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That's interesting: Dr. Shumway has personally performed well over 3,500 TransUmbilical Breast Augmentation (TUBA) procedures and has taught Cosmetic Surgery at UCSD, UCLA and Duke.
If you are new to "link building", it really isn't as hard as it seems.
Basically, link building is just a link from another website back to your own medical spa or laser clinic. The more back links your site has, the higher it will rank on the major search engines.
Link building can be very time consuming, but the FrontDesk SEO tool can really help you go out there and find the sites you should be listed on. This saves you a tremendous amount of time.
Because you will be resubmitting the same text over and over again, make yourself a document that you can keep all of your submission text on. This should include your Page Title, your website's URL address, a brief description of your practice, and important keywords. Website submissions also ask for a name of the submitter and email address. I would suggest setting up a email address with Google or Yahoo, one that you only use for submissions, this way your personal email won't become inundated with confirmation and/or spam emails as a result of your submissions.
View: 5 minute video introduction to linkbuilding and SEO
There are several types of link building methods you can do. Some are just basic data submissions, and some are blog and article submissions. I will describe the differences amongst the major link building methods:
Article Submission
There are directories on the web designed just for submitting articles and some for writing blogs. When you submit something you wrote about your practice or even a particular therapy you offer, you can attach hyperlinks to keywords in your article that direct the reader back to your website. Some quality sites are Squidoo, Hubpages, Blogger, and Wordpress.com. Let me show you how this works with just one line taken from a blog I wrote on my own blogpost:
"It's your body and you do have to be careful of who you choose to perform your laser lipo procedure. While no physician can have a 100% satisfaction rate, don't be afraid to ask questions about how long a physician has been performing these procedures, who they trained with, how many procedures do they perform a month, and also if they have any satisfied patients you can chat with. Also, it's important to ask to see a before and after photo book with their patients, and not someone else's."
By choosing a keyword you think your reader would be interested in, you can immediately direct them right to that page on your website with the hyperlinks.
Google considers a "Yahoo Directory" link as a quality back link. Unfortunately, they charge an annual fee of $300. It may be worth submitting to; however, there is no guarantee from Yahoo Directory that your site will be accepted.
Directory Submission
DMOZ is a directory worth submitting your site to. DMOZ is an Open Directory Project (ODP) mainly known as DMOZ which stands for "directory.mozilla.org" and is owned by Netscape. While DMOZ can substantially increase your SEO ranking, it's tough to receive their approval and the entire process could take months. If you are fortunate enough to receive their approval, many smaller directories use the DMOZ directory categories so if you can become listed with DMOZ this would mean you would also become listed on many other web directories as well. There are other major directories you can submit to such as the BOTW (Best Of The Web) directory ($99/year or $299/permanent).
Social Bookmarking
Social bookmarking is changing in it's effectiveness all the time. In social bookmarking websites, users save links publicly (not personally on their own computers) to web pages that they want to store and/or share with others. Usually, these bookmarks are shared within an individual "group" someone may subscribe to (such as "Laser Hair Removal"). You can add descriptions to your bookmarks in the form of metadata, or meta tags, so that other users can understand what the content is of your bookmark without having to download it beforehand. Different types of "descriptions" can include comments or even reader's votes (favorable or not - like on YouTube or Digg). Again, FrontDesk SEO makes this process relatively easy.
Blog Commenting
MedicalSpaMD is a blog and, like most blogs, it is highly susceptible to spammers like we have all seen and Jeff so diligently tries to eliminate on a daily basis as it can be a true nuisance for people like us who use this site as a valuable tool for your practices.
If you want to find blogs to participate in and comment on, try to find quality blogs that are related to what you do as a profession. Again, FrontDesk SEO can help with this. And when you add your comments, try to make them content-relative because not only do your comments add value to the blogpost in general, they also have greater chance of staying on the blogpost with a link back to your website.
Press Releases
Press Releases have worked well for me, and I'm not too proud to say that I didn't write the ones that really worked. There are a lot of good and bad example press releases out there and I am no exception. Writing a quality press release is an art and, frankly, I don't have the talent for them and pay someone else to do it. Let me give you an example of my own good and bad press release experiences.
While this press release still continues to give my website hits, all it is is words: Paula's Bad Example
If writing a good press release including videos and back links is not your forte, then it's worth it to farm it out. Just writing a good press release is half the battle. Submitting it to the right press release agencies that will index it effectively for you is the other half.
Social Media Sites
Social Media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube work very well by providing quality and relevant back links to your site that all the major search engines love.
