SEO vs PPC: Which Is Better for Dentists?

SEO and PPC for dentists are completely different yet complementary ways to bring more potential patients to your website.

However, dentist SEO is a long-term solution that won’t yield the immediate results that PPC for dentists will. The fact is, you'll ultimately need both, but pay-per-click search engine ads are the best way to get started. With PPC, you'll still get targeted traffic to your website as you wait for your SEO efforts to yield results.

However, in the long run, ranking for organic dental searches is the ultimate goal, and only search engine optimization can do that.

If you want to learn how Digital Authority Partners can increase your PPC effectiveness, watch this video!

Dental SEO Gives Your Website Authority

Ranking at the top of the organic search results says that your website is full of relevant information; this in turn makes you an authority on the subject. Without content relevance, your practice's website is unlikely to rank.

What a potential patient is searching for will be the biggest factor in where your site ranks in organic searches. Search engines use the keywords users type in to find the information they need. However, proper use of keywords on your website is essential; using too many keywords on a page could be considered spam. On the other hand, using too few keywords will be deemed irrelevant. Also, where you use your keywords, such as in headlines and your metadata, is also vitally important.

Proper keyword use isn’t important with PPC since you're basically paying to rank for certain keywords. This is fine, but most people realize that the top few listings are ads. Many will click on a properly worded ad, but some people skip the ads and go straight for the organic results. This is why you also need to rank via SEO for dentists. It ranks your content as authoritative, which many people will interpret as a nod to your competence as a dentist.

Also, link authority is very important for organic SEO; however, getting authoritative, do-follow links back to your website is a challenge. That makes working with a digital marketing agency with a large dental clientele important. They'll have the resources to get backlinks to your website that carry weight with Google and other search engines.

Internal linking is also important, further reinforcing your authority as a dentist. Search engines use internal links to decide which pages are the most important on a given subject. However, this isn't true with PPC, since special, link-free landing pages are often created specifically for the ad campaign. Even landing pages that are disconnected from the rest of the website can still do well. However, as a medical professional, this type of landing page may not add to your credibility the same way as organic search results.

If you go with PPC, linking to your homepage or a relevant service page might be better than a landing page. Potential patients likely want to get the full picture of who you are and what you can do, before getting into your dental chair.

PPC for Dentists Pushes Organic Search Results Lower

Google and other search engines create revenue by selling ads. Unfortunately, this gives them an incentive to include more ads at the top. While this is bad for dentist SEO, it's good for PPC for dentists.

Fortunately, PPC for dentists is an affordable marketing strategy that can be scaled to fit your budget. It will bring highly targeted traffic to your website, converting visitors into new patients.

Also, you can easily track how each keyword performs. This data can then be used to further build your PPC strategy, as well as for your dental SEO.

While a dentist PPC campaign can be very successful, working with a digital marketing agency with dental experience gains massive results. They have the specialized know-how to analyze the data, as well as your competitor's data. They'll also be able to manage your PPC bids to get the best results while maintaining your budget.

Google My Business Page for Dentists

Google is not consistent in the way it structures its data, making organic dental SEO even more of a challenge. Furthermore, local searches for dentists on Google are likely to bring up a map, along with dental Google My Business pages. This can practically negate the organic search results.

If you haven't claimed a Google My Business page yet for your dental practice, do so now. Dental practices benefit from local SEO and local search results. By setting up a Google My Business page, you'll get a pin on Google Maps. Visually showing your location on a map can convert quite a few people into new dental patients.

When setting up this page, be sure to post pictures of your office, along with your phone number and operating hours. It's easy enough to do and can make a profound difference in your online performance.

Which Is Best, SEO or PPC for Dentists?

While dental SEO takes longer to achieve and is a complex operation, the benefits last longer. Also, when your dental practice appears at the top of the organic search results, it gives you instant credibility. Once your site does begin to rank, it will likely stay on top with minimal effort, making it practically free.

However, SEO is not guaranteed to produce results. Also, there is no guarantee another dentist won't come along and take your spot. You are not the only dentist in town trying to make it to the top of Google.

On the other hand, PPC for dentists can give you more control over where your website appears in the search results. Of course, pay-per-click ads can become a regular expense that you'll need to budget for. That expense can quickly get out of hand if it's not monitored.

In the end, you need both SEO and PPC ads for a balanced approach to your dental marketing. But, PPC for dentists is a surefire marketing solution that produces results right away. Also, it can easily be scaled to fit your budget. Finally, working with a digital marketing agency can get you exceptional results with both organic SEO and your PPC campaigns.