Online Marketing for Dentists: 7 Ways to Grow your Practice

Name: Adaptify
Brand: Adaptify
Rating: 4.8 (78 reviews)

October 3, 2023
Published: September 10, 2020

Content

For a dentist, customer acquisition happens from referrals, traditional advertising, or online marketing. By relying on referrals from personal connections for new patients, your reach is limited. Depending only on traditional marketing strategies such as radio spots and newspapers holds back your dental brand from reaching prospective patients.

Implementing an effective dental online marketing campaign can be beneficial. Digital marketing allows dentists to gain online exposure and walk-in visitors steadily.

Currently, only a handful of dentists are marketing themselves online. Hence, utilising online dental marketing services is a lucrative opportunity for dentists to spread the word about their practice.

This article highlights online marketing strategies that dentists can use to increase their online visibility and generate more patients and bottom line revenue.

What are the benefits of online marketing for dentist practices?

Your dental marketing strategies would fall into one of the two categories – inbound or outbound marketing.

Inbound marketing is a process of engaging prospective audiences using the content you produce or by search engine visibility to lead them back to your website. Local SEO, search engine optimisation, Google My Business, website optimisation, blogging and email newsletters fall in the inbound marketing category.

The four stages of inbound marketing, as per HubSpot.

On the other hand, outbound marketing involves reaching out to the audience and competing with other practices using paid ads on Google or social media.

Outbound vs inbound marketing.

Ideally, a combination of them when done right is like an investment that continuously benefits.

Online marketing is less expensive than traditional marketing.

As a business owner, you would have to keep an eye on your expenses and bottom line. Inbound leads cost 49% less than outbound leads.

For instance, if you are running a direct mail campaign, your costs will include design, printing and post.

Conversely, email marketing is more cost-effective and requires much less overhead.

Consumers prefer being contacted by brands over email than direct mail.

Email remains the most effective digital marketing channel because it has the highest ROI compared to other marketing tactics. For every $1 that you spend in email marketing, you generate $38 in revenue.

This isn’t too surprising, because the number of active email accounts was 3.9 billion in 2019. By 2024, the number will grow to 4.8 billion email users.

The majority of people prefer to receive promotional messages through email, as per MarketingSherpa.

Why not reach out to your patients on the channel that they check daily, their inbox. Email marketing increases the success of your online marketing campaign by utilising their preferred mode of communication.

The success rate is easy to measure.

Traditional advertising such as running ads in local newspapers and radio is tricky because there is no way to determine how many people read or heard it. How do you measure the effectiveness of this marketing?

Alternatively, online and digital marketing strategies are easy to monitor. You can track the website traffic, the pages they visited and the traffic sources. The data collected can measure the success or failure of a marketing strategy and the online channel’s effectiveness.

Adjusting the campaign with real-time results.

Online marketing allows you to view the success of your campaign while it is still in progress. Also, an email or a social media campaign is easy to adjust if you need changes immediately.

With a billboard or a television ad, it becomes harder to amend once the ad is broadcasted.

The secret to successful dental marketing is finding the strategies that work.

Digital marketing enables identifying the ideal customer. You can see the popular pages on your website and blog. When you know what kind of content your audience is reading or engaging with on social media, you can tailor your messaging to meet their needs.

The critical element of online dental marketing is to craft marketing content that speaks to your audience. That’s an excellent way to keep your waiting room full.

Now that you know the benefits of online dental marketing let’s explore the proven online marketing ideas. They will make it easier for your potential customers to find your practice online.

7 Online marketing strategies for dentists to promote their practice

Online marketing is the most effective way to generate brand awareness, brand recall and more leads. If you haven’t upgraded your dental marketing technique, you are sending patients to your competitors.

Here are the top 7 effective digital marketing strategies to serve as a great starting point for any dental practice.

#1. Local Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for dentists – Why is local SEO important for your dental practice?

Local SEO gives your clinic the advantage of increased visibility within your area.

Did you know, after searching for a local business on Google, 72% of people visit a store within five miles of their location! This means more traffic for your website and the clinic.

Due to geographical criteria, there is less competition for local SEO rankings. The primary reason why local SEO is a suitable SEO strategy for dental practices is that it shows faster results than the standard SEO.

20% of search queries are for local businesses. A staggering 40% of mobile searches are for local stores and 97% of consumers start searching for a local business online, quotes HubSpot. So when you rank on top of Google, you get a steady flow of free traffic and patients. Indeed, the best marketing investment for dentists!

To master local SEO, research the local dental keywords. Optimise your content for these keywords.

