Behind the Scenes of RockTape Rockstock 2017

Join me as we hop behind the scenes of RockTape Rockstock 2017. 

Come behind the scenes with me at RockTape RockStock 2017. RockStock’s mission is to unite a community of health and fitness professionals dedicated to movement innovation.

Taking place in beautiful Huntington Beach, the event had chiropractors, therapists, movement and healthcare professionals of all disciplines having fun, learning cutting edge techniques, and collaborating on how to provide the best patient-centric care! 

I was fortunate to to catch up with RockTape Medical Director, Steve Capobianco, Crossover Health's Dan Lord, and Chiropractic Radiologist Cliff Tao. Check out the video about for interviews with all of them where we talk about movement, the future of healthcare, and chiropractic radiology. 

Rockstock 2018 is an event you don't want to miss! 

Chiropractic SEO- Your Guide to Rank #1 on Google

SEO. Oh sweet SEO.

Search engine optimization.

This is probably the most important and most misunderstood aspect of building a website that converts prospective patients or visitors into actual patients.

The reason SEO, or search engine optimization, is so important is approximately 70% of clicks go to native search results (not ad’s). And, approximately 70% of clicks go to the top 5 results for the keyword which is searched.

So yes, if you search YOUR CITY CHIROPRACTOR and you are not in the top 5 results then it is very likely you are getting next to zero clicks to your website.

Click Here to Download this Article as a PDF!

(yep, The Evidence Based Chiropractor has 2 of the top 4 search results for “chiropractic podcast”)

And often, being in the top 5 doesn't cost any money at all. You just need to give Google the information necessary to find you. You need to be a relevant result.

Remember that all of your marketing efforts work together. They should play nice. When you have good traffic coming in daily from Google this will help build your email list (a certain percentage of visitors should always convert to your email list via an opt-in).

Then you should use your Facebook pixel to re-target these visitors on social media. Even more advanced marketers could use a pixel from Perfect Audience and begin re-targeting across the entire web.

Personally, this is something I overlooked for a long time with The Evidence Based Chiropractor. But then, I saw Tommy Griffith, SEO Chief at AirBnB and formerly of Paypal, speak and it started to all come together.

I am willing to bet their are a few very simple tweaks you can make to your website right now that will boost your Google rank.

I bring up Google because they account for nearly 85% of search engine queries. For local businesses lets face it- Google is the master and we are all puppets.

The challenge with Google is they pretty much don't release any data on how or why they make any decision regarding search ranking.

Thanks Google.  

But, all is not lost. We (and by “we” I mean people way smarter than me) have figured out the how and why of Google results.

This topic alone could take up thousands of pages in a book, but we will break it down to a few simple keystones you can implement immediately.

Here are a few tools you should be using and we will dive into what each one does.

SEO helped me get to the top of "chiropractic seo" when searched on Youtube

Jump to a specific part of the article by clicking the link below:

WEBMASTER TOOLS
MOZ
PAGE SPEED

Click Here to Download this Article as a PDF!

Google Webmaster Tools

Google Webmaster Tools, now known as Google Search Console, is ground zero for optimizing your chiropractic SEO. Basically, this tool will show any “problems” with your website.

See, Google can be finicky. If it encounters a problem with your website they know the user experience will not be great.

User’s don't like problems.
Potential new patient’s don’t like problems.
Google doesn't like problems.

via GIPHY

And you get slapped on the wrist. Which means you get a lower ranking for errors on your website.

The nice thing is that Google will tell you about every error. But you need to ask. And the Google Search Console is the place to ask. You just quickly enter in your URL and it will give you a variety of tools to look at any problems with your website.

Also, you can upload a sitemap. A sitemap is literally a “map” of your website. This gives Google additional information to easily crawl, or search, your website. That is a good thing because it will give them additional information to match your site to potential visitors.

So, when you first get into the Search Console you will be able to see your Crawl Errors, Search Analytics and Sitemaps. Sound complicated, but its not.

