What does dental SEO entail?
Have you ever been confused by the phrase “that’s wonderful for dental SEO”?
Here is the straightforward translation: “That method can assist raise your website’s position in search engine results, increase website traffic, and bring in more new patients.”
Many dentists and dental office owners are uncertain about dental SEO. For dentists who prefer to concentrate on providing excellent patient care rather than becoming marketing experts, it can feel like an especially unpleasant subject. The truth is that dentists will no longer be able to ignore SEO in 2023. A dental SEO plan is essential if you want to expand your practice and attract new patients on a consistent basis. You will be better able to appreciate the significance and take the necessary steps to advance in the rankings if you have some background and knowledge on this subject.
This is the reason we produced the Dental SEO Made Simple guide: to help dentists all over the world succeed by bringing clarity. So let’s begin with the fundamentals.
What is search engine optimization (SEO) for dentistry?
The technique of increasing your dental practice’s visibility in search engine results is known as dentistry SEO; it involves climbing to the top of a search engine result page (SERP) without spending money on advertising. For instance, an SEO strategy can help your business show up in the top results when a potential patient uses Google (or Bing, Yahoo, or another search engine) and types “dentist near me,” “implant dentist,” or any other combination of dental search terms. You need an SEO dental marketing strategy if you want to be found online by clients.
Significance of SEO for Dentists
We discussed the goal of SEO, which is to make your practice more visible and searchable in search results, but why is it so important? What makes SEO crucial for dentists?
“70% of people who are looking for a new dentist online will select one of the top 5 results on a dental search engine results page. More than 90% of people never scroll past the first page.”
The best justification for a dentist’s SEO strategy is that it works wonders for bringing in new clients. There is, however, much more to unpack there!
Consider SEO as the foundation of a cutting-edge internet marketing plan for dentistry businesses. Without SEO, dentists won’t be able to market their practise efficiently in 2023.
1. SEO for your dentistry practise will increase patient trust and credibility
People feel the dentists that appear in top rankings are superior, which is why the majority of people click on one of the top 5 suggested results in Google. Google also agrees. It’s a positive feedback loop: the higher you appear in search results, the more probable it is that patients will believe you and visit your website. The more clicks you receive, the more Google will regard you as a reliable source and keep pushing you to the top of the rankings.
2. Search engine optimization increases website traffic
According to the most recent research, 53% of all website traffic is generated by organic (unpaid) search. It might possibly be higher for your unique location and website. This is particularly important for two reasons:
• The more people who visit your website, the more chances you have to persuade them to schedule a dentist appointment.
• Dental SEO makes it simple for potential patients to find you when they need you, as opposed to proactively reaching out to them whether they want to hear from you or not. Higher-quality leads—the patients you desire most—and improved conversion rates are the end results.
3. The finest SEO results in an improved user experience on websites.
The user experience of a website is a key component of effective SEO strategy. The following are some examples of SEO recommended practices for dentists:
• Fast page loading speed
• Design for mobile devices
• Pages with headers and subheadings
• Original, compelling content
• Simple website navigation
All of these techniques increase your website’s positive user experience, which raises your SEO standing and makes it simpler for potential patients to access the information they require.
4. Additional dental offices use SEO
Although SEO may be new to you, we can assure you that it is not new to other businesses in your city. The internet is a busy, cutthroat environment. With your own SEO approach, you can keep up with your rivals or, better yet, dominate the field and distinguish yourself as the top option for patients. For instance, if a person searching for “Portland tooth replacement” has a lost tooth, she will find a tone of reviews, dental directories, and rival websites. Enhancing your SEO will help you stand out and attract her as a patient in addition to ensuring that your practice shows among these results.
How much does dentist SEO cost?
Free dental advertising are not just three words. SEO is not a pay-to-play tactic, even whether you are hiring an internal marketing specialist or working with a dental SEO business. Results are visible without using a sponsored marketing strategy.
How to measure return on investment for Dentist SEO?
You should think about how much a new patient is worth to your clinic when calculating the return on investment of a search engine optimization plan.
The numbers to look at are as follows:
a. Number of patients your SEO campaign brings in during a certain time period
b. Average cost per patient
c. Average life expectancy
d. Cost of implementing your plan (either through an in-house employee or dental SEO agency)
Here’s an illustration:
Let’s say your average patient value is $653 per year, with a 10-year average patient lifespan. The result is $6,500 ($653 x 10 years). As a result, each new patient who enters your practice will bring in about $6,500 during their lifetime.
Let’s say you have a search engine optimization strategy in place, and your website is bringing in 5 new patients each month on a conservative estimate. According to the calculation above, the lifetime value of those 5 patients is around $32,500. At the rate of five new patients each month for a year, search engine optimization alone will have increased your potential earnings by about $390,000. You may determine the return on investment for your search engine optimization approach by comparing that figure to how much time or money you spend annually on your SEO plan.
