ProspectaMarketing helps dental practices with online marketing and advertising efforts and we have been at it for years! This means we know a thing or two about SEO optimization. If you are a relatively new practice, however, or even if you’ve been around for a while but have never made the jump to online advertising, you might be wondering what it’s all about.

After all, we mention it a lot on this blog and it is a term many online entities use when explaining their digital practices. In order to alleviate any confusion, our team has put together a primer to explain what SEO is, followed by three, easy-to-follow optimization tips that don’t require the creation of new content.

What Is SEO And Why Should You Care?

Let’s start with some basics for any newcomers out there. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it’s really a catch-all term. It includes any and all strategies applied to content that increase its likelihood of ranking higher on search engines like Google. SEO optimization is an importance practice for several key reasons, including but not limited to visibility, reach, and accessibility. Properly optimized web content has been vetted for relevant key words, has text that is unique enough to not be mistaken for another page, and displays to the intended target audience, whether that be location- or demographic-based.

  • Visibility: An optimized post ensures that readers who search your relevant keywords can find your service quickly and effectively.
  • Reach: An optimized post broadens your practice’s reach by displaying your content to new audiences that might be interested.
  • Accessibility: An optimized post is easy to navigate, generating more page landings and potential patients for you and your practice.

3 Easy-To-Follow Tips

One of the first solutions suggested for improving SEO is to create content. This is a great suggestion due to the relationship between fresh content and Google index bots. The more unique the content is, the more likely Google and other such search engines are to send out “crawler bots” to index your page. When they do, your content is added to a database of unique content, helping readers find it quickly and without any hassle.

However, sometimes it can be hard to come up with new content in a consistent fashion. If you represent a dental practice, you have other responsibilities; not the least of which is your mission to help your patients. With such a huge responsibility, it is understandable that creating new pages for your site would be a small priority. And while a blog helps in this regard, you still need the time and space to write the posts. For this reason, our team has come up with 3 easy to follow tips to help you optimize your existing content without needing to write new text:

  1. Keywords vs Keyphrases: Keywords are more than simple roadmaps to your content. They can also act as a billboard or a sign that loudly signals to your readers that your page is right for them. For this reason, think not just about what your potential reader might search, but how they might search for it. Then, rework existing content to reflect this. For example, “how are dental veneers placed” is a better keyphrase to work into your content than simply “dental veneers,” which is a single keyword and will most likely match with fewer search terms than its more robust alternative.
  2. Interesting Title Tags: An important statistic is the ratio of clicks on your link via Google. This is commonly known as the click-through rate, or CTR. And one of the main factors that affect the CTR is your title tag. After all, it is the first (and hopefully not the last) thing your potential reader sees. Make sure to use enticing and exciting title tags that will draw people’s attention. Avoid sensationalizing, but don’t be afraid to make a bold claim or ask an incisive question in your title tag. After all, once the potential patient has clicked on your page, you can further explain the statement with informational, clearly worded text.
  3. Listen To Google Analytics: We have talked at length about using Google Analytics on this blog, and for good reason. You can use the Page Landings section of this online tool to measure how many readers are drawn to your different website pages. This helps to gauge not only the good, but the bad. If you notice a post is stale and abandoned, it’s time to refresh it. Don’t be afraid to go back and change old content with new keyphrases, a new title, or even a new image. This way, you don’t have to create entirely new content. You can simply rephrase and rework old content to make it sound more relevant! This tactic will also give your original content a second chance at positive search engine placement.

At ProspectaMarketing, we can help you manage your website and SEO so you focus on what you love: being a trusted dentist in your community! We are an experienced Internet marketing firm specializing in dental practices and the tools of Internet marketing. We help you reach key prospects who are looking for what your practice has to offer. Our unique and thorough approach provides visibility, financial accountability, and ongoing refinement and improvement. You can find out more by contacting Lane Anderson toll-free at 1-877-322-4440 Ext 101, by email using the form on our Contact Us page, or online at ProspectaMarketing.com.