“We will grow your business”

This is a claim I hear extended to doctors and vets by tradeshow vendors. It is also frequently mentioned by clients following a sales pitch. But what does it really mean and how does it really work?

While technology can certainly aid in medical or veterinary practice growth, I’ve noticed a troubling trend. Many marketing vendors that push this narrative too hard are more focused on their own growth than that of the practices. Here is a typical suggestion: “Make content, post on social media, your SEO will improve and bring new patients through search engines.” However, the reality is rarely as simple or impactful as promised.

For example, a few years ago, we created a straightforward, value-driven website for Dr. Ellen Mellow, a highly regarded cardiologist in New York City. Doctor Ellen was later lured away from us by a promise of rapid growth through a combination of new site, heavy social media and SEO investments. After a year and $30,000+ investment, her returns were negligible: 10 new followers, 12 likes, and 2 new patients.

At AutoRemind, we've seen this pattern often—brilliant, esteemed doctors misled by lofty promises of instant success based on sizeable SEO and content investments. While in some instances those do work, most often the discussion quality matters more than quantity. On the right you see the 160+ posts Dr. Ellen got in about a year. From a “positive patient engagement” point-of-view it did not work. The standard content was not good enough for prospective patients to engage so very few “liked” it.

There is no evidence that patients positively react to the standardized content, but the vendor’s answer to that is “that is does not matter! The content feeds SEO so you would be found and would get new clients”. Some even recommend to only post on Facebook and ignore other platforms. What they don’t mention is that Google does not look at, nor link to content on Facebook (or Instagram) for one simple reason: competition. Any content or a link that takes a viewer from a Google search to Facebook loses the viewer (and related advertising revenue) Google and sends it to Facebook. Naturally, Google and Meta will do anything to keep the viewers on their sites to keep respective advertising dollars. For practice growth, prioritize quality engagement over quantity. Aim for meaningful, authentic posts rather than focusing solely on SEO.

A relatable, trustworthy online presence that emphasizes patient care is what truly attracts new patients—not empty SEO promises.