Dentists SEO That Works! Why Google Maps SEO Is So Important
Dentists SEO has changed over the years. It used to be that dentist SEO was a website optimization process. Today it’s far more than just optimizing a website. SEO tactics and strategies change because the search engine algorithms change. Algorithm changes cause ranking changes and when that happens some dentists who rankings go down, feel burned.
I remember this happened a few years ago. One day I had doctors calling in to us asking if we could help them with their dental SEO because the company that they were working with took advantage of them. What actually happened was an industry wide algorithm change by Google. The changes disregarded website links that didn’t have a decent domain authority. Basically what was happening is someone was setting up a brand new website and linking to the dentists site. The dentists was paying to get an inbound link but the links was coming from a website that isn’t valuable nor related to the industry.
From lost money and lost time to increased stress from working with a not-so-stellar partners, some dentists have just called the whole thing off. But, the answer is not to write dentists SEO off. SEO works and it will help practices grow dramatically. The key is to use the right kind of dentists SEO tactics. Ones that work specifically for small businesses like your dental practice and are not trying to cut corners.
“Stop Doing Website SEO and Start Doing Google Maps SEO.”
….I know that that sounds crazy, but hear me out.
SEO strategies are changing because consumer behavior is changing. Potential patients are looking less and less at Google ads and organic rankings and are going to Google maps to find a local dentist. Many studies have shown that rather than going to Chrome, Safari of Firefox on their browsers, they go straight to the Google maps app to find what they’re looking for. And this is even greater on mobile.
All you have to do is think about your own search habits. Do you skip the ads in your search results? Do you open up Google maps or Apple maps to find a local business rather than a browser? If this describes you, then you’re like most of your patients.
Why Google Maps SEO works?
Google Maps SEO is different from your traditional dentists SEO services. Google Maps SEO focuses on where potential patients are looking for a local dentist, on the Google map. Online consumer behavior studies have shown that the Google map gets about 2/3rds of all the search traffic. This means that if your practice isn’t ranking in the top three listings in the Google map, you’re likely not being found by new patients.
First Steps To Improve Your Dental Practice SEO Rankings?
In order to improve you need to know where you’re already ranking. Rankings on the Google map are fluid, meaning that you can rank well in one neighborhood but not be ranking in the next neighborhood, as suggested by Freshlinks. This is because the ranking algorithm is adjusted to the person searching and where they’re searching from. Competition, density of population, the words used in the search, and how you’ve optimized Google My Business all play into how you rank throughout your community.
To get started use our Google Maps Reporting Tool to find out how well your practice ranks around your area!
Google Map Rankings, How Does It Work?
Let’s say, for example, someone in your area pulls out their cell phone and searches “Dentists near me”. Should your practice show up on the Google map or not? What about when someone used Google to look up a term like “teeth whitening” or “root canal”?
The information that shows up in the Google map does not come from your website, it comes from your Google My Business account. Your GMB account is your business listing in the Google business database. If you want to show up in the map to be found by potential patients, you’ll want to optimize your listings.
An Endodontic SEO Marketing Case Study
The image shows where Dr. Hancock was ranking at the beginning of the campaign. His practice is in Raleigh, North Carolina and the first image shows where his practice was ranking on Google Maps in the area.
Each one of the colored nodes is a search from that latitude and longitude. The dentists SEO software that we use tells Google to run a search from that location, as if we were standing their and pulled our cell phones out of our pocket and did the search. Then the software counts down in the Google map until it finds the listing of the practice that we’re doing the research for and puts that number on the colored node. We only count down to 19. At 20 listings deep we stop counting.
His practice is located in the center of the grid. In the top report you can see that he’s only showing up in the top three positions for the keyword ‘root canal’ in four of the nodes. Each node is a half a mile apart from the others. So, really, he’s only showing up a half mile away from his practice. Beyond that when someone searches ‘root canal’ he’s not on the first page.
SEO Results At End Of Marketing Campaign
Wow! That is a big difference. Dr. Hancock has seen more patients, more activity on his website and social media pages, and ultimately more revenue because of Google maps optimization.
He more than doubled his new patient phone calls. Another huge benefit was starting to receive more referral phone calls from dentists who were finding him on the Google map.
Need Dental SEO? We Can Help
Dental SEO doesn’t have to be difficult. We have trained and experienced dentists SEO experts ready and waiting to help your practice rank higher in Google maps. Give us the opportunity to wow you.
Adrian Lefler is the CEO and Co-Founder of My Social Practice and a recognized dental marketing expert with nearly two decades of experience. He is a trusted voice in dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and emerging technology, and he hosts BYTE SIZED, a podcast focused on dental AI, innovation, and technology.
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