Digital Marketing for Dentists: A Step-by-Step Guide to Get More Patients

What You Will Learn

• Easy ways to get found online
• Simple tools to get more patients
• Best ways to make your website work better
• Smart ways to use social media

Why Your Dental Practice Needs Digital Marketing

Do you want more patients? Digital marketing helps dentists get found by people looking for dental care.

Big fact: 90% of patients look online before they pick a dentist. Most use Google to find dentists near them.

If you’re not online, you miss these people. They will find other dentists instead of you.

What Digital Marketing Does For Dentists:

• Gets your dental office on the first page of Google
• Helps new patients find you when they need you
• Makes people trust your dental practice
• Gets patients to pick you instead of other dentists

1. Make Your Google Business Listing Work Hard

Your Google My Business listing is like a free ad. When people search for “dentist near me,” they see this first!

Quick Steps:

1. Claim your Google listing
2. Add lots of good photos of your office and team
3. List all your dental services
4. Ask happy patients for star ratings

Big win: Dental offices with good Google listings get 50% more calls than those without them.

Smart Tip:

Add words like “emergency dentist [Your City]” to help local people find you fast when they have tooth pain.

2. Make Your Dental Website Work Better

Your website must be fast and work well on phones. Most people will leave if your site is slow!

Must-Have Website Items:

• Easy-to-find contact info
• Book Now button that’s big and bright
• Before-and-after smile photos
• Simple words that explain dental care
• Fast loading pages (no waiting!)

Amazing fact: Dental sites that load fast on phones get 3x more appointment requests.

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Example: Service Pages That Work

Make a page for each main service you offer:

• Teeth Cleaning
• Dental Implants
• Invisalign
• Emergency Care
• Teeth Whitening

For each page, tell:

1. What the service is
2. How it helps
3. How much it costs (or price range)
4. Why to choose your office
5. Add a “Book Now” button

3. Get Found on Google (SEO for Dentists)

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps your dental practice show up when people search for dental care.

Top Dental SEO Tasks:

1. Use words patients type like:
   • “dentist near me”
   • “tooth pain help”
   • “how much do dental implants cost”
   • “emergency dentist open now”
2. Get listed in online dental directories
   • Yelp
   • Healthgrades
   • Zocdoc
   • Local city guides
3. Make helpful content that answers questions:
   • “How to handle a broken tooth”
   • “What to expect during a root canal”
   • “How much do dental implants cost?”

Big result: A Missouri dental office got 63% more new patients in 6 months by fixing their SEO.

4. Get More Patient Reviews

Patient reviews make people trust you. They work like friends telling friends about you.

Ways to Get More Reviews:

1. Ask happy patients right after their visit
2. Send a text with a review link
3. Train your team to ask for reviews
4. Thank patients who leave reviews

Important fact: Dental practices with 4+ stars on Google get 50% more calls than those with fewer stars .

How to Handle Bad Reviews:

1. Respond fast (within 24 hours)
2. Be kind and helpful
3. Offer to fix the problem
4. Take the talk private – give your phone number

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5. Use Social Media That Works for Dentists

Not all social media is good for dentists. Pick the ones that work best!

Best Social Media for Dentists:

• Facebook: Best for adults 30-65 years old
• Instagram: Best for showing smile makeovers
• YouTube: Great for explaining dental procedures

Facebook Tips:

1. Share staff birthdays and fun office news
2. Post “Meet the Doctor” stories
3. Show before/after photos (with permission)
4. Run special offers for new patients

Instagram Tips:

1. Post before/after smile photos
2. Make short videos explaining dental care
3. Show your office and team having fun
4. Use local hashtags like #[YourCity]Dentist

Amazing stat: Dental practices posting before-and-after photos on Instagram see a 40% jump in new patient calls.

6. Try Paid Ads for Fast Results

Paid ads can get new patients fast. They show at the top of Google.

Types of Dental Ads:

• Google Ads: Show when people search for dental care
• Facebook Ads: Target by age, zip code, and interests
• Instagram Ads: Show smile makeover photos
• Google Local Service Ads: Show your reviews and verified status

Cost info: “Invisalign near me” costs about $8-$12 per click. But one new patient can be worth $3,000+!

Best Words for Dental Ads:

• “Same-day emergency dentist”
• “Affordable teeth whitening”
• “Dentist open Saturday”
• “Invisalign consultation free”
• “Dental implants [Your City]”

7. Send Emails & Texts That Patients Open

Email and text message marketing helps you keep your current patients.

Messages to Send:

• Birthday greetings with small gift offers
• Recall reminders when it’s time for checkups
• Thank you notes after visits
• Helpful tips about dental care
• Office news and updates

Big win: Automated email reminders cut missed appointments by 25%.

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8. Use Videos to Build Trust

Videos help patients feel less scared. They show you are a real, kind person.

Dental Video Ideas:

• Office tour showing your clean, nice space
• Meet the doctor – talk about why you love being a dentist
• How-to videos like “How to brush right”
• Procedure explainers like “What happens during a crown”

Amazing fact: Dental websites with videos keep visitors 2.5x longer than those without.

9. Track What Works

Use simple tools to see what’s working in your dental marketing.

Easy Tracking Tips:

• Ask new patients: “How did you find us?”
• Use Google Analytics to see where website visitors come from
• Track which ads get the most clicks and calls
• Watch which posts get the most likes and shares

Make a simple chart to track new patients each month and where they came from.

Digital Marketing Tools for Dentists

These tools make dental marketing easier:

Real Success Stories

Case #1: Dr. Smith’s Practice

• Before: 15 new patients per month
• Did: Fixed Google listing, got 50 new reviews
• After: 38 new patients per month
• Time: 4 months

Case #2: Main Street Dental

• Before: Low in Google search
• Did: Made pages for each service with good words
• After: Shows on page 1 for “dental implants [City]”
• Time: 6 months

Simple First Steps (Start Today!)

1. Google your practice – see what shows up
2. Check your website on a phone – is it easy to use?
3. Look at your reviews – do you need more?
4. Ask 3 happy patients for Google reviews
5. Post one photo on social media

Learn about orthodontic retainer options to expand your practice’s offerings for post-treatment care.

Questions Dentists Ask

Wrap-Up: Your Dental Marketing Plan

Digital marketing helps more patients find your dental practice. Here’s what to remember:

1. Fix your Google listing first – it’s free!
2. Get more good reviews – they build trust
3. Make your website work on phones – most people use them
4. Try some social media posts – before/after photos work best
5. Track new patients to see what’s working

The best time to start is now. Even small steps help more patients find you!