Google Declares WAR on Chiropractors! « The Blog of Matthew Loop

Google Declares WAR on Chiropractors!

How the times have changed, my friends. This blog post should serve as a serious wake-up call if you depend on Google for website visitors. The table is tilted. Long gone are the days where you, as a chiropractor, could create an informative content piece and be sure it reached the local audience intended.

If you want to THRIVE this year and beyond, pay close attention. Here are a few undeniable points that prove Google is making it more difficult for the average chiropractor to complete online.

1) Sharp Google Ranking Drops

For many docs, search engine optimization (SEO) used to be a way for them to compete with big companies that had 4-5 figure per month marketing budgets.

All a chiropractor had to do was to build more quality anchor text links to a site for any given keyword.

This was great if you had a trusted service that was helping a lot of people. SEO has changed, though. You can now get penalized for over optimization.

This is a big reason why rankings are plummeting of late. I know, I know. You were just trying to compete with the guy down the street. Google doesn’t care about the reason, though.

So, what’s the solution for recovering?

See this blog post for new link-building guidelines. It will help you maintain your top rankings and prevent them from slipping. I cannot stress the importance of knowing the new way to link properly. Your future on Google depends on it.

2) Google Adwords Bans

This is really not a new problem. However, it’s just another example where Google has ruled in favor of big corporations over the little guy. I get emails regularly from chiropractors that have been banned from Adwords. They’re not doing anything black-hat or trying to game the system either.

Once you’re banned it’s for life, too. The policy is ludicrous.

Unless you have a five figure per month advertising budget, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to sustainably turn a profit from their incredibly high cost-per-click as well.  Just like in America where the middle class is shrinking quickly, online we’re starting to notice the “haves and have-nots.”

So, what’s the solution?

Screw Google Adwords!! I’ve been teaching a supercheap, highly effective traffic source in Module 2 of Social Media Elite for the past 8 months. Docs are CRUSHING-IT, too, averaging less than 27 cents / click!

It’s a perfect diversification strategy, too. Never have all your eggs in the Google basket.

3) The Google Positive Review Filter

I get a dozens of emails each week that say something like “what happened to my positive reviews?” Yes, Google is filtering like crazy. Funny thing is that negative reviews always stick, as if every bad comment is legit.

You and I both know nothing could be further from the truth, though.

Any filter on the internet is a gatekeeper. It’s sad to see countless chiropractors that have real reviews from happy patients never get shown on Google+ Local (probably the most valuable real estate online for docs).

Still blows my mind that a company like Google, as big as they are, can get away with having virtually non-existent customer support and troubleshooting for local businesses.

So, what’s the solution?

Keep getting reviews! Get 3-4 times the amount of competitors in your local area. Once completed on Google, then move to Yelp and do the same thing. You’ll encounter a similar review filter there but don’t let it stop you.

Have patients send you a copy of the review after they post, just in case it gets filtered. At least you’ll be able to feature it on your website or in the office on your testimonial wall.

If you need a proven step-by-step script for getting reviews, I included one in Social Media Elite. You can use it in-office or send it as an email sequence to patients. Either way, be prepared for a flood of new reviews to surface online.

4) Social Shares Weighing More and More.

Google+’s, Facebook likes, and Tweets on Twitter are playing a bigger and bigger role in regards to how websites / content rank online. You’re at an extreme disadvantage if  you don’t have a social shares, high “author rank” and a large following that can spread your content.

Social shares and quality links from industry influencers are essential.

It’s VERY difficult to get them if you haven’t built a loyal audience. Heck, you could produce great content, but if you don’t have a base to share it with, your chances of going viral are slim to none.

I’m still finding that the majority of chiropractors don’t even have these buttons on the home page of their website or blog posts. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot.

So, what’s the solution?

You must become a trusted author in Google’s eyes and know how to get an endless flood of traffic to your chiropractic website. This doesn’t happen by accident or with haphazard strategy either.

I have a whole training regrading author rank, content marketing, and how to write / title blog posts for maximum engagement called The Content Marketing Blueprint. In fact, I’m giving it away as a free bonus at this link.

Now, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably observed some (if not all) of these Google-related problems surface in your life. I’m not convinced we’ve seen the worst of it either.

Here’s something you probably already know.

If you can’t get real mass exposure and recognition online, there’s very little chance of acquiring SUSTAINABLE amounts of new patients each month.

You must know how to create UNSTOPPABLE traffic systems that feed your chiropractic website and content regardless of what Google is doing! You need to implement reliable internet marketing systems that will feed you for years to come.

Has your chiropractic practice been hit by any of the four listed above?

If so, I’d strongly recommend making it a top priority to Google-proof your site. Long term sustainability and market saturation should be your goal.

If you don’t have an effective blueprint to achieve industry influencer status, you will never attract the number of patients you want from the internet. Not in today’s time.

This blog post should serve as a WAKE-UP CALL for the vast majority of chiropractors. Easy street is over. You need to do what it takes to put yourself on the winning side of the Google war.

The worst thing you could do is remain in denial and do nothing!

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About the Author

Matthew Loop is an author, speaker, investor, philanthropist, and the highest paid social media revenue strategist in North America. He helps brands, startups, and small business owners multiply their influence, impact, and income by harnessing the power of the Internet. Since 2005 he’s trained over 21,000 clients in 25 countries. Millions have viewed his free business growth tutorials online. Connect with him on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.

Comments

3 Responses to “Google Declares WAR on Chiropractors!”

  1. Spot on article. We rank 3-5 for most searches but have 3 times the positive reviews as anyone else and it pulls a ton of new patients due to that fact. And I have seen many good reviews disappear also over time…interesting

  2. Gene Goldberg says:

    It seems like Google+ is the key. Ever since I got on google+, my reviews were NOT taken down like in the past, I now have 41 reviews, which is #1 in a fairly large city.

  3. Matthew Loop says:

    Hey Gene… I have noted similar things, but unfortunately it’s not universal. Having a Google+ account doesn’t assure your reviews will stick. Google has let small business owners down with their lack of customer support and automated filter algorithm in this area.

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