In this episode of the Rocket Chiro Podcast, Dr. Jerry Kennedy discusses the critical role of patient education in chiropractic care. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and communicating from the patient's perspective, rather than imposing the chiropractor's views.

He explores the nuances of patient management, the significance of long-term care, and how to effectively educate patients about their health and chiropractic benefits.

Jerry encourages chiropractors to build relationships with patients, tailor communication to individual needs, and recognize that not all patients will follow the same path in their chiropractic journey.

Takeaways

- Patient education is essential for effective chiropractic care.

- Understanding the patient's perspective is crucial for communication.

- Chiropractors should tailor their explanations to individual patient needs.

- Not all patients will use chiropractic care in the same way.

- Long-term care is beneficial for certain patient demographics.

- Chiropractors must lead their practices while respecting patient choices.

- Effective communication can enhance patient relationships and outcomes.

- Educating patients helps them make informed decisions about their health.

- Chiropractors should identify candidates for long-term care based on their needs.

- Building rapport with patients can lead to better care and understanding.

 

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

Denver chiropractor, Dr. Chris Dorsa joined me to have a conversation on the podcast this week. I discovered Chris after doing a deep dive into the top chiropractors on Instagram.

Chris is an interesting chiropractor. He seems to match to the beat of his own drum. So I reached out to him and asked him if he would come on the podcast and talk chiropractic and social media. He agreed.

In this chiropractic podcast episode, I talk to Dr. Chris Dorsa about being a chiropractor. We talked about how he got started on Youtube and Instagram. We talked about how his content has changed over time and what he has planned for his future.

This podcast was just a fun conversation with a fellow chiropractor. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Check it out.

Follow Dr. Chris Dorsa:

• Chris on Instagram
• Chris on YouTube

Show Notes:

In this conversation, Jerry and Chris explore the intersection of chiropractic practice and social media influence. Chris shares his journey from being a traditional chiropractor to becoming a social media influencer, discussing the challenges and opportunities that come with this dual identity.

They delve into the importance of authenticity, branding, and attracting the right patients, as well as the role of appearance in building trust with clients. The discussion highlights the evolving landscape of chiropractic content creation and the significance of creating a unique brand that resonates with a specific audience.

In this conversation, Jerry and Chris delve into the intricacies of chiropractic practice, emphasizing the importance of understanding patient-doctor dynamics, the need for tailored communication, and the significance of managing patient expectations. They discuss the evolution of content creation in chiropractic, the importance of building a personal brand, and the role of social media in shaping the future of the profession.

The dialogue highlights the challenges and opportunities within chiropractic care, advocating for a more personalized approach to patient interactions and the potential for social media to enhance the profession’s visibility and credibility.

Takeaways From This Podcast Episode:

• Chris started as a chiropractor and evolved into an influencer.
• Social media allows for broader audience engagement.
• Authenticity attracts the right patients to your practice.
• Building a unique brand is essential in a crowded market.
• Patients feel more comfortable in a casual environment.
• It’s important to be selective about the patients you attract.
• Content creation can enhance professional authority.
• Trust is built through genuine interactions and content.
• The right appearance can help establish trust with patients.
• Navigating patient relationships requires adaptability and understanding. Understanding the gap between patients and doctors is crucial.
• Tailoring communication to the patient’s perspective enhances understanding.
• Managing patient expectations is key to successful treatment outcomes.
• Content creation in chiropractic is evolving with audience feedback.
• Building a personal brand can enhance a chiropractor’s authority.
• Social media can positively impact the chiropractic profession.
• Listening to patients is essential for effective care.
• Chiropractors should avoid cookie-cutter treatment approaches.
• Improving speaking skills can enhance on-camera presence.
• The future of chiropractic lies in adapting to new media and communication methods.

 

 

A lot of chiropractors struggle with procrastination. They say they are going to do something, but they drag their feet. They will get to it someday, but someday never comes.

