SEO For Dentists: Get More Patients with Local SEO Tactics

A robust online presence is essential for dental practices to attract new patients. While many dentists are familiar with optimizing their Google Business Profile and listing on local directories, there are often overlooked strategies that can take your SEO to the next level. 

The fundamentals in technical SEO, on-page SEO, and link building always constitute a robust SEO campaign. Add a few things to keep your dental website optimized and on top of its game. 

This guide will cover the basics of SEO for dentists and some actionable steps you should consider. 

1. Create Direct Landing Pages for Dental Service Keywords

One of the most impactful yet underutilized SEO strategies is creating individual pages for each dental service you offer. Each page should target specific keywords such as “dental fillings” or “laser teeth whitening”. 

You can’t expect to rank for these keywords if you don’t create a page for the service and optimize the keyword for it. 

Optimizing these pages with local and service-specific keywords helps search engines better understand your offerings and improve the chances of climbing spots in Google’s SERPs. 

Arrange the main categories and services underneath them in a precise, logical manner, from main categories such as Orthodontics and General Dentistry to their specific services like Oral Prophylaxis and Porcelain Veneers. 

Here’s a quick look at the hierarchy of dental services. You can change it based on your current offerings and local context. 

GENERAL DENTISTRY

• Airflow
• Dental Fillings
• Oral Prophylaxis

COSMETIC DENTISTRY

• Composite or Direct Veneers
• Laser Teeth Whitening
• Porcelain Veneers
• Zirconia Veneers

ORTHODONTICS

• Braces
• Invisalign

ORAL SURGERY

• Dental Implant
• Oral Surgery

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

• Dental Sealant
• Fluoride Treatment

PROSTHODONTICS

• Complete Dentures
• Dental Bridge
• Dental Crowns
• Removable Partial Dentures

ENDODONTICS

• Root Canal Treatment

PERIODONTICS

• Tooth Scaling and Root Planning

DIGITAL X-RAYS

• Digital Dental X-ray

Publish landing pages with detailed information about the dental service. Include FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) to address pressing concerns and help potential customers make better decisions about choosing your service (this helps boost the conversion rates for those money pages). 

Use internal linking to guide users to related content, assist their navigation experience, and increase their time on your site. Linking related content encourages potential clients to explore your brand further. For instance, if you published the service page on Prosthodontics, link to more specific pages such as Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges. 

The better your internal linking strategy, the more page authority it distributes across pages. 

2. Apply Author Bio Best Practices 

Dentistry falls under the category of “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) topics, which refer to subjects that can significantly impact someone’s health, finances, or safety. This means that Google applies stricter guidelines when evaluating content in the field. 

Your website must showcase experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust (E-E-A-T) to rank well for YMYL topics. 

One way to exhibit expertise is to create individual author bios, which can help boost your website’s overall brand credibility and SEO performance. Giving users and search engines an idea of the publishers behind every content helps add more positive elements that make your website deserve to rank for its target keywords. 

Whether you opt to write blog content as a dentist or hire a medical professional to contribute content for your brand, here are some useful tips to optimize your author bio:

• Include relevant academic degrees, certifications, and professional awards your dentist author has received. Mention the specific institutions and organizations to build more trust with potential patients. 
• Use professional headshots similar to those you consistently use across social media platforms, such as the profile photo on LinkedIn. This will create a more recognizable personal brand in the online space. 
• Publish a detailed About Us Page. It must include credentials and achievements about your dental practice. Use schema markup to help search engines correctly display your information.
• Link to social media accounts such as Linkedin to help patients verify your qualifications. 

3. Optimize Content for Long-Tail Keywords

When starting an SEO campaign, optimizing pages for high-traffic keywords like “dentist near me” is vital as this could bring significant search traffic. 

However, if your website is new, it is best to compete for long-tail keywords that are more specific and less competitive. Examples are “Teeth whitening treatment cost in London” or “How often should I get a dental cleaning?” 

This enables your newly optimized website to acquire initial traffic by ranking in less time for long-tail keywords. 

It is best to incorporate these long-tail keywords naturally throughout your helpful content.

Here are some examples of dental-related long-tail keywords: 

• Best family dentist near [city]
• Affordable cosmetic dentistry in [city]
• Emergency dental care for a broken tooth near me
• How to find a good pediatric dentist in [city]
• Teeth whitening treatment cost in [city]
• Dental implants specialist in [city]
• Pain-free root canal treatment near [city]
• Invisalign vs braces cost in [city]
• How often should I get a dental cleaning
• Gum disease treatment options for seniors
• What to do for a knocked-out tooth emergency
• Sedation dentistry for dental anxiety in [city]
• Best dentist for veneers in [city]
• What to expect during a dental implant consultation
• Holistic dental care for sensitive teeth

4. Encourage Patients to Leave Reviews

Patient reviews are critical in building trust with potential patients. As Google considers the quality of reviews a significant local ranking factor for local businesses, having quality reviews can help your site dominate the top ranking spots. 

You can display printables in your office with a QR code to encourage patient feedback. Others fashionably use physical marketing materials to help patients share their experiences online. 

5. Optimize Google Business Profile 

Google Business Profile creation is one of the most fundamental initiatives to help your dental website rank for Google Map Packs. 

Fill out all the essential details in the profile to maximize its full potential. A properly optimized profile must include:

• Name, phone number, and address also being placed on your dental site (make sure you consistently place just one NAP – Name, Phone Number, and Address).
• Accurate business hours, contact information, and appointment links
• High-quality images of your clinic, staff, and services

Regularly update your GBP with new promotions, events, and services. All these updates help engage your audience and give Google more content to crawl, which can positively impact your local rankings. 

6. Be Visible in Comparative Pages

Getting coverage on publications that rank well in Google’s SERPs for comparative inquiries, like “best orthodontists in London”, could help position your brand strongly online. 

We’ve had several names for this type of strategy, as some SEOs have coined it Barnacle SEO, Second-Hand Search Traffic, or Parasite SEO. The goal in any of these is to dominate the top page of SERPs by ranking for comparative pages where you can be appropriately included as a service provider. 

Being visible on these ranking comparative pages can help increase brand share and recall for searchers looking for the best dental clinic in town. 

7. Be Included in Local and Healthcare Directories

While getting links from local and niche directories is often misunderstood as merely a link building technique, their value in driving exposure for a dental brand is crucial. 

Most users today consider directories a source of options when finding a particular service. They seek niche directories to increase their options, compare service providers, and find the one that will serve their needs. 

Start creating and optimizing profiles for healthcare directories like ZocDoc and HealthGrades, as these sites often rank highly on Google’s SERPs. 

Drive More Patients to Your Dental Practice

SEO for dentists requires a holistic approach that goes beyond just setting up a Google Business Profile. 

By applying the strategies that strongly demonstrate EEAT to help your site foster trust and credibility for search engines and users, you can build a sustainable flow of new patients who trust your practice.