The Crawl Errors are when Google is having a hard time finding content on your site. Essentially, they are “error” which is making it confusing for your content to be found. Not a good thing.

But, you can check your Crawl Errors at anytime and correct them. Thank you Google.

Next we need to look at Search Analytics. Using Google Analytics is one of the best ways to discover the nitty-gritty of your content and its performance. However, Search Analytics is also a nice little tool for you to take a quick look at your progress (or lack of progress).

Finally are Sitemaps. As we reference above, a sitemap is literally a map of your site. It allows Google to quickly find and index the content on your site. The easier you make it for them the better your results will be. So make sure you have an updated sitemap uploaded. Usually you can find them as an extension of your site with .sitemap/xml

MOZ

Moz is an awesome service company that provides super-high quality web analytics. Basically, they have a tool set that gives you a plethora of information to make your site more Google friendly.

Their suite of tools includes an open site explorer, SEO tool, Keyword search tool and others. Keep in mind some of their tools are paid and not free. And the paid tools are best for professional SEO specialists and marketing types in larger companies.

For most chiropractors they are overkill (they are professional marketing level products) and won’t give good return (they are also somewhat pricey).

BUT, their free tools are exactly what you need to help build a great online home.

Let’s look at a few tools.

The Moz open site explorer tool should be an essential part of your chiropractic SEO toolkit. This tools allows your to research backlinks, finding backlink opportunities and get a fantastic overall feel for your website.

Everything that Moz creates is very easy to use. And Open Site Explorer is no different. Simply enter the web address you want to investigate into the search bar and click search (also great for searching competitor’s sites).

The Moz tool with then create a complete profile of your page including Page Authority, Domain Authority, Inbound Links, Social Media links.

““FYI: a huge bank of super nerds that love number and stuff; compiles this information and delivers it to you with unicorn-riding mathematicians- Just Saying.””

— MOZ

Links to your site are still an essential component of getting great SEO. This Moz tool will help you see where you stand. Also, don't forget that you can pump in your competitors website also and see who is linking to their websites. This will give you a great opportunity to reach out if you have a piece of content which is more complete or more current. In other words, Moz Site Explorer is one of the best “research” tools out there. You can literally build a list of opportunities to improve your sites SEO.

Domain Authority and Page Authority are proprietary Moz stats/numbers that help determine your link authority. They analyze the potential of your page/site based on a variety of factors (including links) and then give you an easy to digest number.

The higher the better. For instance, Wikipedia has a Domain Authority near 100. That’s a nice place to be!

But, do not be discouraged if your Domain or Page Authority is not 100.  It may even be around 20. It’s ok. It takes time. But as you develop a ton of links from reputable site (with high domain authority) you will notice that your SEO begins to improve and you will place higher in the organic search results for your targeted keywords.

PAGE SPEED

Checking your page speed is also a really good idea. If you website is loading slow it will affect the ranking, but it will also make it much more likely that a visitor gives up before even reaching your homepage.

In the game of page speed- seconds matter.

Reducing your loading time by literally 1 second can make a HUGE difference in user experience. And when Google is ranking search results it will nearly always choose the faster site to list above the slower site.

And don't forget mobile!

Almost 50% of all web traffic is now mobile. Fortunately a vast majority of website are now mobile friendly. Make sure yours is. This is not an option. You site has to be mobile friendly to compete in search rankings now.

The biggest issue my website had initially was image size. “Big” images can drastically slow down your website loading time. It is really really easy to resize images that load 10 or even 20 times faster.  Sometimes the resizing of images will be called “compressing” images. For our purposes its the same thing. Reducing the file size to improve load time.

There are a few other items which can really drag down your page. They are:

Page Speed Drags

Remember, improvements to your page speed work in 2 primary ways.

First, you can decrease your load time. This will help keep people from pogo sticking off of your website, which is a huge killer of SEO.

Second, it will give you an advantage other other pages with similar content.

The bump in SEO for page speed is all about user experience. Google wants happy searchers and quick load times are a big first step.

