Orthodontist SEO: Powerful Strategies to Boost Website Rankings
You might be the best orthodontist in the vicinity, yet your competitors get to register more patient appointments at the end of the day. Have you wondered why? It is because they have a better patient base. If you want more patients, you need better online visibility, and orthodontist SEO efforts can help you reach that goal.
In the United States, 77% of patients’ quest for doctors begins online. Hence, having a strong online presence is imperative for SEO success!
The good news is, ranking on the SERPs does not cost much money. You can rank on Google, Yahoo, and Bing with quality content and on-point technical SEO. Of course, you ought to have a good backlink portfolio too. But that will take time. What’s even better is that, with some effort, you can learn basic SEO skills and optimize your own website.
This blog is for orthodontists who want to learn basic skills to rank on the search engine results pages. The below 10 SEO strategies are to help orthodontists reach more prospective patients looking for orthodontic treatment.
What is SEO for Orthodontists?
Orthodontist SEO involves boosting the website’s organic search traffic through better visibility on the search engine results pages. It involves SEO practices such as uploading high-quality content, targeting orthodontic practice keywords, mobile optimization, and enhancing the overall user experience, etc.
By employing these SEO strategies, orthodontists can gain traction on the SERPs. It widens the horizon of potential markets of dental practice. Orthodontists can acquire more patients, get more brand exposure, and target traffic with the help of search engine optimization.
5 Benefits of Orthodontist SEO
Increased Website Visibility
Boosting the rankings of your website on the SERPs increases search engine visibility.
More Patient Visits
Medical websites that rank higher get more organic traffic from prospective patients who want to align their teeth. With high-quality website content, you can convince patients to visit you.
Expanded Patient Base
SEO helps you expand your reach. As the internet is accessible to all, a well-optimized orthodontic website can be instrumental in helping you expand your reach.
Improved Brand Image
82.2% of patients search the internet before consulting a doctor. A strong online presence enhances your brand image.
Cost-Effective Solution
SEO is the most cost-effective way of gaining traction on the search engine results pages. You can do search engine optimization for orthodontists for free; however, you have to invest your time instead.
10 Superb Tips on How to Boost SEO for Orthodontists
1. Perform a SWOT Analysis
In the competitive market of orthodontists, it is not enough to run a technical audit alone as it only highlights issues with your website. To establish yourself as an authoritative identity, you have to seize opportunities. You can achieve that with the help of SWOT analysis.
SWOT analysis for orthodontists includes identifying the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. SWOT analysis offers a comprehensive roadmap for you that should lead you to the goal.
Benefits of SWOT Analysis
- Gives a clear indication about your position in the online market
- Understanding about the SEO strategies you need to strengthen
- Explores scopes of opportunities you can cash on
- Indication of search engine optimization strategies your competitors are using
2. Discover the Right Keywords
Keyword research is primarily for targeting a demographic cohort who might be in need of dental services. Keywords help the search engines understand what the website content is about. Applying the right keywords can significantly boost orthodontist SEO.
Of course, one has to use the keywords wisely to meet the NLP quotient of Google, which determines how organically the keywords have been placed in the content.
Discovering orthodontic keywords that have a good search volume holds the potential to bring an immense chunk of web traffic to your website.
Understanding the relevant keywords that have a high search volume and low competition is impossible without keyword research tools like Ahrefs’ free keyword generator, SEMrush, Moz, Google Keyword Planner, etc.
Targeting these keywords in your on-page efforts can help your website rank on the search engine results pages. However, ensure never to over-optimize the targeted keyword as that counts as black hat SEO practice and can lead to a penalty. Also, target broad keywords to reach a wider audience and tap into new opportunities.
How to Search for Orthodontic Keywords?
