It’s all about search; we search for nearby restaurants, coffee shops, doctors, and dentists. While the best way to market a dental office is to generate referrals, your patients are going to assume that you can be found using Google.
If your website is not ranking well for your name when Google delivers its search results, can you see why this assumption may cause a problem?
Imagine that you just treated a new patient. You have worked hard to make sure that the treatment was comfortable, flawless, and affordable – all in hopes of leaving a good impression with your newest customer.
How is this patient going to make a referral?
If you’re lucky, she will give a friend your business card (which has your URL printed on it right?). But, since the Internet has made information so easily accessible, she will probably only provide her friend with your name. Why? Your name or office name is a small, easily transferable piece of information that your patients believe will lead their friends to all of your other contact information if plugged into a search engine.
But, what if your name does not provide prospective customers information about your practice when typed into Google? This is where search engine optimization (SEO) produces major results, and a blog is one of the easiest (and most effective) ways to optimize your website.
Additional Reading: If you’re looking for some clues to help jump-start your blog, read Seth Godin’s free e-book, Who’s There. Relatively short (42 pages), Seth’s e-book introduces readers to blogging, podcasts, and other new media.
