Digital marketing and online marketing are terms used to describe how brands and businesses can use or take advantage of digital data and technology or social media to market their products and services over the Internet. Everyone, including niches like dental marketing, is exploring online ways of growing their practice. And so, digital marketing for dentists has become a go-to way to get more patients.
This effort, while it may come in many forms, such as search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns, social media, email newsletters, and online video channels, among others, aims to increase brand awareness within an industry that will eventually lead to increased conversion and patient acquisition rates. And when it comes to dental practices that already rank well on Google, landing a spot on page one can help reach more patients online, improve a practice’s conversion rate and drive the traffic needed to sustain the dental practice’s success.
Why is Digital Marketing for Dentists Important?
According to DentaVox, 86% of people research online before visiting a dentist. This is an obvious statistic, as the whole point behind a dental marketing campaign is for your practice to be found and known by potential patients – and digital marketing has changed how we do that.
Interestingly, this statistic shows how much more aware patients are of practices around them and how accessible it is for them to do their own research before visiting a dentist.
The good news is that implementing digital marketing for dentists doesn’t require much time or financial commitment. You can start with small steps–for example, by sharing articles on social media or optimizing your Google Business Profile page (formally called Google My Business) – in order to gauge interest in your content and method before dedicating more resources.
Here are some important benefits of digital marketing for dentists:
Online marketing is an excellent use of your marketing dollars, as it’s typically less expensive than traditional advertising. Though there are some variations in price for different platforms, it’s typically much more cost effective than traditional marketing.
It’s customizable, allowing you to tailor your marketing efforts to fit the needs of your target audience.
You can measure the success or failure of initiatives before expending further resources on them. This allows you to fine-tune your marketing strategy so that it will be more successful in terms of generating new patient interest.
It’s not “one size fits all,” so each dental practice should have it’s own unique dental marketing plan.
Your marketing efforts are visible across your entire social media network, meaning that if you have 1 million Facebook views, everyone in your friend list will see the updates you post. It provides exposure to a larger variety of people quickly, enabling you to reach all potential patients speedily.
It gives you the chance to be seen as an authority figure in your industry. For example, suppose you’re a dentist who is interested in the topic of oral cancer and how it relates to dental health. In that case, there are many online forums where you can post about that interest and start to build your digital footprint. Your name or your practice’s name will begin to be recognized amongst the niche you are most passionate about, giving you more exposure.
Because it’s so easy to share information digitally, marketers can connect with others interested in your services or products without being pushy or spammy.
However, it will take effort because digital dental marketing also requires consistent participation over time to see success. But it’s an investment that pays off exponentially – not only can you attract new dental patients via digital marketing, but you also earn credibility by becoming the go-to source of information for the industry.
Actionable Digital Marketing Tips for Dentists
1) Start With Your Own Website
Every day, consumers are doing more of their shopping online. If you don’t have an official website for your dental practice that provides information about your services, hours of operation, location, and staff members’ biographies – and if it isn’t optimized to show up on search engines – you could be losing out on opportunities to build new patients online.
Your dental website also serves as a hub for all other digital marketing efforts because it can include links to social media channels and your Google Business Profile. The most significant value in building a site is being able to control how potential patients find you online – thus reducing the likelihood that they will see negative reviews or outdated information about your practice.
2) Become Active on Social Media
Most social media sites allow you to build a profile and post updates that existing patients and potential patients will see. This allows your office to give consumers information about the latest in dentistry, share articles relevant to your industry, and promote free screenings or events.
Take a glimpse into some fascinating statistics on the influence of social media for dentists:
You’ll find popular pages within your niche, such as Facebook Groups or Instagram influencers who could help spread the word about your practice through endorsements. Creating an engaging social media presence can also serve as a lead-generation tool. It increases brand awareness, so more people find out about your dental office in person or online. Dental social media marketing can expand your network.
3) Setup a Google Business Profile (GBP)
Since dental practices typically market to local patients, an essential part of dental SEO is local SEO. With the Google Maps Local 3-Pack being the most important section to appear in. And since the Google Business Profile (GBP) is the number one ranking factor for local SEO, It’s essential to claim, optimize and maintain your listings on GBP to enhance local SEO and increase the visibility of your dental practice.
Claiming your GBP is simple: you can do so by verifying your address and phone number over email or the phone. Then, you can make edits such as changing your business hours or categorizing yourself under a specific type of practice (ex: cosmetic dentistry).
You can also control how patients search and find you online by modifying which categories pop up when patients search a keyword like “dentist near me or electrician near me” on a desktop or mobile device. By being found through this type of search, you have more control over what kind of new patients are finding you, making it more likely they will be a better fit for your dental practice.
4) Engage in Video Marketing
Video marketing has emerged as one of the most effective digital marketing strategies for dentists. Take Advantage of YouTube Embedding videos on your website or social media channels can help boost your search engine rankings because Google, in particular, considers them highly important.
Video marketing allows you to explain what sets you apart from other practices and establish yourself as an authority figure–thus gaining the trust of potential dental patients searching for places that offer specific services or have particular needs. For example, you could create a video showing how people with dental phobias can overcome their anxieties through hypnosis treatments.
Successful video marketing hinges on good camera work, attractive images, creative editing techniques, pacing, and the right keywords within the title and description tags. To take it a step further, you could include your website and contact information (or even QR codes) within the video to make it easier for people to contact you after seeing it.