So, this is back linking in a nutshell and we can really go deeper into the categories, but I fear you will become bored or even glassy-eyed if you're not a geek like me. So if you don't have someone out there performing these activities for you and you really are serious about your web presence, you really might want to take a look at FrontDesk SEO and see what it can do for you. Just remember, building links doesn't increase your website's internet presence overnight. It does take some time, like my good friend Jeff keeps reminding me! In a world of available "instant results", it's hard to be patient sometimes!
I think everyone staring out in the aesthetic industry, especially if you are a non-core practice, needs some sort of a guru. Someone to guide you along the way in your decisions on equipment, procedures, pricing, staffing, standard operating procedures, menu of services, etc. Our guru many years ago was Fran Acunzo from Acara Partners. Perhaps Fran's most famous, or successful client, is Dr. Bruce Katz of Juva MediSpa in New York City.
I remember listening to some of his suggestions he had for us at the time and saying "Is he serious? I have no idea what this SmartLipo thing is, but if he thinks it is going to be the next big thing, then we had better trust him as our consultant". Needless to say, Fran was right. And not only about adding SmartLipo to our practice when it was first approved by the FDA, but other procedures and services as well. So, to me, when Fran speaks... I listen.
Fran blogged his predictions for aesthetic procedures for the year 2010 and it's already making it's way across the internet cited and adapted into blogs by SpaFinder.com (Read Susie's comments on such predictions) and many, many others. If you have not yet read his predictions, I'd like to post them here in their entirety:
Here are my 2010 top 10 predictions in the world of Aesthetic Medicine
1.Dysport will become a strong competitor to Botox. Dysport, Medicis’ new entry into the world of botulinum toxin, was launched in the spring of 2009 and has begun to see increased demand as market awareness grows.
2.Non-invasive body contouring will continue to grow in popularity lead by Erchonia’s Zerona.
3.Face lifts will continue to drop in demand while liquid face-lifts grow in popularity, especially with the younger market (40 -54 year olds)
5.Laser Lipolysis will continue to be one of the most in-demand medical aesthetic procedures due to its minimal downtime and great results.
6.The younger audience (24 – 40 year olds) will continue to discover aesthetic medical services for preventive aging.
7.There will be an increase in the number of men having aesthetic medical procedures starting with facial fillers and injectables (i.e. Botox, Restylane, Radiesse, etc.)
8.The tipping point of when men and women want to have their tattoos removed will arrive and the demand will grow exponentially.
9.Facial Rejuvenation will come of age as medical practitioners perfect their skill combining aesthetic medical facial procedures for a complete Medical Makeover including the combination of fractional resurfacing, ablative resurfacing, chemical peels, photofacials, skin tightening, injectables and facial fillers, etc.
10.What was an Extreme Makeover in 2003 when the then popular TV show hit the airwaves will now become the Everyday Makeover.
It is entirely up to you whether or not you place your trust in Fran's predictions. I would guess to say there would be some discepancies amongst professions, but I can tell you I am already beginning to see many of these prove true in our own practice. It's also interesting to me that, upon research, I could find no other person or entity posting such predictions.
So, unless you have a crystal ball somewhere that has worked for you, I'm sticking to what has worked for us!
It's the number 1 laser procedure performed by aestheticians in medical spas across the U.S. - Laser Hair Removal. If you're old schooled, 10 to 1 no one ever taught you about laser hair removal procedures.
With facial and chemical peel services on the downfall these days, I've received many emails from aestheticians wondering where to get trained in laser hair reduction so they can secure a position within a medical spa, or just advance their career. Aestheticians are lucky in my area, they have a wonderful beauty academy right at their fingertips where they can get an advanced education in aesthetic services (if they want to go back to school). Their training manual is the Medical Spa Advanced IPL & Training Course, available through Medical Spa MD.
In the Laser Hair Reduction Chapter, you will learn about the anatomy and growth phases of a hair follicle from the anagen phase to the telogen phase and what the significance is of those stages during treatments. You will also learn the differences between and Nd:YAG, Alexandrite, IPL and diode lasers for hair reduction. Other important pearls are skin typing, ethnicity responses to therapy, topical anesthetics and using them safely, patch testing, and information about how various body areas respond to treatment.
You can have the opportunity to reach this influential audience by submitting a guest opinion piece on anything of interest to physicians and medical providers interested in cosmetic medicine.
