{"id":8312,"date":"2022-04-13T17:09:26","date_gmt":"2022-04-13T23:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/blog\/why-seo-is-important-for-dental-practices\/"},"modified":"2022-04-13T17:09:26","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T23:09:26","slug":"why-seo-is-important-for-dental-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/blog\/why-seo-is-important-for-dental-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Why SEO Is Important For Dental Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>By Dr. Greg Grillo<\/h4>\n<p>Dental SEO isn\u2019t the hottest topic when clinicians get together, but it\u2019s as relevant as smile makeovers and All-On-4 cases. Without an effective SEO strategy, we may miss out on prospective patients searching for a trustworthy dentist.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We often feel like we have so much bandwidth in our days as we focus on procedures, patients, and staff. Adding marketing expertise to the mix can feel overwhelming. However, SEO can move our search engine results higher, lead more patients to our website, and get them into our operatories.<\/p>\n<h3>What Is Dental Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?<\/h3>\n<p>Dental SEO is the strategy that pushes our practices higher in search engine results without paid advertising. If a prospective patient turns to Google and enters \u201cdentist near me,\u201d \u201cbest implant dentist,\u201d or similar terms, a well-executed SEO strategy helps us jump to the top of search engine results.\u00a0\u00a0Getting to the top of Google searches has significant implications; Click-Through Rates (CTR) drop sharply after the first position. Searchers rarely move beyond page one of their search results; CTRs are\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/google-first-page-clicks\/374516\/#close\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">less than 1%\u00a0<\/a><\/span>on page two and beyond, in most cases.<\/p>\n<h3>Why Do Dentists Need SEO?<\/h3>\n<p>Over\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beckershospitalreview.com\/healthcare-information-technology\/google-receives-more-than-1-billion-health-questions-every-day.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">7%\u00a0<\/a><\/span>of Google searches are related to healthcare, and some of those include patients in our area looking for a trustworthy dentist. As they search, SEO supports our growth because:<\/p>\n<h4>1. SEO Reinforces Credibility With Patients<\/h4>\n<p>Most people click on one of the top few results in Google and automatically believe those listings belong to more credible dentists than lower-ranking results. Google takes the same approach with its selection process. The technicalities behind search results reflect key psychological factors.\u00a0Initial SEO feeds into an organic cycle that\u2019s critical for any business. As your practice ranks higher in searches, potential patients are more likely to click on your website. With more clicks,\u00a0 trust builds with Google to push us further to the top.<\/p>\n<h4>2. SEO Brings More Patients To Our Website<\/h4>\n<p>If our practice shows up in position #1, it earns\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/google-first-page-clicks\/374516\/#close\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ten times\u00a0<\/a><\/span>the CTR of a practice in position #10.\u00a0 SEO that pushes us to the top can dramatically influence the number of site visitors that reach our site. Plus, SEO-driven results start with intentional searches; these are patients looking for dental solutions.\u00a0SEO creates an inbound traffic opportunity with a higher likelihood of conversion. If we follow solid SEO with an excellent website, the chance of our site visitors becoming a patient increases.<\/p>\n<h4>3. Quality SEO Creates A Memorable User Experience<\/h4>\n<p>The algorithm that drives quality dental SEO involves complex secrets that most of us will never understand. Google updates its search algorithm\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-seo-news-google-algorithm-updates#:~:text=Most%20experts%20estimate%20that%20Google,go%20about%20writing%20for%20SEO.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">500 times or more\u00a0<\/a><\/span>each year, and some of the changes can influence SEO strategies.\u00a0We do know that the user\u2019s website experience influences SEO results. For example, your website pages shouldn\u2019t take longer than three seconds to load, and pages should include headings and subheadings with engaging, original content. Since over\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/277125\/share-of-website-traffic-coming-from-mobile-devices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">54% of traffic\u00a0<\/a><\/span>is on mobile devices, a mobile-friendly design is essential.