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I've changed my tune but could use some help

by EmergencyMonkey
7 replies
A couple weeks ago I got into this mindset that I wanted to change the way that medical students, interns and residents viewed and treated patients. I know, a large task. Here is a link to my previous post if anyone is interested in a recap:
A need they don't know they need

Since then, I have racked my brain, based on the feedback I got here, about how to get my message across or change my tune. I have decided to change my tune while still achieving some of my initial goals.

I actually talked with an ER resident I was working with and asked him if what I was looking to do would be interesting to him or something he or the other residents would take time to read, to which he replied "No". Straight and to the point and he went on to explain why. This gave me a GREAT idea. So I started writing. So far 3 hours and 25 pages later I am on my way to finishing my first ebook that I think will achieve some of my initial goals while actually providing "Useful" information (I hope It's amazing what you learn by listening to your target audience It takes "balls" for a resident to tell his attending "No" but greatly appreciated.

Here's my question. Obviously, like everyone, I want to target my very specific audience. I have a keyword that gets 10000 monthly local searches and when I actually google the phrase it brings me the top 3 results which are for one specific URL (the same URL) while the rest are all amazon products. This to me sounds like a great keyword to go after.

I have a feeling when people are using this keyword though, they are not exactly looking for my site, but I am hoping that a high ranking next to the top URL might spark the interest of my market. Does this sound right? Does this sound like a reasonable approach? Does this seem like a huge battle? I am not afraid of spending the time to get to that golden first page.

If it is a keyword I go after to achieve my goals, how do I even begin to start ranking for this keyword. I've read a ton on keywords and SEO etc but I am getting confused. I feel stupid slamming this keyword into every single post I make on my blog, but I include it in the tags (which I have read aren't that important). I use All-in-one-SEO. Should I just make sure that I use it maybe in the title, description, and tag section and not worry about it elsewhere?

I also changed my "tagline" on wordpress to include the keyword, will that help? I am sure these are IM 101 questions but I have searched and searched and can't seem to find the right explanation that speaks to me.

I appreciate any help I can get. Thanks in advance!
#changed #tune
  • Profile picture of the author Greg Ray
    You'll likely get plenty of SEO responses, but to me, the broader question is whether or not the audience you are targeting "hangs out" somewhere online - in groups, forums, article directories, conferences, online and offline events, and so on...

    I ask because, since you indicate "they" may not be "searching" for you or your offering, you need a way to target them beyond SEO to be highly successful.
    Signature
    Kindest regards,

    Greg Ray
    gregrayonline.com
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    • Profile picture of the author EmergencyMonkey
      Originally Posted by Greg Ray View Post

      You'll likely get plenty of SEO responses, but to me, the broader question is whether or not the audience you are targeting "hangs out" somewhere online - in groups, forums, article directories, conferences, online and offline events, and so on...

      I ask because, since you indicate "they" may not be "searching" for you or your offering, you need a way to target them beyond SEO to be highly successful.
      I understand what you are saying and I appreciate the response. The URL I was referring to actually is a forum that I am now a member of It is very popular and at any given time, there are at least 3500 people on the forum, at least 1000 on the subforum I am targeting. So my assumption is that the search for this keyword is actually FOR this forum.

      I am on social media as well, but I am still getting my feet wet with that and I have to admit, twitter is kind of fun (I feel cool again.

      I just know how I am online and when I type in a search and the shiny penny shows up below my initial search, I click it.

      I appreciate any SEO techniques and like I mentioned above, I understand some of the basic concepts, but I really want to make sure I am taking advantage of all the opportunities to get ranked and get my site standing next to that forum ESPECIALLY because everything after that is an amazon product.
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  • Profile picture of the author EmergencyMonkey
    Am I interpreting the search results incorrectly assuming that after the first url listed, because the rest of the results on the first page are amazon products, that it might be a good keyword for me to go after to gain my audience?
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    Hard to comment without some specifics. Maybe you could at least mention the point of the book and who it's written for.
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  • Profile picture of the author butters
    Why would you want to change the way they view and treat patients? Kind of curious whats your background on the subject?
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    • Profile picture of the author EmergencyMonkey
      Originally Posted by butters View Post

      Why would you want to change the way they view and treat patients? Kind of curious whats your background on the subject?
      When I mean treat patients, I mean how they treat people. I can't tell you how many times in a day I need to go into a patients room to smooth over an upset patient because the resident that preceded me pissed them off in some way. I don't get patient complaints and there is a reason. This is the message I'm trying to get across.

      As for the keyword it's simply "student doctor". It's my audience and I think I can rank to get my blog across to them. I am not afraid to share the keyword, google it and let me know what you guys think.

      I know the intent of getting your page to rank is to make sales, I am trying to sell an attitude. I am trying to sell a change in an outlook. I feel I may be wasting my time but I am passionate about it and I have nothing to lose. I want to generate an audience....who doesn't.
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  • Profile picture of the author shane_k
    A couple of ideas


    Are you their boss?

    If so, then what I would do, is I would train them to treat the patients the way I want them to.

    This might take awhile, and you might have to keep reinforcing these rules or standards, and even change your strategies until you are successful and your "team" of student doctors are treating them the way you want, and complaints have been reduced.

    Then what you can do, after you have that success with your team is create an ebook or video course about that training and offer to sell it to other doctors.

    Emphasize how you have reduced patient complaints.

    I personally think other people in your situation would be better to target than the actual people you are trying to change.

    Another question I have for you

    Are all or most medical students, interns and residents like this? Do most or all treat patients badly?

    If so, then the problem probably resides in the universities where they are learning to become doctors and what they are being taught about how to handle and treat patients.

    That would be another area of people to target. If this is the source of the problem, and you can start to create change here, when they are just learning their habits, you will have a greater impact.

    What you could do is to try and get some guest lectures where you can go in and teach them what you feel is the right way.

    In each of these cases I think you could also emphasize the difference between what you learn in school and what works in the real world.

    Just some thoughts
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