Online reputation management tips for dentists

Let’s face it, few people like going to the dentist. Unfortunately, this negative view of dental care makes dentists an especially attractive target for anonymous Internet attacks. As such, it’s very important for dentists to offer the best possible service they can and to aggressively monitor and manage their reputations online.

This article outlines five tips on promoting and protecting your good name on the Web.

Do you own YourName.com?

If you’re part of a larger dental practice, a short biography about you may already be listed on the practice’s website. While this is a good first step, it’s not enough to deter a persistent cyberbully. If you really want to control your reputation online, you should invest in purchasing one or more domain names related to you and your dental practice. Think about how potential new patients will search for you, and secure as many variations as you can. For example, if you’re Dr. Joe Smith, DDS, of Smith Dental Associates, you may want to grab DrJoeSmithDDS.com, SmithDentalAssociates.com and JoeSmithDentalAssociates.com. From here, it’s important to focus on populating each of those pages with unique and search engine-optimized Web content.

Consider starting a blog.

It isn’t for everybody, but if you’re looking for a free or very inexpensive way to leverage the power of your preexisting website, you should consider creating a blog. One of the things that makes blogs such a valuable resource for dentists and other medical professionals is that it gives patients the opportunity to interact with their doctor in a more substantial way.

Now, we’re not advocating offering patient-specific oral health advice online, but having a blog that features generalized information could be helpful. For instance, if you write an excellent blog post on why flossing is important for preventing gingivitis, you’re offering something of value to your patients and you’re increasing the range of keywords that a new patient might use to find your practice.

In addition to blogging on the importance of oral hygiene, you could also take the opportunity to write about updates on your practice. Did you install new carpet in the waiting room? Did you buy a technologically advanced X-ray machine? Believe it or not, these are things your patients would be interested in learning about.

Monitor feedback on customer review websites.

Consumer review websites such as Yelp.com are a double-edged sword for businesses. If you receive good reviews, the odds are favorable that you’ll see an increase in new patients. However, if you have even a few negative reviews, they can unfairly skew the impression of your dental practice. While there’s no guaranteed way to prohibit angry patients (or jealous competitors) from writing a negative review, there are steps you can take to mitigate any possible long-term damage the reviews could cause.

Perhaps the best way to protect your reputation on consumer review websites is to appeal to satisfied patients to leave their own positive reviews. If you’re an experienced, likable dentist, you probably have more than a few loyal patients who would be happy to share their opinion. Secondly, you should make it easy for all your patients to leave feedback. If you show that you’re receptive to constructive criticism, you’ll not only impress your patients but also give yourself the opportunity to identify legitimate problems in your practice.

If you do get a negative review, do your best to track down the patient who left it, and directly address his or her concerns. If you’re fast to act, the patient may even revise the review, which can look even better than a positive review because it shows that you know how to listen.

One important note about soliciting positive feedback: If you’re going to do so, do so sparingly. Yelp and other consumer review websites weed out content that seems inauthentic. Rather than asking for positive feedback directly, simply ask your patients if they use Yelp. If they do, let them know you have a profile, and invite them to check it out.

Be ready for angry patients.

You’re bound to receive a bad review once in a while. If you accept that you’ll eventually get a negative review, you can spend less time feeling hurt and more time doing damage control.

Additionally, you shouldn’t be the only who is prepared for the wrath of a dissatisfied patient. For maximum reputation protection, you should make sure to train your staff to deal with negative online feedback as well. Often on consumer review websites a small problem becomes a big problem because misguided employees attempt to defend their employer by insulting the person complaining. Your staff should deal with complaints online the same way they do in person, with tact and professionalism.

Don’t mix business with pleasure.

When new patients look for a dentist, they want to find a professional they can trust. You don’t want them to locate inappropriate or embarrassing content about you online. While you may have had a great time at last year’s American Dental Association conference, that doesn’t mean you should share your after-party pictures online.

When it comes to your online reputation, remember to keep your personal identity and your professional identity separate. If you’re going to share personal content, do it within a more secure environment that’s clearly delineated from your professional Web presence.