs.
That said, here are some tactics that we believe laser eye surgeons like you should integrate into their digital marketing strategy to attract new patients:
Almost Half of Scheduled Appointments Originate From Personal Recommendations
Think about it. How often have you tried a restaurant or service because a friend or family member raved about it? The same principle applies to laser eye surgery.
According to a 2023 report by OptiCall, a customer service provider for medical practices, around 42.88% of booked consultations came from word-of-mouth recommendations.
Digital marketing can amplify this positive feedback by focusing on patient experience. For instance, an SEO strategy can make your website more user-friendly and give patients informative content.
Conversely, a well-thought-out social media marketing approach allows you to effectively communicate with your target audience throughout their patient journey, such as during post-operative follow-ups.
An Increasing Number of Patients Are Influenced by Online Information
The internet houses all the information one might ever need. Sometimes, you may even find classified military information on it. That’s why it’s unsurprising that patients are influenced by what they see online.
Nearly half (46.64%) of laser eye surgery patients in 2023 were swayed into booking a consultation by internet info, including digital marketing efforts like paid ads.
In other words, establishing a robust online presence by leveraging online marketing strategies can increase the odds of converting internet users into consultations and procedures for your practice.
Direct Mail Proved to Be the Least Effective in Attracting New Patients
Why is it so hard to spend paper cash but easy to swipe a credit card? One word: tangibility. Direct mail gives your marketing a tangible feel—an experience your audience can hold and touch.
However, if we can also describe email marketing’s advantage over direct mail in one word, it’s conversion. Direct mailers typically only convert 0.5% to 2% of the time.
On the other hand, if you send your marketing materials via email, you can expect an average conversion rate of around 15.22%—a substantial 661% improvement.
Fortunately, email marketing is one of the arrows in our digital marketing quiver. It allows you to stay in touch with your laser eye surgery patients and keep your practice top-of-mind.
Create an Engaging, User-Friendly Website
Your website is an online hub where potential patients can learn about your practice, qualifications, approach to laser eye surgery, and, most importantly, why you’re the perfect fit for their needs.
But what do you think happens if your online storefront is slow and clunky or, in other words, doesn’t provide a good user experience? Website visitors won’t stay long enough to see why they should book an appointment with you.
For this reason, your website must be engaging and user-friendly. Our website design and development services accomplish this goal in various ways, including:
- Producing high-quality, informative website content
- Making navigation a breeze for users through internal links
- Improving how quickly your website can be opened
Simplify the Scheduling Process
What does your appointment scheduling process look like? Does it make taking the next step for your patients straightforward, or does it make them jump through hoops first?
Providing a simple and convenient scheduling option can bring people closer to getting their vision correction needs met, which helps convert website visitors into new patients for your laser eye surgery practice.
One of the scheduling avenues we leverage is a Google Ad extension or asset known as “Call.” This extension lets internet users call your practice directly from your advertisements.
Focus Your Messages on Patient Experience Over Surgeon Practices
Creating content showcasing the latest advancements in laser eye surgery can help establish credibility and authority. However, to attract more patients, you should focus on patient experience.
Think about it this way: People don’t need to understand the inner workings of a car engine to appreciate a smooth, comfortable ride. The same goes for laser eye surgery.
So, instead of bombarding your target audience with ophthalmology-related technical jargon, highlight patient experience—how your practice addresses the needs of its patients.
Thanks to our in-house team of experienced writers, proofreaders, and editors, you can be confident that your message shows that you care about your patients.
Prioritize Communication With Potential Patients
Communication is vital in any relationship; the doctor-patient relationship is no exception. With digital marketing, you can establish connections with potential patients through:
- Articles and blogs that instill confidence in your procedures
- Social media posts that can help ease patient anxieties
- Email reminders that keep them updated throughout their journey
Use Patient Reviews as a Marketing Tactic
You must promote your laser eye surgery practice to get more patients—it’s as straightforward as that.
While leveraging as many digital channels as possible lets you expand your reach significantly, you don’t want to flood the online space with your ads. Why? People don’t like them.
Here’s where patient reviews come in. Positive feedback from past clients act as powerful social proof, giving potential patients a glimpse into the experience awaiting them at your practice.
That’s why our digital marketing strategy involves curating online reviews, testimonials, and citations and spotlighting the neutral and positive ones to help shape perceptions about your practice.
Getting More Reviews
The more positive reviews your laser eye surgery practice has, the higher your odds of convincing internet users that you’re the right surgeon to address their vision problems.
