Orthodontic Marketing

Is SEO Important For Orthodontists?

Gone are the days of relying on dentist referrals, word-of-mouth, or the phone book as the only way to get new orthodontic patients.

As huge advertisers, like Invisalign®, are flooding the market, more patients are aware of their choice in orthodontic treatments and providers. Nowadays, when people need orthodontic treatment, they are going straight to the internet and social media platforms to weigh their options.

This is why SEO is vital to your practice!

First of all, what is SEO?

SEO stands for search engine optimization, which is the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic. Without SEO, consumers are not able to find your website easily, and their business will go to practices that they are able to find easily.

“How do I optimize my website for SEO,” you ask?

You do this by creating website content that includes the terms and phrases that people are searching for, known as keywords. However, effective SEO involves much more than just including certain keywords. Search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo look at other factors to determine how they rank websites for certain keywords. This includes factors like how quickly your website loads, if your website is mobile-friendly, the number of links that point to your site and how long visitors spend on your website.
Basically, search engines want to satisfy the consumer, and their goal is to serve up the most relevant and helpful content to users. Each search engine has its own algorithm for how it determines exactly which content to serve and in which order.

How Do Patients Choose an Orthodontist?

Once consumers have made the decision or have been told by their dentist that they need to seek orthodontic care for themselves or a loved one, they typically open up their Google search tab and search for phrases like “best orthodontist near me” and focus on the first few listings they see.

The goal is for your website to be one of the first few visible options, and in order to do so, you must implement SEO.

Once your prospective patients have gathered their list of options, they will then scan through each website and third party review sites such as Google, Yelp or even Facebook. Your testimonials and reviews on these sites also play a huge part in your overall SEO strategy, so you will want to be sure to optimize those in addition to your website. You will also want to keep your social media pages updated and active!
In today’s digital age, people choose their orthodontist based on the conclusions they formed from online research. More likely than not, their mind has been made up by the time they call or make an online appointment with a provider.

Your SEO Strategy 2019

As the internet grows and evolves, SEO isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s only getting more and more complex to out-rank competition. If you do not already have an SEO strategy in place, do not wait any longer.
To build up your organic search reputation, it’ll take some time. It doesn’t happen overnight. It will take a lot of consistent effort and relevant content to get there. However, there are some options if you want to see some immediate satisfaction, such as pay-per-click advertising. Each search engine has its own version of PPC ads. The most widely known are Google Ads, or Google Adwords.
Just like the title ‘pay-per-click’ advertising, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Paid ads are an effective marketing tactic that gets your business to the top of the search results!
But keep in mind, with paid search, you will see the results you’re paying for for the duration of your campaign.

Paid search combined with organic search is the key to taking your orthodontics practice to the next level with internet marketing.

Ready to implement these SEO tactics to take your digital marketing to the next level?

As a digital marketing agency that specializes in orthodontist marketing strategies, our team will develop and implement a custom marketing plan for you. Let’s chat!

Ready to transform your brand?

Secure more leads through your website. Let’s get started with a complimentary website audit.

Is SEO Important For Orthodontists?