Posted by Amy Carbone on Dec 2, 2020 9:00:00 AM
In today’s technologically driven society, where customers are using their smartphones to research facts about businesses, or medical services, it’s vitally important to implement search engine optimization (SEO). Your ability to use this tool to boost your practice’s online presence could be the difference between you merely existing in the online realm to thriving in it.
Here’s some of what you need to know:
Setting up Google My Business
Having a local listing is critical for targeting patients looking for a dentist nearby. In fact, it’s necessary. Thankfully, Google, the world’s largest search engine, offers their free listing service, Google My Business (GMB) for local business searches, making it much easier to be visible online to your local neighbors.
Optimizing Google My Business
After creating your listing on Google My Business, you need to make sure your listing is optimized. You do this by ensuring the listing is user-friendly. This could mean featuring happy photos of smiling patients or comforting shots of your treatment area. You should also include pertinent information such as your hours of operation, customer reviews, your phone number and obviously your address. It’s amazing how many businesses fail to share these simple facts, which are the backbone of an effective listing.
Local Keywords
It’s important to not only address the preferences of search engines but to also target the people you are seeking to reach. To help do this, make sure your content speaks to your local customers. In other words, you don’t always have to mention your town or neighboring towns in each piece of information or content. However, letting your patients, or Google, know that you are local will also help with your SEO.
Name, Address, & Phone Number (NAP)
The N.A.P. is your name, address and phone number and it’s critical information. Make sure that your name, address and phone number are all consistent across every online platform, including local resources such as the Chamber of Commerce.
For example, make sure your practice name is listed uniformly on all platforms, such as on Facebook, your website and other locations. Variations in any of this information, no matter how slight, are confusing for potential patients (and search engines). Uniformity is important. Also, make sure that you update this information to always be current. In other words, if you are operating on reduced hours due to mandates or restrictions, make sure that is reflected.
Social Media
Another vital step towards seeking to optimize your online presence is creating an active social media presence. While you might not consider it necessary to appeal to local patients, you would be surprised by the impact a simple Facebook page can have, especially one that features reviews and business information.
Social media is also a great lead generating tool to better target your ideal patient, one that is local and seeking your particular services. For that reason, it’s important to keep up-to-date information and an active presence on your social media pages. If a potential patient is looking for information on social media, they need to see recent posts, not only posts from years back.
A dormant social media page won’t do much in terms of sending the right message. Instead, potential patients might wonder if the information they see is even accurate since the page is obviously inactive. Stay on top of your social channels to ensure your patients see a robust, active practice reflected on all online platforms.
Start Earning New Patients at Your Dental Practice
Local service-based businesses, including dental offices, may be assisted by an effective online presence with correct and helpful information in order to target the right patient personas and seek to thrive.
The local SEO cheat sheet above may get you headed in the right direction to do just that. Put these tips in action to pursue a well-rounded online presence for your dentistry practice that communicates an appropriate message to your patients.
Learn more strategies for seeking to expand the client base of your modern dental practice with our free guide.
Treloar & Heisel and Treloar & Heisel Property and Casualty are divisions of Treloar & Heisel, LLC.
Insurance products are offered through Treloar & Heisel, LLC.
This content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice. Treloar & Heisel, LLC. does not offer marketing advice. Please consult with a professional concerning this topic.
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