Articles of about 500 - 800 words in length and free of grammatical and spelling errors. The post must be original content and not published anywhere else on the web. (This will be checked.) The article should be of interest to physicians practicing cosmetic medicine and have value for that audience. No BS press releases or other nonsense.
Accepted pieces will not only be published on the blog, but syndicated on our Facebook network, Twitter accounts, as well as an e-newsletter distributed to thousands of opt-in subscribers.
There's also an opportunity to become a regular contributor to the Medical Spa MD if several, quality, guest posts have been accepted and published.
Awhile back I posted an aesthetician position on a local job search website. In my requirements, I had stated that only those aestheticians who have been trained in the proper use of laser technology should apply. I must have received over 100 resumes with barely a few who have ever laid their hands on a laser or even observed any procedures.
I selected a few resumes who I felt had years of experience and; therefore, would know the basic concepts of how skin reacts to laser light, Fitzpatick Skin Typing Scale, etc. I was surprised at how many of them had no idea how to answer what I was asking them.
Advanced IPL & Laser Training Course is much more than knowing what the difference is between 532nm and 2940nm of light; or how different wavelengths affect blood, pigment and water; or even how laser light affects the stem cells of a hair shaft during the anagen growth phase. It's about broadening your knowledge of the aesthetic field, becoming a more valuable member to a medical aesthetic team, increasing your revenue by commission and upselling with your knowledge, and benefiting your patient by being able to explain various treatment options for them (some performed by you and other treatments by the physician). Even though you may not perform every treatment in a medical spa, such as injectable procedures or laser skin resurfacing, your knowledge of those procedures is very important in the patient advocate and educational process.
Even if you have no hands on training at this point, the Advanced IPL & Laser Training Course for Estheticians & Medical Spa Laser Technicians will lay down the foundation you need to secure a position in a medical spa. If one of the candidates had any understanding of some of the principles of laser technology, I would have brought them in for a personal interview with the physician. Hands on training is the easy part, the hard part is the theory behind laser technology.
Whether you’re trying new medical spa marketing endeavors to promote your current services or contemplating new laser technologies to add to your armamentarium of non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures... the point is, you’re trying to increase your practice’s revenue during these challenged economic times.
Patients are feeling the economic struggle as well as they want to keep up their aesthetic needs while trying to cut costs. I’m sure that many of your patients are very loyal and offering them cost-effective treatments can be a plus for both of you!
In looking at my husband and business partner (the only physician in our practice), he’s pretty much strapped with what he can do in the course of his day. Fitting in injectables between laser lipo cases and laser cases can be tricky scheduling! Without having to hire additional personnel, or invest in expensive equipment (all that increase your overhead), one thought we have adapted is to use the staff we already have to help increase our revenue.
One of the ways we did this was to increase our variety of chemical peels we offer to our patients. Some patients decide to forego the Palomar Lux1540 or Lux2940 treatment plan we offer due to cost or even downtime of the Lux2940 (it’s really only a few days, but to some people they can’t afford to take off work that much).
The good, old-fashioned chemical peel has come a long way, but it’s still a tried and true facial resurfacing procedure that can tighten pores, remove dyschromias, and even smooth skin texture. They can be performed in a wide range of intensities and depth. Deeper peels can be performed in the office while others can be worn home to be removed by the patient several hours later. You can step up the peels to get faster results, or more gradually. Plus, it gets your client valuable face-time with the aesthetician who is experienced in your skin care product lines and upselling procedures the client may truly benefit from (i.e., Botox, fillers, IPL photo facials, etc).
Whether it be TCA Peels, AHA Peels, or even a Jessner Peel, peels are a wonderful service to offer in the springtime as your clients want to shed winter dry patches to reveal a more healthy looking glow!
Medical spas seem to be opening up everyday, or more physicians are adding cosmetic services to their practices and adding the phrase “medical spa or laser clinic” to their practice name. Whatever the cause of this increase in “competition” the fact is the more players there are, the more you have to step up your marketing campaign.
Potential clients have no idea who is “better” than whom, or who has the most experience, or talent. Point blank, their main concern when choosing a medical spa service provider is price. We have price shoppers calling everyday asking how much we charge per unit of Botox, or per syringe of a particular dermal filler. It amazes me that "A", Botox and fillers are so common and are injected in so many different types of practices that someone actually CAN price shop. And, "B", it amazes me that someone doesn’t even ask who is performing their injections and how much experience they have had. Since when is cosmetic medicine categorized like shopping for a handbag?