5) Leverage Pay Per Click Ads On Google
Consider advertising your practice on Google Ads. Continuing what we discussed earlier about being found through searches for “dentist near me,”–ads that pop up at the top of search results are precious because you can guarantee that people will see them. This type of paid advertising is so effective that many have dubbed it pay-per-prospect because one single view can lead directly to new patients walking through your doors.
You should consider using paid ads if you aren’t already listed in the organic results, or if you need more leads than you’re receiving through your current marketing methods.
The downside to this strategy is that it can be expensive, as ad spend adds up quickly, especially since the cost per click of Google PPC ads can often be $30 or more per click. But there’s still a place for paid advertising like Google Ads. For example, my agency often recommends it to get “instant leads” while waiting for a dental SEO campaign to take hold.
As with all ads, whether they show up in Google Ads or on Social Media Channels, it’s vital that they incorporate your keywords and provide an accurate description of what potential patients will find when they visit your website. Including a call-to-action, such as clicking through to book an appointment or calling about mobile dental services (if relevant), may also be helpful.
6) Work on the SEO of your website
Some digital marketing strategies for dentists can test your patience, especially when it comes to dental SEO, which is often a challenge even for experienced digital marketing companies. But SEO services for dentists are essential if you want to grow organically on search engines like Google. In the digital age, modern consumers expect a higher quality standard from businesses– especially those in the medical field, like dental providers. If you hope to succeed as a dentist online, your website must be optimized for search engines to attract new prospective patients who are actively searching online for dental services like yours.
For online dental businesses, it’s best to work with an SEO company that can help you structure your website in a way that includes the right keywords. Some of the most critical factors related to keywords are the number of monthly searches, anticipated ranking difficulty, and search intent – which is making sure a keyword used by a potential website visitor has high commercial intent and is well matched to the services your practice offers.
A simple approach to digital marketing for dentists is to develop page titles and meta descriptions for each page of your site that include your primary keyword (in this case, something like “dental implants Maine”) along with complementary keywords (for example, “cosmetic dentistry Miami”)
This works because search engines like Google use specific factors when determining whether or not to list a website in organic and Google Map Pack results. The more you meet their criteria–such as including well-targeted keywords on pages of your site–the higher the chances are of appearing in search results of relevant searches.
Further, if you have a blog or regularly updated website with consistently high-quality content, Google will reward you by bumping you up in search rankings whenever your website is shared on social media, linked to from other websites, or recommended by industry-related influencers.
7) Focus on Online Reviews
Over 98% of consumers research businesses through online reviews before purchasing. Furthermore, over half said they trust these sources as much as personal recommendations.
The above stats implicates the importance of online reputation management in digital marketing for dentists. Patient reviews are now so influential that staying on top of them is vital. Ideally, you should be soliciting positive feedback from former patients and encouraging them to leave a review on Google, Yelp, and Facebook.
When a potential patient searches for your dental business online, your patient reviews can make or break their decision to choose you over another practice.
It’s, therefore, vital that you monitor what people are saying about you in various locations online and get in touch with anyone who leaves negative feedback–even if it’s just to apologize and thank them for taking the time to leave feedback.
8) Add your Practice to Dental Directories
There are many directories for online advertising and listing services you should consider adding your practice to, such as Foursquare for Business and Yelp.
Additionally, you can add your practice to directories that only focus on dentists.
Your practice must be listed on these sites because they appear on the search engine results page whenever someone searches for dental practices in your area–particularly when they use any of the keywords you targeted in your dental SEO efforts.
Make sure that any profiles or listings include your primary keyword (such as “dental implant surgery”) to maximize the chances of appearing on relevant searches.
This is why you need to claim any professional profile pages for your dental practice on these sites if you haven’t already done so, to ensure that they are accurate and drive traffic back to your dental website.
9) Keep consistency in publishing blogs and optimizing them on your Dental Website
A solid digital marketing plan requires being consistent with the content you publish online, particularly via your website. Your blog should be updated with high-quality, engaging content on a consistent basis that provides potential patients with the information they need to know about whatever dental issues or concerns brought them to your blog in the first place.
If you don’t regularly update your site, you could lose viewers who regularly check search results for related topics – especially if there are other sites (like those of your competitors) publishing new content regularly. To avoid this scenario, make sure that all of your website pages are optimized properly according to SEO requirements and that each page has unique keywords where appropriate.
The reviews you solicit from former patients can also be published on your website, maximizing their effectiveness.
In addition to these methods, ensure that your social profiles (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) are up-to-date with accurate information and contain links to your website.
Final Words Regarding Your Digital Dental Marketing
Today’s most successful digital dental marketing campaigns utilize search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing tactics, and publishing regular blogs on dental websites to help bring new patients to their practice. However, even though digital marketing for dentists is crucial to a dental practice’s success, only around 1/3 of dental marketers rank it as a top priority for their business.
These nine actionable digital marketing strategies for dentists will help your website rank higher in search results, increase brand recognition, and improve the overall online reputation of your dental practice.
There are many other ways to implement digital marketing tactics for dentists, but these nine methods are a great start toward enhancing the online presence of your dental practice.
Digital marketing for dentists requires a lot of time and can feel overwhelming. However, if your digital marketing plan is executed successfully with best-in-class practices, the result can lead to more new patients finding you online.
If you have any questions regarding local SEO, social media, online reputation management, or anything else related to online dental marketing, feel free to contact us for a free consultation and a comprehensive online visibility report.
NewStar SEO is an experienced digital marketing agency with a strong track record of helping healthcare providers grow their patient base, and if you need more patients, we’re here to help you grow your practice.