So, getting as many online assessments as possible is part of our digital marketing services. However, we’ll never buy positive reviews or discourage your patients from leaving negative ones.
These acts violate Google’s guidelines on fake engagement. If caught, you’ll face various penalties, including getting your laser vision correction practice removed from search engines.
Use Insights to Strengthen Patient Trust
Checking your campaign metrics can give you insight into which digital marketing strategies are working and spot areas for improvement. This practice can also help you improve patient trust. How?
By digging into the numbers, you can craft the right message to target people at the right time and place. That’s what we do—constantly monitor the data.
Put yourself in your patient’s shoes. Who are you more likely to trust: a surgeon who knows and gives you what you need and want or someone more concerned with selling their services?
Show Patients Your Case Studies
Let’s face it. Laser eye surgery is a big decision. So, it’s natural for people to want reassurance that your practice can deliver exceptional results—their desired outcomes.
And what better way to give potential patients that assurance than with case studies? It’s the same reason we showcase our client case studies for prospective digital marketing clients.
Create a Social Media Strategy
Did you know that the average American has 7.1 social media accounts? Establishing a presence on various social sites can be an effective tactic to connect with potential patients.
Fortunately, we also offer social media marketing services, which involve leveraging social media channels, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok, to:
- Expand your laser eye surgery practice’s reach
- Attract prospective patients and drive them toward your services
- Foster meaningful connections through community engagement
Community Involvement and Outreach Initiatives for LASIK Practices
In today’s landscape, digital marketing is king for promoting your laser eye surgery practice. However, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of shaking hands and building relationships in your backyard.
After all, actively engaging with your local community is a fantastic way to build credibility and trustworthiness, spotlight your skills and expertise, and generate referrals to keep your practice running.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Local Sponsorships and Partnerships
Partner with local sports teams, community event organizers, or organizations. Sponsorship opportunities showcase your commitment to your community and put your practice in front of potential patients.
Free Vision Camps
Organizing free vision check-up camps or sessions for laser eye surgery awareness is an excellent way to demonstrate your dedication to eye health and establish yourself as the go-to resource for vision correction.
Think of these free camps as a chance to make a positive impact and introduce your laser eye surgery practice to people considering eye care options like LASIK.
Collaborate With Local Businesses
As they say, “Two heads are better than one.” So, why not partner with local establishments, such as optical shops or fitness centers, to cross-promote services?
Participate In Community Events
Health fairs, charity runs, and community festivals are excellent opportunities to put your laser eye surgery on the map—on the radars of people looking for solutions for their eye problems.
Remember, every interaction is a chance to raise awareness about LASIK and other laser eye surgery procedures, showcase your unmatched skills and expertise, and drive patients toward your services.
Educational Workshops
If you have the bandwidth, consider hosting workshops or seminars on topics such as eye health, the benefits of LASIK and other laser eye surgery procedures, and the latest innovations in the field.
Doing so positions you as a thought leader and a trusted source of laser eye surgery-related information within your community—the expert potential patients turn to for matters concerning their vision.
Support Local Charities
Contributing a portion of your profits to support a local charity event, volunteering your time or your team to help with a community project, or any activity related to “giving back” resonates well with people.
So, by demonstrating your corporate social responsibility, you’re fostering goodwill and trust among potential patients. Who knows? Your charitable acts might become the deciding factor for some people.
Referral Programs
There are many ways to show your appreciation for patients. One of them is to launch a referral program that offers incentives like discounts or rewards.
It’s a win-win situation—you get new patients for your laser eye surgery practice, and your existing patients are rewarded for recommending your services to friends and family.
Digital Marketing for LASIK Surgeons
Traditional marketing avenues like community involvement and outreach initiatives can help you get more patient leads, consultations, and procedure bookings for your medical practice.
There’s just one problem—they’re not digital marketing strategies.
Today’s patients research everything online. If your practice isn’t present in the digital space, you’re missing out on a significant market actively seeking to ditch their glasses with the help of laser eye surgery.
But we understand if you’ve yet to incorporate digital marketing tactics into your marketing plan. After all, running a successful laser eye surgery practice takes immense dedication.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go on this journey alone—we’re here to offer a helping hand. So, here’s how we’ll leverage the power of the internet to help you reach your desired patients:
Website for LASIK Patient Acquisition
What associations do you make when you hear “online presence”? For many, that phrase equates to a website—and for good reason. Your website is a hub where people can learn more about you and your services.