One more thing to consider
“SEO is a tactic that will help your practise over the long haul, unlike an advertisement that you run for a set amount of time. The results of today’s internet presence optimization will last for years to come.”
How can a dentist get on page#1 of Google search results?
Although it is not always attainable, ranking #1 for a certain search is possible (after all, someone has to rank in the top spot). However, don’t lose sight of getting to the front page. Even a small amount of climbing can have a significant impact!
You must comprehend how SEO for dentists functions in order to comprehend how you might rank better in search results.
How are search engines operated?
When you use Google or another search engine, it interprets your query as a question. If you type “professional teeth whitening,” for instance, Google might assume that you’re looking for a nice cosmetic dentist nearby. or “Who is the top dentist in my area for teeth whitening?” The search engine will return results that it deems to be the most pertinent and significant responses to that query. That’s the main goal of SEO! enhancing your web presence to convince Google that you are a reliable source and can provide the searcher with the information they need.
How do search engines choose which dental websites to rank?
What criteria does a search engine like Google uses to determine your ranking?
For each search, search engines aim to produce the best outcomes. They take both on- and off-site ranking variables into account when doing that.
On-site ranking factors for Dental SEO
In terms of on-site ranking considerations, this is all the data Google examines on your page. That’s correct, search engines like Google regularly “crawl” over every website, accumulating data to create an impression of who you are, what you offer, the queries you answer, your credibility, and more.
For dentists, on-site SEO ranking variables include:
• What’s on the pages of your website
• Use of keywords in prose and in locations like headers, URLs, meta descriptions, and photo file names
• Length and copy quality
• The age of your website—the older, the better!
• How readily your material may be accessed, comprehended, and indexed by search engine robots
• your page’s loading speed (as close to one second as possible)
• Whether your site is compatible with mobile devices
• How long visitors stay on your site for
• Arrangement of your website
• How reliable your website is overall
These are only a few, though!
Off-page ranking factors for Dental SEO
What other people think about your website is crucial to off-site SEO. The things you and others do off your website can improve your ranking, therefore it’s true. The number of websites and online locations that connect to or discuss your website is the main off-site SEO ranking factor for dentists. The following are the specific off-site link-building ranking factors:
• How did you get the link? (Naturally, manually, or self-created)
• The popularity of the linking site
• How closely the linking site’s subject matter relates to the linked site or page
• How recent is the link?
• The reliability and legitimacy of the connecting site
• The quantity of links
• And more
Bringing everything together
Returning to our original question, how do search engines choose which dental website to rank? A search engine will take into account all the discussed on-site and off-site SEO elements when a potential patient searches for “Invisalign dentist” to help determine:
• Which outcomes to display
• What kind of outcomes to display (reviews, dental directories, website pages, blog posts, etc.)
• The ranking of those outcomes
The search engine results will also differ based on:
• The search terms that someone enters
• The location from which they are looking
• Their search history
How to make your dental website SEO-friendly
Your website is the foundation of your overall SEO approach, therefore you must begin there. Here are a few steps to concentrate on when building a website.
1. Use WordPress to build your website
WordPress is used to create the best dental websites. WordPress websites are adaptable, scalable, and they display and function flawlessly on mobile devices as well as on desktop computers. Next, make sure that search engines can read your website as well as discover it. That means avoiding obsolete, media-heavy techniques like flash, Silverlight, iFrames, and others.
The following other highly crucial SEO details can be found on your website’s back end:
• URLs
• Meta Descriptions and titles
• Image and video file sizes
• Image alt text
• Page load speed
• Broken links
Make sure you take care of each of these for every page on your website.
2. Create a stunning dental website
Whether or not prospective patients enjoy their time on your website will depend entirely on how it is designed. Additionally, as we previously discussed, user experience is a key ranking element for SEO.
Ensure that your dentist website design leaves a fantastic and quick impression. The only method to do that is through a contemporary, personalised website created by a specialist that
1) comprehends the dental sector and
2) has experience with search engine optimization.
A few strategies this kind of web designer will use are as follows:
• A mobile-friendly website is a must
• Ensuring quick page loading speed
• Ensuring that your website adheres to ADA and HIPAA compliance standards
• Making the website easy to access and comprehend
3. Create compelling content that is optimised for search engines
A great design needs to be accompanied with compelling material that is optimised for search engines.
• Copy-and-paste content will be penalised; it must be original. Always express yourself clearly and in your own voice while writing.