  One of the things I say a lot is. “The future YOU who is more successful knows things you don’t currently know and has habits that you currently don’t have.” If that’s true…and it is…procrastination is the enemy of your success. At some point, you must stop thinking about doing things and start doing them.   In this chiropractic podcast episode, I talk about the common reasons why chiropractors procrastinate. I discuss the dangers of procrastination, and I encourage chiropractors to get to work.   Let’s talk about it.   Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join   Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment   Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites   Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors   Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo  

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

I’ve spent a lot of time talking with chiropractors who are introverts. Because I’ve discussed my introvert nature on the podcast before, chiropractors feel comfortable opening up to me about their introvert struggles.

Most introverts view their introverted nature as a curse. It’s a burden that may keep them from being as successful as the extrovert chiropractors in their town. But I’m here to tell you that being an introvert doesn’t automatically mean you are going to fail as a chiropractor. In fact, sometimes being an introvert can help.

In this chiropractic podcast episode, I talk about the pros and cons of being an introverted chiropractor. I discuss what introverts have to do that extroverts don’t. I talk about the ways that being an introvert can help. I also give a few simple tips that will help introvert chiropractors be more successful.

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

For most chiropractors, being a chiropractor isn’t like having a 9-5 job. Being a chiropractor is like having multiple 9-5 jobs. There are always more things to do than there is time. That’s why being a chiropractor can be very overwhelming.

In this chiropractic podcast episode, I talk about why it’s important for chiropractors to focus on the important things. I discuss the value of delegating tasks. I also talk about why it’s important to put their energy into areas that they can control and not to worry about the things that they can’t. Let’s talk about it.

The Rock at Chiro Podcast - Episode on Patient Communication

Host: Jerry Topic: Patient Communication Tips for Chiropractors

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

Introduction:

"Welcome, everybody, to another episode of The Rock at Chiro Podcast! This is the business and marketing podcast for chiropractors. My name is Jerry, and today, we’re talking about patient communication. Specifically, I’ll share a few tips and insights that can help improve your interactions with patients. This is a deep topic, and we’ll only scratch the surface today, but these pointers should help you build a solid foundation for better communication in your practice."

The Importance of Communication in Chiropractic:

"Chiropractors are in the people business—there's no getting around it. One thing I often joke about is how much easier being a chiropractor would be if it weren’t for the people! Of course, this applies to any profession dealing with people. Whether you're a pastor, a leader, or in another service-oriented role, communication is key. The better we are at communicating, the better the expectations, process, and overall relationships with our patients will be.

Still, even if you're great at communicating, there will be conflicts or challenges. Some people, due to personality differences or other reasons, just aren’t a great fit for your practice. But with effective communication, you can minimize issues and improve outcomes. When chiropractors are new, many of their problems—like patient follow-through, missed expectations, or upset patients—stem from poor communication. Most people don’t get upset with how you run your business; they get upset because they thought you ran it differently."

Communication as a Skill:

"The good news is that communication is a skill you can develop. Even if you’re naturally good with people, you shouldn’t rely solely on your talents. Having a method to your communication will make your practice more successful. Practice and refine your skills—it will pay off in the long run."

Quick Announcement:

"Before diving deeper, let me share a couple of things about Rocket Chiro. If you're a chiropractor getting started or feeling stuck, check out my Next Step program. It's affordable, month-to-month, and designed to help you get unstuck or start strong with business and marketing support.

Also, your website should be a huge advocate for your practice. If it’s not attracting new patients or representing you well, you need a better one. At Rocket Chiro, we offer affordable, lightweight, new patient-focused websites for chiropractors. Check them out. If you also need help with Google Ads or SEO, I offer those services as well, though they are more expensive. I’d love to be on your shortlist of people to consider when seeking help in those areas."

Key Tips for Better Patient Communication:

1. Have a Plan for Interactions: "It’s important to go into interactions with patients, whether at a health fair, a consultation, or a regular visit, with a plan. Don’t just wing it. If you have a clear objective—like identifying the right patients for your practice or getting them to schedule an appointment—it will streamline communication. Without a plan, you’ll have quality control issues and waste time. For example, when you’re at a health fair, quickly discern whether someone just wants tips or is actually interested in becoming a patient. Move them along accordingly."

