1. One Practice, Two Audiences
If your dermatology practice offers both medical and cosmetic services, you face a marketing challenge most single-specialty practices never encounter: you are speaking to two fundamentally different audiences with one brand. Combining both messages into a single campaign dilutes results and confuses your audience.
The patient searching "Botox near me" is in a completely different mindset than the patient searching "dermatologist for rash." One is making a discretionary purchase driven by desire. The other is seeking medical care driven by need. Your marketing must respect that distinction at every touchpoint.
Of derm practices offer both medical and cosmetic services
Average cosmetic treatment value per visit
Annual Google searches for skin-related terms
YoY growth in cosmetic dermatology demand
Cosmetic Patient Mindset
Medical Patient Mindset
2. Marketing Medical Dermatology Services
Medical dermatology patients search by symptom, not by treatment. They type "dermatologist for eczema [city]," "skin cancer screening near me," or "mole removal dermatologist." Your marketing must intercept these symptom-based queries with educational content that builds trust and drives bookings.
Symptom-Based SEO
- Build dedicated landing pages for each condition (eczema, psoriasis, acne, rosacea, skin cancer)
- Target long-tail keywords: 'dermatologist for [condition] in [city]'
- Publish educational blog posts answering patient questions
- Use FAQ schema for featured snippet capture
Referral Relationships
- Build outreach programs with PCPs, allergists, rheumatologists
- Host lunch-and-learn events for referring providers
- Streamline referral intake with digital forms
- Send referring physicians quarterly updates on shared patients
Insurance-Focused Content
- List accepted insurance plans prominently on every page
- Create 'Does Insurance Cover [Treatment]?' content
- Emphasize same-week availability for urgent conditions
- Highlight board certifications and hospital affiliations
Content That Converts Medical Patients
Blog posts like "When to See a Dermatologist for a Mole" or "Eczema vs. Psoriasis: How to Tell the Difference" educate patients, answer their search queries, and guide them toward booking. Each post should end with a clear call to action and link to your online scheduler.
Deep Dive Resource: For a patient-education-first approach to healthcare marketing, see our Vein Clinic Marketing Guide.
3. Marketing Cosmetic Dermatology Services
Cosmetic dermatology is visual by nature and driven by aspiration. The marketing channels, messaging, and creative are fundamentally different from your medical side. Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are primary platforms for building awareness and showcasing results.
Visual-First Content
- Before-and-after skin transformations with standardized lighting
- Treatment demonstrations (laser, chemical peels, microneedling)
- Product reviews and skincare routine walkthroughs
- Provider personality and 'day in the life' content
Social Media Strategy
- Instagram Reels and TikTok for viral reach and discovery
- Stories for daily engagement and behind-the-scenes content
- UGC (user-generated content) from satisfied patients
- Influencer partnerships with local beauty and lifestyle creators
Demand Generation
- Meta Ads targeting women 25–55 interested in skincare and beauty
- Seasonal campaigns: 'Summer Glow' packages, holiday specials
- Event marketing: Botox parties, VIP treatment nights
- Membership programs for recurring treatments
HIPAA Compliance for Before/After Content
Always obtain written patient consent before using any photos or videos in marketing. Use standardized consent forms that specify where images will be used (website, social media, ads). Never post identifying information without explicit approval.
4. SEO Strategy for Dual-Service Practices
A dual-service dermatology practice needs two distinct SEO strategies operating under one domain. Your website architecture must clearly separate medical and cosmetic service pages while maintaining a cohesive brand.
Medical Dermatology Target Keywords
- dermatologist for eczema [city] — High-intent condition-specific search
- skin cancer screening near me — Urgent medical need with strong local intent
- mole removal dermatologist [city] — Procedure-specific medical search
- psoriasis treatment [city] — Chronic condition management search
- acne dermatologist [city] — High-volume condition search, younger demographic
Cosmetic Dermatology Target Keywords
- Botox near me — Highest-volume cosmetic derm keyword nationally
- laser skin resurfacing [city] — High-value procedure with strong buyer intent
- chemical peel dermatologist [city] — Procedure-specific cosmetic search
- microneedling [city] — Growing trend keyword with high search volume
- best cosmetic dermatologist [city] — High-intent provider comparison search
Site Architecture for Dual-Service SEO
Create separate service hubs: /medical-dermatology/ and /cosmetic-dermatology/. Each hub gets its own pillar page, condition/treatment subpages, and supporting blog content. Internal linking should connect related conditions within each hub while cross-linking only where genuinely relevant.
