Having a strong online presence is essential for any dental practice. It can help attract new patients, build trust with existing ones, and increase overall visibility. In this article, we'll discuss the steps you can take to improve your dental practice's online presence.
Claim Your Business on Google
The first step to improving your online presence is claiming your business on Google. This will ensure that potential customers are able to find you when they search for dentists in their area. Once you've claimed your business, make sure to update all of the information such as address, phone number, and website URL so that it's accurate and up-to-date.
You will then want to continually monitor your Google web presence, to update relevant information and make sure your data stays accurate. You can also use the opportunity to provide professional-looking photographs to your Google listing, as people will often visit your listing to both visually see what to expect, as well as read reviews.
Optimize Your Website for Search
Once you've claimed your business on Google, the next step is optimizing your website for search engine optimization (SEO). This means making sure that all of the content on your site is relevant and keyword-rich so that it appears higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Additionally, make sure that your website is mobile responsive so that it looks great no matter what device it's viewed on.
Optimizing your website for search means making sure your business is found by the people who are looking for it. Each year, a greater majority of the population starts their search for answers by using Google. Someone right now is looking for a dentist in your area, and if you aren’t optimized for search, then they won’t find you.
Reliably Engage Your Patients
Engaging with current and potential patients through social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter can be a great way to build relationships and trust with them. Make sure to post regularly about topics related to dentistry such as oral health tips or upcoming promotions at your practice. Additionally, responding quickly and professionally to any questions or comments from patients will help create a positive impression of your practice online.
Your Google listing is a great place to manage your customer relationship as well, especially if you have a focus on improving your SEO to be found by people looking for you in search. As you grow your business and get more and more happy clients, some will share their experiences on Google. Engaging with these positive reviews shows prospective clients that you are real and you care.
Increase Visibility Through Content Marketing
Creating content such as blog posts or videos related to dentistry can be an effective way of increasing visibility for your practice online. Not only will this help attract new patients, but it will also show existing ones that you're knowledgeable about the field and committed to providing quality care. Additionally, incorporating keywords into these pieces of content will help them appear higher in SERPs when people search for topics related to dentistry in their area.
Content marketing is more than just optimizing your content for SEO, it’s about creating presence in every corner of the web which not only attracts more people, but builds confidence for the people you have attracted. These days, people expect not just a website and a Facebook profile, but they also want to see you on Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, and whatever other social media platform they regularly use. The more places you are, the more confidence you inspire, the more likely you are to turn prospectives into customers.
Monitor Reviews & Respond Quickly
Finally, monitoring reviews of your practice online is important for maintaining a good reputation among potential customers. Make sure to respond quickly and professionally if there are any negative reviews so that people know you take customer feedback seriously. Additionally, encouraging happy customers to leave reviews can also help boost the visibility for your practice online.
No matter what platform you have reviews on, it’s ALWAYS important to respond quickly and kindly. Whether the reviews are negative or positive. But especially if reviews are negative, you want to make sure YOU control the narrative, and you don’t let someone who’s had a bad day cause you to lose business.