2. Listen Actively: "Listening is essential, though it’s something I personally struggle with. Don’t think about what you're going to say next while the patient is talking. Use active listening techniques—like nodding or repeating back what they’ve said—to show that you understand their concerns."

3. Stay on Track: "Conversations can easily veer off course. Know the purpose of your discussion and guide it back when necessary. This helps ensure both you and the patient achieve the desired outcome from your interaction."

4. Keep It Simple: "Patients don't retain lots of information. Simplify your communication, especially when it comes to explaining their treatment plan or what they can expect. Focus on the main points and avoid overwhelming them with details. Like a website, keep the primary focus clear and guide them through the process."

5. Tailor Your Communication to the Individual: "Make your communication specific to the patient's needs. When they express concerns or goals, respond to them directly instead of delivering a one-size-fits-all message. For example, if they want to get back to hiking or riding their motorcycle, explain how your treatment will help them achieve those goals."

6. Set Clear Expectations: "Patients get upset when they think things should be different. Whether it's your scheduling policies, payment expectations, or how treatment works, make sure everything is clear from the start. This avoids unnecessary conflicts. Clear communication can also help you groom patients into great ones."

7. Get Agreement: "Chiropractic care is a participation sport. Patients need to agree with the plan and commit to following through. Always make sure they understand and agree with what you’re recommending before proceeding. If they can’t follow the recommended plan (like an over-the-road truck driver who can’t make frequent visits), adjust your expectations accordingly."

Final Thoughts:

"Improving patient communication is a process, and every patient interaction offers a new opportunity to refine your approach. Don’t be too hard on yourself if things don’t go perfectly. Learn from each experience and apply it to the next one.

Thank you for listening to the podcast! If you know a chiropractor who doesn’t listen to this podcast, I’d appreciate it if you shared it with them. And don’t forget—if you need a better website, visit Rocket Chiro. I’d love to help you out. I’ll talk to you on the next episode!"

Chiropractors like to tell people that they are “a chiropractor who does something different” or that they “aren’t like most chiropractors.” I’m not sure what percentage of chiropractors say they are different, but it could be the majority, which is funny if you think about it.

If EVERYONE is different, no one is different. Just something to think about.

Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked.

The reality is that chiropractors are different. I know that from my time as a chiropractor and I know it because I’ve worked with hundreds of chiropractors over the last several years. When I create podcasts and in-depth trainings for chiropractors, I try to keep in mind that chiropractors have different practice styles, talents, and opportunities.

My goal has never been to populate the chiropractic profession with a bunch of little Dr. Jerry Kennedys. ONE of me is MORE than enough. That’s why I’ve always tried to focus on concepts and principles more than how I would specifically run a practice.

We live in a world today where chiropractors have a LOT of marketing options. Some chiropractors get overwhelmed by trying to do them all. Other chiropractors get overwhelmed so they don’t try to do any of them. Either extreme is a recipe for disaster.

To keep things simple and help chiropractors avoid marketing overwhelm, chiropractors should categorize their marketing into 3 categories: internal, external, and retention. Let me explain.

Internal Marketing Internal marketing is when chiropractors use their existing patients to get more patients. Basically, we are talking about a referral-based practice.

Referral-based chiropractic practices are often considered the golden goose of chiropractic practices. Although, some referrals do “just happen” there are things that chiropractors can and should do to ensure that as many referrals happen as possible.

This is also true about online reviews, which is sort of like a modern-day referral. Some people leave reviews without being asked. Most people don’t. If you want more reviews and the benefits that come from them, you should have a system in place to get more reviews.

External Marketing External marketing is when chiropractors reach out to people who are not existing patients in order to attract them into their practice. When chiropractors first get started, EVERYTHING is external marketing because new chiropractors don’t have many patients.

