Advertise on podcast: Dr Marketing Tips Podcast

Search is changing fast, but the fundamentals of good SEO haven't disappeared. In this episode of the DrMarketingTips Show, Jennifer and Corey break down a new survey of 131 SEO professionals examining more than 100 potential Google ranking factors, and what the findings mean for healthcare practices trying to improve their visibility. Tune in to Discover: Why matching your content to real patient search intent ranked as one of the most important factors for SEOWhy quality backlinks still matter (and why a few credible links can be more valuable than hundreds of questionable ones)What “quality content” actually means and how physician expertise, patient stories, original research, and first-party data can help you stand outHow reviews, brand reputation, user experience, and making it easy to take the next step can reinforce your search visibilityFive practical SEO priorities healthcare practices should focus on as they plan for 2027SEO may now mean more than traditional “search engine optimization.” Patients are searching across Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, YouTube, social media, and other platforms. The opportunity is to create useful, credible content wherever they look, while making sure your technical foundation, expertise, and patient experience give them a reason to trust you.

Google Search is changing again, and this time, your existing search ads may be coming along for the ride. In this episode of the DrMarketingTips Show, Jennifer and Corey break down Google's latest test bringing traditional text-based search ads into AI Mode and what it could mean for healthcare practices already investing in paid search. From maintaining greater control over keywords and budgets to reaching patients as search becomes increasingly conversational, they discuss what practices should pay attention to now (and why this isn't a reason to rebuild your Google Ads strategy overnight). Tune in to Discover: What Google is testing with traditional search ads inside AI Mode and how it differs from Performance Max and AI MaxWhy conversational patient searches may create new opportunities to reach people with strong intent to book an appointmentHow exact- and phrase-match campaigns could give practices more control over keywords and budgets as paid search evolvesWhy healthcare advertising requirements, geographic targeting, tracking, and compliance still matter regardless of where your ads appearWhat practices should review now,  including keywords, ad copy, landing pages, and conversion tracking, without overhauling their campaignsPaid search and AI-powered search are becoming increasingly connected, but the fundamentals haven't changed. Build a strong foundation, continue testing what works, and be prepared to adapt as Google gives advertisers new ways to reach patients.

AI can help you create content faster. But can that content actually rank and stay on Google? In this episode of the DrMarketingTips Show, Jennifer and Corey break down two recent studies examining how AI-generated content performs in search, including what happened to thousands of completely AI-written articles over time and what tens of thousands of pages already ranking on Google reveal about the value of human input. They also discuss what these findings mean for healthcare practices, where accuracy, expertise, credibility, and physician experience matter even more. Tune in to Discover: What happened when 2,000 completely AI-generated articles were published with no human editing or ongoing optimizationWhat more than 42,000 ranking pages reveal about the performance of human-written, AI-generated, and blended contentWhy publishing large volumes of generic AI content may create short-term visibility without sustainable resultsWhere AI can save time in your content workflow and where physician expertise and human judgment still matterHow real patient questions, physician review, videos, practice-specific examples, and ongoing optimization can help your content stand out

Your medical practice website can have great content, strong SEO, and compelling provider bios, but if patients don't know what to do next, you're leaving potential appointments on the table. In this episode of the DrMarketingTips Show, Jennifer and Corey break down one of the smallest elements of your website that can have an outsized impact on patient conversions: the call to action (CTA). From replacing vague buttons like "Learn More" and "Submit" to reducing friction and creating authentic urgency, they share five practical rules for writing patient-first CTAs that make the next step clear. Plus, learn how better calls to action can improve the user experience and support your broader SEO and digital marketing strategy. Tune in to Discover: How to shift from transactional CTAs to language focused on what the patient actually wantsWhy your CTA should clearly communicate exactly what happens after someone clicksWhen phrases like "Learn More," "Sign Up," and "View More" may be hurting conversionsHow to write concise, specific CTAs that work on mobile devicesWays to create authentic urgency without resorting to manufactured pressure or marketing gimmicksTake a few minutes to audit the buttons on your website. Small changes to your CTAs can reduce friction, encourage patients to take the next step, and help turn more website visitors into appointments.

