Posted by Amy Carbone on Nov 22, 2019 9:30:00 AM
If you wish you had more new patient appointments, it may be because your website is difficult to find online. Here are some ways to help you increase your dental practice's web exposure.
1. Optimize Your Website
More consumers are searching online for businesses than ever before, so it's important that your dental practice's website can be found in local search results. You can optimize your website for keywords that potential patients are using to look for providers by including these keywords naturally within your content and in your page titles and meta descriptions. Be sure that photos and videos load quickly. You’ll also need a variety of internal links and external links to credible websites on each page of your site.
2. Grow Your Online Footprint
Local citations are the number of times your dental practice name, address, and telephone number, appear online. Your website rankings can be impacted by how many citations there are, how accurate the information is, and the credibility of the websites on which your citations appear.
Citations with accurate data can help potential patients find you more easily when searching for a dentist in your area. Spend time expanding your online footprint; for example, include a biography and practice description on well-known provider forums and directories.
3. Create Quality Content
Search engine algorithms are getting smarter, and they're doing a better job of delivering what consumers want: content. While keyword optimization is still important for dentists, it now takes a backseat to content quantity and quality. Search engines can spot pages with thin or weak content and won't rank them as highly as robust, in-depth pages.
You can expand your web presence by creating high-quality content about topics that your target patient base cares about, like the benefits of veneers over home teeth whitening and signs of dry socket after an extraction that patients need to be aware of. Post blogs, informational pages, a FAQ, a glossary, and other rich content to increase the impact.
4. Ask Patients to Review Your Practice Online
Your patients want to know what other patients think. Did they have a good experience at your dental practice? Did your staff do a good job of educating them about their procedure and answering their questions? Was your patient satisfied with the overall look of their smile after leaving your office?
Encourage patients to post online reviews about your practice on popular listing websites like Yelp and Google. Consider incorporating reviews into your marketing materials, including social media, email marketing, website design, and more. Make sure that you stay compliant with applicable privacy and confidentiality laws before posting.
5. Increase Your Social Media Presence
Social media has come a long way and it does far more than simply provide people a way to connect with each other online. Today's social media platforms can be a lucrative place for dental practices to advertise, mostly because the ad targeting is exceptionally granular.
Not only can you choose what gender, age, income, demographics, and interests should be included in your campaign, you can also decide how much you want to spend per day, down to the dollar. However, it's important that you also engage in ‘organic social’ versus just ‘paid social.’ Answer questions, post helpful advice, and react to comments.
6. Demonstrate Authority in Your Specialty
Use your website and your social media channels to demonstrate your authority in the dental industry. Are you an exceptionally skilled restorative dentist with a knack for the sandwich technique? Showcase your ability to give your patients stronger, longer-lasting fillings. Are you the only pediatric dental care provider in your area? Let patients know about your specific experience in the area of pediatric dentistry.
Use whatever online resources you can to bring light to special skills that you have or services that your practice offers to help differentiate your office from local competitors.
7. Publish Videos and Podcasts
Consumers watch videos and listen to podcasts more than ever before, and this form of content consumption is quickly outpacing written blogs and articles. Videos and podcasts can help prospective patients get to know you and your office, making them feel more comfortable booking an appointment with you. You can also use these tools to educate your patients about important dental health services, which can help increase treatment acceptance rates.
Want Your Dental Practice to Be Found Online? Take a Consistent, Multi-Pronged Approach
If you want to increase your practice's web exposure, it's likely important to be consistent and take a multi-pronged approach. No one single strategy is going to elicit significant results, but multiple strategies can. It's also critical to be consistent; many of these strategies aren't something you do only once. Your practice should be continually investing in tactics designed to further expand your online presence.
About Treloar & Heisel
Treloar & Heisel is a premier financial services provider to dental and medical professionals across the country. We assist thousands of clients from residency to practice and through retirement with a comprehensive suite of financial services, custom-tailored advice, and a strong national network focused on delivering the highest level of service.
Treloar & Heisel and Treloar & Heisel Risk Management are divisions of Treloar & Heisel, LLC.
Insurance products are offered through Treloar & Heisel, LLC.
Treloar & Heisel, LLC. and its divisions do not offer marketing advice. Please consult a professional concerning this topic.
