What Is Local SEO?

Let’s set the record straight. Although there are some technical strategies involved with SEO, it is not a complicated black box of online magic. Too many dentists come to us with stories of previous experiences where SEO strategies were hidden behind a shroud of mystery. Allow us to take that mystery out of the equation.

First, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page with the SEO basics.

What is SEO?

At its core, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a series of strategies to help your website and business listings rank higher in Google and other search engines, like Yahoo or Bing.

The goal is to get your website to rank as high as possible on search engines for strategic keywords that relate to your business. When a user searches those specific keywords, or similar keywords, your website is served up as a relevant search result, and your website traffic is more likely to increase.

The more relevant your website is for the keyword, the more likely your website is to rank for the keyword. So our SEO team chooses keywords strategically, monitors your rankings, and optimizes your site regularly to enhance your chances of appearing in relevant search results.  

Make sense? Great!

Now, What is Local SEO?

Because dental practices have physical offices in specific geographic locations, our team specializes in local SEO. Local SEO focuses on strategies that help businesses rank
within their communities.

Think of it this way: If you’re using a search engine to do research on a new pair of shoes, you expect to get the best results across the entire internet. If you’re searching for the best local shoe store, you expect to see results that are within a few miles of your location.

Typically, when we talk about local SEO, we focus on search results in the “Google Map Pack” (commonly known as the “local pack”). The Map Pack is displayed at the top of Google search results, and appears as a map to show the most relevant local businesses to a specific search query. It accounts for relevance and location. This means that the more relevant your business is to the search, the larger an area you will be able to rank highly in.

And Why Is SEO So Important?

Some of you may be wondering why dental SEO is valuable at all. Maybe you’re old school and rely on word of mouth referrals or direct mail to stay top of mind in the community. Those marketing tactics are definitely important and, when implemented correctly, can be successful.

But the fact of the matter is that over 80% of users search for service providers online and those numbers can’t be ignored. Think of how much faster and larger your practice might grow with access to all those additional prospective patients. With a well-optimized site and strategically chosen content that keeps you relevant in search engines, your website could be at the top of search results in your community. On Google, the top few spots are precious real estate, and that’s where we aim to keep our clients.

We’re big on education here at Wonderist Agency, so we’ve broken down the in’s-and-out’s of our SEO service so our clients know what to expect from the jump. And since this knowledge is so powerful, we want you to have it too!

Download our SEO Resource to learn everything you need to know about SEO.