Why “expertise, authority and trust” now matter more than ever for dental content

In March and again at the start of August this year, Google introduced some significant changes in the way that they assess how and where websites appear in the search engine rankings. Resulting from this were large upheavals in the search results with a lot of formerly prominent websites slipping away quite dramatically. On face value, many of the websites which got relegated were actually quite good; so what caused Google to demote them?

This caused quite a lot of concern and even anger in the webmaster community as site owners could not determine why they had suffered and hence what they needed to do to recover the situation. As is usual for Google, very little useful information regarding the specifics of the update were provided, other than some fairly general comments about “producing great content” and referring to their Quality Raters Guidelines. For information, these guidelines are produced by Google for their team who review websites against proposed algorithm updates to validate the results. So a human check if you will.

So what did Google really do to cause this significant upheaval (and, for some, grief!)

Independent analysis

Whenever Google introduces a change in it’s search engine systems, lots of independent analysts go to work to try to figure out what actually happened. Much of what is postulated is purely speculative to be frank, but in this case, evidence suggests that the recent changes were all about evaluating which websites demonstrate expertise, authority and trust for their users i.e. “EAT”. This concept is actually referred to in the Quality Raters Guidelines and some of Google’s staff alluded to it in tweets directly after the update. So whilst we can never be totally sure, it does seem that EAT was a significant part of the search algorithm update.

Who suffered and who gained?

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Don’t skimp on content – it won’t do you any favours in Google search

I recently watched a video of a business coach discussing dental practice websites with his web designer, where layout and content were discussed in some depth.

There were some really useful suggestions about the style of content which is essential to grab a user’s attention, but also some less-good advice regarding the depth of content required.

A dental website is the critical foundation for gaining new patients from the web and the platform that you guide users to, to encourage them to make contact. So it must be optimal in all aspects; whether that is how well it works for users, or how well it works in Google searches. So all elements of the design need to be considered equally and implemented in the most professional way possible.

Let’s start with the good ideas that were put forward, in particular how a “personalised” website works better than a generic, traditional version which simply presents facts and data.

Personalisation

Many dental websites follow the same kind of formula which has worked quite well for several years. So a straightforward layout presenting details about the practice, the team, treatments and a contact page. There may also be a small section detailing patient testimonials but little else. These types of sites still work reasonably well, but with increasing competition and the ease of publishing now available to help get a basic site on line, they don’t stand out nearly as well as websites designed with more flair and interest-grabbing features.

Currently you will hear a lot of discussion about “personalising” websites and these features were detailed between the coach and his designer as I mentioned above. In a nutshell, here we are talking about taking the emphasis of the website away from the provider of the service (the dentist and his team) and moving this firmly towards the patient. So making sure the focus is on *them* and solving *their* dental issues rather than an in-depth statement about the principal dentist and his/her vast array of qualifications and attributes. Of course the latter information needs to be present, and in detail, but as a back-up rather than the main thrust.

By answering a patient’s concerns quickly and succinctly, you stand a much better chance of gaining their business when compared to a dry explanation of the dentist’s qualifications. That said, it is still extremely important to demonstrate authority and expertise to your users and Google, so those qualifications and expertise still need to be included on your website.

We also use “story telling” to show potential new patients how existing patients have received life-changing treatments at the practice, all backed-up by testimonials, reviews, case studies and videos. All of this, the dental coach got bang on.

However, there was also worrying “advice” in that it was also recommended to “skimp” on treatment detail as patients are generally less-interested about that. My take is somewhat different in that I still believe a comprehensive treatment section is very important on your website, not just for those patients who want to dig in a little further, but also, critically, for Google too!

A clearly structured, comprehensive treatments section – still important!

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Why “all in one” web design packages may not be your best bet

The current landscape in dental web design appears to be one of providing pre-configured packages for dentists who are time-poor and just need their designer to pull everything together for them.

On the face of it, this may sound great, but is it really your best route to an excellent website which not only functions well but offer great value too? Let’s take a closer look….

Dental website packages

The types of packages you may see range from an entry level where a basic website is built using a pre-made template, stock photographs and annual website hosting – so the minimum needed to establish a basic foothold on the web. At this level you are looking at something fairly generic which won’t really make you stand-out above lots of the other sites out there.

The next level up, the “middle” ground package, may also offer a photo shoot and some treatment animations to supplement the basic package, but again not too much to really “wow” your audience. Just on the photography, this service is often provided by a design company “staffer” who has photography as a “bolt-on” responsibility, rather than a bona fide professional who has industry knowledge. So something to check if you do go the package route.

Finally the high-end package may offer additional options, for example the services of the “head designer”, fully bespoke design and a video shoot. You may also be offered some generic treatment text so you don’t have to write your own. So at the higher end, you should be able to purchase a dental website design offering more than average – but at a handsome price, often £8k or more (yes £8k!)

So is it worth opting for a pre-configured dental web design package? Here are some things to consider:

• can be convenient if you don’t have much time to spare
• can look very generic and “templated” unless you take more expensive options
• you may be buying services you don’t actually need i.e. part of the package but adding limited value
• if you opt for photography or video, you may be stuck with a very basic service
• expensive – you will likely pay a lot more for a one-stop shop service

The alternative to pre-packaged design

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