You don’t want your website to look like everyone else’s, and the words on the site (we call it content) need to truly convey your practice’s image and philosophy. Your practice website will make a first impression, and you’re justified in wanting that impression to be accurate and unique. If you’re new to designing and building a dental website, you’ll need some facts if you’re going to make informed decisions. Just as your patients need to review x-rays and intraoral photographs with you as you explain their diagnoses and your treatment suggestions, you need solid information about online marketing so that you can make wise choices about your website.
In this post, I’ll review high value content for dental websites. In coming posts, I’ll outline important factors like color selection, layout, navigation, and calls to action.
If you’re working with a website company that does not understand dentistry, call Identiwrite Creative. We’ll consult with your website developer, providing industry-specific details that will help your site not only make the top rankings, but also convert readers to new patients. Identiwrite Creative composes SEO text for dental websites and consulting for dental website design. Call 940-395-5115 today to talk with me, Shauna Duty.
What Is High Value Content for Dental Websites?
The definition of “value” depends upon the context in which it is used. High value website content refers to text and images that attract new patients from the web, by way of making top rankings in Google, the most popular search engine on the planet. In addition to pleasing Google, however, the content must also please human readers; if the reader does not call and book an appointment, the highest Google rankings are worthless.
So, high value content has two goals — lofty goals.
What’s Valuable to Google?
To rank high on Google, you need:
- Original content – Your website text cannot be pulled from other sites, even if you have permission to use the content. Google’s algorithm can pinpoint duplicate content (text used on multiple sites) and will not rank it as highly as original content.
- Proper length – Google runs on content. If you want to make Google happy with your website, pages should run a minimum of 500-750 words. That seems long, but a talented dental copywriter will break up content with bullet points, subheadings, and short paragraphs so that it’s easy for humans to scan, but lengthy enough to gain Google’s respect.
- Specific goals – If your website ranks on page one, position one for redheaded stepchild, you aren’t going to attract dental patients. Your SEO goals will be based on specific keywords, selected by looking at your target audience’s preferences for those terms. This means, if your patients are more likely to type “pain free root canal” into search, rather than “endodontic specialist,” then your content needs to include the words “pain free” and “root canal.” This can be difficult, because the ADA and most state board marketing guidelines prohibit the use of the phrase “pain free.” The words can still be worked into the content so that your page shows up in search for it, without compromising your ethics. It’s a trick of the trade that savvy dental copywriters know! Specific keyword phrase selection will also help you track the success of your site’s rankings, which aids in planning future content.
- Lots of content – To truly compete, a dental website needs a minimum of 20 pages, and in an urban setting, a site may need hundreds of pages in order to show up on the top of search rankings. In addition to pages, your dental website should feature a weekly blog – with more frequent posts for dentists in highly competitive areas. All this content must continually be original and interesting.
- Search engine optimization – Your website text and images must feature certain SEO-friendly attributes to help your site rank high. From internal linking to alt-image tags on photos to appropriate integration of targeted keyword phrases, all the modern tactics can be implemented by a solid dental copywriter knows how to please Google.
What’s Valuable to Potential Patients?
Patients aren’t machines, as you well know. While every person differs, we know quite a bit about online searchers. Knowing your target audience is essential to creating appropriate content that will foster conversion.
- Reading level – Blue-collar workers with little to no college education prefer quick reads that answer their questions. If your practice caters to professors, physicians, and attorneys, your website text needs a higher reading level, supported by more facts.
- Scannability – From the description that shows up in a Google search to short lists in a blog post, readers from all walks of life appreciate scannability. The blog you’re reading now features two numbered lists, with five points each. The topic of each listed item is bold, for scannability. The reader can find the topic that most interstests him, then read more if he so desires. Lists are merely one of many tactics that make online content scannable.
- Ease of use – You want visitors to stay and look around, not leave before reading anything. The ultimate goal is a phone call to your office, a booked visit. To encourage conversion of a website reader to a new patient, your site should leverage simple (not salesy) calls to action, and your phone number must be in plain sight on all pages. The navigation (clickable page titles in the banner) must have some organization, like alphabetical order by topic. A seach bar will also help new visitors find what they’re looking for on your website.
- Answers – People use Google to find answers to questions. Your website should attract patients who need answers to specific questions, then provide the answer. If you do not answer the searcher’s question, you will cause frustration. For example, someone who searches for the highly popular phrase “cost of porcelain veneers” does not want to read about how veneers are a long-term alternative to bonding — even though that’s true, the searcher wants to know costs. Many dentists shy away from answering the question of cost, without first seeing the patient. This is understandable, but it still frustrates the searcher. Instead, if you simply provide an average range of cost for your area, the reader will appreciate an honest answer. As a result, you may earn a patient for life.
- Follow up – If a potential patient takes time to find your website and call or email you, it’s on your staff to follow up promptly. That patient may call five dentists offices in one day, and the first practice to respond may win the patient. Phone skills and techniques are imperative for patient conversion. Many dental offices do not have a system for email responses, and some don’t even put email on their website. This is a bad, bad decision that could cost you many new patients.
High Value for Your Marketing Investment
I’ve been in the dental website business for over a decade, and I’d like to help you build a website that not only looks, feels, and sounds like your practice, but also brings you unlimited new patients. Whether you need words and photos for your site, or you’d like me to consult with your website company so that you can have a sensational new site, call Identiwrite Creative today at 940-395-5115. That’s my cell phone number, and I’ll be happy to chat with you at no charge to learn about your marketing goals.[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]