Surpassing Goals With Refined Digital Marketing Strategies - A Case Study

Local SEO Reaches Customers in Your Area

Local SEO, or local search engine optimization, is a specialized branch of SEO that focuses on optimizing a business’s online presence to attract more local customers. The goal of our local SEO team was to enhance Oakland Family Dental’s visibility in local search results, making it more likely for people in their specific geographic area to find and engage with the business.

The Objectives

Oakland Family Dental’s goals revolve around optimizing its local online presence and attracting a robust base of local patients. The primary objective was to enhance visibility in local search results, securing a prominent position on platforms like Google My Business. By actively managing online reviews and maintaining a positive reputation, the practice aims to convert online visibility into tangible appointments and foster community engagement. We helped them achieve this through citation management, review management, and website updates.

Our overarching strategy includes boosting website traffic, outperforming local competitors, and continually analyzing key performance indicators to see what is working well and what needs adjustment. Ultimately, Oakland Family Dental aspires to be the top choice for dental services in the targeted area, providing an exceptional patient experience that resonates with the local community.

The Strategies

To enhance Oakland Family Dental’s visibility in local search results, strategic measures were implemented. This included linking their Google Maps listing to their website, integrating the practice’s location name seamlessly into content pages, and ensuring accurate presentation of their NAP (name, address, phone number) information.

A meticulous fine-tuning of their Google listing and other major search engine profiles was executed to accurately portray the business across digital platforms. These efforts contribute to a cohesive and optimized online presence, which is crucial for improved visibility in local searches and attracting potential patients.

Updating Their Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile serves as the initial impression potential customers encounter when searching for your business on Google Search or Maps. It acts as a concise snapshot of your business, providing key information to users. Maintaining a complete Google listing is crucial, not just for users but also for Google’s algorithms.

It signals that your business is active and relevant, contributing to improved visibility in search results. A well-curated Google Business Profile not only informs potential clients about your offerings, location, and contact details but also establishes trust and credibility, making it a fundamental asset for your online presence.

Once we successfully claimed and verified Oakland Family Dental’s Google listing through Google’s Business Profile platform, a series of strategic updates were implemented:

1. Added the services and products they offer
2. Uploaded pictures of patients’ results
3. Wrote a short description of who they are and their mission statement
4. Linked to key pages on their website
5. Added social media links

Maintaining a positive rapport with Google is pivotal for optimal search engine rankings. So, our dedicated local SEO team consistently managed Oakland Family Dental’s Google business listing. This involved the regular creation of Google posts every month, each featuring a concise paragraph highlighting their services and any ongoing specials, complemented by a link to their website.

Because Google emphasizes customer interaction, our Local SEO team proactively responded to customer reviews and questions on the listing, fostering engagement and further enhancing the clinic’s online reputation. This holistic approach not only ensures accurate and updated information for potential clients but also contributes to the ongoing improvement of Oakland Family Dental’s online visibility and credibility.

Backlink Optimization

Backlinks signify a website’s credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines. Backlink optimization stands as a dynamic and continual process, demanding constant vigilance, analysis, and adaptation to the evolving digital landscape. This practice is an integral facet of a comprehensive SEO strategy, working towards enhancing a website’s authority, relevance, and visibility in search engine results. Employing advanced in-house SEO tools, we meticulously optimized Oakland Family Dental’s existing backlinks and cultivated new ones.

Beyond tool utilization, our approach involved proactive outreach to organizations linked with the professionals at this dental practice, strategically seeking backlinks from their respective websites. This targeted effort, guided by thorough research, enabled us to identify and engage with relevant sites and blogs. Through this initiative, we effectively showcased Oakland Family Dental and its esteemed professionals across diverse online platforms, reinforcing their digital presence and authority in the local search landscape.

The Results

Since becoming a client with us, we’ve helped Dr. Sheehan maintain multiple number-one spots in the Google Local Pack for terms like “emergency dentistry” and “family dentist”. Their listing also ranks organically in the top 3 positions on Google Maps for multiple dentistry terms that are highly searched for.