If you've noticed a drop in your medical practice's website traffic over the last few months, you aren't alone—and your marketing isn't failing. The search landscape has fundamentally shifted. Brand new 2026 data reveals a staggering statistic: 68% of all Google searches in the US now end without a single click to an external website. In this episode, Jennifer and Corey break down why Google’s transition into an "answer engine" is turning traditional click-through rates into vanity metrics. They share three concrete strategies for pivoting your digital footprint, explaining why your Google Business Profile is officially the new "front door" of your medical practice, and how to command authority right on the search results page. Tune in to discover: The Death of Vanity Metrics: Why raw organic website traffic is plummeting across the board and why practices must shift focus to high-intent conversion data and actual patient volume.The "Zero-Click" Safe Zones: Why branded searches, local business queries (Google Map Pack), and high-intent transactional searches (e.g., "book online for vein consultation") remain insulated from the zero-click drop.Optimizing for On-Platform Conversions: How to make your Google Business Profile practically flawless by adding pricing, complete service lists, direct booking links, and posting updates twice a week.Diversifying Outside the Google Ecosystem: Why long-term growth requires building brand authority across social video (Instagram, YouTube Shorts), direct patient email newsletters, and local community channels.

The traditional pipeline of healthcare SEO has officially fractured. For years, medical practices could rely on a predictable formula: publish high-quality, educational content about symptoms and treatments, rank on page one, and watch that organic traffic convert into new patients. But in 2026, Google’s AI Overviews are systematically answering those questions directly on the search results page—resulting in a massive drop in traditional website clicks. In part one of this two-part series, Jennifer and Corey break down the stark reality of the "zero-click search," backed by recent data showing that nearly 69% of Google searches now end without a user ever leaving the platform. They discuss why top-of-funnel informational traffic is disappearing, how this reshapes the patient acquisition funnel, and why your Google Business Profile is about to become your most critical digital asset. Tune in to discover: Why nearly 100% of healthcare treatment and procedure searches now trigger an AI Overview, causing organic click-through rates on those topics to plunge by 61%.Why a drop in raw traffic numbers isn't a failure—the casual "window shoppers" are being filtered out, leaving further-down-the-funnel, highly motivated patients who are actually ready to book.A look at AI "agents" moving beyond simple chat functions to actively cross-reference calendars, check insurance networks, and book appointments for patients.

The search contract between Google and your medical practice has officially changed. For years, the deal was simple: create great content, and Google would send patients to your website. In 2026, Google is increasingly using that content to answer patient questions directly inside its AI Overviews—leaving practices with zero clicks to show for it. To combat this "zero-click" reality and protect its ad revenue, Google has quietly launched a live test inserting healthcare ads directly into the conversational flow of AI Overviews and Gemini. In this episode, Jennifer and Corey discuss what this massive structural shift means for your paid marketing budgets, why independent practices have an unfair advantage in this new AI real estate, and the three steps you must take to adapt early. Key Takeaways: The Conversational Ad Flow: How Google is monetizing AI search by placing sponsored recommendations right into the AI's native text answers.The Independent Practice Advantage: Why strict AI text limitations currently ban heavy legal and pharmaceutical disclaimers, giving agile, independent groups a default entry point over massive hospital networks.The Automated Trigger: Why you can't manually opt into this test—Google is automatically pulling eligible ads from existing Performance Max (PMAX) and broad match campaigns.The Premium Funnel Shift: Why traffic volume may decrease while your cost-per-click (CPC) shifts, requiring a pivot from tracking vanity metrics to measuring actual patient conversions.

