Dental practices aren't immune from the need for digital marketing. As patients continue to find their providers online, the need for quality online outreach will keep growing.
We're going to explore some digital marketing strategies that dentists can use to improve their digital marketing. The ideas below can serve as building blocks for you to work with as you try to configure the best way to market your practice online.
Let's take a look.
1. Start Using SEO
Many of the ideas below will relate to SEO (search engine optimization), but the most important thing is that you start using it if you haven't.
SEO is the process of creating a website that falls in line with the preferences of a search engine algorithm. In most cases, that means working to adapt your content to Google's algorithm.
There are a number of factors that contribute to a successful SEO campaign. Working with a professional agency can be the best way to fight the learning curve and avoid spending undue time and energy on something that's foreign to you.
When you're successful, your Google rankings will improve and you'll have more users visiting your site and making appointments.
2. Improve Your Site's User Experience
Google ranks for user experience, and it uses a number of metrics to categorize your site in terms of your site quality. By improving the overall quality and function of your site, you will rank a lot higher in Google.
Further, the users that visit your site will be more likely to engage with your content and follow through to an appointment. Websites that aren't functional, especially those that are for important services, don't do very well. When you're signing up for a dental appointment, you want to be confident that the practice is legitimate and trustworthy.
A website gives off a first impression. If you can create a site that gives a good impression, your patients will feel a lot more comfortable coming through your doors.
3. Create a Blog
Blogs aren't just avenues for you to express your thoughts and opinions. Instead, they're opportunities for businesses to create SEO-optimized content and rank in more searches than they would otherwise.
Through keyword research, you can find out what people in your area are searching for. Specifically, you can find out the precise dental-related searches that people in your target demographic are making.
Once you've found the right term, you can create blog content that's optimized for the specific search phrase.
The goal there should be to create content that responds to, or answers the question that's implied in the keyword search. Over time, you'll have posts that rank across the popular keywords in your area.
That will give you more exposure for all applicable searches related to dentistry.
4. Optimize for Your Insurance Options
The matter of insurance is very important for a lot of patients. They're going to go to places that accept their insurance.
When they need a check-up or chip a tooth, the first thing they'll do is search for providers in their area that take their particular insurance. You can get a leg up on the competition by creating a post optimized for something like "Dentists that Take BlueCross Insurance in Philadelphia."
Of course, you have to adjust that information to your area and your practice. That said, making it easy for people to see what kind of insurance you take might help draw people to you.
5. Focus on Local Optimization
It's possible to optimize your site for the results in your local area. There are a number of ways to do this, but place a big importance on the search results from the town of your target demographic.
Beyond that, you can try to focus on business listings and Google Maps optimization. Ensuring that the information about your business is present and accurate on business listing sites is very important. In particular, ensure that Google MyBusiness has the right information.
That's where Google Draws its key information that users use to find and contact you. You can do a lot to improve your local rankings by focusing on and incentivizing business reviews.
It can be hard to get users to review your site but note that reviews serve as votes in favor of high rankings for your business.
6. Optimize for Appointments
Businesses have to adjust their optimization strategies for the type of conversion that will help their business. A conversion is just an instance when a user follows through and completes the task that the business would like them to.
For example, a sale, an appointment, a subscription, or a follow could all be conversions. As a dental practice, your goal is to get users to make an appointment. You might have other goals as well, and you can optimize accordingly.
Optimizing for specific metrics just requires that you put an emphasis on the avenues that will take the user to that area of the site. You might adjust the language to promote that thing or link back to your appointment pages in your call to action.
It also helps to offer links to your appointment pages on many of the main pages of your site. So, a user can click on your site and get to an appointment page right away.
7. Use Social Media Marketing
Social media can be a great way for practices like yours to find success online.
Using different platforms allows you to connect with your target group and inform them about various offerings that you may have. Further, you can use those platforms as avenues to promote the optimized content you create.
Traffic from links on your social media pages will run back to your site, generating more positive SEO numbers that improve rankings.
Interested in More Digital Marketing Strategies?
Hopefully, the digital marketing strategies above have been helpful in getting you started on your campaign. If it sounds like more than you're willing to do, there's always the option of working with a dental marketing agency.
These are professionals who can get your website into the best position possible. We're here to help. Contact us for more insight into dental marketing, optimization, and much more.