We also helped their practice maintain the top 5 results on Google

Our Local SEO team helped Oakland Family Dental achieve 2.54k total website views over the past year. 

Achievable Goals With Comprehensive SEO Strategies

For Oakland Family Dental, we utilized the following SEO strategies to increase their online presence:

1. Website Design: Our design team created a cohesive design that complemented the client’s ideas, was eye-catching to users, and allowed for multimedia content.
2. Content: Content is one of the strongest ranking factors. Our SEO team created fresh, optimized content that followed E.E.A.T. We made sure to focus on writing content that answered the user’s questions and demonstrated the experience and expertise of our client.
3. Multimedia Techniques: We included a media section on their website that displays the doctor’s expertise by linking to articles she’s produced and video clips of her appearing on TV news shows discussing dentistry tips. This section also features a smile gallery, showing before and afters of real patient smiles. Original videos and images assist in building trustworthiness and expertise and also allow users to get a better understanding of the work the doctor can do for them.
4. On-Page Optimization: Along with updating content, we also make sure on-page elements are present. These include adding images, adding alt-image text, and internal linking.
5. Monthly Updates: Each month, our team updates two pages of content that are optimized to rank in the SERPs. Monthly work also includes checking the website’s health through audits and fixing anything that may be hindering results.
6. Data Analytics: We implement analytic tools to track the performance of our SEO efforts. We regularly view and analyze data to make informed decisions and refine our strategies.
7. Adjusting to Google Core Updates: Each year, Google rolls out broad core updates that adjust the algorithm. Some of the changes we adapted to include adding structured data, creating FAQs for each page, and rewriting content with each update that rolled out.

Results

When Oakland Family Dental hired NMG, they only ranked organically for about 50 keywords. As of November 2023, they rank organically for 1,218 keywords. That’s a 2,330% increase.

Over the years, we’ve had a consistent stream of traffic to their website. Within the last 16 months, they’ve reached 941,000 impressions and achieved more than 8,000 clicks. With over 1,000 keywords ranking organically, they maintain an average position of 38.

We also utilize tools such as SE Ranking to track specific keywords. Among the 106 keywords we track daily, 68% of those keywords are in the top 10 results in the SERP. By tracking rankings, we’re able to see what’s working or maybe what’s not and adjust accordingly. Specific terms, such as Emergency Dentist and Dentist in Waterford, are harder to rank for as they’re considered more competitive. However, you can see below that we rank number 1 for both of those keywords. 

Strategic Clicks: Shaping Client Success in the Digital Landscape

Key Issues PPC Leaned Into Correcting

Oakland Family Dental’s challenges included limited online visibility, low-quality leads, and stagnant monthly patient appointments.

Our objective was straightforward: optimize Oakland Family Dental’s Google Ads to revamp their strategy, amplify local brand visibility, and generate higher-quality leads and patients for their dental practice.

Campaign Objectives Overview

We crafted campaign objectives aligned with Oakland Family Dental’s goals and achievable across the board:

1. Amplify local online visibility and brand recognition.
2. Drive qualified leads to Oakland Family Dental’s practice.
3. Increase appointment bookings for emergency and general dental services.
4. Enhance visibility for emergency dental services.
5. Attract new patients seeking general dentistry solutions.

Executing a Results-Driven PPC Campaign

We implemented a highly successful, optimized PPC campaign for Oakland Family Dental, emphasizing emergency and general dentistry services. The campaign exceeded expectations, leading to heightened online visibility, a surge in emergency dental appointments, and a significant increase in general dentistry inquiries.

Oakland Family Dental experienced a:

• 39.52% increase in Conversions
• 157.06% increase in Conversion Rate
• 11.43% increase in Search Impression Share

Optimization and Planning

We strategically structured our advertisements and keywords into distinct ad groups with a focus on emergency dental services and general dentistry. Previously the ad groups and keywords inside these ad groups were not organized which affected the ad quality score.

Each ad group was meticulously categorized based on various benefits and services provided by Oakland Family Dental. Our ad creatives were specifically crafted to showcase Oakland Family Dental’s proficiency in promptly addressing dental emergencies and advocating for overall oral health.

