Go tribal with your website marketing!

Over the years (since 1999), I’ve gradually added to my website.  After 22 years, I’ve got over 50 pages on my site.

Something I’ve constantly advocated (to other dentists) is to avoid “catch-all” web pages on your website.  For example:  Putting a list of all your services on a single “Services” page dilutes the SEO (search engine optimization) potential for your website.  Instead, put each service on its own web page.

If you offer veneers, for example, it deserves its own web page.  If you put it on the same page as the laundry list of all your services, it simply won’t show up when someone searches “Veneers dentist my town.”  A page dedicated to veneers is far more likely to get noticed (and more highly ranked) by Google.  I’ve written about this before.

This time, it’s a bit different.  This time it’s about the “About Us” page on your website.  Most dentists have a “Meet the Dentist” page.  Or (worse), they have a “Meet the Team” page that includes the dentist.  The dentist should have his or her own page, of course.  The team gets its own page, too.

Go tribal!

Typically on the “Meet the Dentist” page, we have the usual rundown of our qualifications and professional background, experience, and associations.  BORING!!!  Many will add something personal, as well… Like our family, pets, or our oil painting or fishing hobbies.  BORING! 

But, what if there was something about you that distinguishes you as different?  Or as similar to a particular group of people? By that, I mean something that identifies you as a part of a tribe?  Not as in Native American tribe.  Rather, in the sense of a group with a common interest, background, or history.

One of us!  One of us!

In my case, one group I can “identify with” is military veterans, since I am one.  It occurred to me that some folks (veterans) may be interested in a dentist who is also a veteran.  Or not!  Who knows? But, I also realized that it would cost me next to nothing to add a SEPARATE web page to my website highlighting my veteran status and military history.  I had nothing to lose. 

Instead of burying my military background as a bullet on the “Meet the Dentist” page, I’d give it its own page… search engine optimized for those Long Tail keywords:  “veteran dentist.”  And, then we wait.  And wait.  While it costs nothing!

Last week, it happened!

We always ask new patients how they found us.  Whenever it was a web search, I like to ask them some questions about how they found my site or what differentiated my site from the others.  Why did they pick me?  Last week, a new patient told me, “I searched for a veteran dentist.”  Booya!

In my dental operatory on the USS Independence.

Shazam!  It worked!  Of course, we traded our military histories and some “sea stories.”  Well, that’s what we Navy guys call them.  He was in the Army.  Maybe they call them “dirt stories?”  In any case, we “hit it off,” of course.

I want a dentist who understands me.

So, what’s one of your “things?”  Which tribe might you belong to?  Who might be looking for a fellow “Tribe Member, DDS?”  Create a web page within your website dedicated to that.  Write up some copy, and hand it over to your website team.

It could be that you speak Spanish and want to attract Hispanic patients?  Sure, who doesn’t have “Se habla Español” on their website?  But, that’s not going to show up at the top in a Google search for that specific thing.  But, if you have a separate web page dedicated to that… another story!  Perhaps you’re from Venezuela and there’s a big Venezuelan community in your area.  Create and optimize a page about that! 

To be clear… Dedicate an entire webPAGE to your tribal status.  Don’t stick it in as a bullet point on the “Meet the Dentist” page.  Having its own page will make a BIG difference with SEO (search engine optimization).

Or maybe you’re a tri-athlete.  Or grew up on a farm.  Which tribe or tribes do you belong to?  Think about it.

I can promise you, NOBODY else is doing this.  And, it costs almost nothing!  If someone out there is looking for a dentist who is in their “tribe,” you can bet Google will pop your page to the top of the search results!

Go get’em, Dental Warriors!  Comment below!