In this post, you’ll learn the fundamentals of how to promote your business locally using local SEO for dentists, so you can start seeing more patients in your dental clinic!
For as long as people value their oral health and appearance, so will the demand for dentists and dental care remain high. As a matter of fact, the U.S. dental industry—valued at $13.82 billion in 2022—is expected to nearly double (i.e., $24.75 billion) by 2030. If you’re wondering how to promote your business locally and attract more patients in your community, doing local SEO for dentists is a very effective marketing strategy you can use.
Research shows that 64% of people use search engines as their main method of finding businesses in their area, including dental clinics. Local search engine optimization (or local SEO) involves having a well-planned strategy for your dental practice to stand out in local search results and attract a steady stream of new patients.
Keep reading as we share how you can do this.
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Benefits of Performing Local SEO For Dentists
In a nutshell, doing local SEO for your dental practice boosts your online discoverability and helps you gain the trust of your local community.
Effectively optimizing your website for local searches enables more people to easily and quickly find your dental practice’s website online. This increases awareness of your business and leads to a higher likelihood of your practice getting more patients.
This is such a huge deal because the dental services market in the U.S. is already quite competitive. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that there was a 2.9% jump in the number of professionally active dentists for every 100,000 U.S. residents in September 2022. And since 78% of local mobile searches lead to offline conversions, local SEO can be very helpful for your dental business.
On top of getting better online visibility, appearing higher in local searches also enables your dental practice to gain people’s trust and build rapport with your clinic. People seek familiarity, and when people see your clinic’s name in the top results, they’ll feel confident that you’re an excellent dentist and, therefore, be more likely to visit your clinic for their dental needs.
Local SEO enables your dental practice to be quickly discovered by more potential patients and gain their trust.
So, what should you know about how to promote your business locally using local SEO for dentists?
The Most Basic Component of Local SEO For Dentists
Let’s be honest: Most people hate going to the dentist. That’s why most of the time, patients only come to dental clinics when they’re already suffering from a cavity, infection, or impacted wisdom tooth. For quick relief as well as convenience, patients are more likely to look for dentists in their area. However, even most patients who are looking for cosmetic dental services (like veneers or braces) prefer a dental practice that’s within a few minutes away from their location since multiple appointments are often required.
Thus, optimizing your website for local search is crucial for your business. You need to make sure that your website is optimized for local keywords to boost the likelihood of being seen by patients who are looking for a dentist in their area.
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is a vital component of local SEO for dentists. You should not only claim your GBP (which was known in the past as Google My Business) but also optimize it in order to get the best results. GBP optimization entails adding precise information about your dental practice, such as your clinic name, address, and phone number (or NAP).
In addition to that, we strongly recommend uploading clear photos of your clinic, showcasing areas like your reception, treatment rooms, and any state-of-the-art dental equipment you have on your GBP. Also, it will help if you actively read and engage patient reviews on your page. Doing so can enhance your profile’s visibility and appeal.
Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile is an essential component of doing local SEO for dentists.
How to Promote Your Business Locally With Citations
Citations are also vital when performing local SEO for dental clinics. Citations simply refer to online mentions of your clinic’s name, address, and phone number. Citations can be published on local business directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Foursquare, and Hotfrog. Besides those, we also recommend getting citations in dental-specific directories. Some examples of this are the American Dental Association, Smile Guide, National Directory of Dentists, and Every Dentist.
As you start gaining citations, it’s crucial that you ensure that your practice’s NAP exactly matches your Google Business Profile. Also, make sure that they post the exact same information across all citations. This helps prevent confusion and ensures that search engines’ algorithms recognize that all of those citations refer to a single dental practice. Even something as simple as “Street” being spelled as “St” in other citations can negatively affect your rankings, so always make sure that they’re consistent everywhere.
The Vital Role of Keyword Research
Unless potential patients type the name of your clinic on search engines, the most likely way they’ll find your dental clinic’s website online is through keywords.
Thus, keyword research is an indispensable element of local SEO for dentists. To promote your dental practice online, you first need to pinpoint the specific terms that your target audience are searching for.
