You’ve heard it repeatedly: to rank high on Google, your website needs a blog. But, you think. What on earth will I blog about? There are only so many things you can say about crowns, and most are not interesting to my patients.
It’s time to shift your thinking about blogs. Here are two main marketing goals for dentists with websites:
- Attract the right kind of patients to find your website (increase new patient numbers from online marketing)
- Compete with other dental websites in your area for important keyword phrases (show up high in Google results)
What Blogs Do
Every time you publish blog posts, you’re creating more opportunities for people to reach your site. (That’s great news!) You see, each post is a portal to your website. Google indexes the content and lists the blog’s URL in search engine results, for various keywords within the content. The process looks like this…
BLOG – published, indexed, posted in Google search results – FOUND BY POTENTIAL PATIENT
What Blogs Don’t Do
For dentists, blogs are not supposed to attract a following. The sole purpose is to create more pages to be indexed by Google, for specific keywords, to attract a specific audience – your target market, or your ideal patient. That’s not to say a dentist’s blog cannot attract a following, because some do. But in reality, it’s rare. Let’s face it: people do not like to read about dental implants unless they need them. After they get implants, they’re no longer interested in reading about them. So, dentistry is not a topic that attracts a strong following, when the intended audience is the general public.
Targeting Your Audience
Those who find your website are only potential patients if they can use your services. Selecting and strategically implementing keywords into your blog posts (headings, body content, links, metadata) are imperative tactics that lead to attracting the right patients for your dental office.
If you don’t offer dentures, don’t let the word “dentures” appear on your website. If you do offer root canals, make sure you have one or more web pages, and multiple blog posts, on the subject. Also, include testimonials that include “root canal” in the text. Ask patients who’ve had a root canal performed by you to send you a testimonial about their experience. Then, publish the testimonial on your website. By having multiple occurrences of “root canal” on your website, all with original content, your site should come up more often in search results for the keyword phrase “root canal” and variations of it.
Warning: Tread lightly with keywords! Overuse can harm your success on Google.
Cardinal Rules of Blogging for Dentists
Dentist should blog, but not to attract a following.
1. Be consistent
2. Plan your strategy
3. Be consistent
4. Track results and adjust your strategy accordingly
5. Be consistent
Professional Dental Bloggers
You can blog for your own website. However, if you don’t have the time or inclination, but you do want to reap the marketing benefits, hire a professional blogger. Let me specify: a professional dental and/or medical blogger. Your reputation and, in possibly your license, could be at stake when you allow someone to post content on your behalf.
I’ve been in dental copywriting for over a decade and know the ins and outs of the ADA’s and State Boards’ marketing guidelines for dentists, as well as the best techniques for SEO and marketing. To start a blogging campaign on your website, give me a call. I offer excellent quality, years of experience, and reasonable rates.
Shauna Duty
Identiwrite Creative
940-395-5115
