You already know it; getting new patients isn’t easy! Businesses compete fiercely for their target audiences with different advertising messages online and offline. You don’t directly compete with every single business on the market (thankfully!), but you are among the many businesses that compete for people’s time and attention. While you’re looking to gain the attention of 56-year-old-Todd-from-Manhattan-who-makes-an-average-income-of-over-$100,000-per-year, so are countless other businesses (dental offices included!). So, if you’re really competing with everyone, how do you stand out? Video marketing is a great tool because it conveys what today’s patients are craving: engagement, authenticity, and connection.
Video, with its powerful combination of sight, sound, and storytelling, isn’t just a trendy marketing tool; it’s a game-changer for dental practices aiming to gain more new patients. Let’s talk about the secret sauce of video-powered patient attraction.
Why Video Helps Dentists Connect With Patients
Video allows you to go beyond the surface and forge genuine connections with potential patients even when they’re not in your office. Imagine showcasing your friendly team introducing themselves, calming the nerves of a young patient undergoing their first checkup, or offering a virtual tour of your modern, comfortable practice. Videos like these tap into emotions, build trust and humanize your practice in a way static text simply can’t. It’s like inviting patients right into your welcoming environment, fostering a sense of familiarity and understanding before they even step through the door. This connection goes beyond simple information; it builds loyalty and makes patients feel seen and valued, ultimately turning them into patients and advocates for your practice.
Beyond video’s ability to gain attention and enhance the patient experience, video helps to build your brand, increase brand awareness, boost your SEO, increase your conversion rates, and aid in your social media efforts. In this post, we’re going to focus mostly on the SEO value video brings to your website.
Video Can Boost Your Search Engine Rankings
The search for the perfect dentist often starts online, so standing out in search results is crucial. That’s where video steps in. Here are some ways that video impacts your SEO efforts:
Increase website dwell time
Google and other search engines want to see that the information provided on your website is relevant, trustworthy, and helpful. As search engines get better and better at determining the search intent of users, they’re also taking note of key factors that help them determine your relevance. One such factor is dwell time. That’s how long someone stays on your website.
A potential patient spends significantly longer captivated by a video explaining a procedure compared to skimming text paragraphs. This increased dwell time signals search engines that your site offers valuable content, boosting your ranking. Using video on your website doesn’t have to be a procedure explanation, though; check out one of our dentists who uses video in their banner to give patients an idea of the experience they offer. Or another of our dentists uses a video testimonial on their homepage.
Engagement
Engagement isn’t a feel-good metric. Just like we talked about with dwell time, search engines are constantly evaluating websites to see which offers the most engaging “performances.” Metrics like video watch time and click-through rates signal to search engines that your website is valuable and engaging.
The longer viewers stay hooked on your video, the higher the “watch time” metric, sending a clear message to search engines: “This content is captivating and informative!” This translates to a boost in your website ranking, making it easier for new patients to discover your practice. Clicks to watch the video, related services, or calls to action within the video all contribute to SEO value. Each interaction amplifies your website’s “performance,” telling search engines, “This website provides an exceptional user experience!”
Backlink opportunities
Think beyond the “like” button – video can help to generate valuable backlinks, a golden ticket to higher SEO rankings. Imagine this: you create a captivating video explaining a complex dental procedure. The engaging content not only educates and calms patients but also catches the eye of industry blogs and news websites. They embed your video, linking back to your practice, signaling to search engines that your content is trustworthy and valuable.
But the backlink magic doesn’t stop there. Patients who resonate with your video might share it on their social media, further expanding your reach and potentially prompting other relevant websites to embed it, creating a snowball effect of backlinks. These links act as votes of confidence from the online world, telling search engines, “This website is a valuable resource!” And the reward? A higher position in search results, making it easier for new patients to discover your practice.
Behind-the-scenes optimization
Some SEO magic happens behind the scenes in video optimization. Imagine search engines like librarians skimming countless websites and videos (remember learning to use the Dewey Decimal System?). To get their attention, you need clear “labels” that explain what your video is about. That’s where optimized video titles, descriptions, and tags come in.