• Compelling – The language on your website should be patient-centered (rather than patient-centered on you), provide common-questions answers, discuss their difficulties, and provide solutions. The StoryBrand strategy is a fantastic place to start.
• keyword-focused — The most crucial factor for SEO is to make sure your content is optimised for keywords. This entails completing keyword research for each page of your website and making sure the chosen keywords are incorporated into the prose, meta data, and headings.
4. Develop a brand that embodies your company’s key principles.
A memorable brand explains to your target patients what makes your practice special. Additionally, it conveys the offerings and experience people can expect when visiting your business.
How is a brand created? The first things to consider are your practice’s logo, the colors you choose for your website and marketing materials, and the typography you employ both online and in-person. It also refers to the identity you project to the world in all of your actions. A strong brand will keep customers interested, assisting your SEO efforts and fostering confidence among prospective new customers who visit your website.
Bonus: Advice for dentists on keyword research
You may find out what your potential patients are type into search engines to find the dental treatments you offer by conducting keyword research. As you could think, it’s a crucial component of raising your website’s traffic and increasing your online presence.
Here are the 4 suggestions for choosing your initial keywords, while we could build a complete tutorial on keyword research for dentists:
1. Make use of a keyword planning tool. A few recommendations are:
* Google Keyword Tool
* SEMrush 2
* Moz Keyword Explorer.
2. Using one of the tools mentioned above, look at the keywords that your rivals are emphasising.
3. Create an inventory of the services you provide.
4. Utilize search engine auto-complete (recommended search)
How to make your practise more effective for off-site ranking elements
1. Include your business in Google Maps
If you’ve ever searched for a local store or service, you’ll be aware that a map directory frequently shows up as the first result. This is what we like to call the “Local 3-Pack.” Making ensuring that your clinic is not only listed on Google Maps but also optimised to appear as high as possible on this list is essential.
What you should do is:
• Claim your business’s listing on Google Maps.
• Include as much information as you can about your practice.
• Utilize a local number or, even better, a call tracking number.
• Include images of your work.
2. Add your business to regional citation and directory websites.
Any online mention of your practice is a local citation. Although your website need not be linked in these citations, they must still contain your name, address, and contact information. Three of the most well-liked directories for dentists are as follows:
• Health grades
• ZocDoc
• Yelp
3. Create client testimonials
It is crucial for SEO that you demonstrate to Google that you are a reputable dentist. Patient reviews, whether on Google (the gold standard! ), Facebook, Yelp, or other sites, are one incredibly underused strategy for establishing SEO trust. Ensure you have a plan for approaching patients with a request for feedback and for following up on that request. Additionally, make sure to highlight several of these fantastic reviews on your website!
Regarding backlinks
If another website links to yours, you need to check that the links are still active. A broken link is one that directs users to a page that displays a 404 error. Investigate using a broken link checker. Work with your developer or designer to fix any broken links that the report identifies. If the broken links originate from another website, get in touch with them and request that they fix the links.
How dentists can know if their SEO strategy is working or not?
An effective dentistry practice SEO plan must include measuring the outcomes of your work.
The following are the key statistics to examine:
• The desired action you want a potential patient to do is called a conversion. We advise calling, filling out forms, making reservations online, chatting with chatbots, and getting driving instructions for dentists.
• Website traffic: Pay attention to the quantity, quality, and source of the people visiting your site.
• Rankings for each of your keywords, including the position and page that your site appears in, and how that ranking evolves over time.
• Reviews – Ensure that this number is increasing, and don’t forget to reply to your patients’ feedback.
Bonus: How to easily determine your site’s position in search results
1. Open a new private or incognito window in your browser.
2. Enter the phrase or keyword you wish to rank for.
3. Look through the listings until you locate your place.
I’m on page 10 and I can’t seem to find your website. Search engine optimization services would undoubtedly be advantageous to you!
Increase your patient base with dental SEO services
We trust that you now have a clearer grasp of why SEO is so crucial for dental clinics and how it all works. Although it is one thing to comprehend the fundamentals of search engine optimization, many dentists find it difficult to put a plan into practice. We comprehend. It takes a thorough, meticulous approach to optimise your internet presence, which takes a lot of effort and a skilled individual. This is not something that should be left to your own concern. Your main priority should be to provide exceptional patient care, which is what you do best. We are here to take care of all your SEO needs.
Our team of certified SEO specialist at Online Presence uses our years of knowledge to keep your practice one step ahead of the competition and make sure that potential patients can discover you online with ease. Being in the industry for over 5 years and having dealt with clients from numerous domains, our SEO experts intensively research about your prospects and relevant keywords based on our pre-defined, tried and tested keyword planner strategies and come up with an SEO planner that is most effective for dental sector.
Schedule an introduction call if you want to learn more. Please get in touch with us.