Researching keywords is not as intimidating as it sounds. It is as simple as entering keywords in Google. Google gives suggestions for related search terms. These keywords are an excellent start for your content strategy.

Keywords for the local search in Melbourne.

You can start by creating a keyword list:

● Identify the keywords you rank for
● Include the keywords your patients use
● Pick related keywords that are relevant to your dental practice

At the stage of researching keywords, determine the user intent by looking at the ranking content. For example, what are your patients looking for while setting up an appointment?

Keywords with search intent.

To improve your conversion, understand the intent behind the patient’s search. These are long-tail keywords that should be a part of your content. The content that already ranks is an excellent estimate to know the exact keywords you should be targeting.

The next step is to generate content for website visitors that matches the purpose. For example, don’t focus only on “dentist.” Short-tail (single word) keywords are difficult to rank. Also, you would not be able to know if the searcher is looking for general information such as a definition or information about a specific dental service.

Spice up your local SEO with long-tail keywords such as “best cosmetic dentist in Melbourne” and ‘cost for Invisalign in Melbourne”. Try ranking for multiple long-tail keywords.

A tip – To boost your local SEO, don’t forget adding your town’s name in the local keywords.

#2. Optimise your Google My Business (GMB) page

When you create a Google My Business listing, Google automatically puts you on the radar as a local business. Include your name, address, phone number and website to show up on Google Search and Google Maps.

How would you optimise the Google My Business page for your dental clinic?

Optimise your GMB profile for your listing to rank and appear in Google’s first 3 SEO results that show up on the top three ranking businesses in a local search, known as “local pack”

The top three GMB pages for “dental clinic in Queensland.”

Make sure to add all the relevant information along with local keywords to increase your GMB visibility.

It is much quicker to get the Google My Business page to rank higher as compared to the website keyphrases using SEO. Also, Google shows these results at the top of the search results.

Include the following information in your listing:

● The official name of your practice
● The exact address, as that is how Google maps your location
● A local phone number
● Add 3-4 relevant categories
● In your description, incorporate all keywords for your dental services and specialities. Aim 100-200 words.
● Add pictures of your clinic along with the logo.

They should be sized between 10KB to 5 MB with a resolution of 720 px X 720 px in a well-lit background.

A tip – Encourage your patients to review your business on Google. Positive 5 Star Reviews might help you rank higher in the search ranking.

#3. Website development for dentists

A functional and latest website is the best marketing tool a dentist has, to showcase the practice online.

A survey conducted in 2013 revealed that 72% of internet users searched online for healthcare information. No doubt, in 2020 this number has significantly increased. The website is the first impression a prospective patient will get of a dentist.

If you haven’t updated your website within the last 18 months, your website could be slow and outdated. That’s not the best first impression you would want to give out to a prospective patient.

The essential website development and optimisation tips to consider, for lead generation, are:

Mobile-friendly design – The number of people using their smartphones to access the internet has surpassed the desktop users. It is more important than ever to have a mobile responsive website design. Your dental website should load fast and function correctly irrespective of the device the patient uses.
Google rewards mobile-friendly websites by ranking them higher than outdated sites. This means, both your patients and Google prefer mobile responsive designs, making it a crucial feature to consider in a dental website.
Links to social media pages and online reviews – Give your prospective audience a glimpse into how the experience with a dentist will be. Provide links to your social media pages on the website. Also, add reviews and testimonials on your website. Social proof is more convincing than marketing. Make it easier for customers to share their reviews about your practice on social media.
Call to action – For higher conversions, ensure that your website has multiple Calls to Action (CTA). Call now, leave a review, schedule an appointment are some of the ways you can guide the website visitor to take the next step.
Visual-appeal - Don’t discount the importance of a visually appealing website. More than one-third of the users will leave an unattractive website. Leave lots of white space, include your address and contact number and avoid text-heavy pages. Use landscape photos and add videos along with a subtly layered background for warmth. A welcoming impression works wonders.
Fresh content – You could create an FAQ page on the website or share a quick office tour through videos. Search engines prefer those websites where content is regularly updated. For a comprehensive online presence, ensure that your web pages are keyword rich and SEO optimised.

You can hire a website development agency to revamp your dental practice website. We know the best practices that help you get a better Return on Investment (ROI) from your online presence.

A tip – Google ranks websites with a good User Experience (UX). Ensure that your website is user-friendly.

#4. Regular blogging for dentists

Why does your dental website need a blog?

A dental blog is an online marketing tool that nurtures patient relationships and attracts new patients by educating them about oral health.

