Over the last decade the way in which orthodontists market their business has changed drastically. No longer is it the case that Saturday morning commercials during cartoons hits the entire target audience. For those older than 30 years old, the way content was consumed was on the television. Today, adolescents consumer content on their smartphones, laptops and desktop computers. To reach this audience in need of braces or Invisalign it takes a strong web presence.
Most orthodontic practices are well aware that a WordPress website is the best way to rank on the front page of Google search. What some may not realize is it takes much more than a basic professional website to rank for competitive keywords. It takes amazing content, consistent updates, proper optimization and a natural link portfolio. If you are looking to master all of these tasks it could take years to learn.
As an orthodontist you do not have the time to become an SEO expert. Instead, you should focus your efforts on helping those that want their teeth straightened. This is more beneficial to your business. That said, it is very important to have patients calling and signing up on a daily basis. If you have a strong web presence you can get a majority of these leads from your website.
If you are seeking an SEO specialist that has worked with orthodontic practices in competitive cities feel free to reach out to GO Media today. We will be more than happy to create a customized package that will help your business get more search traffic which, in turn, will lead to more telephone calls. Don’t all your competitor down the road to get all the business because you have a website that does not rank on the front page of Google search.
Before making any final decisions when it comes to building an online presence it is a wise decision to ask your current patients and/or customers how they find things online. Almost every single individual under the age of 18 lives on YouTube and searches on Google. It would make sense for your practice to dominate the two largest search engines in the world. Contact me today to learn more about the keywords to target and how to properly optimized an Orthodontics website to rank at the top of page one of Google search.
Remember that Google Local Search is also extremely important as millions of parents are using Google Maps to find professionals and services. Along with my knowledge of SEO I am also experienced in helping companies increase their ranking in Google Maps.
Whether you are trying to rank for Raleigh, NC Orthodontist or Missoula, Montana Orthodontist, it takes time, effort, strategy and creative minds to make this happen. Contact us today to learn more about ranking your orthodontist website on the front page of Google.
Over the last decade orthodontists and dentists throughout the United States have attempted to stake claim to real estate on the front page of Google. Ranking on the front page for a keyword phrase such as “Raleigh Invisalign” is extremely valuable. When a mother or father is looking for an orthodontist or dentist for their child there is a good chance they are going to use Google to search for the best options available in a local city or town. They will also likely trust Google by clicking one of the first links because they are the best orthodontist, right?
If you want to increase the number of patients you acquire through your website it is imperative to rank well in Google search. By ranking on the front page of Google search you will find that your phone rings much more. You will also find that accepting new patients may become a problem because you have such demand for your services.
Invisalign and braces are very popular for teens therefore some of the content on your practice website must appeal to a younger audience. Orthodontists and dentists have been known to have online YouTube, Snapchat or Facebook contests for items such as an iPad, iPhone or Android tablet. Teens and adolescents love the opportunity to win a brand new iPad or iPhone. One of the reasons a content is valuable is it helps with SEO. Participants are willing to place links to their YouTube videos, letters and pictures on websites all over the web.
Links from Tumblr, blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter and personal websites online increase the value of the website they are linking to. That said, the only way an orthodontic practice website will rank on the front page of Google is if it has plenty of quality content that can be linked to. If your orthodontic practice is not creating weekly blog posts or resource you are going to find that your competitors are ranking higher on the front page of Google.
Finding an Invisalign or Orthondontics copywriter can be extremely difficult. Copywriting for this niche is not the easiest for most writers. If you are looking for orthodontics content for your practice website do not hesitate to reach out to me today. I have a team of writers that can help you with all the content you will need to rank on the front page of Google.
If you hope to rank for “Atlanta Invisalign” you are going to need to put in time and effort. This time and effort is in the form of amazing content and natural links. If you are like most successful orthodontists or Invisalign specialists you likely do not have the time to create blog posts and resources to publish on your website. That is where a Google search/SEO specialist comes into play. I have helped orthodontist and business professionals throughout the United States rank for very competitive keywords. If you want to rank for Invisalign keywords in your city contact GO Media today.
Google Local Map Results
Google first released local map results in July 2014. In August of 2015, Google narrowed map search results to three spots in hopes of having a more refined search for users. There are several types of businesses that rely heavily on local map rankings for business and Internet traffic. Orthodontists are unique to Google search, because they are one of many types of businesses where the majority of their business comes directly from Google search.
Over the last several years, the way that orthodontists market their services has changed completely. Whether orthodontists are trying to reach adolescents, their parents or older customers, the best way to reach their target audience is to have a strong web presence with a website that ranks high for keywords such as “braces” and “Invisalign.”
Today, customers either find their services online or research word-of-mouth recommendations on the Internet. Either way, millions of people who are looking for orthodontics care will be looking for businesses online to find the services offered, prices, customer reviews, accreditations, and contact information. This is especially true of people that are new to an area because of relocation and are looking for services in their new hometown. This is why ranking in Google search is so important.
Even more important is ranking in Google’s local search, specifically in the top three local map search results (the local 3 pack). This is because businesses who appear in the local 3 pack will appear above organic search rankings and their contact information (directions, phone number and store hours) will appear in the listing, unlike in organic search. Additionally, the location is shown on the map and people are more likely to click on a Google map result for a service. Why? Because the Pigeon algorithm, that determines the Google map rankings, builds upon the importance of maintaining a strong website and therefore people assume the businesses that appear in the local 3 pack are the best businesses for their inquiry.
However, as we have tested Google’s map results on our own, we have found no stable combination of factors that lead to Google’s search results, which is why it is important to have a well-rounded website. Be sure to include the following on your site:
- High Number of Pages – This can be achieved by a company blog where you write about the services you offer or research in the field of orthodontics.
- Quality Content – Quality content is the number one way Google ranks sites, so it is important to have a lot of it for your users to access.
- Links – Links to other pages and other pages linking back to you. (Never pay for links!)
- Reviews/Testimonials – People are more likely to go to a business or use a service if it has been recommended. Ask patients with good experiences to write testimonials for your website!
- Videos
- Professional Design of Site
- Hours of Operation – This should be easy to find on your website.
- Contact Information – Phone number and address should be on your front page. You will also want a separate page for feedback and for directions to your business.
- Accreditations
- Integrate Social Media – This is a great way to stay connected with your clientele!
There are many other factors that go into Google’s rankings, but this is a great start. Because Google’s local search is so valuable for orthodontists, we recommend that you enlist an SEO expert for help developing your website. If you are interested in working with an SEO expert, do not hesitate to contact Go Media today.
Local Search Update
In January 2016 we noticed a disruption in Google’s local map rankings and this problem seems to still be persisting in several search markets that we have tested. Right now there is no consistency in Google’s map results, which we can tell because websites with a better overall web presence should be ranking higher and they are not in every market. It seems that some markets have recovered and that is why we believe Google may be testing markets for local search in order to make the search algorithm better for users.
However, if your business does rely on local map search you could be seeing a significant drop in traffic right now and there is no way to combat it. While it is our professional opinion that the current rankings will not last, here are several problems we are seeing:
We are finding that the local 3 pack is consisting of businesses that are not ranking in organic search, have no link to their website, have little to no reviews and have a poor web presence (see above). Google’s top three map results should be the best local results for each inquiry, but in the image above, where I searched “Miami Orthodontist”, it certainly is not. We have even seen in some cities that there are no map results at all for inquiries.
We will keep you updated with any changes we find in Google’s Local Search.