Monday, October 11, 2010

SEO for Dentists: The Best Way to Attract Local Business

Maintaining and growing a dental practice relies heavily on local, repeat patients and it’s important to choreograph a solid, effective marketing plan to rein in search engine users. This article will highlight the benefits of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for dentists as a way to capture and convert one’s neighbors (locals).

First and foremost, when brainstorming (or shall I say Brainchilding) a marketing campaign for a dental practice, relevance is key: Put efforts into target markets that have a high potential for conversion. For example, if a dentist is located in Los Angeles, it’s probably not a good idea to market to San Diego residents. I don’t know about you, but driving 2+ hours to the dentist doesn’t sound like fun. A camping trip? You betcha! Having your teeth cleaned? I’m not so sure.

To attract local patients, gain exposure throughout select communities, and build lasting relationships, dentists must respond to search queries that directly relate to the service they’re offering, in the region which it’s being offered. When a potential patient is new to an area, or is looking to switch dentists, he or she will very likely jump on a search engine and begin their journey. It’s for you, the dentist, to appear at the top of the results search engines spit out (aka Search Engine Results Pages or SERPS). This all sounds good, yes, but what’s the next step to gaining exposure and interacting with new patients?

My suggestion for dental practices is to target locals by a) Engaging in a localized SEO campaign; and b) Providing helpful information in the form of blog posts, diagrams and possibly videos — all of which are optimized for SEO. Use targeted SEO to rank well and gain exposure, and use information to build a personal connection. As I always say, make sales by not making sales at all. Don’t push products or services on people, instead give them a wealth of information so they can make a decision that best fits their wants/needs.

In conclusion, think about it this way: Placing a dentist’s website on the top of search engines will boost exposure, induce the possibility of clickthroughs, increase website traffic, and ultimately broaden a dental practice’s patient base. Good ole’ SEO — you have to love it.

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