It’s also the first impression potential patients will get of your laser eye surgery practice. So, you must make it count. There are various ways you can turn your website into a lead-generating machine.
But here’s how we do it:
Make Conversion Easy
Imagine this: After perusing your website, a user is convinced of your skills and expertise and wants to book a consultation. If you don’t make it easy for them to do so, you’ll likely drive them away.
A website for patient acquisition streamlines the conversion process, whether scheduling an appointment, downloading an informative guide, or signing up for your newsletter.
To do that, you make your laser eye surgery website more user-friendly. That’s why our web development and design services include efforts such as the following:
- Adding meta descriptions that give site visitors context about what your web pages contain
- Improving the navigability of pages within your website, such as your “Contact Us” page
- Incorporating design elements, including contact forms, that can display regardless of the user’s device
Answer Frequently Asked Questions
Around 68% of online activities start with a search engine like Google. In other words, people have questions. If you want your website to encourage patients to make a phone call, it must have the answers.
Fortunately, we can help with that—by creating dedicated FAQ (frequently asked questions) sections.
Need help anticipating the queries people might ask? Don’t worry. One of our primary responsibilities is to understand who your target patients are, hence why we conduct research, analysis, and audits before asking you to sign up.
Include Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
Don’t leave prospective patients guessing what to do next. To acquire more leads, consults, and procedures for your laser eye surgery practice, you must guide your visitors through their decision-making.
One way to accomplish this task is by crafting calls to action (CTAs) that nudge people in the right direction—something our experienced content department can help you with.
Incorporate Interactive Features
An informative website that helps establish your clinic as the go-to practice for laser eye surgery information doesn’t have to be boring. So, why not ensure an engaging user experience by adding interactive features?
Fortunately, they don’t have to be overly complex. Adding interactivity can be as simple as providing a before-and-after gallery, which we can help with by providing permissible photographs.
Do you want to integrate other interactive features on your laser eye surgery website? Call 310 879 8003 or email contact@digitalspotlight.com to talk to our digital marketing professionals.
Content Marketing
There are various reasons why you should incorporate content marketing into your laser eye surgery practice’s advertising strategy. But if we can only select two, they would be:
- High-quality, highly relevant articles and blogs can improve your search rankings.
- Every content you produce gives you a chance to shine as a laser eye surgery leader, share valuable insights with people, and build trust with prospective patients.
That’s why our digital marketing strategies generally involve leveraging our seasoned in-house writers, proofreaders, and editors for content creation. What does this process look like? Continue reading to find out.
Educational Blog Posts
Think of your blog as a treasure trove of information on laser eye surgery. New advancements in procedures? Debunking common myths? Post-surgery care tips?
These informative posts are gold. They improve your website’s SEO and help ease your audience’s misgivings about laser eye surgery procedures like LASIK.
That said, we don’t make content for the sake of creating content.
We work differently, conducting audits and research to determine content opportunities that meet user intent—blog posts that address people’s needs and desires.
Interactive Infographics
Our brains process images 60,000 times faster than text. What does that mean for your content marketing strategy? You should include interactive elements like images to communicate your message better.
Fortunately, we leverage everything we can to make your marketing materials more engaging, from text and images to video and audio, ensuring that your content resonates with the people you want to target.
Patient Stories
People are tired of ads. After all, they’re everywhere online. So, the best content marketing strategy may not require sales-focused articles and blogs.
Here’s where letting your patients be the stars comes in. Sharing your patients’ success stories fosters trust with potential patients and instills confidence in your laser eye surgery offerings.
And that’s where our content department excels—spotlighting patient experiences that allow potential patients to connect emotionally, easing their concerns about vision correction surgery.
Email Newsletters
Email marketing, such as through periodic email newsletters, keeps you connected with potential laser eye surgery patients and allows you to nurture your relationship with them.
That’s why, in addition to traditional SEO, paid online advertising, and SMM services, we offer email marketing assistance, giving our clients another avenue to engage their desired audience.
Local SEO
Like regular SEO, local SEO is all about improving your organic rankings. The difference is that the latter focuses more on raising your local rank for searches with geo-specific keywords like “near me.”
Now, you might wonder, “What’s the benefit of having a higher local search rank?” The answer is that patients are looking for LASIK and other laser eye surgery options in their immediate area.