5. Paid Advertising: Segmented Campaigns
Running a single Google Ads campaign for all dermatology services is the most common budget-wasting mistake in this vertical. Medical and cosmetic keywords have vastly different intent levels, competition, and conversion values. They must be separated.
1. Campaign 1: Brand Protection
Target your practice name and common misspellings. Cheapest clicks, highest conversion rate. Prevents competitors from capturing branded searches.
2. Campaign 2: Cosmetic High-Intent
Keywords like 'Botox [city],' 'filler near me,' 'laser treatment [city].' Aggressive bidding with dedicated cosmetic landing pages featuring galleries and pricing.
3. Campaign 3: Medical High-Intent
Keywords like 'dermatologist near me,' 'skin cancer screening [city].' Landing pages emphasize credentials, insurance acceptance, and availability.
4. Campaign 4: Procedure-Specific
Individual campaigns for your highest-value treatments (e.g., Mohs surgery, CO2 laser). Custom landing pages with granular keyword targeting.
Deep Dive Resource: For a complete guide to paid advertising campaign structure in dermatology, see our Paid Advertising for Dermatologists Guide.
7. Unified Brand, Segmented Messaging
The goal is not to split your practice into two separate brands. It is to maintain a unified brand identity while running segmented marketing campaigns that speak to each audience distinctly. Your colors, voice, and professionalism remain consistent. The message changes based on who you are speaking to and what they need.
Website Segmentation
- Clear, separate navigation for medical and cosmetic services
- Distinct landing pages with audience-appropriate imagery
- Separate online booking flows by service type
- Unified About Us and Contact pages maintain brand cohesion
Email Segmentation
- Separate email lists by patient type (medical vs. cosmetic)
- Medical patients receive educational content and appointment reminders
- Cosmetic patients receive promotions, new treatment announcements
- Cross-sell opportunities for patients who may benefit from both
Reporting Segmentation
- Track marketing ROI separately for medical and cosmetic
- Separate Google Ads budgets and conversion tracking
- Monitor patient acquisition cost by service line
- Attribute revenue to specific marketing channels per segment
8. KPIs and Performance Benchmarks
Measuring performance for a dual-service practice requires tracking metrics separately for medical and cosmetic lines. What constitutes a strong result differs dramatically between the two.
Target cost-per-lead for cosmetic services
Healthy ROAS for cosmetic Google Ads
Lead-to-consultation rate target
Google review rating to dominate local pack
Calculate Your Dermatology Marketing ROI
Use our ROI calculator to see how segmented campaigns improve your cost-per-acquisition across both medical and cosmetic service lines.
Try the ROI Calculator9. Your 90-Day Segmentation Roadmap
Weeks 1–2: Audit and Architecture
- Audit current website — identify pages that mix medical and cosmetic messaging
- Create separate service hubs with distinct navigation paths
- Separate Google Ads into medical and cosmetic campaigns
- Build segmented email lists from existing patient database
Weeks 3–4: Content Foundation
- Create dedicated landing pages for top 5 medical conditions
- Create dedicated landing pages for top 5 cosmetic treatments
- Publish pillar content for each service hub
- Set up FAQ schema on all educational pages
Weeks 5–8: Channel Activation
- Launch segmented Google Ads campaigns with dedicated landing pages
- Begin social media content calendar with audience-specific posts
- Start Meta Ads for cosmetic demand generation
- Implement automated email flows for each patient segment
Weeks 9–12: Optimize and Scale
- Review search term reports and add negative keywords weekly
- A/B test landing pages for highest-value procedures
- Analyze conversion rates by segment and adjust budgets
- Build retargeting audiences from website visitors by service type
Ready to Put This Into Action?
Our team builds the systems that turn these insights into real patient growth. Book a free strategy session and see how these strategies apply to your practice.
6. Social Media for Dermatology
Social media for dermatology practices serves two purposes: building cosmetic demand through aspirational content and establishing medical authority through educational content. The platforms and content types differ by audience.
Cosmetic Social Content
Medical Social Content
Deep Dive Resource: For a complete healthcare social media content framework, see our Chiropractic Social Media Strategies Guide.