- Find the keywords your competitors are targeting
- Make a list of seed keywords
- Search for keywords relevant to dental or orthodontic practices
- Use premium tools for researching relevant keywords
3. Create a Blog Section on your Website
Adding a blog section to your website is a superb SEO strategy to boost the search engine ranking of your website. You can shoot two targets with one arrow if you have a blog section with informative content.
First, as Google considers website content as the no.1 ranking factor, an addition of a high-quality orthodontic blog to the website substantially pumps up the ranking chances.
Create content to meet Google’s search quality rater guidelines. Each blog should have high-quality content that is unique and keyword-optimized. Optimizing headings and image alt tags are of course necessary. While writing a website blog, try maintaining simple sentence structure and shorter paragraphs to enhance readability.
Writing blogs on any topic won’t cut the competition. You have to understand what topics your target audience is searching on the internet. Once you have a list of popular topics on which fewer materials are available on the internet, you can create blogs on them.
Some general blog topics for the orthodontist niche are blogs on the latest technologies, types of treatment, cost of braces, how to take care of braces, etc.
Checklist for Writing Superior Orthodontist Blogs
- Blog content should be relevant to your niche
- Do internal and external linking on the blog content body
- Write in simple language for general people to understand
- Do not over optimize keywords in the blog
4. Maintain a Good Website Structure
Believe it or not, after your skills as an orthodontist, your website is your 2nd most valuable asset. A higher ranking of your website guarantees better online visibility and more organic traffic. However, irrespective of the SEO optimization level, a bad website structure can hurt the patient conversion rate.
Hence a website design should be functionally stable with easy navigation options to retain patients. Most importantly it should be user-friendly with a responsive design.
This increases the on-page time. A higher on-page time is a potent indication of the credibility of your website, which can in turn boost the ranking on the Google search results.
Tip to Create a User-Friendly Website
- It should have a visually appealing website design
- Easy navigation is a must
- Each webpage should have internal links for site visitors to explore more
- Create clean URLs
- Make sure the website loads quickly
5. Prioritize Mobile Optimization
In 2023, mobile users are more than desktop users. Optimizing your website for mobiles is critical to improve your organic search engine ranking. Search engines rank those websites higher that are mobile-optimized. If your website is not optimized for mobiles, it may not even show on the search engine result pages.
Mobile-optimized sites increase accessibility and attract more target audiences to the site. Ensure the font is visible, links are easy to click, and images are optimized for faster loading on a mobile-optimized website.
Tips to Mobile-Optimize Your Website
- Site images should have low resolution and size for faster loading
- Make sure the font is readable
- Check on the navigation options
- Easy accessibility
- Decrease pop-ups
6. Optimize Google Business Profile Page
The significance of Google Business Profile optimization in SEO is underrated. Google My Business (GMB) profile helps a local business show up on local searches. Optimizing the profile increases your chance to rank for local search queries.
In fact, an optimized Google Business profile also increases the chance to show on Google Maps, which is an additional advantage.
If you do not have a Google My Business profile yet, it is highly recommended to create one as it adds to your credibility.
Tips to Optimize Your Google Business Profile Page
- Make sure the information you put is correct
- Add high-quality images to the profile
- Include keywords in the business description
- Encourage your patients to give you a review
7. Rank on Local Searches by Enlisting in Local Directories
Getting your business listed in local business directories will make your business more visible to search engines. Google also considers businesses listed in local directories as credible.
To make sure your orthodontist clinic appears in local searches, create a NAP Citation (Name, Address, and Phone Number) on local directories.
Ensure that the information you put in the directories is 100% accurate. Any discrepancy in the data can create confusion, which can hurt your SEO efforts.
You can easily find an online local business directory by typing, for example, “local business directory NYC”. The SERPs will have a list of local directories where you can enlist your business.
There are premium paid online business directories. You can use those to rank higher. Some of the best-paid directories are Moz, Ahrefs, etc.