As 60% of people feel more comfortable about a brand after reading custom content on the website, don’t overlook the importance of a website blog to answer customer questions.

Consider your blog to be an important tactical tool in the growth of your dental practice. The key elements to remember before starting your blogging journey are:

Consistency – Publish your blog regularly, at least once a month. Create a content calendar so that you can follow a schedule.
You can outsource the blog management to an online marketing agency.
Style of writing – Focus on writing detailed blogs that are more than 1,500 words in length. A conversational tone keeps the readers engaged. Break the monotony with images and videos. Keep the blog informative, helping patients know more about your practice.
You can write about:
Treatments – Educate the reader about the procedures and the benefits. Talk about the results you can help them achieve.
New technology – Inform the patients that your practice is up-to-date with the latest equipment and technology.
About us – Build a connection with your patients by writing about the courses you have attended. Credibility Builds Trust

A tip – Avoid using medical and technical jargon in your blogs.

#5. Email newsletters for dental practice

Email marketing is a great way to connect with existing and potential patients. When you share helpful information in the form of email newsletters, it shows that you care for them. Establishing trust plays an important role when patients decide to make an appointment with you.

A newsletter template.

How to get started with email marketing for dentists?

Compile an email list of subscribers – Encourage people to sign up for your newsletter when they visit your clinic. Ask online visitors to sign up for your newsletter on your website and social media pages.
Educate the patients on industry news and developments – Make sure to send an email only when you have something valuable for the readers. For example, if you have revised your insurance policy, let them know about it so that they come prepared in their next visit.
Write compelling subject lines to increase the open rate – Enticing subject lines increase the open rate of your emails. Email marketing tools allow you to optimise the subject line.
Include images – To make people more confident about your practice, include warm and welcoming imagery. Show that your space is friendly and welcoming to reduce their fear about visiting your dental practice.
Branding – Align your emails with the look and feel of your practice for a consistent omnichannel messaging. Include your logo and make sure to have a branded email address. This shows where the email came from and the readers are more likely to open and read your newsletter.

A tip – Optimise your newsletter for mobile devices to reach the maximum number of people.

#6. Run paid ads for the dental clinic

Besides the organic online marketing practices discussed above, you can run paid ads on social media and PPC ads. They help you reach new leads who haven’t yet heard about your dental practice.

Paid ads on social media – Social media ads are highly targeted. By adding information such as age, location and interests, you can narrow down your reach and segment your audience much better. With the right target audience, social media ads give you high visibility.

Today, most of your customers use social media. Why not reach out to them on platforms that they use several times a day

The targeting capabilities enable a local dentist to drive leads to follow the dental practice on social media and visit the clinic.

Social media ads allow you to set a budget that works for you.

PPC ads on Google – Pay per Click (PPC) advertising allows you to reach new people who are looking for a dentist. In fact, 65% of all high-intent searches lead to the visitor clicking on an ad.

The first step for starting with PPC ads is to select keywords for the ad. Keywords help your website appear in relevant search results. To get the right leads, you would want your website to appear for the relevant search results.

You can target long-tail keywords with three or more words as they are specific and attract the right leads to your ad. Also, the Cost per Click (CPC) for the long-tail keywords is lower so that you can get more leads for your budget.

The second step after selecting your keywords is to bid for the ad placement. Set the maximum bid, that most you are willing to pay each time the searcher clicks on your ad.

With the ad placement (determined by maximum bid and quality score), you can launch your campaign.

PPC is a valuable online marketing strategy for dentists as people clicking on these ads are most likely ready to choose a dentist.

You can hire a digital marketing agency to manage the paid online advertising, to get you new patients and to grow your dental practice.

#7. Track your progress (and ROI)

A crucial part of any online marketing strategy is to track the impact it has on the business. Report the ranking, traffic and conversions from all sources and channels. Know the ROI each channel generates.

The reporting shows you the channels you should focus on, and the ones that are not worth your efforts. Trial and error and rinse and repeat will help you find the platforms bringing in more leads and conversions.

Online marketing helps you maintain a healthy flow of new patients to your dental practice even during a slowdown.

Based on your budget and your appetite for new patients, you can try the following 7 online marketing best practices to supercharge your dental clinic.

Adaptify, Australia’s most adaptive digital marketing agency, will customise your dental online marketing strategy to maximise website traffic, leads, sales and online presence. As a full-service online marketing agency, we will help your dental business amplify visibility, growth and profitability through highly adaptive digital strategies. Get in touch with us for more details on how we can help the online marketing of your dental practice.

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