by Luke Musfeldt, Director of Business Development
Most of us have heard about the necessities in dental marketing, utilizing websites, blogs, search engine optimization (SEO), Adwords, and key word searches. Today, I want to touch base briefly on each subject and then add one that is rarely strategized.
Website– I am amazed when dentists do not have a website in this day and age. Websites these days are like Yellow Page listings back in the day. At minimum, make sure you have a website so potential patients can verify that you exist.
Blogs– Blogs are currently a necessary and valuable strategy for search engine optimization in dental marketing. Search engine’s algorithm seeks fresh content. By updating your blog, daily, weekly or monthly you are both increasing your new content as well as connecting with both existing and potential patients.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – Anytime someone enters words in to any search engine that which is searched are considered key words. The search engine tries to match those words and deliver what it feels is the most relevant information to you. SEO is the practice of matching your website or blog to your sought after words.
Adwords – Whenever you search anything online, the top two or three results as well as all the listings on the right are ads. These ads are purchased based on key words. Let’s say you were starting to place implants you may buy the keywords “Implant Dentist TX” then anytime someone searched those particular words or something close to your ad would appear. You would be charged if they clicked on your tab and thus being taken to your website.
Let’s explore long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are those that are not highly searched for. Typically most SEO companies pursue the top 30% of searched terms for any subject. Using the above example, “Implant Dentist TX”, would definitely be key words. An example of long-tail would be “metal post in place of tooth”, basically using layman’s terms to describe what a potential patient would place in the search engine box to search for dental knowledge. Blogs are an important part of SEO strategy. Blogging allows you to update new content as often as you would like and using long-tail keywords is a way of pushing your information to the top of the pile without paying for it, also known as organic positioning. For example, if you want to write a blog to describe the benefits and indications for utilizing lithium disilicate or Emax crowns; one strategy would be using long tail key words. Ex.: all porcelain crowns, metal free crowns, no black edges on crown, no black show through at gum line. The second two are better examples than the first because they would be far less searched but should someone type those words in you would have few competitors.
Good luck! SEO strategy is definitely a social science. With some ingenuity and connection to your patient’s thinking process you will find your message will be delivered to your target audience.
Gold Dust Dental Lab is connected! For a list of resources and marketing support, please contact us at 800.513.6131 luke@golddustdental.com for a free assessment of your online presence.