SEO for Dentists: Keeping it Local
Dental practices are the ultimate local businesses; because they each offer a specific service and a personalized customer experience, they should focus on specific geo-targeting marketing techniques. This type of business will benefit greatly from using local SEO strategies.
There are two effective ways to do Local SEO.
- Google Local
- Local Dental SEO through Geo-Centric Keywords
1. Google Local
Google Local (formerly Google Places) is the most cost-effective way to get potential clients to find your practice’s website on search engines. Google Local results look different from traditional search results because they have a pin next to them. For example a Google Local result may look like this:
There are three major factors to keep in mind when trying to optimize for Google Local (as well as Yahoo Local, and Bing Local).
- Citations: Citations are simply your practice’s contact information. (Practice name, phone number [non-1-800 number] address, and website.)
- Well Optimized Profile Page: Google, Yahoo, and Bing allow profile pages to be set up complete with pictures, company info, contact information, and videos. When it comes to SEO for dentists, taking the time to do this well is a critical step.
2. Local SEO for Dentists through Geo-Centric Keywords
Local Dental SEO works just like traditional SEO except that the target will usually be: keyword + geographical modifier. For example: Dentist Philadelphia, Teeth Whitening Philadelphia, Philadelphia Dentist or Dentist in Philadelphia. Because geo-centric keywords are “long tail keywords,” they usually have less competition in searches; any experienced SEO company should be able to get your practice’s geo-centric keywords ranked faster than a broader based keyword like “Dentist”. For a cost-effective and quicker approach to developing your SEO for dentist strategy, focus on long-tail, geo-centric keywords.
One final thought about SEO for Dentists: if your goal is to be cost effective in your efforts, we highly recommend that you use only the best possible SEO company you can find. There are plenty of ways to try to trick Google into ranking you higher in searches, but outside of the CIA and NSA, Google is probably the smartest company on the planet and will eventually catch your tricks. There are many restrictions about SEO marketing so it is important that the people doing your marketing know the laws and regulations and use your money for effective marketing, not for paying lawsuit costs.
Don’t Expect to be Able to do Everything!
Marketing does not have to be as difficult or as complicated as you may think, but it does take time and dedication. That is why we recommend that you leave your practice’s marketing to the pros. Companies that can stay up on all of the trends, search engine algorithm changes, and website code changes are far better equipped to successfully market your business than someone who may not have the time or expertise in these areas. We are confident that most dentists would be able to implement all the details mentioned in this post, but we also strongly believe that their time would be much better spent helping their clients achieve a healthy smile.