The challenge of search engine optimization is staying on top of ever-changing algorithms and trends. What worked yesterday might not work today, and what works today has a very good chance of being obsolete a year from now. Good SEO is built upon a foundation of high-quality content, something that will serve your dental practice well through any changes in technology and algorithms. We’re seeing this play out as voice search rapidly changes the SEO game.
Best Practice for Voice Search SEO for Dentists
Here are four tips for how to optimize your web presence for voice search.
1. Go Local With VEO (Voice Engine Optimization)
Build up your local bona fides by focusing on your Google My Business, Bing, and Yelp profiles. One of the most common ways people use voice search is to locate businesses near them—and your local profiles are one of the primary ways for search engines to know that your business is trustworthy, legitimate, and worth recommending to users. According to BrightLocal, search engines take the following into consideration in SERPs for voice search:
- The proximity of the business to the searcher’s location
- How the business interacts with customer reviews
- How many backlinks the business’s website has
- Social media presence and activity
- Visibility in industry and local directories
In other words, investing in local search pays dividends when it comes to getting your dental practice noticed.
2. Utilize Voice App Technology
If someone is using Google Assistant or Alexa to ask what to do when a crown falls out, do they want to read the answer? Or would a voice response be more helpful? Consider investing in conversational voice app technology to answer frequently asked questions and explain common dental procedures. While this might not be a must for SEO right now, it will give you an advantage in a competitive market and in a few years, this type of technology may be a prerequisite for ranking well in a Google Page 1 search result. (Contact us and speak with our Director of SEO, Robert Messinger, if you’re more interested in learning about our voice app technology solutions.)
3. Understand Search Intent
People use voice search differently than text search, but when it comes to voice search SEO, it’s more important than ever to understand the why’s and how’s of search. How are people finding your site? Why are they using the keywords they’re using?
“What do I do if my dental crown falls out?” has a different search intent than “emergency dentist near me who repairs crowns.” The latter wants to find a dentist to call; the former may or may not be ready to schedule an appointment and they’re primarily looking for information.
Don’t attempt a bait-and-switch and try to attract users with one keyword in order to direct them to something completely different — this is a surefire way to sink your rankings with voice search. If you don’t offer traditional dentures, don’t optimize for that keyword and try to sell people on dental implants instead; don’t try to rank as a local orthodontist for voice search if you only offer Invisalign. Gaming the system only hurts your dental practice in the end.
4. Keep Producing Useful Content
Content is king. Search engines want useful information that demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (also known as E-A-T). As a dentist, you have all three of these in spades, so it pays to capitalize on that and create content that will drive people to your website.
Because people often use natural language questions with voice search, providing them with natural language answers is important. Add frequently asked questions to your website and you might just find yourself in the coveted position zero spot on Google Page 1—the featured snippet, which is where many voice assistants pull answers from.
Is the Website Design Agency Interested in Getting to Know Your Dental Practice Well?
Your prospective website designer should be interested in learning all about you and your business. They should want to know about your dental practice, your business objectives, your website goals, and your audience.
A website designer must deeply understand these elements of your dental practice to design a website that reflects your business. Without such an understanding, you risk ending up with a generic website that doesn't accurately depict what your audience wants to see and learn about your practice.
How dentalfone can help you meet the demands of voice search technology
If keeping up with the latest developments in search has you pulling out your hair, Dentalfone can help. Our SEO team are tenured authorities on local search and we can provide unique insight into the ways in which local search and voice search interact. Dentalfone’s dental SEO services include:
- Well-researched content for your website
- Social media management
- Google My Business profile maintenance
- Submission to local directory sites
- Press releases
Each of these can improve your rankings and help you meet the ever changing landscape brought upon by the advent of voice search.
Learn more about voice search SEO for dentists
To discuss how we can help optimize your dental practice’s web presence for voice search or to learn more about our digital marketing services for dentists, schedule a meeting with Dentalfone SEO.