External marketing can be online or offline. External marketing can be cheap (shaking hands and kissing babies) or expensive (paying for marketing help). External marketing can be short-term or long-term. Generally speaking, there are external marketing options available to every chiropractor.

The important thing is that chiropractors have an external marketing strategy and that they focus on the external marketing that makes the most sense for their practice.

When chiropractors are new, they should focus on marketing that is affordable and fast. You don’t want to take big financial swings when you have an extremely limited budget. And you also don’t want to focus all your energy on long-term marketing, when you need patients NOW.

Once a chiropractor has some practice momentum, their external marketing often changes. They can afford to pay someone for help with Google ads. They can invest in chiropractic SEO which is a more long-term marketing strategy.

Regardless of whether you are just getting started or your practice has been around for 20 years, there need to be people in your local community who are finding out about your practice this month who didn’t know about your practice last month. Most of the time, that happens through some form of external marketing.

Retention Marketing Retention marketing is like internal marketing in the sense that you are dealing with existing patients. But the goal of retention marketing is to make sure your patients follow through with their recommendations, and that you maintain the doctor-patient relationship for as long as possible.

I’m not at all advocating unnecessary care or patient manipulation tactics. However, people don’t understand chiropractic or how their body works. If left to their own devices, people will assume that chiropractic is only for acute care and the instant that they feel better, their body is completely better.

Chiropractors who are not proactive about retention will typically have a leaky-bucket practice. Patients rarely complete their initial recommendations. The chiropractor often doesn’t do a good job establishing a long-term relationship with their patients. The result is that people leave early and they rarely come back. That’s no good.

Conclusion Chiropractors don’t have to go about marketing their practice the same as everyone else. In fact, they shouldn’t. Chiropractors are different…not just because they do different things within the practice itself, but because they are different people.

A chiropractor’s personality, talent, and opportunities will impact which marketing strategies make the most sense for them. Chiropractors who ignore those factors when making marketing decisions are doomed to struggle with their marketing.

In summary, chiropractors should have at least one marketing strategy in each of the 3 categories. Most successful chiropractors have multiple strategies in each of the 3 marketing categories.

Ignoring one or more categories will result in the chiropractor having marketing blindspots that will most likely keep them from reaching their practice goals.

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

The other day someone asked me what an abundance mindset meant to me. Honestly, it made me roll my eyes. I was thinking, “Here we go. One of these manifest your future guys.”

I know this isn’t going to set well with a percentage of chiropractors, but I’m going to say it anyway. The law of attraction is stupid. You aren’t God. You aren’t a little god. You don’t create the world around you with your thoughts. You don’t manifest anything.

There…I said it. It felt good, too.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I know mindset is important. How you think impacts how you act. How you act impacts your life. So in that sense, mindset does impact your life, but only as much as it impacts your actions.

If you could only pick one, I would tell you to get your habits right before worrying about getting your mind right. I don’t particularly care how you feel about the task at hand, positive habits will move the needle regardless of how you feel.

A positive mindset alone is of little value. There is no scenario where you can think yourself into the life of your dreams. Sooner or later, you are going to have to put the rubber to the road…pen to paper. If you want to change your life, you are going to have to work for it.

With that said, it’s easier to have good habits when you have a good attitude. A positive mindset can give you the energy and motivation needed to work hard. A positive mindset may help you stay the course at times when you might have otherwise quit.

That’s why the best-case scenario for your success is for you to have positive habits AND a positive mindset. They work hand-in-hand, but the driving force for your success will be your positive habits.

We live in a world that overemphasis the power of thoughts. There are people out there who are so convinced that they can manifest things that they aren’t honest to themselves or anyone else about their situation.

They act as if admitting that they are struggling or saying that their practice isn’t doing as well as they would like is some sort of death nail to their future best life. People like that go around living life like the people in the Lego Movie, “EVERYTHING IS AWESOOOOME!!!”

If that’s something you struggle with, let me ease your mind. Your thoughts and words don’t have that sort of power. You aren’t God….which is a good thing.

