Marketing and SEO can look a bit different for every industry. In the case of dentistry, SEO presents many great opportunities to get in front of the customers that you want to attract.
Here are some of the best SEO tactics for dental practices and dentists to know for 2022.
Google Maps
Google Maps is a big opportunity for dentists. Google Maps is controlled by Google My Business, which can be claimed and edited by a dental office or an agency on behalf of the dental practice.
Google Maps is powerful because it gives the ability to target searches on a hyper-local basis. Customers who are often searching for “dentist near me” in Google will be shown the offices that are closest to in proximity to the location of the searcher. Dentists will want to make sure their practice comes up first in the 3 pack, which appears first on Google searches for local intent.
How to do this
There are several factors that go into improving your visibility in Google. They are:
- Reviews on Google My Business – the more 5-star reviews your practice gets, the better off you’ll be.
- A filled out profile – this means having a lengthy description, adding photos of your building (interior and exterior) and your staff, adding the services
- Category in Google My Business – make sure you choose “dentist” as your primary category and choose up to 4 other categories that apply. Choosing the right category helps you appear in Google searches.
- Accuracy of other directories – in addition to Google My Business, Google looks at your business listed on other directories. An important concept with directories is NAP consistency, which stands for name, address, and phone number. There are more directories with NAP exactly the same help GMB visibility.
Results
From optimizing your Google My Business profile, you’ll experience increased visibility that will get you more phone calls, website traffic, and appointments scheduled online. This is a great place to start your SEO because it helps you target customers in close proximity to your practice, and overall, it does not take too long to do.
On-Page SEO
The on-page SEO process starts with identifying the right keywords to target and using them on your web page. Whether you have one location or several different locations, on-page SEO will be crucial to both Google Maps and organic search results.
How to do this
Identify the keyword(s) you want to target through keyword research. The keyword that will likely be targeted is “dentist in {city/town}”. You can use keyword research tools to see how competitive it is to rank, and the monthly frequency of which a keyword is typed into Google.
Then, use the keyword you have identified on your page. Make sure to use your primary keyword in the title tag and meta description, as well as throughout the copy of the page. This helps Google better understand what your website is about and the services you provide.
Results
Using these keywords helps your website become more relevant to Google, and as a result, you will be served higher in the search results when people type your keyword in. Remember, Google wants to serve the most relevant and successful results so users can accomplish what people are searching for – using keywords helps you become the best result possible, putting you in a better position in Google to grow your dental practice.
Backlinks
An important part of SEO often missed dentist is to get backlinks, or links from other websites that point to your site. Continuing the theme of becoming the best search result, backlinks are another way that Google qualifies which websites should rank first in search results. By having backlinks from other credible websites, Google can deem your website and business more credible, legitimate, and trusted.
How to do this
Backlinks involve outreach to other websites, and working together with end result of getting a link back to your website. There are plenty of ways to get backlinks from other local websites or resources. Backlink strategy can correlate to other marketing channels beyond SEO tying into bigger dental marketing strategy as a whole – think social media and email marketing, which can help form relationships.
Results
Though this can be a pretty tricky endeavor, it is very rewarding for your website’s SEO performance. Backlinks are particularly important for newer websites, that lack credibility, and authority with Google.
Building Credibility & Trust
The last part of SEO for dentists is to continue to get reviews and testimonials on an ongoing basis. For local dental practices, online reviews are so critical for several reasons, some of which go beyond SEO.
From an SEO perspective, testimonials and reviews can help improve your website’s EAT, a concept that is a growing factor in Google’s search algorithm, which stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trust.
How to do this
Ask people to review you on Google My Business and other review sites like Yelp.
Be sure to add testimonials to your homepage
Make sure you state your credentials on your website and other review sites and directories. For instance, consider adding these as examples:
- “15 years serving the Boston community:”
- Awards – awarded “top dentist of the year”
- Include certifications and courses for dentists and dental staff.
Results
Again, these efforts go beyond just SEO, but they will help build credibility with both Google and the patients and audience you’re trying to attract.
In Closing
So there it is! These 4 tips should help your website perform well in Google and grow your dental business through organic search. If you have any questions or are interested in SEO for your business feel free to contact me. I am an SEO consultant in Boston that works with small businesses, including dentists.
This post was written in collaboration with the dental coaches at Fortune Northeast.
