Google Archives - The Wealthy Dentist

10 Cool Things You Can Do with Google

December 12, 2018 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Last week we discussed why, with two-thirds of the search engine market, Google is the only search engine you need to worry about.

One of the reasons Google is #1 is because it’s incredibly smart. Here are some of the neat tricks you can do with Google:

Check the weather

Just type “weather 94920″into the search box (using your own ZIP code, of course!).
Check your favorite stocks

Just enter the ticker symbol to get up-to-date results on any publicly-traded stock.
Use it as a calculator

Just type what you’re trying to calculate into the search box – for example, “135/7″or “245 + 549.”You can also enter advanced calculations like, “((365 * 22) – 100) / (300/7)”
Convert units

All you have to do is type in “150 pounds in kilograms” or “50 lbs = ? kg” to find the conversion. You can use this feature to convert all sorts of units: for example, “20 degrees Celsius in Fahrenheit” or “1/8 cup in tablespoons” or even “2010 in roman numerals.”
Convert money

Just enter what you want to know – for example, “1000 euros in dollars.” You can also get the same result from entering, “1000 euros = ? dollars.”
It’s a dictionary too

There are two ways Google offers dictionary definitions. Typing in “define gingivitis” will give you Google’s top definition for the word. You can also type in “what is gingivitis.”

You can also use the define: operator to see a list of many online definitions of the word. To do this, make sure to include a colon after the word “define.”
Check the time anywhere in the world

Just type the word “time” followed by a colon and the city where you want to know the time (for example, “time: Beijing, China”).
Identify telephone area codes

Wondering where that call you just got came from? Type the 3-digit area code into Google to find out.
Get directions on many forms of transportation

Google doesn’t just provide driving directions; they’re also testing directions for public transit, walking and bicycling.
Track flights without even visiting the airline’s website

Just enter in the airline and flight number (for example, “delta 1765”).

Next week: 9 more hot tips for Google searches.

Filed Under: Dental Editorials Tagged With: Google

9 Hot Tips for Google Searches

December 12, 2018 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Last week I shared ideas on 10 cool things you can do with Google. This week, I’m back with nine more hot tips.

If you’re not familiar with Google’s Advanced Search page and features, then you might not be getting as much out of your web searches as you could…

“I’m feeling lucky”

This search option on Google takes you directly to the top search result page. For example, entering “WSJ” and clicking “I’m feeling lucky” will take you directly to the Wall Street Journal’s website.
Check a numerical range

Use the “X..Y” modifier to search for any number within a given range. “Invisalign 2008..2010″ will return results that contain both “Invisalign” and a number between 2005 and 2010, which is particularly useful if you’re looking for a date range.
Search for file types

Searching for “cosmetic dentistry filetype:ppt” will return PowerPoint files with “cosmetic dentistry” as a keyword. You can also use it for other file types: .xls (Excel spreadsheet), .doc (Microsoft Word document), .pdf (Adobe PDF), and more.
Remove results from specific sites

This is particularly useful if your search results are dominated by one website that doesn’t interest you – for example, if you’re in the shopping section and you’re overwhelmed by eBay results.
Avoid results you don’t want

All you have to do is include the minus sign before any word you don’t want to appear in your search results – for example, “braces – Invisalign” would exclude Invisalign results from your braces search.
See it even after it’s gone

Google’s “cached” feature is a powerful tool. You’ll often see a small link that says “Cached” next to individual search results. Clicking that link will show you a snapshot of that website that Google has stored on its own servers. This can allow you see content that has been removed from the live site. It also provides a way to access content on blocked websites or URLs.
Broaden your search to include related terms

Use the tilde (~) symbol to search for related words. Google typically searches for closely related terms (for instance, a search for “pediatric dentist” will also return results for pediatric dentists and pediatric dentistry). The tilde lets you expand that to even more related words or phrases. For example, a search for “~gum disease” will also return results with keywords of gingivitis, periodontal disease, periodontitis, etc.
Narrow your search to include exact words or phrases

You can search for an exact phrase or word by putting it in quotes. With a single word, you can also put a plus symbol in front of the word. For example, “+denture” will return only results with the exact word “denture,” not related words like dentures or synonyms like false teeth.
And remember: the Advanced Search page is your friend!

This is always a small link underneath the main search button. You don’t have to know any special syntax to use the advanced search, because it’s very user-friendly. Here are some of the things you can do from the Advanced Search page:
- Search for an exact phrase
- Exclude words from your search
- Do searches that include OR functionality
- Select how many results to display per page
- Choose your language
- Search for specific file types
- How recent the page is
- Choose where your keywords show up in your results (text, title, URL, etc.)
- Turn Safe Search on and off
- Restrict your search to a particular domain

Next week, I’ll share some tips for using Google to monitor the health of your dental website.

Filed Under: Dental Editorials Tagged With: Google, internet, search engines

9 Ways To Monitor the Health of Your Dental Website

December 12, 2018 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Over the past weeks I’ve shared some of my favorite Google search tips. Now I’d like to show you how to use Google to monitor the health of your website.

The first and most important thing for any website owner to know is their site’s Google ranking. But that’s far from the end of it!

You can start by reviewing my 9 hot tips for Google searches and 10 cool things you can do with Google.

Here are nine things all owners of dental websites can do to monitor their sites:

What’s your search ranking?

First, you need to know what keyword(s) you’re targeting. (For dentists, this will typically be along the lines of “dental implants Louisville” or “cosmetic dentist La Jolla” or something similar.) Be sure to log out of Google/Gmail and use the “Private Browsing” option under the “Tools” section of your Internet browser. A listing of 5 means that you are the 5th listing on the search results page. (Obviously, lower numbers are better here!)
What websites does Google think your website is related to?