You aren’t going to wreck your future blessings in life by admitting that you are currently having a hard time. The reason you are struggling is because you don’t know what you are doing and you have bad habits. It’s not because you complained when you should have said something positive.

Lying is never good…even when you are doing it to yourself. And if you keep telling yourself that everything is fine when everything isn’t fine, that’s exactly what you are doing. My suggestion is that you be honest with yourself. 

Don’t think more highly of yourself than you should. Don’t think less of yourself than you should. Have an honest mindset. If you need help, ask for help. If you don’t know what you are doing, start learning.

The future, more successful YOU knows things that you don’t currently know and has habits that you don’t currently have. So work on that. Start learning new things. Start developing better habits. That’s how you’ll become the person you want to become.

OH…and it doesn’t hurt to have a good attitude along the way.

 

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

When I graduated from chiropractic college back in 2004, chiropractors were still asking themselves, “Do I really need a chiropractic website?” Thinking about that makes me feel like I’m 100 years old.

For many years now, chiropractors have accepted the fact that they need a website for their practice. Now I know there are still a few holdout chiropractors who still don’t have a chiropractic website, but those chiropractors are the exception to the rule, not the norm.

In fact, one of the first things that many new chiropractors do when they start their own practice is set up some sort of chiropractic website. Over the last 20 years, chiropractors have gone from, “Do I really need a chiropractic website?” to “I definitely need a chiropractic website.”

Unfortunately, many chiropractors treat their website like a box they need to check. They know (or at least think) they need a chiropractic website, but they don’t necessarily understand why or how their website can help them.

Chiropractors do the same sort of thing with social media. They know social media can help them reach more people and grow their practice, but they often don’t understand how. So most chiropractors get on social media without a plan, and most chiropractors don’t really benefit from their social media efforts.

Chiropractic websites are similar. Most chiropractors have a website, but most chiropractors aren’t getting the full benefit from having a website. When they started their practice, they threw something up on the internet themselves or they paid someone at a chiropractic website company to do it for them, with little or no thought as to the point of the website.

I’m constantly amazed at the number of chiropractors who KNOW they have a crappy website, but they don’t do anything about it. They’ve had a crappy website for YEARS. It’s like they just assume that websites don’t work in their area.

Maybe it’s not your area. Maybe your website just sucks.

And if you aren’t getting anything from your chiropractic website, why do you have it? Even the $20/yr you pay GoDaddy for a URL is a waste of money if the website isn’t helping your practice grow. Heck, I’d rather waste $20/yr on Lotto scratchers than pay for a pointless URL. At least the scratchers give me a possible ROI.

Your chiropractic website is supposed to be an asset to your practice. Your chiropractic website should be functioning like a virtual marketing CA who’s out on the internet attracting new patients to your practice and helping them schedule their first appointment.

But most chiropractors and chiropractic website companies miss the point. Websites that chiropractors build themselves are usually terrible. And by terrible, I mean they look bad, the user experience is bad, the sites don’t show up on Google, and the process of becoming a new patient is clunky and unclear.

Chiropractic website companies aren’t much better. Some of the very first chiropractic website companies took a more-is-more approach to websites. Instead of focusing on the main thing, which should be scheduling a new patient appointment, they fill the website full of everything anyone could possibly want to know about chiropractic.

It seems like almost every chiropractic website company that has popped up over the years has decided to copy and paste what they saw the OGs doing. Chiropractic website companies are creating cluttered, unorganized, unfocused chiropractic websites…and chiropractors everywhere are paying for them. 

Why do they do that? Well…the answer is simple. The chiropractic website companies are making websites for chiropractors, not patients. The chiropractors are the ones paying for the sites, so the site has to appeal to the chiropractor…otherwise, they won’t pay for it.

Are you starting to see a problem yet? If you pay for a website that is attractive to chiropractors, but your patients aren’t chiropractors, your website is built for the wrong person. A great chiropractic website is built with the new patient in mind. If you miss that, you miss the whole point.