So there you have it. A few simple steps you can dive into to boost your page UP the ranking chart and get more eyes on your practice and more people in your front door.

Click Here to Download this Article as a PDF!

How to Keep Your Spinal Discs Healthy

Spinal discs are the shock absorbers between the bones, or vertebrae, of your spine. The discs have a tough outer ring and a jelly-like center. Their job is to help us move, bend, and twist while absorbing the weight of gravity. But, over time, our spinal discs can become degenerative.

Injuries, aging, and the effects of gravity all contribute to disc degeneration. The good news is that degenerative discs rarely cause pain unless they budge or herniate, placing pressure on the spinal nerves. So how you can slow down the degenerative process and keep your discs healthy?

Top research journals have recently discovered that movement and hydration are two important factors to keep your discs healthy. A well-hydrated disc can more easily adapt to movement and is less prone to injury. Many chiropractic techniques are designed to “pump” your spinal discs. This motion helps bring nutrients into the disc and pushes out inflammation and waste. That is a fancy way to say that chiropractic care can help keep your spinal discs healthy! Here are the key takeaways:

Your spinal discs act as small shock absorbers between the bones of your spine .

Movement helps bring nutrients into the disc and pushes out waste and inflammation; helping them stay healthy. 

Torn, herniated, or bulged discs can cause pain by irritating the nearby nerves. Researchers have found chiropractic care to be one of the best ways to heal and feel better!  

A combination of chiropractic care and staying well-hydrated are two ways to keep your spinal discs healthy and pain-free. But, don’t forget to stay active between your adjustments. And here is one more tip to slow down Father Time- daily exercise and stretching. Exercise and stretching will not only keep you fit and trim but can also potentially slow down the degenerative changes of your spine keeping you healthy and active for many years to come! 

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If you would like research-based content like this for your practice (we are talking about videos, newsletters, social media graphics, blog posts, and MORE) then visit us and learn more at The Smart Chiropractor.

Modern chiropractic marketing made easy. 

Chiropractic Before or After a Spinal Injection: The Facts!

Suffering through the pain associated with a disc herniation can be debilitating. When a spinal disc is pressing on a nerve it can result in excruciating pain that may seem like it will never go away.

Quite often medical doctor’s recommend nerve root injections (also known as Epidural Steroid Injections) if they see on an MRI that the disc is pressing on a nerve. But how many times do they also recommend chiropractic care with the injections? Not often enough.

Over 9 million spinal injections are given every year for spine-related pain. That is over 24,000 every day! Injections are often given when a patient is suffering from radiculopathy or a compressed nerve root.

Over 24,000 SPINAL injections are given every day!

I believe there is a better, research-supported way to find relief. But first, let's set the stage a bit.

Click Here to Download a Powerful Free Research Brief

The 3 tissues that can pinch a nerve and cause pain are:

• Spinal Discs

• Bone Spurs and Osteophytes

• Ligament Overgrowth and Hypertrophy

Whether the compression is caused by a disc, ligament, or bone- the nerve doesn't care. It's aggravated and causing pain. Statistically, many of these people are going to visit their medical doctor to find relief. Over 30% of the patients in a primary care doctors office are there for treatment of a musculoskeletal complaint.

When they go to see their medical doctor with radiculopathy, the medical doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory, and perhaps physical therapy. Then an MRI is ordered. 

What do they find? 

Well, if it's a disc pressing on the nerve, the next stop for that patient is quite often a physiatrist, pain management doctor, or neurologist for a spinal injection. The goal of the injection is to decrease the inflammation and "numb" the area, which may provide temporary relief at best. And what happens when the injections stop working? It's off to the surgeon.

I believe there is a better path to relief.

I thought it would be interesting to look at the research showcasing the use chiropractic or injections for the treatment of radiculopathy. First up was a study from JMPT in 2013. The title is "symptomatic MRI-confirmed lumbar disc herniation patients comparing high-velocity low amplitude spinal manipulative therapy or image guided lumbar nerve root injections."

