5 Local SEO Tips for Dentists to Boost Practice Visibility

Dentists rely on a local audience to grow their practice, which is why local SEO for dentists is one of your most powerful marketing tools. When people are searching for dentists near them, you want your practice to appear at the top of their search results. The right SEO techniques can do just that, and we’ll show you how.

Let’s take a look at some of the most effective tips for local search optimization for dentists. 

What Is Local SEO and Why Is It Important?

Local SEO is the process of optimizing a website for ranking on search engines when people search for businesses or services. Good local SEO helps local businesses rank higher on Google’s search engine results page (SERP). 

The keys to good local SEO are targeted keywords, SEO-optimized content, and links to your site from other sites in that area. The higher ranking will require some time and effort on your part, but its impact on your bottom line makes it worth the investment.

Here are the steps you’ll need to take.

1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile for Local SEO

If you haven’t already, create and verify your Google Business Profile. This is the first step in optimizing your search engine rankings on Google.

A Google Business Profile appears in search results when patients are searching for services like yours. They can click on your profile to learn more about you, including your office hours, address and phone number, and how other patients have rated your practice.

To maximize your Google Business Profile, be sure that all the information you put on the page is accurate. You can also add photos and videos of your office to show potential clients what to expect when they come to see you for their dental appointment.

2. Improve Dental Practice SEO with Online Reviews

Online reviews can help improve dental practice SEO quickly and affordably. An overwhelming majority of customers read online reviews before choosing to do business with someone. In fact, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from family or friends.  

Reviews offer transparency about your reputation and others’ experiences with your practice. Good reviews can encourage others to schedule service with you.

The best part about online reviews is that they’re 100% free marketing. Encourage happy patients to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile. It’s also a good idea to respond to reviews, such as thanking patients for their business or correcting a problem in the event of a bad review.

3. Optimize Your Dental Practice Website for Local Search

To rank higher in Google maps and searches, you’ll also need to optimize your website for local search.

Here are the strategies we recommend:

• Use location-based keywords. These are critically important to attract local search traffic. You’ll want to use dental-related keywords with your city or neighborhood, such as “dentist inSarasota” or “Wilmington dental implants.”
• Be sure you display a physical address on your website’s home page. This helps create consistency between your webpage and online listings.
• Maintain an accurate business location in Google Maps. This ensures it reflects accurately on your reviews, ratings, and maps listings.
• Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. This allows your website to load faster on mobile devices, which is where more than half of local searches take place.

Remember, your dental website is often a first impression for patients who are considering your practice for their dental needs. You want to ensure a good user experience, which means a website that loads quickly, clearly displays what you offer, and how to get in touch with you.

4. Leverage Local Citations and Directories for Dental SEO

Local citations and directories refer to online business listings. These tools help you optimize your practice’s online visibility by placing you in front of people who are actively searching for services like yours. Google Business Profile is one example of a local citation, but dentists have more opportunities beyond Google.

For example, Yelp is a popular online directory for local reviews. When you create a Yelp page for your dental practice, patients who search for dental services in your area can easily find information about you. A Yelp listing for your practice can help to increase awareness about the services you offer.  

There are lots of local-focused directories and citation services available to dentists. Examples include your area’s Chamber of Commerce, the American Dental Association's Find-a-Dentist, Bing Places for Business, and Manta, among many others. You can also make sure you’re listed in directories offered by your dental insurance partners.

You’ll need to fill out general contact details such as an address, phone number, and email; hours of operation; photos or videos; reviews from customers (optional); and the services offered at your dental office (dentistry-related). Make sure your name, address, and phone number (NAP) stay consistent across each directory listing. This is one of the easiest ways to boost your SEO value.

5. Create Local Content to Attract More Dental Patients Online

Content marketing is a cornerstone of dental SEO. It answers questions and offers information that people are actively searching for, not finding by chance. With content such as blog posts and press releases, you can attract more dental patients online by providing the answers they’re looking for.

Your local content might include:

• Dental care tips. Combine dental topics with geo-targeted keywords to share information with your local audience.
• Service-specific blog posts. Talk about services your practice provides, again infusing local keywords into the copy.
• Answers to common questions. If you answer the same questions over and over, you might share your answer in a blog post or a frequently asked questions (FAQ) article.
• News and events. Your content doesn’t always have to relate to dental topics. For example, if your town is hosting an event, you can post an announcement on your blog, invite people to stop by your event table, or give a recap of the event when it’s over.

Local content should include relevant keywords, which helps you appear in the right search results. Researching keywords for your dental practice is as simple as entering keywords in Google’s search bar.  

If you have a particular service that is popular with patients, enter the phrase in Google and see which keywords come up. For example, if your dental practice specializes in full-mouth reconstruction, entering “dentist full mouth reconstruction” will take you to a list of websites that offer the same services.

Keep user intent in mind when you read through the ranking content. Once you determine the intent of the keyword, you should start creating content for your audience that matches the purpose. Consider incorporating your researched keywords into your business description.

Get Help with Local Search Optimization for Dentists from GrowthPlug

To get the best results from this process, you need to be consistent over a long period of time. You can’t expect immediate success with these steps, but following this process will ultimately drive your local business to better rankings in online search.

Want help implementing these and other local SEO tips for dentists? Start with a free website audit.