Orthodontists are some of the most trusted professionals in the world. They're responsible for straightening kids' smiles, fixing adult patients' teeth, correcting misaligned jaws and so much more. They do this every single day. 

But how do you find one? How do you know he or she is qualified? What about credentials? Do they matter? 

These questions are important because orthodontists have specialized skills unique to each and may work better with one type of patient than another. In a world where healthcare transparency is becoming more of a necessity and patients are curious to know more about operations and procedures, it is important for orthodontists and orthodontic practices to be found online and consistently add new patients to their practice.

SEO or Search engine optimization is critical for helping your website get the exposure it needs and deserves. More visitors to your website result in more phone calls and messages from potential patients. It also improves the overall functionality and interface making it easy. 

To get the most out of your practice, you'll need to invest some time into improving your marketing efforts, starting with SEO.

This blog is here to help you learn the basics of what it takes to perform SEO for orthodontists to start winning online.

If you don't feel like implementing this yourself, feel free to reach out here, and we would be happy to assist in providing SEO services and helping your search rankings.

What is Orthodontist SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines like Google. For orthodontists, SEO can be a valuable tool for increasing the visibility of their practice online, attracting potential patients searching for orthodontic services in their area.

An orthodontist can use various strategies to optimize their website for SEO, such as researching and using relevant keywords, optimizing the website's content and metadata, and building high-quality backlinks from other websites. Additionally, they can also claim their Google my business listing and mark their location on Google Maps. These strategies can help to improve the website's ranking on search engines, making it more likely to appear at the top of search results when someone searches for an orthodontist in the area.

SEO can also help improve the user experience for visitors to the website. By providing valuable and relevant information about orthodontic services and the practice, an SEO-optimized orthodontic website can help educate and engage potential patients. It helps provide more clarity to prospective patients and can increase conversion rates.

Overall, SEO for orthodontists is a way to improve the visibility and ranking of the practice's website on search engines and provide valuable and relevant information to potential patients. This can help attract more patients to the practice and improve the business's overall success.

Why Do Orthodontists Need SEO & What Are the Benefits?

It sounds pretty simple, but every website needs search engine optimization. The benefit to orthodontists is patients don't know where to start or their options. Everyone has ended up on WebMD to find the wrong information. Orthodontists, like many other specialized doctors, have a unique insight into information their patients and the internet are looking to understand. 

Orthodontists often grow their businesses from referrals from dentists and other doctors. While this is great, it's not scaleable, and if you aren't out networking, you aren't growing your practice. Leveraging SEO efforts can help build the exposure many practices need to continue to grow and bring patients in who otherwise wouldn't be a customer.

More website traffic means more customers and patients. In many cases, your future patients may not even know you exist, and if they do it's because they found out about you from a referral. Google is the first stop for many people when doing research or learning. By increasing your search engine rankings, it becomes easier to add more patients to your orthodontic office.

When leveraging an effective orthodontist SEO strategy, you're going to rank higher, get found easier, and have more orthodontic patients in your waiting room. Additionally, it allows you to show off your positive reviews and give patients a faster way to find you on Google Maps. 

Use SEO to Get More Website Visitors & Patients

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines like Google. This can be beneficial for an orthodontist's website because it can help increase its visibility, leading to more traffic and potential patients.

A higher ranking on search engines can also help build trust and credibility with potential patients. When people search for an orthodontist in their area, they are more likely to choose one that appears at the top of the search results, as it suggests that the practice is reputable and popular. People trust Google and when you rank higher on Google, there is a greater trust people have in your website. Google does its best to make sure websites that are credible, full of information and help people rank higher. This means while people are looking for you the higher you come up in search rankings or on Google Maps the more trust prospective patients will have in your practice.

Overall, the benefits of SEO for an orthodontist's website include increased visibility, trust, and credibility and a better user experience for visitors. These can all help to attract more potential patients to the practice.

SEO Costs Less Than Other Forms of Advertising and Lasts Longer

SEO can cost less than other forms of advertising for a few reasons.

First, the cost of implementing SEO strategies, such as keyword research and optimization, is typically lower than purchasing advertising on platforms like television, radio, print media, Facebook, Google ads, and more.

Second, the effects of SEO can last longer than other forms of advertising. Once a website is optimized for search engines, it can continue to rank well and attract organic traffic without needing ongoing improvements. While this doesn't mean it should be neglected, it doesn't have to be an ongoing cost. This is not the case with other forms of advertising, which require continuous investing to maintain visibility and reach.

Third, the results of SEO can also be more targeted and cost-effective than other forms of advertising. With SEO, businesses can target specific keywords and audiences and track the performance of their efforts to see which strategies are working and which need to be adjusted. This can be done in Google Analytics or on third-party platforms. This can help to ensure that the time and money invested in SEO are being used effectively. You can also leverage SEO to target higher profit procedures or a specific type of patient that may be a better fit for your practice.

Overall, the low cost and longer-lasting effects of SEO make it attractive for businesses looking to attract customers and drive traffic to their websites.

SEO Offers the Ability to Target Patients Who Are Looking For You Specifically

Orthodontist SEO can be beneficial because it allows orthodontists to target potential patients who are specifically searching for orthodontic services. By optimizing their website for relevant keywords and phrases, orthodontists can increase the chances that their website will appear at the top of search engine results when someone searches for an orthodontist in their area. This keyword targeting can also be used when mentioning a special procedure your office does that's harder to find.  A well planned search engine optimization strategy can help increase the number of patients asking about a specific service your practice may provide.

