Best Dental SEO Tips to Outrank Competition and Attract More Patients

According to Backlinko, a top-ranking website on Google gets almost 28% of all clicks. And the first click takes only 14.6 seconds on average.

So, why do these numbers matter for dentists?

That’s because 58.5% people look for medical information online, according to NCHS. If your dental website is not ranking high in their searches, you will quickly lose your patients to your competitors.

Dental SEO ensures your practice stays visible and outranks your local competition. This guide shares the best dental SEO strategies to help you claim that top spot on Google and attract more patients!

What is Dental SEO?

Dental or Dentist SEO is the process of making your practice visible to people searching online for dental services. SEO itself stands for Search Engine Optimization. It means improving your website’s online presence so that search engines like Google show your practice to patients seeking to treat a dental issue.

To understand how it can help, let’s take an example of two dental offices located in downtown Chicago. Both offer teeth whitening services. However, Dr. Smith has a basic website that simply lists his services. Meanwhile, Dr. Jones has optimized her website with the best dental SEO.

When someone searches “teeth whitening in downtown Chicago,” Dr. Jones’s practice appears at the top of the first page of Google results, complete with photos, patient reviews, and phone number. Meanwhile, Dr. Smith’s practice is hidden on page three, where patients might never look. That’s how Search Engine Optimization for dentists can help them stay visible online and get more patients.

Why is SEO for Dentists so Important?

After knowing how SEO for dental websites can be helpful, let’s measure the extent to which it can be useful. Here are some facts that explain its importance.

Your Patients are Searching Online

A recent survey published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research shows that 95.6% of Americans use search engines to find health information. Another study by Princeton Survey Research Associates International found that 77% of health searches start at major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. And only 13% rely on health sites like WebMD. Without SEO, you risk losing this massive number of patients to your competitors.

Competitive Local Dental Market

Data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that, on average, a residential area of 100,000 population in the US has about 61 dentists competing for the same number of patients. Local SEO ensures your dental practice stays visible to patients in your area, way before your competitors find them.

SEO Directly Impacts Your Rankings

Research published in the Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Development on 400 respondents confirms that there is a strong and positive relationship between improved rankings and best SEO strategies. By using different SEO techniques such as technical, on-site, and off-site SEO, you can make your website rank higher and attract more patients.

The 10 Best Tips for a Successful Dental SEO Marketing

Successful dental marketing SEO includes various interconnected strategies. Each focuses on improving different aspects of your dental website and your practice’s online local presence.

Here are the essential steps for dental website SEO.

1. Google Business Profile Optimization

The first step is to claim ownership of your Google Business Profile (GBP) and verify it. It is a free Google listing for your local dental business. And it is a critical factor in Local SEO for dentists. Local SEO includes optimizing your business’s local listings so it appears in location-based searches.

For example, a patient might search for “family dentist near me” or “family dentist in Chicago.” Google will show a list of 3 dental offices located in the patient’s neighborhood at the very top of the search results (the Local Pack). Optimizing your GBP sets the foundation for ranking in this coveted spot. Data from Gitnux shows that 50% of patients prefer to book appointments through the dentist’s Google Business Profile.

To optimize your GBP for dentist local SEO:

• Keep your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) accurate and exactly what’s on your website.
• Fill out complete business hours, including holiday schedules.
• Select the most specific primary category, such as Dentist, Cosmetic Dentist, Pediatric Dentist, or Emergency Dental Service.
• Upload high-quality photos of your office exterior, reception area, treatment rooms, and staff.
• Post regular updates to indicate your practice is active and ready to respond.

2. Local Citations and Directory Listings

Apart from a Google Business Profile, you can also list your business in online healthcare directories for dental local SEO. These can be platforms like Healthgrades, Zocdoc, WebMD, and Vitals. You can even use general directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Bing Places. Citations are the online mentions of your dental practice’s name, address, and phone number in these directories. Search engines like Google use these to confirm that your practice is authentic and reliable.

3. Patient Reviews and Reputation Management

Reviews are the essence of local SEO dental marketing. Google considers the quality and quantity of reviews when deciding which dental practices to rank in local search results. Reviews are also an important deciding factor for dental patients.

Research by Reputation shows that 75% of American patients read a practice’s ratings and reviews before choosing it. Moreover, 72% of these patients seek at least 4 to 5 stars when choosing a health care provider. So, make sure to manage your reviews regularly to make your practice feel responsible and reliable.

4. Location-Specific Content and Pages

Another factor that can improve your local SEO is creating content tailored to the location of your dental office. It makes it easy for search engines and patients to link your practice to a specific area. A dental SEO company can help you develop dedicated pages for your practice areas. For example, they can create a landing page about “Dental Implants in Downtown Seattle” and mention local landmarks and include testimonials from patients in that area.

5. Keyword Research and Targeting

If you want to rank your new website for a search query, you need to understand what dental patients are actually typing into Google. This is called dentist SEO keyword research. For a dental website, you will need to identify three types of keywords:

1. Service Keywords: what you offer, such as “dental implants” or “root canal.”
2. Informational Keywords: what people want to learn, like “is teeth whitening safe.”
3. Local Keywords: Include service and location. For example, “pediatric dentist Orlando” or “emergency dental care near me.”

