SEO for Dentists: What You Need to Know to Get Started

Did you know that about 4 billion people worldwide use a search engine daily to find information online? If you're a dentist who owns a website for your clinic, it's paramount to understand the role of search engine optimization (SEO) in your digital marketing strategy.

You may be wondering why your ranking has gradually sunk from the time you first launched it. The fact is that most businesses today have been striving to reach the top results in search engine results pages (SERP), and so have dentists who want to broaden their customer base.

In short, you have to focus on gaining higher rankings as well.

Before you continue, please read our guide on Getting Started with SEO.

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What Are the Advantages of SEO

SEO can provide dentists and dental clinics with unlimited opportunities, such as:

  • Your business can be the first option for online users who are searching for dental services.
  • Your website becomes more visible and credible among online audiences, thus acquiring more potential clients to avail your dental services.
  • Increased exposure for your dental clinic means more revenue for you.

How to Create a Readable Content

If you put yourself in the shoe of a customer, either you want to search for dental services near your area and book an appointment, or you want to gain more information about dental conditions such as gingivitis. You don't want potential customers to leave your page because they find it dull and boring. This situation requires you to provide informative and quality content to sustain the interest of your website visitors.

If you want to promote your dental clinic, then become the first solution for potential clients by publishing quality content. Take note of the following:

  • Your blogs should be engaging – include statistics, ask thought-provoking questions, tell a story, or mention some pop culture reference.
  • A valuable content should be free of jargon and easy to understand. The terms “halitosis” and “xerostomia” can be familiar to you, but remember that your customers who don't have a medical background may not understand these terms. Use simple language instead or provide definitions.
  • Your web content should be unique and appealing. What concerns about dental health have not been given enough light? What are the latest trends in the dental industry that customers would want to know more about?
  • The length of your content affects your SERP ranking as well. The average first-page result on the most-sought Google search engine contains 1,890 words. Short 500-word blogs don’t make to the first or the second SERPs. A good length to start with is 750 words.

Why Are Keywords Important

dentist seo

Using the right set of keywords is crucial so that your web page appears on the top when potential clients search for dentists or other oral health-related information. The effective use of keywords in SEO involves a two-step approach:

Keyword research

You can use Google AdWords Keyword Planner or other similar tools to help you find the best keywords to use for your niche.

Keyword usage

  • Use localized keywords to capture the local audience and drive more traffic, for example, the keywords “dentist” and your location (e.g., dentist San Francisco California).
  • Long-tail keywords are better than short words because they have a higher conversion rate.
  • Proper placement of keywords is critical – use keywords in your URLs, title tags, opening paragraph, subheads, and images.
  • While creating a keyword-rich content helps a lot, don't try to insert the keywords when it is not possible because overuse or keyword stuffing can damage your SERP ranking. Keywords should flow naturally in your content to keep your readers engaged and to avoid frustration because of unnecessary words on your blogs.

Backlinks are incoming links, which is one of the major components of a successful search engine optimization digital marketing. Here are some tips when using backlinks:

  • It is best to build and earn backlinks from authoritative and relevant sources for credibility and greater confidence of users.
  • Avoid linking your website to unrelated websites such as fashion or travel because they can lower your site's SEO value or do nothing good for you.
  • Gain quality organic backlinks from top-notch sources and focus on providing high-quality content, like infographics, slides, videos, or any helpful and shareable form. When you provide first-hand and valuable information, more authority and credible websites will link to your blogs and site.
  • You can also manually add backlinks by guest blogging on content syndication and relevant sites and commenting on discussion websites or forums.
  • Keep the number of redirect links on your site at a minimum to prevent increased page load time.
  • Make sure to audit and review your backlinks regularly to eliminate flaws and errors of link building.
  • There are online tools that you can take advantage of, such as Google Webmaster.

What Is White Hat SEO

Search engines have a constantly changing algorithm that can affect your rankings in a snap. Implement white hat SEO by following all the guidelines of search engines for SEO while still keeping the integrity and quality of your website. Examples of white hat SEO techniques are:

  • Keyword usage and analysis
  • Popularity link building and backlinking
  • Content writing for quality readers
  • Mobile optimization
  • Fast loading time and easy navigation of your website

Final Thoughts on SEO for Dentists

When it comes optimizing your dental clinic’s website, digital marketing involves writing relevant, informative, and creative web contents to encourage more clients to avail of your services. SEO marketing is also very important. As these may not be your expertise, look for online resources for dentists that you can study to expand your knowledge and skills about running your website. You can even learn how to make money webmarketing123.com and watch your dental clinic climb the ladder to success. Never stop learning.