Content marketing, what’s the big deal, right? When it comes to getting your dental practice noticed on the web, content (text) is a really big deal.
It is well known that for search engine optimization (SEO) to be successful, websites need to have original, informative content.
The content on a website needs to include phrases that potential consumers, or patients in the case of dental websites, type into Google Search. However, keywords sprinkled in poorly written, duplicate, or very short text are essentially useless for a website’s search engine optimization (SEO). Repetitive content that serves no real purpose is often ignored and produces poor SEO results.
Blogging for Dental Marketing
One way meaningful content is most productive is in the form of a blog. A blog that consistently posts relevant and authentic content is going to grab the attention of search engines and your readers. There is a lot of freedom and variances when it comes to utilizing blogs in your dental practice website. They can be informative and educational, but they don’t have to be boring. A blog post that is stale and uninteresting will lose page views and its audience. Likewise, a blog post that is clever and entertaining but completely irrelevant to your business will completely miss your patient base.
Search Relevancy and Tacos
Think of it this way. Your favorite local Mexican restaurant serves great tacos. In fact, it’s your favorite place to go for tacos. Their website even displays the awards and accolades they have received for their great tacos. However, today you’re in the mood for fajitas. So you head to the Internet to find a great place for fajitas. Turns out that your favorite local Mexican restaurant serves great fajitas as well, but the search engine you used didn’t find any mention of fajitas on their site. Instead, you end up at another restaurant where the fajitas were subpar, only because SEO favored them. Content for the win; unfortunately in this case the diner (that’s you) loses.
Original Content in Search
Search engines thrive on original content. In order for your dental practice website to be high on the list in a search, you have to publish informative, unique text that reflects your practice’s philosophy and services. Reaching your potential patients on the Web requires investing in a solid content marketing strategy; we recommend blogging at least twice a week, and up to five times per week. In the past, over-blogging was not a good strategy, but today, original content is truly king. The more blogs you publish and share, the higher you’ll rank for targeted keyword phrases. Don’t let your website get buried, build your SEO with blogging, and you’ll be seeing new patients in no time.
Social Media and Fajitas
Now, let’s say your favorite Mexican restaurant had a Facebook page. If you “like” the page, you may have seen the post about today’s special on fajitas. Then there are the half-dozen friends of yours who shared and liked the post, as well. Some of those friends even left rave reviews on the restaurant’s Facebook page. Seeing this information would have been all the incentive you needed to return to your favorite Mexican restaurant for your fajita fix. What content does for SEO, social media does for retention.
Businesses use social media to attract current and potential customers by forming a relationship with their followers. Unlike blogging, social media attempts to gain a reaction from users. It is SOCIAL media, after all. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are excellent forums to connect with current and potential patients. Creating discussions and sharing meaningful content appeals to a social audience. In turn, your followers will share interesting content with their friends. This type of word-of-mouse marketing has the potential to expand your online presence exponentially.
Social media also has a way of putting a face to your dental practice. Fans and followers feel as though they have a personal connection with you. Interacting with those in your social media circle makes you and your practice approachable. This sense of connection creates devoted and loyal patients.
You Cannot Manage it All
It’s a taco eat taco world out there. With the crazy number of websites on the Internet, yours could get lost. Growing your practice means standing out from the crowd. A sure way to drive potential patients to your website is to employ meaningful content marketing, which takes a significant investment of time – time you could be spending with patients, family, or in continuing education courses.
Call Identiwrite Creative today at 940-395-5115 for a free comprehensive consultation about your dental marketing strategy. Learn how we can develop a marketing plan that will lead searching patients to your dental practice website. We offer original content copywriting, as well as website production and social media marketing. Discover more ways Identiwrite Creative can effectively manage your online marketing by visiting our services page.