Here’s the conundrum we’re facing in our medical spa... laser lipolysis is our number one aesthetic service in our practice. So many physicians have added laser lipolysis to their practice in the hopes of generating revenue and, unfortunately, are having a difficult time getting business in the door that they’re offering ridiculous price breaks or coupons worth a very high dollar amount. What the unsuspecting client doesn’t know is how high they jack up their service price to allow for the coupon deduction. Plus the client knows nothing of the practice, who’s performing their procedure, etc.
We have recently had clients come in for complimentary consultations and asked us if we would honor our competitors coupons. My staff was taken a little off guard not expecting such a request.
My stance is that this is a medical practice, not a boutique, and there is certain room for negotiation in pricing, but honoring a ridiculous coupon just to get someone’s business isn’t worth the reputation we’re trying to maintain as medical professionals. Granted, some clients take their coupons away in a huff and say they’ll go elsewhere and only under my breath can I say you’ll get what you pay for!
I’m curious to know how other medical spas handle competitor’s coupons. Is there a limit to what you will accept, or particular services you’ll negotiate on? How far are you willing to go to acquire new clients?
Author: Paula D. Young RN runs internal operations and training at Young Medical Spa and is the author of the Advanced IPL & Laser Training course for medical estheticians and laser technicians.
It’s happened in Florida and now in Massachusetts. State legislators and physicians are trying to establish some guidelines and laws to protect the public from sustaining injury by unlicensed or untrained service providers.
We’ve read the of the lipodissolve horrors where people are offering lipodissolve, laser treatments and botox in their garage for heaven’s sake! It’s hard to believe it has come to this, but cosmetic medicine has turned into a “cash cow” for anyone!
I’m getting so sick of the turf wars amongst doctors of which specialty should be doing what... I mean seriously... can’t you all get along? Instead of fluffing your feathers to establish dominance over cosmetic medicine you should ban together to eliminate the bottom feeders who are performing services in their garages to protect the practice that IS cosmetic medicine! These are the people who are ruining your reputations! The unskilled, the unlicensed, money grubbers (and yes, I am also including lawyers here!)!
Let us also not forget that nurses and aestheticians are fighting over positions as well. There’s no certifying board for aesthetic nurses, or medical aestheticians. Here’s a funny story... when I started our medical spa with my husband years ago, I contacted both the heads of the nursing board and the cosmetology board. Since I hold both licenses I asked if I was allowed to perform a facial. I was told it’s a gray area. The nursing board said I could, in fact, perform a facial under the direct orders of a physician if the facial were deemed medically necessary. What physician do you know who will write an order for a facial? What physician wants to manage facials, and waxing, and massage, and the products which are dispensed? The cosmetology board said I could not perform a facial because the practice isn’t licensed or inspected by the board.
Huh?
With the economy the way it is, it’s no wonder everyone is jumping on the “medical spa” bandwagon! I mean, it’s like an ATM machine with no fees and no penalties. The perspective boards are all looking at each other and wondering who’s responsibility it is to be monitoring them.
The time is now upon us where legislation will take precedence, once again, on how we perform medicine and who may perform it. The powers that be will decide for us exactly if IPL is a medical device, or not. If the removal of a sunspot or tattoo can be removed by a physician, PA or nurse. Who may do cosmetic procedures, what training they must have and what certifications must be obtained prior to plucking an eyebrow (I digress, but you get my point).
Although we agree that certain treatments be performed or directly supervised by a physician, the fact is, there are many other services that aren’t deemed medical in nature. Should a physician be controlling those as well?
No current board has jurisdiction over all professions within a medical spa or laser clinic so, most likely, a new board will emerge with regulations, standards and licensing fees to add to our current practice.
It will take a few years to establish a task force and develop legislation for most states. But when all is said and done, what will arise is higher fees for service for the client, more inspectors showing up on our doorstep, higher licensing fees and insurance rates, and less control, once again, on how we treat our patients.
Are you ready for another government agency to take control of YOUR profession?
Warren B. Seiler III, MD
John Di Saia, MD
Beatriz H. Porras, MD
Shervin Naderi, MD, FACS
Edward Zimmerman MD
Paula Di Marco Young, BS RN
Seth A. Yellin, MD FACS
Dr. Kevin D. Light
Stephen Weber MD PhD
Brian K. Sidella
Sabine Zenker, MD
Daniel Kaufman MD
Brian Howard MD FACS
Mickey A. Couvertier
Lila Bratani MD
Alex Denes MD FACP
Dr. Robert Shumway is a cosmetic surgeon in La Jolla California.
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