Your chiropractic website should be built and designed in such a way that it helps new patients find you, and when those people find you, your website should help them choose you.

When a good fit for your office finds your website, it should be exactly what they were looking for. There should be an internal sigh of relief for them that says, “Thank God. I found the right place.”

Then the process of becoming a new patient should be so straightforward a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal could figure it out. Clutter is not helpful. A lack of clarity is not helpful. The detailed history of chiropractic, the 5 different phases of chiropractic care, and a stupid spinning spine are NOT helpful. They are distractions.

So if your chiropractic website isn’t helping your practice reach new people and helping those new people choose you, why do you even have it? It’s pointless.

If you would like a better chiropractic website, I would love to help you. Contact Rocket Chiro and let me know that you want a better website.

If you prefer to DIY your website and you need some advice, check out my NEXT Step program. There is a section of the membership area called “Quality Websites” that covers everything chiropractic websites and SEO.

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

I’m going to make this short and sweet (and harsh). New chiropractors have NO IDEA what they are doing in terms of running a chiropractic practice. Chiropractic College did NOT prepare you.

Your lack of knowledge and bad habits are going to cost you a LOT of money. And if you don’t start taking steps to change it, there’s a better than 50/50 chance you will fail as a chiropractor.

If you don’t outright fail, you may be just successful enough that you don’t quite (which would be better), and stay stuck in a stressful, low-profit chiropractic practice. You’ll constantly be frustrated.

You will probably get angry about the fact that you get better results with your patients than other chiropractors in your area, but they are successful and you aren’t. But here’s the thing, they aren’t more successful than you because they get better results with their patients.

They are more successful than you because they know things about running a practice that you don’t know, and they have good habits that you don’t have.

If you want to be successful, have less stress, and help the number of people that you say you want to help, you need to start learning things about running a practice that you don’t currently know, and you need to start developing habits that you don’t currently have. There’s no way around it. 

I don’t care if you were the youngest person in your chiropractic class or you were the oldest. Time is NOT your friend. If you keep lying to yourself about needing help, you will fail. You’re not going to “figure it out” with time.

The only thing that the passing of time will do is make you older. So stop thinking about doing something. Stop talking about doing something. START DOING SOMETHING. You desperately need help.

Business & marketing training for chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/join

Free practice assessment: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-practice-assessment

Best chiropractic websites: https://rocketchiro.com/best-chiropractic-websites

Google Ads Management for Chiropractors: https://rocketchiro.com/google-ads-management-for-chiropractors

Chiropractic SEO: https://rocketchiro.com/chiropractic-seo

Search engine optimization (SEO) is incredibly valuable for chiropractors who want to attract more new patients. If that’s you, the reality is there are people in your area who are actively searching for their next chiropractor. The difference between your practice showing up on the second page of Google and showing up on the top of the first page can be the difference between thriving and barely surviving.

But I don’t think that “SEO is important” is shocking news to most chiropractors. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that people aren’t going to the Yellow Pages looking for a chiropractor. They are going to the internet. What they find or don’t find determines who their next chiropractor is going to be.

Although most chiropractors understand that SEO can be very valuable for their practice, that’s about where their SEO knowledge stops. Sometimes I’m shocked at the basic lack of understanding chiropractors have regarding SEO.

It’s not that I expect chiropractors to be SEO experts, but it’s impossible to make good decisions about something that you misunderstand. Many chiropractors are in a position where they want to improve their SEO, but their ignorance about SEO makes them susceptible to dishonest SEO services.

Many chiropractors think that their chiropractic website company is doing ALL their SEO for them. (They aren’t.) Other chiropractors are paying for expensive SEO, but they don’t even know what is being done for them. Ignorance may be bliss, but it’s not helpful when making business decisions. SEO is no exception to that rule.

As I said, I don’t expect chiropractors to be SEO experts. But I do want to give you some basic information that will help you make better SEO decisions when deciding how to spend your chiropractic SEO dollars. Here are 2 things you really should know about chiropractic SEO.

