Dental Google Advertising
Although there are many search engines, the ones that count is Google, then Yahoo, then a distant third, Windows Live (also known as MSN).
Google lets a searcher find your website either by organic listings, or pay-per-click. Organic listings are the free listings that a visitor gets when they enter keywords such as "dental veneers."
What people do not realize is that visitors pay far more attention to the organic listings than they pay to the ads. The ads are mostly on the right side of the page in little rectangular units, although Google does list some of them in a different color at the top of the left hand listings, as well as a map with some local listings on it.
What you really want is to get to the top of the organic search engine rankings. And there are important tricks to doing this. Recognizing…
The importance of the long tail
The long tail is an economic concept. It says that people will find you using a large number of search terms, no one of which will be very popular. But in combination, all these search terms will result in a lot of visitors to your site.
In graphic terms, as this chart shows you, the green area are terms such as "cosmetic dentist" and "dentist Los Angeles". But the yellow part represent a very large number of search terms that typically occur as three or four (or more) word combinations. If your site targets those long tail phrases, then it will attract a lot of organic search traffic.
And, moreover, the visitors will be better quality and more likely to become patients. Here's why.
Assume you have Alice and Bob. Alice goes to Google and types "dentist Los Angeles", while Bob goes to Google and types in "Los Angeles dentist specializing in veneers".
Who would make a better patient, do you think?
It is my experience that the long tail searchers are more certain of what they are seeking and are more likely to convert into real, good quality patients. In addition, long tail phrases are easier to dominate on Google and other search engines, and less expensive.
Everyone is bidding on Google advertising for the word "dentist" but how many are bidding on "Los Angeles dentist specializing in veneers?"
Are you wondering how many people really search using a long phrase like this? Well a lot. A recent site I set up tracks people who click and of those who click, who buys. The buyers often enter a complete sentence into Google. The shoppers, those who search but don't buy, just enter in a few words.
And that brings me to another point about Google advertising…
Why Google Pay Per Click Advertising for Dentists is Expensive
With Google pay per click advertising, your competitors are all bidding on the same keyword phrases. Rather than the long tail, they are bidding on "dentist" and "veneers" and "cosmetic dentist."
No wonder Google advertising is so expensive.
And because all the other dentists are bidding on the same keyword phrases, the clicks that come to Google are shared amongst a large number of dentists. So volume of clicks tends to be too low. It's like taking a nice fat juicy steak and then sharing the one steak with 100 people. It's a great steak, but nobody satisfies their hunger.
So what is the solution to the problem of volume of pay per click that is too low? The solution is looking beyond Google…where 99% of web visitors are right now…
And about 16 years ago, a book was published that revolutionized case acceptance. An underground classic, it spelled out how to ethically sell restorative dentistry. Now that book is in its third edition and also explains secrets of getting prepayment, using dental imaging, incorporating oral conscious sedation, and selling cosmetic dentistry. This book sells for $59.95 but is yours free when you give me your name and email. I will email you occasional practice marketing, dental advertising and management tips but I will NEVER share your email or information with ANYONE. And you can unsubscribe by simply clicking a link that I give you on every email.