Podiatrist Online Marketing Basics – What Every Practice Must Know

By Austin Lovvorn

Podiatrists need digital marketing to expand their practices. But many practitioners do not fully understand its importance quite yet. The assumption that just having a basic website or depending on word-of-mouth referrals will suffice is incorrect; because attracting and maintaining consistent patients’ inflow requires a customized marketing strategy.

Let’s understand it from the basics.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Understanding the Online Patient Journey

A potential patient’s search for podiatrists is commonly initiated through online Google search, social media platforms or healthcare directories. They are either motivated to search due to a sudden foot pain, or chronic foot issues. They search for podiatrists nearby and those who have a good online presence, positive feedback from other patients are likely to be selected. They’ll then initiate a contact to approach the podiatrist and set up the appointment.

Potential patients may also see your video on YouTube (doctor reaction type of a video), Instagram, TikTok etc, emphasizing the need for omni-channel online marketing approach.

Imagine all of this is happening and your practice isn’t appearing anywhere in the top 10 search results?

Your practice might miss out on a lot of potential patients if it doesn’t appear prominently in these types of searches.

Let’s assume they do luckily approach you despite no visibility, say because of word-of-mouth. The patient journey doesn’t end after first visit.

There has to be follow-ups and proper maintenance of their record until the patient is fully treated. All of this requires a thorough marketing-sales strategy, medical management systems etc – from the point where they search till they are treated.

Part 2: The 80/20 Rule of Podiatry Marketing

In general, the 80/20 rule demonstrates that 80% of results come from 20% of work done.

So how does this rule apply to podiatry marketing?

Patient Acquisitions:

First, try to identify the sources of your patient acquisitions. Is it through SEO, PPC, patient referrals, doctor referrals, or medical directory referrals — and concentrate 80% of your efforts & budgets there. (hint: we can and already helped podiatrists achieve this through targeted podiatry marketing strategies.)

If it’s digital marketing, allocate more budgets there. If it is referrals (patient or doctor), focus on relationship-building on these high-value sources for maximum ROI.

Why?

Because a core group of patients with complex or ongoing needs typically contributes disproportionately to overall profitability, indicating that not all patient relationships are equally profitable. So treating them as a subset of your marketing efforts is equally important for any podiatry practice.

Services & Procedures:

Podiatrists offer multiple services, but only a handful may generate most of the revenue and patient growth. Identifying which procedures or specialties drive the most profit allows targeted marketing to further expand on those areas.

The takeaway here is, “scattershot” marketing strategies often consume substantial resources while producing minimal results, whereas a few well-chosen marketing channels—your top 20%—tend to deliver the majority of new patients and revenue.

Part 3: Enhance Your Online Presence

Podiatrists who want to bring in new patients must maintain a strong online presence. This starts with optimizing two key areas – website performance and digital marketing.

A well-maintained, mobile-responsive website with straightforward navigation, and an uncomplicated appointment booking procedure will help your practice. Patients who can’t find information or schedule an appointment will search for other options very quickly.

A wide range of digital marketing strategies—such as SEO, local SEO, PPC, and optimizing your Google My Business profile—can improve your online visibility. We’ll talk about in-depth online strategies later.

Part 4: The Secret to Building Trust Online

Trust is the foundation of effective marketing. You can have all the greatest sales-marketing things in place. But if your reputation is poor, any great effort goes in-vain.

Patients are looking for more than just medical services because they require healthcare providers whom they trust and feel comfortable working with. When you establish that trust online, your practice is likely to attract more patients compared to your competitors.

Patient trust strengthens through testimonials. They stand as one of the most effective indicators that build trust. Every positive review written improves your clinic’s trustworthiness and enhances your visibility in search engine results. Your expertise becomes evident through before-and-after images together with testimonials which display tangible outcomes.

A podiatrist’s job doesn’t end here. The after-care patient support is equally important. Concentrating on these key areas creates a robust online presence while generating continuous new patient inflow.

Part 5: The "Set It & Forget It" Marketing Mindset

“Set it and forget it” refers to the concept of marketing automation, where routine tasks—like scheduling social media posts or sending follow-up emails—run automatically so you can still work consistently with minimal manual intervention. It involves using specialized tools to streamline repetitive tasks. This approach frees up valuable time and resources, so that podiatrists can focus on their actual business.

However, not everything in your marketing plan should be automated. Certain tasks—such as personalized replies to patient inquiries, regular updates to your SEO strategy, and addressing feedback directly—still require a human touch.

By blending marketing automation with well-timed personal engagement, your practice can maintain efficiency, and continue delivering the personal care your patients expect.

The Bottomline

Digital marketing for podiatrists isn’t just a trend—it’s a practical necessity. By defining your target audience, identifying high-impact channels (using the 80/20 rule), and investing in good online marketing strategies, you significantly improve your practice’s visibility and credibility. Read more about the benefits of podiatry online marketing.

With these strategies in place, your practice can consistently attract and retain patients, all while delivering the quality care that remains at the heart of podiatry.