Audience Focus

Our target audience included residents in the local community actively seeking emergency dental care and general dentistry services. We used demographic and behavioral targeting strategies to guarantee a tailored and accurate outreach to our audience.

We excluded the lower 50% of household incomes to reduce the amount of unqualified leads that Oakland Family Dental was receiving. Our team also utilized hundreds of negative keywords. Negative keywords are terms we do not want our advertisements to show up for, like “free”, “cheap”, etc.

Keyword Research

Our team thoroughly explored hundreds of keywords from Oakland Family Dental’s region, handpicking the best ones for their Google Ads campaigns. This in-depth keyword research uncovered the best relevant terms associated with emergency dentistry and general oral health, ensuring that the campaign effectively captured high-intent searches.

Ad Copy and Creativity

We created compelling ad copies that underscored the swift aid available for emergencies and showcased the array of general dentistry services at Oakland Family Dental. Our team consistently puts ad creatives to the test through A/B testing. A/B testing means testing different variations of ads to find the best-performing one. We made it a point to highlight Oakland Family Dental’s unique advantages, such as weekend hours, setting them apart from other advertisers in the area.

Strategy Implementation

Bid Strategy

Initially, we kicked off with a “maximize clicks” bid strategy, looking into the incoming data to gain insights. After studying the data and optimizing, we pivoted gears to a “maximize conversions” approach, geared towards reeling in the most leads. This dynamic mix of manual and automated bidding strategies underwent regular tweaks, aligning with performance data to ensure optimal visibility within the designated budget.

Ad Assets

We utilized ad assets/extensions to help emphasize our emergency and general dentistry offerings for heightened visibility and increased user engagement. These additions, such as site links, callouts, image extensions, and more, served as extra flair, making our ads stand out prominently from the competition.

Budget Oversight and Optimization

We kept a watchful eye on budget distribution, fine-tuning it daily to guarantee peak performance and cost-effectiveness. Oakland Family Dental was allocated a competitive ad spend, designed for optimal impact. To ensure precision in ad spend, we employed a third-party tracking software, diligently monitoring budget pacing throughout the month. This proactive approach ensured that their budget was allocated properly and in alignment with campaign goals.

Performance Benchmarks

We kept a close eye on vital performance metrics, including CTR (Click-through Rate), CPC (Cost Per Click), Conversions (Calls and Form Fill-Outs), and Conversion Rate, with a special emphasis on emergency appointment bookings and general dentistry inquiries.

Ongoing Adjustments

Frequent analysis of campaign data paved the way for strategic adjustments, encompassing keyword fine-tuning, bid adjustments, and an ongoing enhancement of ad creatives. This proactive approach ensured that we stayed in sync with the evolving needs of patients, consistently fine-tuning our strategies for optimal results.

Results and Outcomes

Oakland Family Dental experienced significant improvements in key Google Ads metrics in their first 8 months with Now Media Group in 2022, showcasing the success of their digital campaign.

The campaign’s emphasis on strategic adjustments resulted in a 39.52% increase in Conversions, indicating a substantial rise in desired actions such as appointment bookings or form submissions. The Conversion Rate skyrocketed by 157.06%, illustrating a remarkable boost in the percentage of clicks that translated into valuable actions.

Additionally, there was an 11.43% increase in Search Impression Share, reflecting a higher portion of visibility for Oakland Family Dental in relevant search results. This metric indicates the clinic’s improved presence in Google searches related to their services.

Throughout these improvements, the campaign maintained a steady and low Cost Per Conversion. This means that Oakland Family Dental achieved these remarkable results while keeping advertising costs efficient and ensuring a cost-effective acquisition of new patient visits.

These positive changes in metrics signify the campaign’s effectiveness in driving more engagement and actions from users searching for dental services. The increased Conversions and Conversion Rate point to a higher number of new patient visits, showcasing the campaign’s success in attracting and converting potential patients. The enhanced Search Impression Share also indicates that more people were exposed to Oakland Family Dental’s ads, contributing to the overall growth and success of their Google Ads campaign.