Checklists for Creating NAP Citations
- Create citations on relevant directories
- Make sure all information is correct
- Avoid any discrepancy in data
8. Earn Credibility with Superior Backlink Portfolio
According to Google, backlinks are a key ranking factor. Orthodontists with higher-quality backlinks tend to rank higher on the SERPs. Hence, it is necessary to have a good backlink profile.
However, earning backlinks is a time-consuming process and requires thorough research. You can create high-quality backlinks for orthodontists by researching competitors’ backlinks. You can use premium tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs for researching backlinks.
Try earning backlinks from websites that have a higher DA (Domain Authority) and is a relevant niche to your site. Backlinks from irrelevant niches won’t be able to pass the link juice to your website.
Tips to Earn High-Quality Backlinks
- Look for relevant orthodontic websites with higher DA
- Share infographics
- Create guest posts on the relevant websites
- Write reviews and testimonials
9. Tap into New Opportunities with Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing helps in brand awareness and increases your online exposure. It also improves your SEO score indirectly by bringing more traffic to your website.
Moreover, the more people share your content on social media, the more credible it appears to search engines.
It is imperative to post frequently on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. You can share blog content, news about dental practices, latest technologies, images of your clinic, photos of the team, etc. on social media to increase engagement and brand visibility.
Tips for Creating Social Media Content
- Content should be appealing to your target audience
- Post frequently
- Post relevant and high-quality content
- Ensure visual clarity
- Create engaging content
10. Engage in Public Relations Management
Public relations management is a great way to increase your online exposure. PR involves generating brand awareness, visibility, and credibility through creating engaging content on media platforms.
PR can help boost the search engine ranking by bringing traffic to your website.
Tips for Creating an Effective PR Strategy
- Create content on relevant topics
- Connect with journalists for coverage
- Write press releases and get them published
- Share news and updates on social media
4 Common Mistakes to Avoid While Optimizing Orthodontist SEO
1. Neglecting Local SEO
Local SEO is crucial for orthodontists. Patients search for orthodontists in their vicinity, and if your business is not optimized for local search, you will lose potential patients.
Ensure that your website has a Google My Business profile and is listed in local directories.
2. Ignoring On-Page Optimization Factors
On-page optimization factors like meta tags, headings, and alt tags are crucial for SEO. Ignoring these factors can hurt your website’s ranking.
Ensure that all on-page factors are optimized, and keywords are used appropriately.
3. Overlooking 404 Errors
404 errors can hurt your website’s ranking as they create a bad user experience. Ensure that your website does not have any 404 errors and that all links are working properly.
4. Ignoring Social Media
Social media is a powerful tool for SEO. Ignoring social media can hurt your online exposure and traffic. Ensure that you are active on social media platforms and engage with your audience regularly.
Final Words
In the highly competitive world of orthodontics, SEO is not just an option but a necessity. By implementing the above-mentioned strategies, you can significantly improve your website’s visibility, attract more patients, and establish yourself as a trusted authority in your field. Remember, SEO is a continuous process, and staying updated with the latest trends and techniques is key to maintaining and improving your rankings.
FAQs
What is the importance of keyword research for orthodontists?
Keyword research helps in identifying the terms and phrases that potential patients use to search for orthodontic services. By targeting these keywords, you can improve your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.
How often should I update my Google Business Profile?
It is recommended to update your Google Business Profile regularly, at least once a month. Ensure that all information is accurate and up-to-date, and add new photos or posts to keep the profile engaging.
Can social media really help in getting more patients?
Yes, social media can help in increasing your online exposure, brand awareness, and credibility. By engaging with your audience on social media platforms, you can attract more potential patients to your practice.
What are the best local directories for orthodontists?
Some of the best local directories for orthodontists include Yelp, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, and Yellow Pages. Ensure that your business is listed in these directories to improve your local SEO.
How do I handle negative reviews online?
Respond to negative reviews promptly and professionally. Address the concerns raised by the reviewer and offer a solution. This shows that you care about your patients’ experiences and are committed to improving your services.