Every time we introduce the concept of SEO marketing to our new client, the first question is how long before they get results? How long before they see a return in their investments? How long before they get their pages on top of 5 -10 pages of search engines?We understand this is new territory, and most dentist and dental practitioners do not see its potential like it’s supposed to, simply because, they are far too busy thinking of their returns in the short term instead of learning the SEO tips and tricks and doing it correct the first time. And often, we get frustrated because the numbers seen in the first month is not at all as impressive as how we were expecting them to be.You must understand SEO marketing is more than just about keyword buying. There are multiple variables at play. Any SEO marketer will tell you that the most impressive results do not happen overnight.

What Do We Mean By "Results"?

SEO marketing is a proven and effective method in traffic conversion, but it takes a great deal of effort, buckets of patience and yes, top dollar before you can see the results. It’s a long-playing game that only a few practitioners get to enjoy have the courage to spend the time to learn, strategise, implement, and repeat.Even with the use of content and social media marketing, SEO will still require time before it releases satisfactory numbers, you are excited to see. However, the minute your ranking increases, your website traffic increases.Good traffic means brand visibility and more conversions, which ultimately would mean, more patients to avail your services.

How to Play the SEO Game?

The early stages of SEO marketing will feel more like a loss than an actual strategy for your practice to take off. The interpretation of results is not to stop at seeing your page on the first page of the search results. For the experienced marketer, moving up your website from page 78 to page 11 of the search results is already a BIG win. That’s a leap, from 67 pages forward. This will tell you that there is something that you are doing correctly.What you need to understand is that, even if your page 1 ranking is not achieved within the first quarter of your SEO campaign, but you’ve seen 2-8% (and this is wishful thinking) movement or success, you cannot decide to throw in the towel at any time, because there are many factors to consider before you see a major change in traffic trends or value to your website.Factors to consider when looking for a better SEO ranking for your practice:

1. Keyword space or the environment.

The significance of your keywords to your practice is not the only thing that matters for the first month. You must know the density of the keyword, how often is it used? Do you have competitors using the same? Are you in sub specialised niche or is your space generic that everybody is pretty much buying the same keyword? For dentists, the most common keywords are:

• Dentist + location This can be either city, state or suburbs, but the initial goal is to rank in that keyword, and this is an example of a keyword difficulty to rank due to the high-volume search with high traffic.
• Dentist + subspecialty These are more targeted but still widely used
  • Pediatric Dentist
  • Adult Dentist
  • Dental Surgery
• Dentist + Subspecialty + Location Now this one would fall under long tail category and should give you better ranking results (though a little expensive)
  • Pediatric Dentist Adelaide
  • Pediatric Dentist Kilda

2. Keyword Strategy.

This will lead you to determine whether you are willing to bet on high competition - high traffic keywords or focus on ranking for low-traffic -low competition keywords in the dental space. Proper keyword research is crucial in any dental SEO marketing, early on determine if you are willing to invest in a high-specialised subspecialty or a high search volume keyword with high traffic potential.

• There’s a big difference in having the below keywords in your strategy.
  • Dentist Melbourne
  • Dentist Australia
  • Adult Periodontics Kilda
  • Pediatric Dental Care Kilda
  • Adult Dentofacial Orthopedics Melbourne
• You have seen the more detailed keyword you use, you’d see lower search volume and you’d question if there is a low search volume, this will not help my ranking.

3. Platforms and Content Types.

These identify the places and kinds of content you intend to utilise to achieve your SEO objectives. You will have to determine, placement, type of content and frequency of distribution.

• Facebook or Instagram
• DIY Video Guides or Weekly Infographics
• Daily tips or best practices

4. Budget Allocation.

This goes without saying, but you must know how much you are willing to spend in keyword buying, ad placement, content creation to get the desired outcome. And in dental marketing, the golden rule is - The dentist who is willing to pay more to get in front of his patients, gets a better share in the patient pool. Spending $500 on your SEO marketing monthly will get you nowhere when your competitor clinic is spending $5000 weekly.

5. Patience.

There’s a learning curve when it comes to making SEO work for you. There is no hard and fast rule or magic formula. There is only trying, implementing and strategising. If you are looking for experts in the field, stay away from General Looking Marketers.com and look for specialised providers, like 360° Dental Marketing.

So, When Do You See Results?

Excluding all the variables above and let’s say you have a solid plan and you have a glorious amount of luck, you’d start to see movement in your traffic within 3 - 6 months after SEO tactics implementation. This refers to measurable results like traffic increase, bounce rate, link clicks, and does not in any way refer to give you a return of your investment in 3 to 6 months.Noe the real answer to ROI is this, the earliest time to see a return (usually in part) is within 12 months of implementation, and this will increase of you stay consistent the minute you identify what is working great in your practice.Some practices have seen major returns in 12 - 24 months because they manage to do it right the first round. Some are lost because they focused on too many items at once without the right strategy or without the best help.Patience and consistency will make it happen. SEO is a long-term strategy, you cannot say for certain that this one will work or this one will not work because search engine algorithm changes almost daily.If you are new to SEO marketing and wanting to do more for your practice, 360 Dental Marketing is your go-to SEO expert to help you achieve your target traffic and patient volume. We provide our expert dental marketing services across Australia, including Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Queensland. Book your free consultation today and one of our Dental SEO Specialists will explain everything you need to know.