1. SEO is Just Relationship Building with Google Chiropractors understand referrals, so I’m going to talk about referrals to better explain SEO. When someone refers a potential patient to you, it’s because the referring person trusts you and believe you will do a good job. They have most likely come to that conclusion through conversations and personal experiences with you.

The simplest way to think about Google is as a referral source. When someone goes to Google and types in “Chiropractor near me” they are asking Google for a referral. They are asking Google who the best chiropractor near them is.

The order in which Google ranks chiropractors in a search has to do with trust and proximity. The chiropractors in the area who Google trusts the most are the chiropractors who will rank the highest. If Google doesn’t trust a chiropractor or is unsure about a chiropractor, those chiropractors will rank the lowest in the search results.

Google wants to give the best answer to every question that people ask. So if Google doesn’t trust you and isn’t sure that you are going to treat people well, your chiropractic practice is not the one Google is going to refer people to. You won’t rank well.

That’s why the purpose of good chiropractic SEO is to build trust with Google. But Google doesn’t build trust through conversations and experiences the way that you and I do. Google builds trust through data and analytics.

Google looks at things like structured data, metadata, image tags, and internal linking. Google looks at backlinks, citations, website authority, and reviews. Google is constantly gathering data about a chiropractor to determine if that chiropractor is trustworthy. Building trust the way that Google understands it and communicating who you are and what you do to Google in a way that Google understands is what quality SEO is all about.

This is also why trying to trick Google with shady SEO hacks isn’t a good idea. Is that how you would treat a person who you want to trust you and refer people to you? Hopefully, not. You don’t build relationships with people by being shady and you don’t build trust with Google that way either. Trying to hack Google is bad SEO practice.

The “secret” to SEO is that there is no secret. In order to build trust with Google and rank as high as possible, you have to do a lot of little things, consistently, and correctly (the way that Google cares about). If you do that, your website will build authority. It will demonstrate to Google that you are trustworthy. That authority and trustworthiness will be the reason you outrank the other chiropractors in your area.

2. SEO Is NOT Just Adding Words To Your Website There are a couple different extremes when it comes to SEO. Some people try to make SEO sound so complicated that no one short of a NASA engineer could possibly understand it. Other people try to make SEO sound so simple that a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal could do it and do it well. Both of those extremes are incorrect.

Any chiropractor who thinks they can just add a bunch of keywords to their website and rank well is living in a fantasy world. Google is NOT stupid. If there ever was a time when keyword stuffing worked, it was a VERY LONG TIME AGO. It doesn’t work anymore. Frankly, if Google sees you doing it, it will undermine trust and hurt your rank.

Google looks at a lot of different factors to determine trust/rank. Some of the big things are your Google Business Profile, on-site SEO, online reviews, and off-site factors like backlinks and citations. I would argue that SEO is more complex than it is complicated. It’s like an onion…there are lots of layers.

If a chiropractor wanted to improve their SEO, but they weren’t in a position to pay for managed SEO, I would advise them to do a few things.

1.) Prioritize Online Reviews

Reviews aren’t everything, but I’ve seen time and time again that chiropractors who have 2-3x more reviews than everyone else do VERY well in Google Maps results. 

Also, getting more reviews is something that any chiropractor can do. Yes, there are services and software that make getting more reviews easier. But I’ve seen chiropractors do very well without them. 

2.) Get The Basics Right

I don’t recommend it, but many chiropractors choose to build and maintain their own website. If you are on a shoestring budget, I get it. But if you can afford $125/mth, I would be happy to do it for you and it will be MUCH better than what you are doing. 

With that said, if you are doing your own website, the bare minimum for SEO is you have to get the basics right. Your site title, metadata, image tags, and headlines should include your most important keywords.

I’m continually amazed at the number of chiropractor websites that don’t have the word “chiropractor” anywhere on the homepage. It’s baffling to me. I’m even more baffled when I see it from a chiropractic website that a chiropractor is paying for. That should never happen, but it does.

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