3 Reasons, 3 Secrets, and 5 Tips re: Blogging for Dentists

By June 30, 2014July 22nd, 2020Content Marketing, Dental Office Marketing

Blogging for DentistsWhy does a dentist need a blog? I’ll “Cutt” to the chase:

1. Matt Cutts, one of Google’s most respected SEO gurus, says that all businesses should blog. The experts are giving you the power to reign on Google, you just have to invest in content marketing. Write blogs yourself or hire a dental copywriter.

2. New content and a solid content marketing strategy are not only key to reigning on search engines right now, content is the future of search engine power, for the merchant (that’s you). If you’ve not started generating and publishing fresh content, start today. Right now. You’ll be glad you did when, in a few years, your peers are just beginning to understand the power of content on SEO, and you own the search results for your targeted keyword phrases.

3. To attract new patients. This one seems obvious, but it’s the most important, so it made the list. Blogging leads to higher search engine rank for a wider keyword list, which allows your content to be seen by more potential, targeted patients, which results in more new patient calls and emails to your office. With the right person answering your emails and phone, those inquiries become booked appointments.

Now to press on to the three secrets for blogging success. You can just go to WordPress, create a free blog, and start posting. However, if you’re in a competitive market, you’ll need a blog on your website. Once your blog is set up, you need a plan, a plan that includes these three secrets. Then, read on to learn the 5 tips that will make your blog a power-loaded marketing tool.

Secret Numero Uno: Write interesting, original blogs of 500 words or more and include links to related pages on your website, as well as related blogs on your site. Work keywords into your blog content, as well.

Secret Dos: DO NOT USE CONTENT FOUND ELSEWHERE ONLINE. Google has said for years, publish original content. Don’t publish duplicate content. The search engine giant has even gone so far as to say that any duplicate content on a website can harm that site’s search rankings. Those marketers who follow Google’s explicit advice about original content tend to rank higher, more consistently.

Secret Tres: Be consistent and prolific. One blog post each week won’t do much for your SEO. If dental practice blogs were intended to draw followers, that logic may work. However, consider this: Do you follow the blog of your homebuilder, podiatrist, attorney, or CPA? No. Why? Because you aren’t that into feet and IRS laws. Likewise, the average Joe American isn’t going to subscribe to a blog about root canals and cavities. Your blog is inteded to create more content with more keywords so that your website has more presence on search engines — higher rankings for targeted keywords and a wider range of keywords. By coming up higher and more often in Google, you’ll draw more traffic. If your front office staff can convert callers and emailers, you’ll get more new patients.

 5 Tips for Dental Bloggers

1. Create a keyword list and integrate those words into title tags, meta descriptions, headings, and links on your blogs. Use what you know about your patients, what you see your peers doing online, and Google Keyword Tool to determine your best keywords.

2. Install Google Analytics and check it weekly. Also check rank for keywords weekly. If you slip in ranking for no apparent reason, or if your traffic falters, seek help. Note that sometimes there are justifiable reasons for dips, and ultimately a strategic plan should expect to exceed previous rankings and traffic after such a dip.

3. Use photos. Once your blog attracts visitors, your site needs to stimulate them — and people are visually stimulated. Either take original photos for each blog (preferred) or subscribe to a service like Deposit Photos or Shutterstock. If you have the guts, use video, too!

4. Install an automatic SEO plugin, like Yoast or All in One SEO so that  meta data is simple for you. These types of plugins guide you through creating title tags, meta data, and optimizing a blog post with keywords. I won’t say they do it all, but they certainly help the novice.

5. Put blogging on your calendar or hire someone to blog for you. If you don’t make time for posting three or more blogs per week, your blog will not be nearly as powerful as it could be. Either carve out time in your schedule to consistently write and publish three original blogs per week, or call me for help.

I’ll close with this: Blogging works to bring in new patients, just like brushing your teeth works to prevent cavities. If you don’t do it consistently and correctly, there’s not much point.

Shauna DutyAbout Shauna Duty: As a copywriter, copy director, and owner of dental marketing companies, Shauna has worked with hundreds of copywriters. Today, she hires only those with high standards for excellence and quality. Shauna owns and manages Identiwrite Creative, a content marketing agency that caters to dentists, dental specialists, dental consultants, and dental website and SEO agencies. Email shauna@identiwrite.com or call 940-395-5115.

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