LOC@L SEO GUIDE

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You know you’ve got a problem with blogging when you’re high on nitrous oxide smelling the burning fragments of an old filling that’s being drilled and all you can think about is how this would make a great post about local search.

Last year I moved to Pleasanton and needed a new dentist. I was referred to Dr. G. by someone I didn’t know well. Within five seconds of looking in my mouth Dr. G. told me I should have my old amalgam fillings replaced. He said they were “leaking” and contained mercury which was dangerous. My old dentist, whom I loved, never mentioned this problem. My immediate reaction was Dr. G. was trying to sell me something I didn’t need.

I went home and hit the Web. There was a ton of information out there about amalgam fillings but it was impossible to draw any conclusions because there were too many points of view. And to top it off, the sites that promoted replacement all smelled a bit too much of sleazy direct marketing (e.g. get a set of Ginsu knives with your new fillings).

I spent a lot of time researching and worrying about this and whether or not my dentist was even credible. After a lot of frustrated digging for the facts, I decided to go for it.

The procedure worked out fine (especially the nitrous oxide part), but while staring into Dr. G’s glasses through the smoky haze of ground up filling debris, I couldn’t help but think:

1. If this guy had a website with a FAQ section, he could have told me to read it when he first suggested the procedure. He could have linked to authoritative articles on the subject and I would have felt a lot better about things –and his credibility — a lot sooner.

2. If this guy had a website with a FAQ section I might have found it when I was searching Google for information since the popular keywords often found in FAQ’s are powerful SEO elements.

3 . I should try to barter my next filling or cleaning for a little SEO consulting.

The moral of the story: Your website is more than a way to market your services. In the right hands, your website is probably the most cost-effective and efficient way to connect with current clients and help them make decisions to use your services.

And one more thing: According to Dr. G., I am a “60 percenter”, meaning it takes up to 60% N2O v. 40% O2 to get me to dental chair nirvana. I guess 50/50 is the average. So I’ve got that going for me. Which is nice.