Google Updates That Changed Dental Marketing

For better or for worse, the Google algorithm has an incredible impact on how dental practices must approach marketing. When potential patients perform a Google search for a local dentist, you want your practice near the top of the list. However, the criteria that define those rankings are always changing, so your practice needs to keep up.

Google has released countless updates since its inception in 1998. Though Google progressed slowly at first, there are now thousands of algorithm updates each year. Of course, some are much larger than others. Here are the main updates that have changed the dental marketing landscape over the years.

1. Panda (2011)

The earlier days of the internet were truly a different time. The Panda update debuted in 2011 and fixed some of the most glaring issues with the search engine at the time.

Depending on when you had your first dental website, you might remember the practice of camouflaging a list of hundreds of keywords by blending them into the web page background. The Panda update put an end to that and other keyword-stuffing practices by severely penalizing the rankings of sites that used those tactics.

Google instead shifted its gaze to quality content. To be successful, a dental website now had to provide meaningful, valuable content to rank higher. This change raised the bar for dental marketing but benefitted patients looking for the right dentist for their needs.

2. Venice (2012)

The balance of the internet has changed over the years to accommodate more local businesses. Today, we see this in the integration of the Google Business Profile and other aspects of the Google ecosystem tailored to small businesses.

The Venice update in 2012 changed the Google algorithm to start prioritizing local search results. Instead of receiving search results for the largest sites on the web that focused on dentistry, patients searching for a “dentist near me” could actually find dental practices in their area.

Local dental practices could shift their focus to building strong relationships with their patients. Criteria such as positive reviews became more important, emphasizing more accurate results for patients.

3. Pigeon (2014)

Google continued its trend of supporting local businesses with the Pigeon update in 2014. This provided further fine-tuning of the Google algorithm to make local searches provide more accurate results along with greater detail regarding local dental websites.

To make the most of dental marketing budgets, practices had to narrow their focus even more to accommodate local priorities. This included ensuring that their businesses displayed accurate information across a range of directories. Online reviews once again increased in relevance.

Other changes also required practices to improve their website structure in order to attract search engine traffic. Content quality became increasingly important as well.

4. Mobilegeddon (2015)

Today, websites of all kinds have a strong focus on mobile optimization. Various technical factors play essential roles in achieving high search engine rankings. Though there have been many changes since, the bulk of this transition took place in 2015 with the Mobilegeddon update.

As more people began performing searches on their mobile devices, Google altered its algorithm to prioritize mobile-friendly pages. Key details included responsive mobile websites, load times, and mobile-specific layouts.

Essentially, practices now had two dental websites to worry about. And depending on the specific platform they used, updating their websites to be mobile-friendly meant developing an entirely new site. Thankfully, most platforms today account for mobile optimization as a standard matter of procedure.

5. Medic (2018)

The Medic update in 2018 brought about a major shift in the way the Google algorithm evaluated website content. It began to assess dental website content based on expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (E-A-T). While Google has since added another E for “experience,” the Medic update brought about the most change.

This update altered the way that dental practices had to approach content on their websites. Instead of just sticking to metrics such as keyword density, transition words, and active language, they now also had to ensure that the actual meaning of the content was aligned with these values.

For dental practices today, meeting the E-A-T criteria often means highlighting credentials and qualifications. Patient testimonials are also highly beneficial for search rankings. In other words, your website needs to show that you are a trusted professional with the necessary experience to merit Google’s recommendation of your practice to its users.

Keeping Your Dental Practice Marketing Effective in the Future

While major changes like those listed above are relatively rare, they do tend to change the entire dental marketing landscape every few years. You have a practice to run and patients to treat, so you simply can’t afford to spend time worrying about Google updates. Instead of trying to navigate the Google algorithm on your own, let Jameson Marketing handle it for you. Sign up for our web platform to always stay ahead in terms of search, accessibility, and marketing.