Why It Is Crucial for Dental Practices to Rank for Near Me Keywords

Technology is evolving every day, and with most patients using the internet to find a dental practice, keywords are the key to attracting more patients to your clinic. So are you making optimal use of this technology for prospective patients to find you easily? Are you using the right keywords to target your desired audience? What are the best keywords that will make your practice rank well on search engines? The answer to these questions lies in ranking well on the “near me” keywords.

With most people using voice search and mobile devices to look up for businesses and healthcare services within their neighborhood, it is critical to rank on the first page of the search results, when patients search for “dental clinic near me,” or “dentist near me.” A successful dental marketing strategy can help you acquire the leads that are specific to your vicinity.

Ensure That Your Business Details are Accurate on Citation Sites and Mapping Services

Before you aim at ranking at the top on search, you must ensure that all your SEO features are updated and accurate on citation sites and mapping services like Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc. This will help you build a strong SEO presence. Update the address on your website and ensure it is appropriately structured. Ensure that your location, contact details, business hours, etc. are accurate on your Google My Business page listing, and remove duplicate listings.

Rank on “Near me” Keywords to Acquire More Patients

Nearly all mobile devices these days have geolocation services enabled, leading to a surge in “near me” queries on Google. This is also highly relevant when it comes to searching for dental care services. Owing to the convenience factor, a customer wants to stay updated on “near me” at all times. In the past year, there has been a 50% increase in the search volume of “dentist near me” keywords. An 82.43% increase in people searching for “dentist office near me” keywords, while a 49.72% jump in patients searching for “dental clinic near me.”

Also, in today’s post-pandemic world after COVID-19, it has become even more crucial to market your dental practice online, since most patients are searching for dental practices on online media. Whether the patient is looking for in-clinic or teledentistry services, all searches are being conducted online. This could also be one of the major reasons behind the increase in “near me” searches for dental practices over the last year.

The table below shows the rise in the search volume of “near me” keywords from July 2019 to July 2020, across the country. These stats show just how critical it is to capitalize on the right keywords to make sure potential patients can easily find you. Identifying and emphasizing the right keywords creates the foundation of a successful dental marketing strategy, and helps you plan your initiative accordingly.

Keywords Monthly Search Volume (USA) - Before COVID-19 Monthly Search Volume (USA) - After COVID-19 Difference in Search Volume Difference (In Percentage)
Dentist Near Me 1,000,000 1,500,000 500,000 50.00%
Dentist Office Near Me 74,000 135,000 61,000 82.43%
Dental Clinic Near Me 18,100 27,100 9,000 49.72%
Best Dentist Near Me 27,100 33,100 6,000 22.14%
Family Dentist Near Me 9,900 14,800 4,900 49.49%
Dental Implants Near Me 18,100 33,100 15,000 82.87%
Cosmetic Dentist Near Me 9,900 18,100 8,200 82.83%
Best Cosmetic Dentist Near Me 1,300 1,900 600 46.15%
General Dentist Near Me 3,600 4,400 800 22.22%
Pediatric Dentist Near Me 49,500 90,500 41,000 82.83%
Kids Dentist Near Me 33,100 60,500 27,400 82.78%
Best Pediatric Dentist Near Me 1,900 2,900 1,000 52.63%
Endodontist Near Me 22,200 40,500 18,300 82.43%
Best Endodontist Near Me 590 1,000 410 69.49%
Orthodontist Near Me 90,500 110,000 19,500 21.55%
Best Orthodontist Near Me 2,900 4,400 1,500 51.72%
Prosthodontist Near Me 5,400 6,600 1,200 22.22%
Periodontist Near Me 14,800 22,200 7,400 50.00%
Oral Surgeon Near Me 49,500 90,500 41,000 82.83%

 

Applying the Best Local SEO Practices to Attract New Patients to Your Dental Practice

The figures in the above table suggest that location-based searches offer leads that have more chances of being converted. This is because these searches are most likely being conducted by genuine patients who are actively searching for the services you offer. The aim should not be to target the entire internet but to capitalize on a robust local SEO strategy. While it is good to get traffic to your website from around the world, only the prospects around your dental practice can bring you meaningful leads.

Lastly, make sure that your dental practice website is optimized for all types of mobile devices. Since most searches are done from smartphones, make sure your site is responsive to its use. Use separate URLs for mobile and desktop sites. An optimized site will make it simpler for users to respond to your call to action buttons.

Want to boost your SEO strategy and rank well on keyword searches? Contact us today to acquire and retain more patients.

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Ajay Prasad

Ajay Prasad is the Founder and President of GMR Web Team, a leading healthcare digital marketing agency. He guides small and medium size healthcare practices/businesses in customizing their online marketing strategy, focused on building a loyal base of patients and improving their patient acquisition. Ajay believes in an improved patient experience as the key to successful healthcare business, which can be accomplished with the right marketing plan in place.


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