Your dental website is not a static reference source like a book. It should be engaging, informative, current, and relevant. Fresh content not only makes a site more attractive to viewers, it also can boost its search rankings. However, the concept of fresh content is often misunderstood. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Fresh Content?
At first thought, “fresh” seems like a very straightforward concept, but it’s not so simple. Unless we’re talking about a brand-new website on a just purchased domain, no website is 100% fresh. After that, freshness is a scale.
- Original publish date: Once a page has been indexed, this factor begins depreciating. This factor cannot be changed for individual pages. However, you can increase the freshness of the website by adding new pages regularly.
- Small changes in text: If you update just a sentence or two, Google is unlikely to notice. For example, a “tip of the day” on your homepage may attract some repeat visitors, but it isn’t likely to affect your search ranking.
- Significant text updates: Adding or changing several paragraphs on a webpage will make a difference. The more content you update, the fresher the page appears. Keep in mind, this applies to the main content. Sidebars, navigation, advertisements, and script changes are less influential.
- Frequency of changes: Revamping your website every two years will not have the same impact as adding a new blog post every two weeks. Websites that update large amounts of content on a regular basis are a better source of fresh content.
- Inbound links: You probably know that links to your website from an authoritative, high ranking website are beneficial for search engine optimization, though you might be surprised to learn that links can help your content appear fresher. Continually building quality inbound links shows that the page is still relevant. Additionally, the freshness of the source link matters. News outlets and similar often-updated sites tend to link to content that is current and relevant.
Is Fresh Always Best?
The answer is no. In fact, sometimes search engines favor older content. Google outlined potential methods of delivering fresh results in a patent filed more than a decade ago. One of the most interesting points discussed was analysis of the search term itself. This suggests the freshness factor is more important for some searches than for others.
When someone searches for a new technology, a recent event, or a topic that frequently changes, that person is most likely looking for the latest information. Google can get clues from the frequency that a term appears in news articles, on social media, and in searches. When a word or phrase suddenly spikes, it is likely associated with a current event, therefore requiring the freshest content possible.
Timely posts and regular updates are most important for keywords relating to new technology, holidays, upcoming events, recently published research, and similar topics. When a page presents information that changes slowly, or not at all, freshness is less important. Older pages are likely to rank higher for a query that relates to past events, history, or long established facts that are unlikely to change.
Freshening Up Your Dental Website
How can you apply all of this to your dental website?
- Keep information current: Whenever something changes at your practice, it should be updated on the website. If you begin offering a new procedure, add it to the website. When another dentist joins your practice, include his or her biography. If you purchase a CEREC machine, update the article describing your dental crown procedures.
- If it’s not broken, don’t fix it: While updating, refrain from changing a page purely for the sake of change. If there is nothing new to say on the topic, don’t update the article. Dramatic, widespread changes on your website can actually hurt your search rankings, because the content Google had indexed is no longer there.
- Expand your site: The best way to keep your site fresh is by adding new content regularly. If you don’t have a blog, consider starting one. Every new post is a new page, which helps your website stay fresh in Google’s eyes. Because blogs are normally viewed in reverse chronological order, visitors will see the most recent post. That makes it an ideal platform for content about current and upcoming events, new developments in the world of dentistry, and seasonal topics.
As a final note, Google isn’t the only one who loves fresh content. Social media does, too. When you publish a new blog, add a new website page, or upload a new video, post it on your social accounts. This helps keep them active and draws traffic to your site.
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 140 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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