You can see this preference for local options in the July 2024 search volume (number of searches) data for keywords related to laser eye surgery, such as the following:
| Keyword | Search Volume |
| lasik eye surgery near me | 33,100 |
| laser eye doctor near me | 9,900 |
| laser eye surgery near me | 8,100 |
| vision correction surgery near me | 8,100 |
| best lasik doctor near me | 2,900 |
So, now that we’ve established the importance of local search engine optimization, the question remains: “Can you improve my laser eye surgery practice’s local SEO?” Here’s how we’ll do it:
Listings and Citations
Think of online listings and citations as your digital billboards. The more places your practice’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) appear online, the easier it will be for laser eye surgery patients to find you.
Part of our local SEO approach is to create or claim online business listings for your laser eye surgery practice on platforms like Bing Places, Facebook, Yellow Pages, and Yelp.
We’ll also ensure that information about your practice is accurate and consistent across the internet, as inaccurate details like wrong phone numbers and misspellings can lower your local rankings.
Google Business Profile (Formerly GMB)
If you can only have one online listing for your laser eye surgery practice, it should be on Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google My Business (GMB).
Why? Your GBP can make or break your local SEO rank. For this reason, we must claim your GBP and keep it updated with your practice’s critical details, including the service area and contact info.
Moreover, we’ll also spiff it up with attractive photos and compelling descriptions that demonstrate your expertise and leave a lasting impression on people searching for vision correction online.
Geographical Keyword Strategy
Keywords are the secret terms or phrases you should use to get found online. Google uses them to determine how relevant your website, content, or business listing is to an internet user’s query.
The better your target keywords match the user’s query, the higher your website’s odds of appearing on local SERPs. That’s why our local keyword selection process prioritizes “near me” or location-based terms.
Optimized Location Pages
Landing pages are the first stop for searchers who click on your search result or ad, making them one of your primary touchpoints with prospective laser eye surgery patients.
Therefore, it’s natural that we optimize these pages to engage and encourage site visitors to book a consultation or procedure appointment, which we accomplish by:
- Integrating locally relevant keywords into your page headings
- Crafting informative, compelling, and relevant articles and blogs
- Making your local landing pages more mobile-friendly
Local Backlinks
Backlinks are referral hyperlinks from other websites that point back to yours. Think of them as votes of confidence—the more you have, the more credible your laser eye surgery practice appears.
For this reason, our local SEO process involves finding link-building opportunities. Our in-house outreach team spearheads this effort, connecting you with highly relevant and authoritative websites.
Localized Content
Nobody wants to read generic content that doesn’t apply to them. That’s why we tailor our content to your target audience—in this case, those seeking eye correction options in your area.
Advertising LASIK Surgery Using Google Ads
Digital marketing can be overwhelming, with countless strategies that all seem to be the “most” effective at bringing in more patients, consultations, and procedures for your laser eye surgery practice.
But Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords and Google Adwords Express) sets itself apart when it comes to promoting your vision correction services, and here’s why:
Benefits of Pay-per-Click Advertising
Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model. That means that Google only charges you for the clicks or the traffic your advertisements generate, not for displaying your ads.
This pricing setup makes Google Ads extremely cost-effective, especially considering that it also offers precise targeting, allowing you to select audiences based on your desired qualities.
Aside from being a budget-friendly advertising solution for laser eye surgeons like you, Google Ads gives you instant online visibility, allowing you to capitalize on Google’s massive audience and network.
Google PPC Strategies for LASIK Providers
We leverage various strategies to maximize your PPC marketing investment, from raising your ad’s quality scores to optimizing your bids. After all, every penny counts.
But our most essential tactic? It’s identifying the proper structure for your account. To explain, Google Ads lets you display your ads on its four primary channels, which are:
- Google Search: Displays your paid search ads on the Google Search Network, which gives you access to Google Search Partner sites like Amazon.com and NYTimes.com.
- Google Display: Helps your PPC ads reach over 90% of internet users on this channel, as the Google Display Network (GDN) consists of millions of websites, apps, and videos.
- Google Remarketing: Lets you target and encourage existing patients to reengage with your laser eye surgery practice, such as booking a consultation.
- Google Shopping: Showcases your brand, offerings, and essential information about your medical practice to users using Google as a shopping catalog.
As your digital marketing partner, our responsibility is to find the “right mix”—the channels in which to display your ads and give you the best bang for your PPC buck.
We’re confident we can do that. After all, we’re a certified Google partner, which gives us exclusive benefits like the following:
- Hotline access to Google’s senior support staff
- First crack at Google’s new beta features
- Nonpublic data on search trends and patterns
Facebook Advertising for LASIK
Facebook isn’t solely a platform for sharing “fail” videos or cat memes (although it may be one of this platform’s best features). It’s also one of the most effective digital marketing channels for paid ads.
