Before I got my start designing marketing and SEO strategies for enterprise companies, I ran a small digital marketing agency that helped small businesses grow their online traffic. Many of these small businesses happened to be dental practices. Over the years, a lot has changed in the world of SEO but a lot has also stayed the same.
When I look at large complex SEO projects that I work on today, there isn’t much of a difference in the steps that need to be taken between those and smaller SEO projects like SEO for dental practices. In this article, I will walk you through some of the tools that I use as well as some of the best practices I use when designing an SEO strategy. Applying these strategies to your dental practice can help you increase your online visibility and drive more patients each month.
So let’s dive into the 7 tools that I would use when developing an SEO strategy for a dental practice.
If you ignore or skim through any part of this post, I would highly recommend not skipping over this first section. At the core of any good SEO strategy is on-page optimization, specifically site structure. The hierarchy of your site, menu structure, internal linking, url nesting, and topical graphing can all drastically affect how your site is indexed. Your dental website structure is going to be just as important as traditional on-page best practices like content quality, sitemaps, redirects, and canonicals.
When designing my initial sitemap and managing my long term internal linking strategy, there are two tools I swear by. The best part is, both these products have a free version that should be more than enough for most small to mid sized dental practices.
Mirro: A Reflection of Your Dental Practice’s Digital Structure
Best for: Site design, layout, site mapping, and hierarchy
First up is Mirror, a tool that goes beyond mere aesthetics to focus on the skeletal framework of your site. It’s perfect for visualizing your practice’s site design, layout, and hierarchy. With Mirror, crafting a sitemap becomes as straightforward as a routine dental check-up. You can lay out pages and sections of your site with drag-and-drop ease, ensuring that everything from your “About Us” to your “Services” page is structured logically. This clarity isn’t just for your potential patients; it’s a signal to search engines that your site is well-organized, which is critical for indexing. Even better, Mirror’s free version often suffices for many dental practices, making it an excellent starting point for those new to SEO or with limited resources.
Smartsheet: The Strategist Behind Your Content
Best for: content planning, internal linking structure.
Next, we have Smartsheet, which excels in content planning and management—two areas pivotal for any SEO strategy. For a dental practice, this means having a clear plan for how each piece of content connects and leads patients through your website. Smartsheet allows you to keep track of what content goes where, how it interlinks, and ensures that your site’s navigation is seamless. From articles on dental hygiene tips to detailed service descriptions, Smartsheet helps you map out a path for site visitors that is both intuitive and SEO-friendly. It’s a tool that mirrors the meticulous planning behind successful dental procedures, applied to the digital world. And yes, the free version has plenty of capabilities to get your dental practice’s content strategy off the ground.
In this next part, we will review 5 additional SEO tools you can add to your dental practice SEO strategy that will help you with things like tracking KW rankings, build competitive analysis, and help you with building a solid content strategy.
Let’s Explore These 5 SEO Tools for Your Dental Practice
SEMrush: Your SEO Diagnostic Expert
SEMrush steps in as your all-in-one SEO diagnostic tool, much like comprehensive x-rays for a patient’s first visit. It provides a panoramic view of your practice’s online health, allowing you to identify gaps in your keyword strategy and scan the competitive landscape with precision. With SEMrush, you delve into the nitty-gritty of search data, uncovering the keywords that patients use when looking for dental services. You’ll see where you stand in the search rankings, understand the strength of your backlinks, and, most importantly, you’ll have the insights to improve. It’s about making informed decisions that align with your practice’s growth goals, ensuring that when potential patients are searching, your practice comes out on top.
ProRankTracker: Your SEO Progress Tracker
In the world of dentistry, tracking progress is key to patient satisfaction— and it’s no different with your website’s SEO. ProRankTracker serves as your progress tracker, providing precise and up-to-date ranking information. This tool helps you to see the impact of your SEO efforts, adjusting your strategy much like you would a patient’s treatment plan. It’s about precision; knowing exactly where your keywords rank in the search engine results pages can be the difference between being found, or not. With ProRankTracker, you’re not just guessing where you stand; you’re equipped with knowledge to climb the rankings ladder, one step at a time.
AccuRanker: Sharpening Your SEO Focus
Think of AccuRanker as the high-precision dental tool in your SEO kit—designed for specific, targeted adjustments. It hones in on your search rankings with surgical accuracy, allowing you to track keyword performance with speed and efficiency. This isn’t about a broad sweep; it’s about focusing on what matters most for your dental practice. With its ability to filter by location, device, and search engine, AccuRanker helps ensure that when a potential patient is searching for dental services in your area, your practice isn’t just visible—it’s front and center. The granularity of data at your fingertips means you can refine your SEO practices with the same attention to detail you apply to crafting the perfect smile.
Sitechecker: Your SEO Quality Assurance
In dentistry, patient care doesn’t end after the procedure—you follow up, you check in, you ensure everything is healing as it should. Sitechecker plays a similar role for your SEO. It continuously scans your website, identifying any issues that might hold you back from achieving top SERP positions. Broken links? Meta tags in need of a polish? Sitechecker spots these often-overlooked details that can detract from your site’s user experience and, by extension, its search engine rankings. It’s about maintaining an online presence that’s as spotless and welcoming as your practice’s waiting room.
Sitechecker ensures your website remains in top form. It delivers a user experience that both patients and search engines will appreciate.
Clearscope: Sharpening Content Strategy with Data-Driven Insights
Clearscope is one of my favorite tools in my SEO arsenal. Writing content can be a long cumbersome process. Adjusting that content to rank can be even more of a daunting task. Clearscope takes the guesswork out of what it takes to rank in the top of your target SERPs. With Clearscope, we’re not just guessing what will work; we’re using precise insights to shape content that stands out. It’s straightforward, reliable, and indispensable for making sure your online presence is as strong and authoritative as the dental services you provide. For me, Clearscope is a must have when designing and deploying SEO content.
Final Thoughts:
As we wrap up, I want you to remember one key thing: SEO transcends numbers and rankings. It’s fundamentally about forging connections with the right people, those who genuinely need what your practice offers. The suite of tools we’ve talked about, from Mirror to Clearscope, are more than just software. They’re part of a bigger picture, a strategy that breathes life into your website and makes sure those who are looking for your services can find you.
I’ve always believed that a clear, straightforward approach works best. Whether it’s in explaining a treatment plan to a patient or demystifying SEO, simplicity and clarity win. The tools I’ve outlined for you are the ones that cut through the noise, giving you clean, actionable steps to put your practice on the map.
In your efforts to grow your practice’s online presence, remember that it’s the steady hand and the consistent work that builds trust and rankings. Keep your content sharp, your strategy smarter, and your focus on the people you’re here to serve. That guiding principle has always directed my work, and it will transform your SEO efforts into tangible results.
Remember, it’s not just about being seen; it’s about being sought after. Keep your digital doors as welcoming and as expert as your real ones, and the traffic will follow.