For example, if an orthodontist in Los Angeles optimizes their website for keywords such as "Orthodontist in Los Angeles" or "Braces in Los Angeles," their website will be more likely to appear at the top of search results when someone in the area searches for those terms. This can help to attract potential patients who are actively looking for orthodontic services in their area or getting braces.

Additionally, SEO can also help orthodontists to target specific demographics or interests. For example, an orthodontist may optimize their website for keywords related to child orthodontics, clear braces, or Invisalign, which can help attract potential patients specifically interested in those services. 

Overall, the ability to target specific patients looking for orthodontic services is one of the key benefits of SEO for orthodontists. Incorporating buzzwords like invisible braces, adult braces, or teeth straightening can help your website be found by your ideal patient. By optimizing your website for relevant keywords and phrases, orthodontists can increase their visibility and attract potential patients specifically looking for their services.

Start an Orthodontics Blog on Your Website

For several reasons, starting a blog can be a good idea for an orthodontist. A blog can provide a platform for the orthodontist to share valuable and informative content with potential and existing patients, which can help to establish the orthodontist as a trusted and credible source of information. Additionally, it can help increase the number of loyal patients when they know where to find trustworthy information.

A blog can also help to improve the visibility and ranking of the orthodontist's website on search engines. By regularly publishing high-quality and relevant content on the blog, the orthodontist can attract organic traffic to the website, which can help to improve the website's ranking on search engines. This is also a great idea to stay ahead of algorithm updates. By publishing valuable content, Google tends to reward websites that publish valuable content regularly and removes the fear of getting hit with a Google Update.

Starting a blog can be a good idea for an orthodontist as it can help to establish the orthodontist as a trusted source of information, improve the visibility and website ranks on search engines, and improve the user experience for visitors. While it may sound simple, if you look at the most successful practices, many of them have incorporated a blog into their website and publish compelling content regularly. This helps them get found for different search terms and rank for top spots online.

Leverage local SEO, Google Maps & Directories

Nobody wants to travel far for dental care, so they narrow their search to local providers. To be seen by these potential patients, you must ensure your SEO strategy includes local search. Make sure your site is optimized for local searches, including optimizing your location, address, phone number, hours of operation, and specialty. You can use your city or nearby cities as keywords in your copy or meta description and even include those terms in your domain name and web page titles. If you don't want to pay for local listings, try getting listed in free online directories like Google Maps, Yelp, Yellow Pages, and more. These are great ways to help people find your office without having to spend money.

‍

Here Are Some Steps to Follow for Local SEO for Orthodontists:

1. Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing: Make sure your practice's name, address, and phone number (NAP) are accurate and up-to-date on your Google My Business listing. You can also add photos, business hours, and other relevant information to your listing to attract potential patients.
2. Include your NAP on your website: Make sure your practice's name, address, and phone number are prominently displayed on your website, making it easy for search engines and potential patients to find.
3. Get listed in local directories: Add your practice's information to local business directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and the local chamber of commerce website. This can help search engines to verify your practice's location and improve your local search visibility.
4. Optimize your website for local keywords: Include keywords related to your location, such as the city or neighborhood where your practice is located, in your website's content and metadata. This can help search engines to understand the location of your practice and improve its ranking in local search results.
5. Encourage reviews: Encourage your patients to leave reviews on your Google My Business listing and other local business directories. Positive reviews can improve your practice's credibility and local search visibility.

Overall, local SEO for orthodontists involves optimizing your online presence to improve your visibility and ranking in local search results. By following these steps, you can help potential clients in your area to find your practice and make informed decisions about their orthodontic care.

Build Backlinks to Your Orthodontics Blog

Link building is one of the most effective ways to boost your website traffic and increase your visibility online. But how do you go about acquiring quality links?

Here are some tips to keep in mind.

To build backlinks to your orthodontist blog, you can try a few different strategies:

1. Reach out to other orthodontists or dental professionals and ask if they would be willing to link to your blog posts on their website. This can be a great way to get high-quality, relevant backlinks.
2. Write guest posts for other dental-related blogs or websites, and include a link back to your own blog in the author bio. This can help you get exposure to a new audience and build backlinks simultaneously.
3. Participate in dental-related forums or online communities and include a link to your blog in your forum signature. This can help drive traffic to your site and can also help you build backlinks over time.
4. Create valuable, shareable content on your blog that other people will want to link to. This can include informative articles, instructional videos, or other types of content that provide value to your readers. The more valuable your content is, the more likely it is that other people will want to link to it.
5. Make sure that your blog is well-designed and easy to navigate. This can help ensure that people who visit your site have a positive experience and are more likely to share your content and link to it in the future.

Building backlinks to your orthodontist blog can be a time-consuming process, but it is an important part of search engine optimization and can help improve your blog's visibility and search engine rankings over time.

Start your orthodontic SEO strategy. 

By now, you may have realized there are a few key components to make you successful. Have a solid SEO strategy that you can follow for the next few years. Remember, SEO is a long-term strategy and takes time to be successful.  If you're unsure where to start for your practice, find an SEO expert you like and trust, then develop a plan. Make sure your website is easy to navigate, can be found online, and supports browsing on mobile devices. Try to send a few internal links around your website to help users navigate and find the information they are looking for. Last, get as many online reviews as possible. Try to get as many positive reviews on your Google my Business page and if you get a negative review, address it and move on.

If you're unsure where to start, contact us at Growth Generators. We are an SEO agency happy to help you hit your goals and get more patients in the door. We have tons of knowledge from internal linking to building online reputations and more. Our marketing techniques have helped companies grow significantly faster than their competitors and this blog is proof we know what we're doing. We want to help you take your orthodontic practice to a new level of success and get you the best results possible.

‍