Find out by doing a search like “related:thewealthydentist.com” (except you’ll want to use your own URL, of course). You can also find this option on the “Advanced search” page. It’s a bit unpredictable, but sometimes returns interesting results.
What’s happening inside of your website?

Just add “site:yourwebsite.com” to restrict your search results to pages on your own website. You can quickly find information, or use this feature to see which pages on your site rank highest for specific keyword phrases. And if you forget the “site:” operator, don’t worry: you can do the same thing from the Advanced Search page.
Who’s linking to you?

In general, it’s a good thing to have other websites linking to yours; it improves your site’s standing in Google’s eyes. (In fact, getting other sites to link to yours can be a good strategy to increase your search engine ranking.) Find out who’s linking to you by using the “link:” operator.

You can also see a list of all pages that contain your website URL (even it’s written as text, not a hyperlink) by doing a regular keyword search for your URL.
What does your Google listing look like?

Use the “info:” operator to see a sample listing of your website. The text displayed in your website’s Google description is an important part of your overall internet dental marketing. This text (known as “metatext”) is near the very top of the HTML code for your homepage.
What’s been updated on your website recently?

By combining multiple features of the Advanced Search page, you can tailor your search results. For example, restrict the search to your dental website, and look only for pages updated within the past month to see which pages have been updated recently.
Want to review all the images on your site?

Just go to Image Search and enter “site:yoursite.com” to see all the images on your website.
Is your local listing in order?

Many patients may look for you through Google Local Search or on Google Maps, and it’s up to you to make sure that the information available about your practice is up-to-date and correct. Look up your name in Google Maps, find your listing, click the “more info” button, and confirm that all information is correct. Near the top right corner of that page, you’ll see a link that says “Business owner?” Here, you can update information. In addition, Google Maps appears to give preference in its rankings to owner-verified listings.

Filed Under: Dental Editorials Tagged With: dental website, Google, internet, internet marketing

Dental Marketing: How to Set Up a Google+ Dental Practice Page

December 12, 2018 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

Google has launched Google Plus For Business which now allows dentists to create a Google Plus Page for your dental marketing.

Google Plus For Business is a set of tools that can help you grow your dental practice and enhance your dental marketing efforts.

Setting up your Google Plus Page is simple, just a few steps and you are ready to go.

Step 1: Create a gmail account.

Go to mail.google.com to create a new account. You will see a bright red button on the upper right to create a new account. Make this gmail account your practice name, or geographic location. Stay away from personal names and think of this as an office email address.

Step 2: Create your profile.

This simply involves choosing a photo that will represent this gmail email account.

Step 3: Go to: https://plus.google.com/pages/create

This is where you will create your Google Plus dental practice page. You will be asked to choose your business type and enter your main office phone number and Google will attempt to locate your dental practice.

Step 4: Edit your profile.

This is where you will be asked to create a tagline for your dental practice and then upload a business photo for your page.

And your Google Plus dental practice page is done!

Next you should think about the way that you want to engage visitors on Google Plus with more product-focused content.

Maybe you use your Google Plus page for only sharing special price promotions for people who join your circle. Only offer these promotions on Google Plus so that people have a reason for connecting with you on Google Plus. Offer something they can’t get anywhere else from you.

Some ideas for promotions are —

1. Special giveaways.
2. Free treatment with a scheduled appointment in a certain number of days.
3. A discount on an office visit.

Google Plus supports hashtags, which when clicked will take people to a search for that keyword on Google Plus, as well as any other content tagged with that hashtag. You could create a promotion-specific hashtag like #freeteethwhitening to promote on Google Plus with users in your circle.

Why do you need a Google Plus dental marketing Page?

Because eventually not establishing a page will likely become a missed opportunity in organic search. When potential patients use Google to search for a dentist, they will not only be able to find your practice through search within Google Plus if they use it, but also on Google’s search engine itself which translates into more ways to be found on the Internet.

From a dental marketing point of view that’s reason enough to get to know Google Plus?

Filed Under: Dental Marketing Tagged With: Dental Marketing, dentist, dentistry, dentists, Google, Google plus, Internet dental marketing, marketing

Dental Marketing: Some Straight Talk About Google Plus

December 12, 2018 By Jim Du Molin Leave a Comment

More than ever, your dental marketing plan needs to include Google Plus.

The new Search Plus Your World algorithm seems to be leading to continued consumer adoption of the top brands on Google+.

Digital marketing agency BrightEdge Technologies is reporting that the top 100 brands on Google+ have grown by over 1,400% in the past month.

The number of people including the top 100 brands in their circles went from 222,000 to over 3.1 million. The majority of the expansion was limited to the top 10 brands on Google+, which taken together account for over three million users.

Google CEO Larry Page estimates Google+’s general user base at 90 million. Some reports say Google+ users are predominately male and account for approximately 67% of Google+ users.

Google recently announced its plan to link user data across its Google+, video, and other services to create a better user experience. The plan is to provide Google users more targeted search result, while assisting businesses in locating potential customers.

For example, if a potential dental patient uses Google to search for dental implants, then the next time they sign into YouTube, they might see recommendations for videos featuring dental implant technology, dentists performing implants and ads for dentists who perform implants in the potential patient’s geographic area.

Imagine what this experience will be like when these search results also include recommendations from friends within their circle for a dental practice that specializes in dental implants not far from where the potential patient lives.

Google likes to report that those users who agree to see personalized ads from Google are 37% more likely to respond to those ads.

What does this mean for dental marketing? It means that having a search engine optimized dental website that integrates with Google+, so that prospective patients easily find you, has now become more vitally important than ever before.