Offering Your Dental Services to Special Interest Groups

Did you know that if you have a relationship with a local group or offer specialty dental services, that can help attract new patients and improve your search engine rankings? Your ranking can benefit from having your practice and website featured in an exclusive online list that caters to a particular niche group in your local community. These links can appear on non-profit organization websites, online news articles, or blogs.

As you know, the more websites that link to your site the more trustworthy your business seems. These kind of links are particularly strong indicators for Google because they build on existing relationships. The link is a result of a natural relationship formed between the business and the organization. That means the link is considered an “organic” link, and not a paid-for link, which Google can find spammy.

Often, these sites only accept a limited number of dental practices on their directory after the organization has reviewed them.

Top 4 examples of specialty websites

Some websites specialize in dental providers that offer services to special interest groups either pro-bono or at low cost. Other websites highlight businesses that provide safe spaces for individuals with different cultural practices and beliefs. Here are a few examples:

• Low-income patients with no dental insurance Finding affordable dental care can be difficult for low-income patients or those without dental insurance. Online resources direct these patients to practices that offer pro-bono or low-cost services. For example, Dentistry From The Heart lists dental practices that offer free dental care events. They make it easy to book off one day every year to give back, and have resources and packages on their website designed to help you get set up.
• Patients with special needs If you have a specialist on staff who treats children with autism, several online resources help connect patients with health care providers. There are also sites that connect dentists with patients who have Alzheimer’s or dementia. Listing your practice on these sites can help patients with special needs find the best dental care.
• Holistic and eco-friendly dentistry Environmentally-conscious groups often look for businesses and practices that offer holistic or eco-friendly services. For example, some groups are worried about being over-exposed to fluoride, and highlight dental practices that provide fluoride-free treatments. If you’re thinking about the environment, consider becoming an eco-friendly dentist. This requires special accreditation from the Eco-Dentistry Association. The accreditation is a bit of a process and requires a fee … But if this is something you’re already interested in, why not take it to the next level? Once you’re accredited, you’ll be listed on their online directory of green dentists.
• Culturally specific groups Some special interest groups look for businesses that welcome people who practise certain beliefs or lifestyles. Many non-profit sites seek to raise awareness of issues affecting their community and offer a directory of small businesses that are attentive to their concerns. Other groups might also look for dental practices that speak a particular language — this is especially true for new immigrants who have just arrived in your community.

Here’s the most important thing to consider when looking to connect with one of these types of organizations: is it a natural fit for your practice? If you already offer some of the services we’ve described or you’d like to explore your options, then these types of link building tactics would be perfect for you.

Do you have any other ideas? Let us know in the comments section below.