 And guess what the researchers found?

The researchers found, "both of the treatment groups had significant decreases in their pain scores at one month with a 60 percent reduction for the spinal manipulative therapy cohort and a 53 percent reduction for the nerve root injection group".

The spinal manipulation group had much better outcomes than the nerve root injection group.

Additionally, they found, "lumbar nerve and injections are commonly used, and accepted treatment option for these patients whereas lumbar spinal manipulation as a treatment for disc herniation remains controversial amongst some healthcare professionals." 

That tells us that there is some work to do on the relationships building front. With the volume of nerve root injections and all the risks- people should be exploring conservative care, such as chiropractic, first!
(in the absence of red-flags and extenuating circumstances)

Keep in mind this is a symptomatic, MRI-confirmed lumbar disc herniation. The disc is placing direct pressure on the nerve. And while both groups found improvement, the chiropractic group, the spinal manipulation group, ultimately outperformed the nerve root injection group. That's exciting!

The fact that a conservative care option can outperform a ton of steroids being dumped on an inflamed nerve is impressive.

Additionally, another study titled "spinal manipulation post-epidural injection for lumbar and cervical radiculopathy: a retrospective case series" had some interesting results. For instance, happens if you give an adjustment to someone who has already had an injection? 

Unfortunately, many people believe they are past chiropractic when they get the injection. And the researchers found the opposite is true.

They found, "the majority of the patients showed a positive response with only one treatment procedure".

Additionally, the researchers found, "theoretically epidural injections are proposed to address the inflammatory and central components of spinal pain whereas spinal manipulation is proposed to address the mechanical and neural aspects of the pain syndrome". 

Spinal manipulation is proposed to address the mechanical aspect of the pain, and you're getting physical motion into the joint with many chiropractic techniques. But they also cited the neural elements such as the impact to a central nervous system and the opening of the foraminal canals, decreasing the pressure on the nerve.  

Finally, the researchers found, "this data suggests that spinal manipulation post-epidural injection is a safe non-surgical procedure to use in the treatment of a patient with radiculopathy of spinal origin." 

So not only do many patients get well with chiropractic care before (or instead) of getting an injection, but even those individuals who went through an injection still saw improvement with chiropractic care.

This research is important information for your patients to know and is also as a great conversation starter for the providers in your community. Those conversations may save dozens, if not hundreds of people from going through expensive and sometimes dangerous, injections. 

We've featured both of these pieces of research as monthly research for our members of The Evidence Based Chiropractor; which is the complete system for relationship building with other healthcare providers in your community. Click here to learn more!

Click Here to Download a Powerful Free Research Brief

10X Your Next Seminar Using This Instagram Hack

At Rockstock in Huntington Beach, one of the big things that I noticed was that it seemed like everyone knew everyone. But, there are many events and seminars that feel a bit lonely. It can make you feel like your in a silo. But, I want to tell you that you can use Instagram to connect with other docs that are close by to you and make connections, so you're not feeling alone or siloed at the events and seminars you attend.

And the easiest way to do it is when you take out your phone, go to Instagram. Then search by "places." And when you search by locations you can tag precisely where you're hanging out. So recently I was at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington. I can tag that location and Instagram will give me a list of everybody that's posted (in chronological order) and tagged the Hyatt Regency. So I was able to find a bunch of other docs that were posting pictures from Rockstock. And then I can comment on the photos, shoot them a direct message, follow them, etc. If you go to a unique event and you don't know anybody there whatsoever you can just hop on Instagram. 

Especially if it's an event that has a couple of hundred chiropractors- you'll notice that quite a few start to post pictures. People are engaged. People are pulling out their phones and taking photos of slides, and many of them are then putting those on Facebook or Instagram. 

So I just want to give that quick tip for you. If you're at a seminar or a conference, and it feels like you don't know anybody,  Instagram can make it a lot easier to connect with like-minded docs and make a few friends in the process.