If you think your dental practice needs SEO help in any way, you should be looking for a dental SEO company right away. The only way to ensure your SEO practices are best for you is to hire an expert.
According to the ADA, there were 201,117 dentists in the US in 2020, equaling one dentist for every 1,666 people. Competition is high, and you need to stand out.
With so many SEO companies offering dental SEO marketing, it’s crucial to understand how to choose the right agency.
Why SEO?
SEO or search engine optimization is what helps you get ranked on the first page of a search. The first page of a Google search gets 71% of search traffic, and it’s reported to be higher in recent years. If you aren’t on the first page for your keywords, your business might as well not exist.
Competition for page one rankings is always high. If your site is not optimized for search, you are losing business to others. The good news is that you can take steps to improve your rankings by hiring a competent, knowledgeable dental SEO company to help. Just be sure to keep these common myths about SEO in mind when researching which company you would like to hire.
Myth #1: Doing SEO Can Guarantee Specific Results
Be wary of any dental SEO company that guarantees you specific results, including first-page placement. SEO is a journey, not a destination. If you stop when you get to a particular ranking, you’ll quickly lose it to someone else.
It takes a page more than two years to reach a top 10 ranking, with the #1 spot taking three years. Expecting results in months is not realistic, and there are no guarantees.
Myth #2: Simply Optimizing For Keywords and Meta Tags Is All You Need to Do
Keywords, meta tags, and descriptions are essential. But if that were the only thing you need for SEO, everyone would be ranking high in a search. But there is only one top ranking, and keywords and meta tags alone won’t get you there.
Many variables affect SEO. While keywords and meta tags are part of the formula, other factors, including optimized content, domain age and authority, and links, are just as important. Dental SEO marketing is complex, like all other SEO initiatives. There are a lot of dental companies and practices out there against whom you are competing. Educating yourself on the best dental SEO practices will help you hire an agency to get you results.
Myth #3: The More Incoming and Outgoing Links, The Better You’ll Do
Inbound and outbound links are important. The wrong inbound and outbound links strategy will negatively affect your rankings and can even get you banned from Google. Google makes regular updates to its algorithm to ensure its rankings are accurate and up to date. And Google has stated that too many links can hurt your rankings.
Your dental SEO company should have a complete understanding of how to implement inbound and outbound links and use them naturally. If the strategy or links look bad to you, they will likely look bad to the search engines too!
Myth #4: Anyone Can Do SEO
If anyone could do dental SEO marketing correctly, there wouldn’t be a need for dental SEO companies. You’d be able to handle it yourself. And while you can certainly learn, it will take you a long time to become an expert and during that time your business may suffer. Choosing the right dental SEO marketing agency or consultant is crucial to your future success. Spend the time to find the right partner.
Do Your Research
When looking for the right dental SEO company, it’s crucial to do your research and ask the right questions. Look for companies both in and out of your area and get to know them. Get details on what they plan to do for you. Be sure to get examples of their work. Be wary of companies that promise too much. And make sure they will give you customer references so you can speak to their clients. Take the time to understand basic SEO practices, so you know what they are telling you.
What’s Their Approach to SEO?
Your dental SEO company should be able to explain its complete approach to SEO. Ask them a lot of questions. Listen carefully to what they tell you. If you don’t understand something, ask them to clarify or dumb it down for you. You need to know what you’re buying. It’s also essential to understand the difference between white hat and black hat SEO. Stay away from anything that is considered black hat, as it will hurt your site.
What Strategies Are They Recommending For You?
There are a lot of factors that impact your page rankings. There are both on-page factors and off-page factors. Make sure the dental SEO companies you are considering explain their strategy for crucial ranking factors, including:
- Keywords
- Title tags and descriptions
- Headlines and Header tags
- Content creation for SEO
- Image optimization
- Page Speed
- Internal links
- Mobile responsiveness
This is not an exhaustive list, but these are the key factors you’ll need to address.
Will You Get Monthly Reporting?
Getting solid page rankings takes time. Make sure the company you hire gives you a clear roadmap to their approach. Also, make sure they give you monthly updates so you can track your progress against their plan.
Good SEO Takes Time
The saying “if it sounds too good to be true, it is” is highly relevant to dental SEO marketing. Anyone who promises you unrealistic results in an impractical time frame is likely more interested in your money than SEO. It takes time to build your ranking and audience. Understand that getting a page one ranking can take several years. If a dental SEO company tells you it can be done more quickly, you should talk to other companies.
Questions to Ask For Your Search
Here’s a list of critical questions to ask dental SEO companies you are looking to hire for easy reference.
- What is your philosophy for dental SEO?
- What specific strategies do you recommend to improve our rankings?
- How often will you send me reports and updates?
- How long will it take to get results?
- Why should we choose your dental SEO company?
- How do you charge for your services, and is there a contract?
- Can you provide me with client references?
- Will you rely on us as dental experts for guidance?
- Are you well-versed in medical jargon and the limitations as to what can be posted online?
Be sure to compare the quotes from the various companies you receive to choose the best one for your business.
With many local dental practices and thousands of new websites being launched every day, dental SEO is a must-have if you want your business to flourish. While you may have many dental SEO marketers pitching you, take the time to do your research and find a dental SEO company right for you and your business.
Take the time to hire the right dental SEO company for you. Keep up with our blog for more tips on hiring SEO agencies and tips to get your company to the top of the search engines.