If your medical practice noticed a sudden drop or a sudden surge in website traffic, phone calls, or patient inquiries over the last two weeks, you aren't imagining things. On June 2, 2026, Google officially wrapped up its massive May 2026 core algorithm update. In this episode, Jennifer and Corey discuss the rapidly changing landscape of organic SEO. Spurred by the pressure to feed its booming AI ecosystem, Google rolled out this latest core update just 43 days after its previous one—completely rewriting the rules on how healthcare sites rank. We break down what this update means for your online visibility and share the exact framework you need to diagnose your site's performance without hitting the panic button. Key Takeaways: Accelerated AI Cadence: Google is rapidly rebuilding its core ranking engine to feed its AI features (which now boast over a billion monthly users), narrowing the gap between major algorithm shifts to mere weeks.The Slop Penalty: This update aggressively targets thin, overly optimized, "SEO-first" content—specifically 500-word, low-tier AI articles generated without certified healthcare or provider oversight.The Golden Rule (Don't Panic): Fluctuations and bugs in reporting data are typical right after a rollout. Avoid making structural changes, rewriting pages, or deleting content while the algorithm is still settling.Double Down on E-A-T: Long-term organic success requires robust, up-to-date provider bio pages, detailed real-world patient Q&As, and clear medical bylines signed off by actual providers or clinical staff.

Update: The ADA deadline was originally May 2026, but the DOJ extended them by one year. The new deadlines are April 26, 2027 and April 26, 2028. The digital goalposts just moved again. On May 11, 2026, a new federal rule went into effect that raises the bar for ADA website compliance for medical practices. If you have 15 or more employees, the clock has officially run out—and the consequences for non-compliance are moving from "theoretical" to "litigation-ready." In this episode, Jennifer and Corey break down the technical shift to the Level A Standard, the rise of "surf-by" lawsuits, and why you are legally responsible for the accessibility of your third-party vendors (like patient portals and billing tools). Learn the three actionable steps you can take today to protect your practice from aggressive litigation and federal fines. Key Takeaways: The New Technical Bar: Why a website built to be compliant just two years ago likely fails the new 2026 standards.The Rise of Surf-By Lawsuits: Since 2023, ADA lawsuits have increased by 14%, with an average settlement cost between $20,000 and $50,000 plus attorney fees.Third-Party Liability: Why you are legally on the hook for the accessibility of your online scheduling, telehealth, and billing portals—even if you don't own the software.The Audit & Shield Strategy: How to perform a 5-minute "low-hanging fruit" audit and deploy accessibility plugins as an immediate layer of legal defense.Related Episodes on Privacy & Compliance: Episode 370: Beyond HIPAA: Navigating the New Wave of Digital Privacy LawsuitsEpisode 371: The Practice Privacy Checklist: Reducing Risk Without Losing Your Data

Don’t wait for a year-long EHR integration to start seeing the benefits of AI. In this episode, Jennifer is joined by Manny, Director of Client Services at Insight Marketing Group, live from the Transform 2026 HR Conference. They move past the technical jargon to provide 10 practical, EHR-agnostic ways to use AI and Agentic AI to solve practice burnout and operational friction right now. From automating mundane HR questions to using AI as a secret shopper for your patient experience, this conversation focuses on low-risk, high-impact tools that don't require touching PHI. Learn how to clear repetitive tasks off your staff's plate so they can focus on what matters: the patients. Key Takeaways: Problem-First Automation: Why the most successful AI implementations start by identifying repetitive staff pain points rather than trying to force-fit a specific technology.The AI Secret Shopper: How to use voice AI to audit your own practice—testing hold times, referral loops, and website friction from a patient’s perspective.Recruitment & Retention: Using AI avatars to conduct first-round interviews and Agentic AI to handle 24/7 staff questions regarding handbooks and benefits.The Compliance Guardrail: Why you must implement clear internal policies to prevent staff from dumping "secret sauce" or sensitive data into public AI models.

Why do patients choose one practice over another? If you think it’s purely based on who shows up first in a Google search, think again. In this episode, Jennifer and Corey dive into a massive study from WPP Media and Oxford Saïd Business School that analyzed 1.2 million consumer purchase journeys. The findings are a wake-up call for independent practices: 84% of all purchases are driven by pre-existing brand bias. This means the battle for a patient's trust is won long before they have an urgent medical need. Key Takeaways: The 84% Statistic: Only 16% of consumers are truly undecided at the point of purchase. If you aren't building a brand early, you are fighting for the smallest (and most expensive) piece of the pie.The "Priming" vs. "Active" Stages: Understanding the two phases of the patient journey and why marketing solely to people "in crisis" is a losing game.Reach vs. Receptivity: Why 23% of people are naturally unreceptive to traditional ads, and why trust-based content (reviews, stories, and videos) is the only way to penetrate that barrier.Owned, Shared, and Earned Media: The report shows these organic touchpoints are 3x more influential at the point of conversion than paid media alone.The "Curb Appeal" Factor: Why a dated website or a lack of social presence is the digital equivalent of a "rodent running across the yard" of a house for sale.Resources Mentioned: WPP Media & Oxford Saïd Business School: The Future of Media Report