Advertising on social media sites like Facebook lets you connect with potential patients, build brand awareness for your practice, and, ultimately, attract consultations and procedures.
With our help, you can expect our digital marketing experts to:
- Leverage Facebook’s advanced targeting options, ensuring your marketing efforts are aimed at your most valuable audience
- Personalize your ads using various ad formats so you can capture a broader audience
- Help you build trust, credibility, and loyalty with patients through social media engagement
Full-Funnel Paid Media Strategy
Laser eye surgery isn’t an easy decision. For one, the cost of procedures like LASIK can be as much as $4,200. So, having people at different stages of your sales funnel is natural.
Unfortunately, that requires tailoring your message to each stage, further complicating an already intricate marketing avenue. Here’s where we come in.
Our data-driven approach to Facebook advertising allows us to mine valuable data, such as the patient journey map, giving us insight into what we need to do to drive engagement and generate leads.
Regular Social Media Posts
Our expertise lies in delivering qualified leads through optimized Facebook ad campaigns. But if you need more likes and engagement on your posts, we can help.
After all, our social media marketing services also involve organic posting to reach your desired patients, boost brand recognition, and direct people to your laser eye surgery website and content.
Video Marketing for LASIK for Patient Education
In the world of laser eye surgery, a picture—or, should we say, video—is truly worth a thousand words. Videos resonate better with some people, making video marketing a powerful tool to leverage.
Fortunately, our digital marketing services also include YouTube Ads. If you partner with us, we can help you manage video advertisements in the following formats:
- In-stream ads: Play before, during, or after a video. Your viewer can skip the ad after five seconds.
- Discovery ads: Appear as video results.
- Non-skippable ads: Last between 6 and 15 seconds and cannot be skipped.
Explaining LASIK Procedures Through Videos
Traditional articles and blogs can help answer people’s questions about laser eye surgery procedures like LASIK and establish your practice as the go-to center for vision correction.
But let’s face it. A wall of text can get boring. Videos, on the other hand, can use cool animations and add spice to an otherwise medical jargon-heavy topic such as laser eye surgery.
So, why not leverage explainer videos in your laser eye surgery practice’s marketing strategy? If you need help creating video content, contact us, and let’s discuss what we can do for you.
Schedule a no-pitch, no-obligation consultation by calling 310 879 8003 or emailing contact@digitalspotlight.com. You can also visit us at 2450 Colorado Avenue, Suite 100E, Santa Monica, CA 90404.
Online Reputation Management for LASIK Practices
Your desired patients can see online reviews, testimonials, and feedback about your laser eye surgery practice at the click of a button. So, managing your digital image is no longer an option—it’s a necessity.
For this reason, we include reputation management in our digital marketing services catalog. We control and protect what information people can see about your practice by:
- Pinpointing the culprits hurting your online reputation
- Emphasizing neutral and positive reviews and citations
- Recommending PR (public relations) opportunities
Main Aspects of a LASIK Surgeon’s Reputation
While there could be countless factors that can influence your online reputation as a laser eye surgeon, we focus our management efforts on two primary ones.
These significant aspects are:
- Search engine results: What appears on Google’s first page when someone searches for your name or practice? Ideally, you want positive information and reviews front and center.
- Reviews: People rely on reviews to gauge the quality of a practice’s care. Positive reviews on your business listings, especially on your GBP, can help you earn your audience’s trust.
Responding to Both Positive and Negative Reviews to Build Trust
Online reviews can significantly affect your digital standing. Positive assessments, for instance, can improve your search rankings and instill confidence in your laser eye surgery skills and expertise.
Unfortunately, not all reviews are sunshine and rainbows—but that’s okay! “There’s no such thing as bad publicity,” since even critiques can increase awareness and spark conversations about your practice.
So, whether you get a good or bad appraisal, it’s essential that you reply. After all, doing so shows patients you care about delivering the best possible patient experience.
Controlling Page One for the LASIK Surgeon’s Name
Around 75% of searchers never bother to check past page one of the search results. That’s because people trust search engines to give them the answers to their questions.
Therefore, it’s critical that you defend your first-page positions against future negative reviews. Fortunately, creating a ranking defense plan to do just that is part of our digital marketing approach.
Hosting Webinars and Q and A Sessions for Your LASIK Patients
People are now proactive regarding their health, and the internet is where many of them go to satisfy their craving for knowledge.
