Dental SEO, or search engine optimization for dentists, is the process of optimizing a website and creating content to increase visibility and attract more patients. In today’s digital age, consumers are relying less and less on traditional referrals to find healthcare providers—which is why it’s more important than ever for dentists to invest in dental marketing services to stay competitive.
Dental patients are no exception to this trend, with many looking for their local dentist online before visiting in-person. As such, it’s vital for dentists to prioritize SEO to ensure their website and practice appear on the first page of search engines results pages (SERPs). A recent study by HubSpot showed that 75% of people never scroll past the first page of Google searches, so ranking high is a crucial part of any dental marketing strategy.
The first step in successful Dental SEO is comprehensive keyword research. Using free and paid tools like Google Trends, Keywords Everywhere, Ahrefs, and Semrush, you can discover search queries relevant to your target market and dental practice, which can then be targeted in website copy and other marketing materials. Typically, dental practices will focus on keywords with higher search volume but lower competition.
Having a strong social media presence is also key to success in the world of dental SEO. Not only can it be used to share content, but it’s also a great way to show off the personal side of your business, which helps potential patients connect with you and trust that you are an experienced and knowledgeable care provider.
In addition to promoting your social media channels on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you can also incorporate social sharing buttons on your website to help patients share your content and drive traffic back to your site. This is especially important for YMYL (your money or your life) topics, like dentistry, where potential patients are searching for answers to questions about treatment or health concerns.
Building links to your dental website is another essential component of SEO. Link-building is the process of acquiring quality, relevant, and authoritative links from other websites to your own, which signals to search engines that your website is trustworthy and worth ranking highly. Using a variety of tactics to build links—including guest posting, directory listings, and social media promotion—can help you rank higher in search engine results pages.
Lastly, ensuring your Google Business Profile is verified and synced with your website is one of the most important steps to taking your local SEO to the next level. Having a well-optimized profile can lead to your business showing up in localized search results, such as “dentist near me,” or even in Google’s carousel of branded search results. Additionally, acquiring consistent reviews can boost your Google Business Profile’s prominence—a critical ranking factor—and help potential patients decide whether or not your practice is right for them.