Local SEO for Dentists: Industry Tips to Improve Your Rankings
Getting your dental practice noticed on search engines is important, but it’s even more important to rank well when people are performing a local search for dentists. Local SEO for dentists, can be a very effective addition to your marketing strategy. Dental SEO, specifically a dentist’s local seo, is essential for connecting with the local community. By focusing on local SEO efforts, you can ensure your practice is visible to those who are most likely to become your patients. The tips outlined in this blog will explain why local SEO dental marketing efforts can effectively and efficiently increase your practice’s visibility so that you are the first choice for local patients.
After all, SEO for dentists does little good if the search results are being clicked on by people 200 miles from the office. You want to make sure the folks within driving distance are able to find you online when they are looking for the right dentist to serve their needs.
While you should always try to follow general dental website SEO best practices, there are some strategies specific to local searches that can help you stand out where it really matters. Unfortunately, these are the same things that often get overlooked by dentists who are trying to rank highly for local queries. Avoid the following “no’s” if you want to rise above your competition.
Avoid the No’s of Local SEO for Dentists
As a dental practice determined to build a significant positive experience in your local community, understanding the nuances of local SEO for dentists is vital. Common oversights in digital marketing, especially concerning dental local SEO marketing strategies, can impede your online visibility and traffic, impacting your capacity to attract the right patient demographic.
In this local SEO guide for dentists, we pinpoint areas often neglected by dental practices. Addressing these ‘no’s’ in your local dentist SEO efforts is key to bolstering your rankings and enhancing your online presence. This approach ensures that your practice gains attention and secures its position as the first choice for potential patients in your locality. Let’s examine these crucial elements to understand how a local SEO dental marketing agency and their techniques can make the most of your time and resources for improved listing and patient engagement.
No localized target keywords
Local SEO for dentists is a crucial element often missed in dental marketing strategies and many dentists tend to overreach when it comes to targeting keywords for their websites. While it would be nice to be in the number one spot on Google for “best orthodontist,” it is more realistic to focus on keywords that tie you to nearby search inquiries. Obviously, it will depend on the size of your market, but landing on page one for phrases like “dentists in Cincinnati” or “dental hygienist near me” can be within your grasp with a solid dental SEO plan.
No local content
To enhance local SEO for dentists, it helps to have content on your website related to your local area. A page on your website or a section in your biography dedicated to why you chose to open your practice in your town or why you enjoy serving your local community can be a great way to use local keywords in a natural way while also giving your patients an opportunity to get to know you better.
No Google Business Profile
Google relies on your Google Business Profile as the strongest indicator when ranking you for a local search for dentists. Completing your free profile from top to bottom and fully optimizing it will greatly increase your chances of moving up in your local search results. A fully optimized profile is a cornerstone of the best local SEO dental services, ensuring that your practice is visible and attractive to potential patients.
No local backlinks
Another strong signal to Google of your importance within your local area is the amount of backlinks that point to your site from other sources on the web. Local business directories, chambers of commerce, and similar local sites are all places that you should make sure your website is included. A great strategy for getting more of these backlinks, a key aspect of dentist local SEO services, is to write guest articles for online sites and blogs that already have a strong local presence.
No reviews
Despite being an inanimate (but highly sophisticated) piece of software, Google actually does care what people think, at least in terms of online reviews. If you have very few positive reviews on your Google Business Profile, Google can judge your business as not being very prominent locally. So, if you are lacking reviews, start asking for them!
How’s your dental website’s SEO?
In addition to optimizing for local searches for dentists, have you checked your overall dental SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for your website recently? There’s a lot that goes into achieving dental SEO marketing success, but we have a helpful self-evaluation checklist featuring the six key factors you’ll need to succeed. Take the free quiz and see if your dental SEO passes the test.