Target local keywords, which include the name of the neighborhood, city, region, or state of your practice. For example, if your clinic is in Queens, concentrate on keywords like “best dentist in Queens,” “quick tooth extraction queens,” “where to get durable veneers in Queens,” and so on.
If you have no idea what words potential patients are typing on Google or Bing, don’t worry: There are tools available to help you identify the most effective keywords you can target. One is Google Keyword Planner, which offers valuable data on search volumes, competition levels, and related keywords. Meanwhile, Ahrefs and Semrush provide deeper data on competitive analysis and keyword trends. If you need help with keyword research, you can reach out to a local SEO specialist like Zero Company.
How to Promote Your Business Locally Using On-Page Optimization
Now, when talking about SEO in general, there are often two sides mentioned: on-page optimization and off-page optimization.
On-page optimization requires ensuring that your website’s content, images, and meta tags are optimized for your target keywords.
When it comes to content, we recommend dental clinics to publish well-researched, factual information about dental and oral health. You may publish explanation pages about different dental services like teeth whitening, dental fillings, root canal treatment, and so on. You may also set up a frequently asked questions (FAQs) page that talks about dental procedures offered in your clinic. Lastly, we recommend regularly posting blog articles that share dental hygiene tips or discuss dental problems.
To do effective local SEO for dentists, we also recommend using header tags (like H1, H2, and H3) to organize your site content. These tags aid search engines in understanding the structure of your website. They also improve readability for your website visitors.
In addition, image optimization can enhance your site’s relevance and visibility. Adding descriptive file names and alt tags that include your targeted keywords to your website’s image files contributes to better search engine rankings.
Meta tags are also crucial in the process of on-page optimization. They enable search engines to understand the context of your website’s pages. Your title tag (which is the title of your webpage) should include your target keyword. It’s best to keep it concise, ideally not exceeding 60 characters, and to write the keyword in the first few places (rather than toward the end).
Note that the meta description, while not a direct ranking factor for search engines, influences user engagement. To have an effective meta description for each of your web pages, we recommend ensuring that it contains your target keyword and keeping it within 155 to 160 characters (Google usually truncates characters after that).
How to Promote Your Business Locally Using Off-Page Optimization
Off-page optimization is equally crucial for dental clinics aiming to enhance their online marketing efforts. This involves building high-quality backlinks to your website (backlinks are simply links on other websites that bring users to your website).
Content marketing is a very effective method for acquiring backlinks. By publishing useful and engaging content, your dental clinic can build authority and encourage other websites to link back to yours, which can significantly boost your search engine rank. Getting backlinks can be challenging so if you need help, it’s best to consult a seasoned digital marketing agency. Zero Company’s SEO experts can craft strategies that align with your specific needs and goals, ensuring your off-page SEO efforts are both effective and tailored to the dental industry.
To create content that attracts backlinks, write about topics that offer value to both patients (or potential ones) and peers in the dental community. Some of our suggestions are detailed guides on dental care, research-based articles on oral health discoveries and trends, and white papers on innovative dental treatments. Again, keep in mind that having high-quality content not only draws attention from potential linking sites but also positions you as an authority in the dental field.
Social media marketing is another key strategy in performing off-page SEO for dentists. Regularly sharing your content on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X can drive more traffic to your site and enhance your practice’s online visibility. Just like with your GBP, we recommend actively engaging with your clinic’s followers by responding to their comments and inquiries on social media platforms. This helps maintain the interest of your audience, strengthens your dental clinic’s reputation, and builds customer relationships.
Final Advice When Doing Local SEO For Dentists
By following the fundamental strategies we shared on how to promote your business locally, you’re on your way to reaping the benefits of local SEO for dentists.
It’s important to regularly track your website’s SEO performance and make adjustments as necessary to ensure your dental clinic continues to attract more patients and boost your revenue.
If you need expert local SEO services, consider partnering with a seasoned SEO marketing agency. With over 20 years of experience in delivering the best local SEO services, Zero Company has helped many dental practices across the United States enhance their online presence and gain loyal patients.
Book a free call with our experts on local SEO for dentists to learn more about proven strategies on how to promote your business locally!
