By now, you are probably beginning to understand the role of keywords in search engine optimization(SEO), the impact they can have on your dental office’s website.

You’re probably also realizing that content is a huge component to a successful SEO strategy, and that your content needs to be tailored to address the specific questions and concerns that potential patients have.

One of the first steps in developing an effective content strategy is by conducting thorough keyword research. Effective keyword research will provide you with valuable insight into what your prospective patients are searching for and how those searches relate to services your dental practice provides.

Follow this guide to dentist office keyword research and you’ll be singing “Like a Boss” as all the clients come in.

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Keyword research for your dental office SEO strategy

The old approach to search engine optimization was placing a lot of emphasis on the number of times a specific keyword is used, and not much else. That approach is no longer effective, and has become obsolete.

This does not mean that keyword research isn’t still important, it is. Particularly for dentists who are in the process of developing a content strategy aimed at answering whatever questions their potential patients are asking.

A prospective patient is going to be looking for the answers to questions they have about symptoms they are experiencing, or issues they are having – this makes it challenging to predict which search terms they will actually use. It’s very possible they’ll use many different keywords to describe their situations.

Keyword research helps to eliminate the guesswork from your planning sessions. It enables you to learn about related topics, keywords, phrases, and unique search terminology – all of which will help you customize your content and engage your readers on a more meaningful level.

Here’s how we do it at AdInfusion:

Create a list of topics related to the areas of dentistry your office practices

To start, consider, in a very broad sense, topics that would be relevant to your dental clinic’s practice areas. For example, a Sacramento-based dentist may come up with topics such as:

  • dental checkups
  • teeth cleaning
  • teeth whitening
  • braces
  • dental fillings
  • root canals
  • dental bridges
  • dental crowns
  • dentures

Use those topics to come up with a list of keywords, questions and phrases for your dental office’s practice areas.

(If you haven’t already, try creating a Dentist office client persona to help you get inside the mind of your ideal patient.)

Following the example above, our Sacramento dentist might choose some of the following items to list under “root canals”:

  • root canal cost
  • root canal pain
  • root canal procedure
  • root canal treatment steps
  • root canal specialist
  • root canal covered by medical insurance

The goal behind this process is to brainstorm general content topic ideas that your potential patients will relate to.

At this phase, you should think about questions that future patients are asking. A prospective patient may look for one of the following, for example:

  • “Can they put you to sleep for a root canal?”
  • “Can you drive after a root canal?”
  • “Do I need to take antibiotics after a root canal?”
  • “What not to eat after a root canal?”
  • “Do you always have to have a crown with a root canal?”
  • “Will a root canal lead to a dead tooth?”

It is common for web searchers to ask detailed questions instead of searching for a few short words. It is nearly always beneficial to have a combination of short, basic keywords and phrases, and long, complex ones for each topic.

Research related search terms.

Working on the assumption that you have compiled a sizable list, you may find it challenging to come up with more ideas at this point. Try taking one of your keywords or phrases and running a search on them. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, and you will discover “related searches” that can give you even more ideas.

Here’s an example of what you might find in related searches if you search for something general like “root canal procedure”:

related searches for root canal search

Note some of the other searches that are listed:

  • “root canal symptoms”
  • “root canal procedure time”
  • “root canal treatment steps”

Now we have three new topics for our Sacramento dentist to write about.

A basic search phrase like “teeth whitening in Sacramento” could easily become several pieces of new content on a dentist’s website:

  • “How much does it cost to get your teeth professionally whitened?”
  • “How can I whiten my teeth in one day?”
  • “Is getting your teeth whitened permanent?”
  • “Can you get yellow teeth back to white?”

Let AdInfusion write the content for your Dentist website

AdInfusion makes it easy to get great content for your dental practice’s website.

We understand that most dentists are too busy to write their own content, or they just plain don’t want to, which is why AdInfusion offers content marketing solutions for dental offices of any size. Our content experts are experienced in how to use content to drive potential clients to your practice, and we have contributed to some of the most successful dental offices in the state.

AdInfusion writes unique and highly effective content for law firm websites and blogs that considers how your clients search and think. The result is superb content that not only educates potential clients, but compels them to take action.

Contact us today to learn how quality content can boost your Dental office’s web traffic and conversion rates!