Think of these elements as your video’s SEO cheat sheet or decimal number classification. By strategically incorporating relevant keywords throughout, you’re essentially handing the librarian keywords they recognize, making your video easier to “find” amidst the online library. Search engines then use these keywords to understand your video’s content and relevance to user searches, ultimately influencing where it ranks in search results. Remember, search engines value clear communication, so ensure your titles are concise, accurate, and keyword-rich while descriptions provide informative summaries that entice viewers to click. Tags act as additional keywords, further refining your video’s searchability.
Increased conversion rates
Engaging video content can significantly boost click-through rates on landing pages, transforming casual interest into concrete action.
Why? Videos tap into powerful human emotions that static text simply can’t match. Seeing a friendly dentist explain a procedure calms anxieties, a patient testimonial builds trust, and a virtual tour creates a sense of familiarity. This combination of information, trust, and connection is the magic formula for increased conversion rates. Patients who feel informed, engaged, and connected with your practice are far more likely to click that “Book Appointment” button, translating views into valued patients.
The SEO Symphony Leads to Brand Authority
All the SEO benefits we’ve explored – increased website traffic, improved website ranking, backlink opportunities, and higher conversion rates – ultimately culminate in a powerful outcome: elevated brand authority. Remember, search engines aren’t just blindly ranking websites; they’re complex algorithms evaluating user experience and trust signals. So, when your video content consistently engages viewers, educates patients, and drives conversions, search engines recognize it as valuable and authoritative. This translates to higher rankings, further attracting patients who see your brand as a trusted source of dental information and care.
While all this is important, remember that SEO magic doesn’t happen in isolation. Marketing works best when all your efforts are working together. That’s why it’s so important to have a strategy and plan! High-quality video content might do the job of attracting attention and engagement, but it needs the support of your other efforts, too: strategic social media promotion amplifies your reach, informative blog posts provide deeper content, and a user-friendly website ensures a seamless patient experience.
By harmonizing all your marketing efforts, you create a powerful brand narrative that resonates with patients and search engines alike. Each piece reinforces the others, building trust and establishing your practice as a leading authority in the dental field.
Using Video in Social Media
Are you already convinced that you need video in your marketing? Us too! And we haven’t even talked about social media yet.
Social media platforms are a vibrant extension of your website, buzzing with potential patients eager to connect and learn. Video can attract viewers, boost engagement, and ultimately drive traffic back to your website.
Imagine posting a snippet of your informative procedure video on Facebook, sparking curiosity and prompting clicks to learn more on your website. Or picture a patient testimonial on Instagram, building trust and encouraging viewers to explore your services. Videos on social media act as trailers, igniting interest and leading potential patients down the conversion funnel. Click here to read more about making your own informative video to boost your social media presence, or, if you’re ready, go ahead and get started!
Remember that video content is highly shareable! A compelling patient testimonial shared by their network expands your reach organically while engaging snippets on platforms like Instagram can go viral, attracting thousands of new viewers. This social media ripple effect not only increases brand awareness but also drives valuable traffic back to your website, where they can delve deeper into your services and book appointments.
And the best part? You don’t need a constant stream of new video content. The beauty of social media lies in reusing and repurposing your existing videos. Take that informative procedure video and create shorter snippets for different platforms, tailor patient testimonials for specific demographics, or even use behind-the-scenes footage to create a personal connection with your audience. 12 Video Topic Ideas For Dentists can help you come up with some more ideas, and the video below can give you tips on video quality and consistency.
Rank Higher and Grow Your Practice
The digital landscape is evolving, and video has become the must-have marketing tool for dentists seeking to spark patient engagement, soar in search engine rankings, and build a thriving practice. From creating informative explainer videos to fostering trust with patient testimonials, the possibilities are endless. Video isn’t just a trend; it’s a strategic investment that delivers measurable results.
But navigating the world of video marketing can be tricky. Let Pro Impressions Marketing be your guide. Our team of dental marketing experts specializes in dental marketing that resonates with patients, boosts your SEO, and ultimately helps you attract new smiles. With our data-driven approach and personalized strategies, we’ll help you unlock the full potential of video marketing and turn your dental practice into a beacon of digital success.
Ready for more patients? Contact Pro Impressions Marketing today, and let’s discuss how we can help you achieve your dental marketing goals.