<\/p>\n<h4>4. We\u2019re Not The Only One Using SEO<\/h4>\n<p>We risk getting lost in space if we overlook our SEO strategy. Review web results in your area to see how you stand against other practices. Type in \u201cbest dentist near me\u201d and check out the reviews, map listings, and websites that populate the top of the page. You need to keep pouring fuel on the fire if you\u2019re there. If you\u2019re not, it\u2019s time to implement a complete strategy.\u00a0\u00a0Patients have many options for dental care. It\u2019s up to us to position our practice where they\u2019re looking. Dental SEO that\u2019s done right keeps moving our brand up.<\/p>\n<h3>What Makes A Search Engine Run?<\/h3>\n<p>There are many mysteries inside a search engine, but it helps us if we evaluate how Google sees queries. If you enter \u201cbest dental implants,\u201d the search engine may consider it as \u201cWhere can I find an implant dentist near me?\u201d The results reflect the resources that Google believes are trustworthy and relevant to the inquiry.\u00a0Search engines evaluate on-site and off-site factors to determine ranking. They constantly crawl\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/chart\/19058\/number-of-websites-online\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1.9 billion\u00a0<\/a><\/span>websites to develop a profile identifying the value each brings.<\/p>\n<h5>These are just a few of the factors that affect on-site scoring:<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>Keywords in headers, URL, meta titles and descriptions, and photo filenames<\/li>\n<li>Length and quality of the copy<\/li>\n<li>Age of a website<\/li>\n<li>Overall structure of the website<\/li>\n<li>Page-loading speed<\/li>\n<li>Time visitors spend on your site<\/li>\n<li>Mobile user experience<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Off-site factors reflect how your website is regarded across the online landscape, and search engines consider the number of links, age, the value of linked sites, and more. A complex mix of on and off-site factors help determine our local market prominence.<\/p>\n<h3>Use Dental SEO Marketing To Grow Your Practice<\/h3>\n<p>Dental SEO marketing includes many moving parts, but it\u2019s an essential foundation for our visibility and growth. Consider a comprehensive strategy with tools that integrate with your overall marketing approach. Legwork takes this effort to the next level by managing the plan so we can focus on dentistry. In addition to many behind-the-scene tasks, they help SEO and our patients by:<\/p>\n<h4>Keeping Our Listings Up-To-Date<\/h4>\n<p>Local SEO demands accurate online business listings across over 100 apps, maps, and directories.\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/solutions\/legwork\/legwork-dental-marketing\/\">Legwork Listings\u00a0<\/a><\/span>ensures practice name, address, hours, phone numbers, and more puts your best foot forward everywhere.<\/p>\n<h4>Making Sure Dental Reviews Flow<\/h4>\n<p><span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/solutions\/legwork\/\">Legwork Reviews\u00a0<\/a><\/span>sends patients post-appointment texts and emails with a link directly to our Google and Facebook profiles. Automation gives patients an easy way to leave a review, another part of the SEO formula.<\/p>\n<h4>IntegratIng Their Software With Our Website<\/h4>\n<p>Online tools draw site visitors looking for convenient ways to manage their healthcare. Nearly\u00a0<span class=\"newlink\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.zippia.com\/advice\/appointment-scheduling-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">70%\u00a0<\/a><\/span>of patients want the ability to schedule their appointments online, and many of them look for appointments when we\u2019re not available by phone.\u00a0\u00a0Patients can repeatedly return to our site to pay their bills, schedule appointments, or fill out digital forms. Legwork tools work seamlessly with our websites to provide value beyond an informational source, and the extra traffic boosts our SEO.<\/p>\n<h3>Talk To The Team That Knows SEO Dental Marketing<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to learn more about the profession\u2019s best single-platform marketing solution for dentists, reach out to Legwork. SEO dental marketing sets the stage for practice growth that helps push us to the top in our communities!<\/p>\n<p>[dr_grillo_bio]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Dr. Greg Grillo Dental SEO isn\u2019t the hottest topic when clinicians get together, but it\u2019s as relevant as smile makeovers and All-On-4 cases. Without an effective SEO strategy, we&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legwork"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8312","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}