The dental industry is one of the most competitive fields out there. If you search within your city, there’s no doubt you’ll find dozens of dentists nearby for patients to choose from. A top priority for dentists should be attracting new dental leads every month, so the calendar stays full and profits high. The key to a steady flow of dental leads is to have several marketing tactics in operation, ensuring you’re never relying on just one avenue. As a result, if one marketing tactic performs below average one month, the rest can still help you achieve your monthly dental leads goal. In this post, we cover the top ways to attract new patients so you know where to get started.
SEO
People naturally turn online for almost everything these days. When someone needs a new dentist, they’ll likely search their options on Google. In fact, there has been a 150% growth in “near me” searches in the past few years. So, if you want to get in front of your audience and attract new dental leads, you need to be showing up for the right terms and at the top of search results. Of course, the only way to do that for organic results is with search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic. Search engines like Google have specific ranking factors they evaluate to determine what spot you get in search results. If you want to be at the top of the first page for search results on Google, you have to have a website that’s useful to visitors and performs well.
Improving your SEO will include:
- Conducting a keyword audit of the terms relevant to your audience that you should be ranking for. Example keywords include dentist near me, dentist [city], cavity appointment, teeth cleaning appointment [city] and more.
- Incorporating your top keywords throughout your website and in content, such as a blog.
- Making sure your website and content on your blog is helpful to the audience. For example, if someone is searching for dental implants, the page they land on should discuss what dental implants are and what the procedure is like and confirm that you offer them.
- Ensuring your website load speed is as fast as possible. Approximately 40% of visitors will leave a site if it takes more than three seconds to load. You can improve site speed by compressing files, reducing the number of plug-ins and optimizing your image sizes.
- Ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, as approximately 63% of all searches are now done on a mobile device.
- Incorporate link building by linking to other authoritative sites and finding ways for authoritative sites to link back to you. This helps verify to Google that your site is credible.
SEO takes a lot of work and some time to see results, but once you’re at the top, it’s easier to maintain that position. Additionally, SEO is very technical, which can make it hard to take on on your own. Lead to Conversion™ offers SEO services, with a specialty in dental clinics. Our SEO experts will start working on your website and your brand so you get lasting and impressive organic results.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
While you wait for your SEO to get some traction, a quick workaround to getting to the top of online search results is with PPC advertising. Pay-per-click advertising allows you to buy the ad spots at the top of search results. You can pay to show up whenever someone searches “need a dental appointment near me” or any of your other top keywords.
Depending on your local market, this approach can be fairly expensive per lead. There are only three spots per keyword, so you’ll have to outbid your competitors. Still, you can optimize your campaign and set budget limits so you don’t spend more than you can afford. By hiring Lead to Conversion™ to run your PPC campaigns, you can rest assured that they’re actively monitored and continuously updated to get you the best results for the least amount of money.
And ultimately, as long as your cost per lead is less than the profit generated from that lead, it’s a great revenue-generating option.
Referral Program
One of the most prominent sources of new dental leads is your existing clientele. If you’re confident that you deliver exceptional service and have a happy customer base, you can leverage them for referrals to their friends and family.
Your referral program will have to offer an incentive to the patient. Some potential ideas include 10% off their next bill or a free cleaning for both them and their referral.
Make sure to announce your referral program with an email to all your patients, have signs at the front desk about the program and ensure your receptionist mentions it, too.
Online Reputation Management
When people need a dentist, they search online, and often they’ll seek out reviews to determine which one they contact. Your dental practice should collect reviews from customers as much as possible. Approximately 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a friend.
Online reputation management is the management of all online reviews for your business. This can include reviews on your Google Business Profile listing, social media platforms and Yahoo or other review platforms.
Some essential tips for gathering and managing reviews are:
- Send customers an email thanking them for coming to their appointment with a request to review the clinic.
- Have a “Please review us” sign at the reception desk.
- Set up a Google Business Profile account and actively manage it so it’s always up to date with the correct phone number, address, and hours (including updated holiday hours).
- Claim or set up accounts on all review platforms, such as Yahoo.
- Respond to every single review — good or bad — on all platforms within one day of receiving them.
How It All Works Together
Building up an online presence is the key to driving dental leads to your website. Once you get that new traffic, SEO will guarantee that the visitor has a pleasant website experience. Additionally, a well-running online management program ensures that if a potential dental lead looks at your reviews, they’ll find many positive comments and a responsive clinic. Lastly, once you’ve converted that dental lead to a patient, a referral program gets them working for you to attract even more dental leads.
Let Lead to Conversion™ Help With Your Dental Leads
Now that you have a plan, it’s time to get it set up so you can start getting new dental leads. Lead to Conversion™ offers PPC advertising, SEO and social media dental marketing services. We have worked with plenty of dental clinics and have firsthand knowledge of the industry, so we understand what steps are needed to get you results. Don’t just take our word for it, though — check out some of our client success stories. Or speak to a specialist and find out how we can help you by calling (855) 473-6582.