Having a strong online presence can help just about any business. From e-commerce stores to medical practices, your website is your home base in this ever-growing digital world. This is why SEO is so important no matter your industry. If you can grow your online visibility, you’ll grow your sales and customers.
SEO isn’t a short and simple process, though. There are many facets of SEO and they all require a solid strategy. It takes work, consistency, research, and quality content. Read on to learn more about local SEO for dentists and how you can boost your online presence and reach those in your area.
Local SEO Strategies
The following are some of the best SEO strategies to boost your local visibility. You must understand that all of these are important to your process and none should be ignored. SEO is an involved process and if you feel you can’t implement this all at once, just take it one step at a time!
Create Local Content
If you don’t already have a blog on your website, it’s a good idea to start one. Even if you post one good piece of content each week, it adds substance to your website. You can use your blog posts to talk about your business, expand on your services, and attract local customers. The most important thing is that it’s relevant to your audience.
For example, a dental practice could publish articles about the best toothpaste, best toothbrushes, etc, and offer local resources to find these products. You can also go in-depth about the benefits of flossing, or manual toothbrushes vs. electric.
Engage on Social Media
Social media is so prevalent in today’s world that you’re smart to take full advantage of it. First and foremost, make sure you have an up-to-date business profile on the two main platforms – Facebook and Instagram. Other widely used options include Twitter and TikTok.
It’s worth maintaining these profiles with at least a couple of posts each week. This helps you stay in touch with customers and keeps you on their minds. You can post things like staff features, patient features (with permission), cool-looking diagrams, images, etc.
With each post and comment you leave on social media, you’re adding to your digital footprint. It’s another piece of content with your name on it, and another chance to show up in search engine rankings.
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have become so powerful it’s like having a computer in your pocket. As such, people spend quite a bit of time browsing the web on mobile. Unfortunately, many traditional website designs don’t translate well to a small mobile screen.
You should make sure your website is responsive and mobile-friendly so all visitors have a good experience. There are plenty of designs out there that work just as well on mobile as they do on the web, so it’s worth making the switch.
If you’re unsure about the state of your current website or don’t know how to make it mobile-friendly, give us a call! We specialize in web design and we’ll get you set up in no time.
Add Location Pages
If you have a physical location (or multiple) add a location page for each on your website. These pages don’t have to be complex. They can simply include the store name, address, phone number, hours of operation, parking information, directions, etc. along with any other unique information.
Location pages serve a couple of purposes:
- It makes it easy for customers to find you and get in touch. If they like the look of your website but can’t figure out where you are, they’ll abandon ship quickly and move on to the next.
- By putting specific locations such as town or city names, you’re more likely to get picked up by a search engine. People often search for what they want, accompanied by their location. This way, you’ll be more on the radar.
When creating location pages, always ensure information is accurate and consistent across the board. If something changes, like hours or phone numbers, update the website immediately.
Target Local Keywords
Keywords are the bread and butter of SEO. Whether it’s a blog post, social media post, static web page, or anything else – you always want to target a relevant keyword or two. Keywords and phrases can be anything from “best dentists in X area” to “how to keep teeth clean.”
Some keywords are harder to rank for than others, so you must be smart and strategic with the ones you target. When focusing on local SEO for dentists, don’t be afraid to target specific and local keywords. This includes adding cities, towns, and even postal/zip codes to your target phrase.
While these keywords have a shorter range (someone from the next province over won’t be searching for it) the competition is lower and conversion rates are higher.
Take Advantage of Local Directories
Lastly, make sure your business is included in local online directories. The benefit here is twofold:
- Anyone utilizing the directory will see you as an option and have your information readily available.
- The backlink from being included in the directory is good for SEO.
Once your information is up there, check back periodically to make sure the link is still working and everything looks good. Also, make a note to update the directory should any of your information change.
Get Noticed Now With Strong Local SEO for Dentists
Never underestimate the power of SEO. A solid, well-ranking website can bring in many customers. It also helps existing customers to keep your information on hand, and they may even appreciate learning a thing or two from your blog!
Whether you’ve got a website that needs some work or you’re starting from scratch, feel free to contact us today to see what we can do for you. From web design and SEO to quality content creation, we’ll help you build a strong and successful business.
