When there are dozens, if not close to 100 dentists in your area, it’s important to stand out. Otherwise, your would-be patients are headed over to a competitor’s practice. So how do you make sure they find your practice before someone else’s?

Optimizing your website for dental SEO can help you attract visitors to your website. Better yet, SEO is also helpful for converting interested visitors into loyal patients. In fact, SEO is more effective than most of the marketing techniques you’re already using.

Traditional marketing tactics (billboards, direct mailing) have a conversion rate of 1.7 percent. SEO, meanwhile, can bump your conversion rate to 14.6 percent.

With these 12 dental SEO tips, you can increase website traffic, convert people on your website, and turn those visitors into patients.

Ready to crush the competition? Drill down into these 12 tips today!

1. Drill Into Your Keywords

Before we dig deep into dental SEO tactics, let’s talk about SEO as a strategy.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is often based on a person’s search query. When they search a string of keywords on Google or Bing, the search engine displays what it considers top results. These top search engine results are determined by a number of ranking factors.

Many of these ranking factors tie into how you use the keyword within your content.

If someone searches for “the best dentist in town” or “children’s tooth decay,” you’d want your practice to show up for both. Search engine optimization using keywords helps you display for these results.

To show at the top of the page, however, you need the right list of keywords.

Making a List

You can use a number of tools to develop a list of keywords, such as Google Trends or Google Keyword Planner. By working with a professional SEO and marketing agency, you’ll also have access to additional tools for developing this list.

To build a list of keywords, you need to know what your customers are searching for. It helps to create “personas” for your searchers.

For example, a 40-year-old mum with three kids will probably search different keywords than an 18-year-old looking for a new dentist.

Using Keywords Within Your Content

Once you have your keyword, write a blog post about that topic.

The keyword should appear throughout your copy. Here are a few places you should consider including the keyword:

The title

The opening paragraph

The closing

In an H1 header

Within the body copy

However, it’s important not to stuff a blog post or web page with a keyword. Make sure it reads naturally within the content. Otherwise, it will become obvious to readers you’re using SEO for dentists.

If it’s obvious to your readers, it will become obvious to Google, too.

You should also go thru your existing website pages and optimize them for dental SEO as well. That way, people can search for your website pages (including your services) in addition to your blog posts.

Imagery

Our SEO tips for dentists don’t stop with copy-writing!

You also need to consider the images you’re using. These images have alt tags, which is a description of what the image actually is. Make sure to include your keyword within the alt tag.

That way, Google knows what the image displays. Using your keyword within the alt tag can improve your ranking, too.

2. Fresh User-Intent Content

We talked a little about choosing keywords based on your readers’ interests or needs. These keywords will likely fall under one of two categories. Your patients are probably:

Looking for a service

Looking for information

Remember the two examples we mentioned earlier?

A mum will likely look for tips and guides online. Sometimes she’ll search for “10 cavity prevention tips.” When she needs to make an appointment, she’ll look for “dentist in the area for middle schoolers.”

Your content needs to align with your patients’ search intent. What are they looking for? What questions can you answer for them?

Once you make a list of dental SEO keywords, determine topics you can write about that match the search intent.

Then, make a schedule. As long as you’re posting fresh content regularly, you’re making an effort toward your dentist SEO marketing strategy.

You can also hire a professional SEO expert to help you.

They can write weekly blog posts for your website. Posting often shows your readers you have expertise to offer. This will also help you cover a range of topics.

As a result, you’re able to attract readers who have different needs.

3. Go Local

According to Google, more people are searching “near me” queries.

In fact, these “near me” searches increased by 150 percent in the span of two years.

As part of your dentist SEO marketing strategy, you also need to target local searches. To go local, consider:

Updating your Google My Business Listing

Updating other online listings

Posting reviews from happy patients

Writing blog posts with local language

Consider a list of keywords that match your services with your location. For example, you can write a blog post about “the benefits of regular teeth cleaning in London.” Using these keywords will help you attract patients in your local area.

4. Make Sure You’re Mobile

Over 50 percent of search engine users begin their search with a mobile device. Mobile users also spend approximately three hours a day using their smartphones.

Make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices.

Google also uses a mobile-first indexing strategy. That means Google takes a look at mobile-optimized websites first when determining search rankings.

If your website isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you could miss out on 50 percent of your potential patients.

5. Write for Voice

Don’t forget about Google and Alexa.

Millions of people use voice-activated devices, including smart speakers.

By 2020, SEO experts believe 50 percent of all searches will be voice searches.

To optimize your pages for voice search, go back to your search intent. What questions are your patients asking? Then, write content with these questions in mind.

6. Page Speed

Page speed plays a big part in your dental SEO strategy. If a page is lagging behind, people won’t want to stay on your website. When people leave without clicking around, it increases your bounce rate.

A higher bounce rate can negatively impact your dentist SEO ranking.

Make sure your website is optimized for speed. You can use this tool to check and get a list of improvements.

7. Mix Up Your Content

You don’t have to stick to blog posts!

If you want, mix it up. Create videos, such as a weekly vlog, or host a podcast. Don’t forget photos, too.

Mixing up your content can help you appeal to different people. Some people are more eager to watch an engaging video than read a long blog post.

Don’t forget to optimize this content for dental SEO keywords. Otherwise, people will have a hard time finding the video you worked on.

8. Improve User Experience

Remember, if a person leaves without clicking around, it could hurt your SEO. There are other ways you can upgrade your website to improve the user experience:

Condense photos

Use headers to break up content

Consider a minimalistic design

Make call-to-action and form buttons easy to click

Update the navigation

The easier it is for people to use your website, the more likely they’ll explore.

Perhaps they’ll book an appointment, too!

9. Brush Up on Guest Blogging

Link building from trusted resources is also important to your dental SEO strategy.

When other websites link back to your website, it tells Google you’re a trusted resource. This can help increase your credibility and ranking.

To get these links, consider guest blogging. Write on another company’s website about your business. Show off your expertise.

Then, people who read that article will click a link that heads back to your website.

10. Smile on Social

Don’t forget to stay social! Post on different social media platforms about your practice. This will help patients recognize your brand.

Have a strong social media presence can also build your online credibility.

Plus, it’s a great place to promote your blog posts and website content.

11. Blockchain & Schemas

Block-chain isn’t solely for Bitcoin anymore. Block-chain helps create secure transactions. Using Block-chain, search engines like Google can verify who searchers are.

This allows them to ensure you’re not a bot.

With the emergence of this new trend, it’s important to use an embedded schema markup. This allows websites to record the identity of their site visitors. Schemas will also help Google determine page content is valuable, which will impact your SEO ranking.

12. Always Optimise

Once you start using these dental SEO tips, keep an eye out.

There are always ways to improve your SEO strategy. Watch for new search trends, Google algorithm updates, and trends within your industry.

By staying up-to-date, you can use the latest dental SEO trends to boost your practice.

Big Smiles Now: 12 Essential Dental SEO Tips for Your Practice

Drill down into your SEO strategy. Once you start using these dental SEO tips, you can attract new patients. Then, you can grow your practice and shoot ahead of the competition.

Ready to get started? Contact us for a free dental website analysis today.