Search engine optimization (SEO) and social media are generally seen as mutually exclusive facets of marketing.
The primary difference between the two is that SEO identifies customers when they are actively seeking a product or service, while social media posts are incidental and appear when individuals browse the internet in a routine manner.
Social media links aren’t really a part of SEO link building. Except when a person searches for a specific Facebook page or Twitter account, those search results usually do not convert leads into clients. Besides, SEO initiatives do not have the same impact on social algorithms as they have on search engines.
Even so, there is a need for dental SEO marketers to work closely with dental social media managers and vice versa. While it may seem as if the two are completely unrelated on the surface, in reality there is a significant amount of overlap that can be advantageous to both sides.
Here are five techniques that SEO marketers and social media managers may use to work together to enhance their respective areas.
Use Research in One Area for the Other
The goals of a person searching for information online and a person participating in social media may vary. However, SEO marketers and social media managers can still utilize information about the users on one platform to develop engaging content as well as calls to action on the other.
For instance, markerters and managers can use organic search queries sourced from Google Search Console to understand the issues that individuals are seeking to resolve. This information subsequently can be utilized to develop ads for social media.
On the other hand, the user-generated content gathered from social media can be used to develop content for the dental practice’s website. This will include reviewing social posts for commonly asked questions and then creating site content that addresses those questions as well as developing posts that are shown in featured snippets on Google.
For example, a dental practice marketer may notice that people are posting lots of queries and comments on the practice’s social media pages asking how to take care of their oral health using home remedies.
The practice can use this information to develop a how-to post that links to those social media posts to address the audience’s questions. This post could also be found in the organic search results.
Disseminate Content Across Platforms
It is important to think about how content developed for the practice’s web properties can be repurposed across their platforms. If the practice creates a video for YouTube, it can also edit the best 15 to 30 seconds to create a snippet for use on social media that includes a call to action directing people to the complete video.
If the practice records a Facebook live event, it can download and add the video to its YouTube channel. This will help it reach more viewers, as YouTube is the second most popular search engine today.
For each platform, it is a good idea to customize the content. This may involve animating, filming, or adding various calls to action on the basis of where the traffic is coming from. For instance, a dentist may create a full dental hygiene tutorial on the practice’s site. However, quick cuts of every step in a one-minute video designed for Facebook would help optimize it. The Facebook video could include captions as well because viewers typically watch Facebook videos without the sound.
It is important for a practice to understand how it engages with infographics, social media, pictures, and videos. It should have its own content initiatives to reflect this engagement.
Locate Influencers on Social Media for Content Creation
Social media can help dental practice marketers meet other influencers in a related field or industry. They should check out if there are LinkedIn groups, Facebook pages, or Twitter chats where it is possible to meet others in the same area of work. It is vital to build a rapport with other influencers, seek their advice, and address their questions.
When you feel you are friendly enough with those other specialists in a related field, you can contact them for opinions, quotes, and potential collaborations.
When you publish content that quotes these experts or mentions the excellent work they have done, you can send a link to them and ask them to share or link to the content that quotes them. Notably, if they do it, you should reciprocate by sharing and linking to their content as well.
Better Brand Awareness Can Translate into More Direct Traffic
Measuring social media reach can be challenging. While many individuals may see the dental practice’s ads and posts, it is important to ask if that can translate into more business.
If there is no apparent direct correlation between social ads and the profitability of the practice, it could lead to wrong interpretations about the effectiveness of the social ads.
For example, people might not click directly on links to the practice’s website when they see them in social media ads and boosted posts. Rather, they may Google the practice’s name or even go directly to what they believe is the practice’s URL. The consequent increase in direct traffic is difficult to attribute to social media in such cases.
But the bottom line is that putting effort into building your social media presence ensures that more potential customers will gain awareness of your practice.
Social Media Can Enhance Local SEO Initiatives
Lastly, social media forums have now become citations for businesses in local areas. Similar to Google My Business, other social media platforms such as Facebook can provide local information about dental practices. Even online review platforms may improve NAP (name, address, phone number) consistency, which helps SEO results.
Social platforms are also used for reviewing or recommending dental practices. Users may tag practices that they recommend. While many small businesses, including dentists, continue to believe that social media is useful only for larger corporations, the reality is that social marketing has become equally vital for small localized companies, franchises, and sole proprietorships.
Conclusion
Social media users may differ from search users in their basic intent. Nevertheless, examining their behaviors in one channel and using that information to optimize the other channel can be immensely beneficial for online dental marketing.
Mr. Arulrajah is president and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education, and the online reputations of dentists. With a team of more than 180 full-time marketers, ekwa.com helps dentists who know where they want to go get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call (855) 598-3320 or email naren@ekwa.com.
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