In part two of our deep dive into digital privacy, Jennifer and Corey move from the "why" to the "how." While the first episode set the stage for the shifting landscape of 2026, this episode provides a practical, actionable roadmap for independent physician practices to audit their digital footprint. We discuss why most practices are accidentally exposed to risk through "off-the-shelf" website plugins and why it’s time to move toward a PHI-free analytics model. This isn't about turning off your marketing; it’s about recalibrating your tools to ensure that patient trust—and your legal standing—remains intact. Tune in to the episode to learn: The Audit First Step: Why you need a full inventory of every pixel, chatbot, and tracking plugin running on your site before adding anything new.High-Risk Pages: Identifying the specific areas (like condition pages, provider bios, and portal logins) where "click IDs" can inadvertently create HIPAA violations.The URL Leak: How descriptive URLs can unintentionally transmit PHI to third-party ad platforms.Consent vs. Authorization: Why a standard "accept cookies" banner does not constitute a HIPAA-compliant authorization.Safe Operating Models: Transitioning to anonymous, first-party data strategies that focus on traffic trends rather than identifiable user profiles.

In 2026, the landscape of digital privacy in healthcare has shifted dramatically. It’s no longer just about staying HIPAA compliant; it’s about navigating a "wild west" of state-level consumer data laws, aggressive class-action lawsuits, and the end of surveillance-based marketing. In this first of a two-part series, Jennifer and Corey break down why your standard Google Analytics setup might actually be a liability and how 20 different state regulatory environments are changing the rules for healthcare marketers. We discuss the rise of a new cottage industry of privacy litigation and why "Accept Cookies" banners are no longer enough to protect your practice. Key Takeaways: The New Privacy Landscape: Why privacy is becoming a standalone regulatory category separate from HIPAA.The Google Analytics Problem: Understanding why HHS and OCR guidance suggests that tools like Google Analytics can create PHI violations simply by tracking IP addresses on condition pages.State-Specific Hazards: A look at the strict laws already on the books in Washington, Nevada, Connecticut, and Maryland.The Ambulance Chasers of Tech: How law firms are targeting practices for pixel-related tracking violations.Trust as a Commodity: Why protecting patient data from big tech is now a brand differentiator and a way to build long-term patient loyalty.

In this episode, Jennifer and Corey break down Brandwatch’s State of Social Media 2026 insights (based on 910M online mentions) and translate what they mean for healthcare practices navigating trust, reputation, and patient experience in a social-first world. In this episode, you’ll learn: Brand-owned accounts only initiate 1% of brand-related posts, so your story is being told without you.Trust gaps hit healthcare harder. Hidden fees and extra charges-related frustration is rising (+40%), and billing confusion becomes a public social issue.De-influencing = patient warning behavior. Mentions of “deinfluencing” are up 79%, meaning that people actively steer others away after bad experiences.“Anxiety” mentions on social are up 25%, and “digital detox” mentions are up 10%, so focusing on creating calm, helpful content will put you ahead.Pick the right platforms and show up with the right tone. No more copy/paste posting.Social media is now the public version of the patient experience. Discover how you can monitor it, respond to it, and use it to improve what happens offline.

In this episode, Jennifer and Corey unpack the 2025 Press Ganey Healthcare Consumer Experience Report and what it reveals about how patients are finding, choosing, and staying loyal to their healthcare providers. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why 72% of patients now start their care journey on Google, not with physician referralsHow AI is changing search, reviews, and first impressions before patients ever visit your websiteWhat’s really happening with online reviews—and why they still matter, even if fewer people read themWhy access and online scheduling are now the top patient frustrationHow safety and trust signals influence patient choice and recommendationsWhy loyalty is driven by experience, not costThis one is a must-listen for practices that want to align marketing, access, and patient experience with how consumers actually behave today.