Moreover, when you’re looking for keywords, prioritize long-tail search terms. This is because 38.2% of Google queries are made up of 3 to 4 words, according to Semrush. In addition, Backlinko reports that 91.8% of all search queries on Google are long-tail keywords. And among these, 14.1% of searches are in the form of a question. With these insights, you can identify keywords that can help your dental website rank higher in search results.

6. Create High-Quality Content

Once you have your keywords, you can create valuable content around them. But make sure you are writing content for humans first and search engines second. This is because Google algorithms can understand whether you’re just stuffing keywords or genuinely satisfying the user’s query. So, understand the intent behind the keywords and address it with comprehensive and valuable information.

Here are the tips for creating content when doing SEO for dental offices.

• Use simple and conversational language.
• Avoid dental jargon unless you immediately explain it.
• Break up long paragraphs into 2-4 sentences maximum
• Use bullet points for easy scanning
• Make content visually appealing with images or videos.
• Include clear calls-to-action

In addition to these, your content should follow Google’s EEAT guidelines to be valuable in Google’s eyes. In SEO for dental practices, EEAT stands for:

• Experience: Showing personal dental experience, insights, or stories.
• Expertise: Demonstrate command over the topic with concrete information.
• Authority: Cite scientific studies, data reports, or industry experts.
• Trust: Publishing honest content with accurate and reliable facts.

  

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7. Use Internal Linking

Internal linking includes strategically linking content on one page to other related pages on your site. The goal is to help both your visitors and Google discover related content more easily.

But why does it matter for SEO? Internal links can distribute ranking power throughout your site. They do this by allowing search engines to easily crawl and index all pages of your website. At the same time, they naturally guide patients from general information to booking an appointment.

8. Invest in Backlink Strategy

Backlinks are one of the most powerful link-building strategies. These are the links other websites add to their content to direct back to your dental website. What makes backlinks so crucial in dentist website SEO is that they signal authority in Google’s eyes.

But instead of numbers, Google considers the quality of backlinks more important. For example, one link from a respected .edu site, a major healthcare publication, or a local news outlet carries more weight than 100 links from low-quality directories or spam sites.

Here’s how a dental SEO agency can help you get more backlinks:

• Guest post on reputable healthcare blogs
• Get featured in local media by sharing expertise.
• Offer to comment on dental health trends for news stories.
• Write columns for community publications.
• Help you sponsor local events, charities, or youth sports teams.

9. Improve Your Website’s Page Experience

Google page experience ranking factors comprise of several elements, including your page’s loading speed, responsiveness, and security. To improve your site’s page experience, make sure that it loads in no more than 2-3 seconds.

• Compress large images to reduce their loading time.
• Utilize a CDN or content distribution network.
• Minify JavaScript, HTML, and CSS files.
• Set size attributes for images and videos.
• Use an HTTPS certificate to secure your site.

10. Ensure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

Google has adopted a mobile-first indexing method. This means it prioritizes a responsive website design on smaller screens, such as mobile devices, to decide where to rank it in search results. Moreover, your patients are using mobile devices to search for information online. In fact, around 60% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices, according to data from Global Stats. Therefore, make sure your dental website works seamlessly on smartphones and tablets to improve its ranking.

How Does SEO Pay Off? A Dental SEO Case Study

If you’re wondering whether dental SEO is worth the investment, let’s measure its success through a real-world example. Anderson Lake Dental a dental practice in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, invested in PNC Logos’ dental SEO services starting in December 2021.

The Challenge

The Anderson Lake Dental site was basically invisible online. The URL structure was weak. There were duplicate pages and thin content. Calls to action were poorly placed. On top of that, their local search presence was almost nonexistent.

The Strategy

Our team of dental SEO experts addressed the problems with local SEO and improved web design. We set up proper URL structures and created SEO optimized content around relevant keywords. We optimized the Google Business Profile to boost local visibility.

In addition, harmful backlinks were removed, while high-quality links were added. The user experience was redesigned to guide conversions more clearly. Finally, we launched an educational blog built around Google’s E-A-A-T principles to increase the site’s authority.

The Results

Within six months, Anderson Lake Dental achieved a 128.85% increase in organic traffic. Lead generation improved by 57.55%. Moreover, their keyword rankings grew from 1,500 to over 4,000 terms. Overall, Anderson Lake Dental went from barely visible to fully competitive online.

Final Words

In today’s digital environment, your patients are searching online for dental help. Dental SEO can put your practice in front of these people, way before your competitors. While you can learn and implement SEO yourself, a professional in this field can accelerate results. They can also ensure you avoid costly mistakes that might set you back months.

At PNC Logos, we offer comprehensive dentist SEO services. Our strategies are tailored to the unique needs of your practice. Whether you’re struggling to stand out in your local market or need technical improvements to your site, we are here to help. Contact us now to get started!