5 factors needed to rank well in Google

Does your practice website fulfill these criteria for great Google ranking?

To establish and then maintain prominent search engine positions, your website needs to excel in several areas. Too often you see dentist’s websites which look good but languish on page 2 or 3 of Google and likely deliver very few, if any, new patients to the practice.

So why is this? Surely if a website looks good, then it deserves to rank well too? Unfortunately it’s  not as straightforward as that. Whilst there are numerous factors which contribute to search positions; indeed Google claim they measure over 200 different parameters, here are five elements which simply must be in place if you are to achieve your search position goals.

Great, creative content – optimised for users and Google

Minimalist websites with very little text tend not to fare well in the search engines. On the other hand, websites with a lot of engaging, high-quality, regularly updated content tend to fare much better. Of course lots of other factors play a part but if the foundation of the website is not solid in the first place, it’s very unlikely that you will rank well. Content must also be engaging and hold your user’s attention – this can be measured by Google and is used as an indication that the website is of sufficient quality and importance to deserve improved ranking positions. So web pages which work well for users are also likely to work well for search engines too. Think about elements such as video and treatment animations to help hold your users “on page” as well as testimonials from your patients and “before and after” case studies.

Links to your website from third parties

These are known in the SEO world simply as back-links. Google are never totally forthcoming about which factors affect SEO most, however, links are thought to be the most powerful contributor. Here I’m talking about the links which point at your website from elsewhere and which can be considered as a vote-of-confidence for your own site. Up until early 2012, lots of links, pretty much irrespective of where they came from, would work to get your site high up in Google.

However, over the last 4 years, the quality of the link has become increasingly important, so-much-so that too many “poor” links will get your website penalised. So links must be above a certain quality threshold if they are to be useful for you. It’s not easy, but try to get links from dental-themed website such as your suppliers and dentistry news outlets. You also need to seek links from high-quality local and national business directories as well as citations – these will all help your search engine positions, including in the local/map results.

Good link-building is time-consuming and can be frustrating too. So it’s usually best to enlist the services of a dental SEO professional to assist you with this.

Blogging

As we’ve already discussed, adding fresh content to your website domain is very useful for ranking purposes. You can also target specific search terms very nicely with targeted blog posts, at the same time as providing engaging news and updates for your readers. Websites with good-quality, regularly updated and maintained blogs typically do well in the rankings race – so even if you don’t fancy doing it, get the help of somebody who can. A good digital marketing company will also be able to assist and/or delegate it to someone competent on your team.

Social media matters

Lots of dentist don’t like social media and struggle to come to terms with its worth. They’ve probably seen the automated junk posts  that some practices subscribe to, done by a third-party company but with little point and delivering little or no return. We’ve all seen this type of pointless stuff on Facebook and Twitter and no wonder it turns most people off. However, done well, social media is very powerful, not only for providing “social proof” and building rapport, but also for SEO too. Links from social media posts don’t tend to count much for ranking purposes but broadcasting your content via social channels can lead to it being linked to by others, which certainly does have a positive effect. So don’t neglect ‘social’ if you are serious about SEO.

Mobile optimisation

Presenting web pages in the most accessible, device-specific format is not just critical for your users but very important for the way Google ranks your website too. So you really do need to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and displays correctly on desk-top, tablet and mobile ‘phone screens. From a user perspective, there is a much greater chance that they will read your content and contact you if they can see the information clearly without having to pinch and scroll. Google has stated officially that it rewards websites which provide the best user-experience and they now promote mobile-friendly sites above those which aren’t, in the ranking results. So if you haven’t already upgraded your website, now is the time to act.

There are other factors to consider here too, not just how your site displays on various devices. Google also looks at how fast your website loads as well other technical elements too. A good dental website designer will explain all of this to you and sign-off to show all has been tested and in compliance before final hand-over.

What to avoid

As well as doing all of the right things, it’s also important to stay well clear of Google’s punitive penalties which they deliver to websites which break their publishing guidelines. Bottom line is that there are very few quick wins when it comes to improving website search positions – it’s down to experience, technical competence and hard work. So if anyone tries to sell you SEO for $150 per month done by a faceless team from distant parts, it should set the alarm bells ringing. Invariably these companies are trying old tricks on the cheap which no longer work and will only serve to get your website banned by Google.

On the other hand, you also need to avoid the companies who claims to be SEO “ninjas” and “gurus” and who charge way over the odds for the work they do. Remember that only Google really knows how the ranking system works and those who claim to have an inside track, really don’t! However, a few teams, like the one at Dental Media, have many years experience in managing SEO for dentists and consequently we have access to lots of data which gives us deep insights into how the processes work – and we use that experience to great effect for our clients.

SEO can be a complex affair and mind-boggling for the layperson. If you need clear guidance, together with examples of what works (and what doesn’t) please get in touch with the Dental Media digital marketing team on 01332 672548. We’ll be pleased to illustrate our track record and help you on your way to great search ranking.