The Benefits of Targeted Blogging

In my last post, I discussed how Google has made it so much more difficult to be seen on their Map.  I suggested that adding new content to your website using a Blog was more important than ever and one of the best ways to fight back. After all, Google still rewards relevance (new information) with higher placement. That has not changed. I received a lot of questions about the mechanics of how to do this, so let me share what I suggest to my clients.

Ask your webmaster to create a WordPress Blog. This then gives you access to a dashboard from which you write and publish posts. The stock format of a WordPress blog is free, but without modification, it is very basic and amateurish looking. Your webmaster can make the Blog Page the same color and format as your website. Your blog then becomes seamlessly integrated within your website in a way that the casual observer has no idea whether they landed on a page of content that is part of your website, or they are viewing an article that is part of your WordPress blog. Click here to see that the Jodena Consulting Blog Page looks exactly like my website.

Adding new content using a Blog serves two purposes. The first is that it satisfies Google’s aim to always bring new and updated material to the attention of the world, and thus reward you for your efforts with higher placement on the local Google business map. Examples I see frequently are articles about the need for regular check ups, or the benefits of fluoride, or why you need to floss your teeth – pretty basic and boring stuff.  But the second and far greater benefit to your practice is if you add specific information about dental services for which a prospective patient would be searching. Best examples are whiter teeth, straighter teeth, cosmetics, sedation dentistry, and same day crowns. These are all procedures you would like to do more of. When you write about these topics, Google does an amazing job of connecting to your website prospective patients in your geographical area who are searching for these services.

So choose a procedure. Then sit down with a glass of wine or your favorite scotch and dictate information into a tape recorder. Take an hour. Just talk about your topic with no attempt at creating an actual blog post. Let it all hang out! Then pay a stenographer $50 to have this material transcribed. You will probably end up with at least 7500 words. Either you – or someone you can hire – will now have enough solid material to carve out eight to ten posts.

Maybe you are good at Invisalign and would like to do more cases. So start with a post about what the technology actually is. Then another post about how the technology has evolved. Or how it has changed over the years. Describe life altering patient experiences that you were able to facilitate. Talk about all of the advantages over full banded orthodontic treatment.

In each post you should add links to before and after photos. Google loves it when you also add links to other relevant articles that reinforce your positions. A good length for a post is 300 to 500 words. Commit to a schedule of a new post every 10 to 14 days. Develop a casual style. These blogs are not intended to be published as  a professional article in a dental journal. It is fine to add a bit of humor.

This is not easy. It is a challenge that requires discipline. Don’t be too harsh on yourself or your writing style. You are not aiming to be number one on the best seller list! But no question that your efforts will pay big dividends in the quest to conquer the online marketplace. And to your delight, you will attract many new patients who otherwise never would have found you.