With webinars and Q and A (question-and-answer) sessions, you can share your laser eye surgery wisdom and position yourself as a trusted leader in the vision correction sector, including the LASIK industry.
Is hosting live events the best move for your laser eye surgery practice’s marketing campaign? Call 310 879 8003 or email contact@digitalspotlight.com to find out.
FDA Rules for LASIK Marketing
Digital marketing can take your laser eye surgery practice to new heights. However, you must remember to play by the rules. After all, the vision correction industry can significantly impact people’s lives.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have several guidelines regarding LASIK and other laser eye procedure advertising.
Here’s the gist:
- Be honest and transparent: While it might seem obvious, your ads should never create a wrong impression or leave out crucial details like side effects.
Granted, your marketing materials may not be enough to provide potential patients with all the details. However, the FTC requires that you mention them in the fine print.
- Truthful doesn’t always mean undeceiving: Just because something is “technically” true doesn’t mean it paints the whole picture.
For example, saying, “LASIK lets you ditch your glasses!” might be true for some patients, but it doesn’t account for the possibility that others may still need glasses for certain activities.
The Lifetime Commitment Claim
It’s a tempting marketing angle to leverage to get a steady stream of patient leads, but promoting a “lifetime guarantee” on your vision correction procedures is a slippery slope.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the FDA require that you support permanence and predictability assertions with surgical outcomes data or current scientific evidence.
So, unless you back your lifetime claims up, you’d want to avoid making them in the first place, especially considering that laser eye surgery tech keeps evolving and that eye health changes over time.
Expand Your Potential Patient Base With a Top-Rated LASIK Surgery Marketing Firm
The laser vision correction industry is booming, with an estimated 800,000 procedures, including LASIK, occurring annually in the US. As a top-notch laser eye surgeon, you want to be part of this growth.
Digital marketing allows you to do two things: get noticed by people researching procedures, reading reviews, and comparing surgeons online, and help more patients experience the freedom of clear vision.
Unfortunately, learning the intricacies of online advertising can be challenging, especially for a surgeon like you who’s already neck-deep in running a laser eye surgery practice.
Here’s where we come in.
Who Is Digital Spotlight?
Online marketing agencies aren’t created equal—something you can agree with if you’ve worked with other firms. So, who are we? What makes us different from the countless agencies vying for your attention?
Here’s what you need to know about us:
- Custom marketing strategies: We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We’ll work with you to understand your unique practice, budget, and goals and then craft a personalized marketing strategy that delivers results.
- Expertise across the digital spectrum: From Google Ads and SEO to reputation management and social media marketing, we cover all the bases to ensure your laser eye surgery practice is seen—literally—by the right people at the right time and place.
- Data-driven results: We don’t rely on guesswork. We use advanced statistical analysis and the math behind search engines and social sites to track your campaign performance and make adjustments for maximum impact.
If you’re ready to ditch the trial-and-error approach that many other digital marketing agencies still utilize today, partner with us. Attract more patients by calling 310 879 8003 or emailing contact@digitalspotlight.com.
FAQs
1. What pitfalls should you avoid when marketing your LASIK services?
There are many things you want to avoid when marketing your laser vision correction services, such as flooding the web with subpar content or focusing on clicks instead of leads.
However, you primarily want to avoid violating the guidelines set by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since doing so will result in disciplinary action.
2. Why do you need a LASIK marketing company?
Digital marketing has a steep learning curve. There are countless strategies and channels you can leverage to acquire more patient leads, consults, and procedures for your laser eye surgery practice.
The question is, “Do you have the resources to test and spot which tactics and avenues will deliver your desired results most effectively?” A digital marketing agency lets you skip all that.
3. What is an appropriate budget for a LASIK surgeon to allocate to digital marketing services?
We’re a digital marketing firm that values transparency. However, giving you a ballpark number on how much you should spend on online marketing is unfair when we’ve yet to get to know you.
Until we understand your unique challenges, objectives, and, most importantly, budget, we can’t give you a price tag—at least not in good conscience.
Fortunately, we offer a solution: free technical audits. So, what are you waiting for? Talk to our digital marketing pros to find out what you need to dominate the laser vision correction sector and how much that would cost.
4. What is the trend in laser eye surgery?
What’s new in the laser eye surgery market? Several things! From the rising prevalence of vision problems like myopia (nearsightedness) to technological advancements that make procedures safer and more effective.
But the most significant trend is its growth.
The global laser vision correction market was valued at 3.53 billion in 2023, and this upward trajectory is expected to continue. Forecasts predict a jump to 5.21 billion in 2031.
