Dentist SOS

Archive for the ‘Web Savvy Dentists’ Category

Googling your name has become a common practice of mine and many others for years.  But what happens if you are a Dentist and you put your name in Google or any of the other search engines. Here is a great example of what you want to come up when you put your name in Google. I googled “Simon W Rosenberg DMD” Dr. Rosenberg dominates the first 3+ pages on a Google search. What shows up on the first page is most important and Dr. Rosenberg has almost all of it under his control.

Dr. Rosenberg (www.drsimonrosenberg.com) has direct control over all but two of the search results that came up on the first page of Google. Most dentists have almost no control over the content that comes up on searching their name or their practice.

Take James Stansbury, DDS. a dentist I pulled at random from a 2001 BellSouth yellow pages. When I Google his name almost none of the search results was under his control. This can be a problem. Especially if someone else decides to take advantage of the Doctor’s good name by purchasing a first level domain name or by creating bogus profiles on some of the most popular social media sites like Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook.

Dentists need to be aware of what comes up on the search engines because their name is usually what people type in first to find them.
If dentists have no control over the content that comes up in the search engines then their reputation could be at risk.

More and more potential clients use the internet to locate and then choose a dentist.  Dentists that don’t  have control of at least most of the first page of a Google search could be subject to damages to their reputation and their future earning potential.

Dentists need to be proactive in protecting their good name on the Internet and take the time to see what shows up when they get Googled, Yahooed or Binged.

This post was inspired by the DoctorBase “How “Name Squatters” Take Advantage of Dentists in Private Practice“

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Ok, so I thought my response back to my hater of web savvy dentist, Mr. What a dumb idea was over but I was wrong. Here is the response back from the person who clearly does not understand why Dr. Helaine Smith should be applauded and not ridiculed.

Interesting, you did not mention whether her patients benefit from her “Web Savvy” ways or even that her business has improved because of it.

Selling books does work well with the web but that is not dentistry, it is selling books. You did not mention whether being web savvy is a good way to sell books, I would have pointed out Amazon. It still doesn’t really say anything about the dentistry practice.

A web site is cheaper than the yellow pages too. Does the dentist need a lot of fancy stuff over the same content that they would have in a 2k/month yellow page ad? You have not convinced me of that at all. If they all sold books, your friend would have a tougher market and so that she has sold books is not relevant to general dental practice, only to hers.

My dentist is not in the yellow pages, not on the web and he is not accepting new patients because he is too busy with the ones he has.

Yes, please do pass along my thoughts. My views are not diminished from your response. I still trust dentists less when they need to resort to extensive promotional tricks to get business. Publishing a book impresses me that the person is an entrepreneur. It says nothing at all about their dentistry.

You are welcome to my input even if you are too self absorbed to genuinely appreciate it.

-Mr. What a dumb idea

Here is my response to Mr. What a dumb idea.

So now I am self absorbed. Insults aside I really think you are missing the point of all this. If you read Dr. Smith’s free e-book you would know that it is filled with information on how good oral hygiene helps to improve ones health and well being. The focus of the book is all about helping patients help themselves by taking preventative measures when it comes to caring for their teeth. If that’s not good dentistry then what is it in your book?

Even more interesting is you being such a web savvy person yourself here on Linkedin and your calling web savvy dentists dumb. I don’t get it! What is wrong with dentists being web savvy? Are they not allowed to use the internet to help promote their practice? What gives here Mr. What a dumb idea? I am very confused that a highly skilled tech person like yourself is hating on dentists that use the web. Just because your dentist does not have a website and is currently too busy, does not give you the right to say that web savvy dentists are dumb.

Also Dr. Helaine Smith happens to be a fellow business owner like yourself who happens to live in your area of New England. Why not be happy for her success in promoting her business with a free e-book and learn from it instead of not being trustworthy of her dentistry skills.

Do you know Dr. Smith personally? Were you a former patient of hers? Clearly I don’t understand your logic when it comes to her using the web to promote her practice. I for one have never met Dr. Smith but I am very confident that given her extensive background and reputation in dentistry I would be more than happy to use her services if I lived in the Boston area. If you still want to focus in on her dentistry why not take a look at her credentials on her website. http://www.helainesmithdmd.com/about.html

Again I thank you for your input

JB

It has been almost a week since I responed back to Mr. What a domb idea and I have not heard back yet.  I would really like to hear your thoughts on this latest round of spirited conversation.

All the best

JB

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I recently used Linkedin.com Q&A to ask the question: “Are there any Web Savvy Dentists out there?” I got some great responses that were all positive until I got the comment below.

What a dumb idea.

Every dentist pretty much has the same message: Brush often, use floss and rinse, See me regularly for a check up.

Why blog? People will ignore the blog more readily than a consultation they paid for. I expect that dentists have better things to do than yet another way for people to not follow some of the most basic medical advice there is.

Not every problem is solved with web technology. Not everything needs to be blogged about. There is still a place for ahem … pardon the pun: “Word of Mouth”.

At first I was a bit put off by this comment. Then I thought I should send this person a response back. Here is  my reply.

Very sorry you feel this way.
I will be sure to share your comment with Dr. Helaine Smith, DMD http://www.linkedin.com/in/helainesmithdmd who was featured in David Meerman Scott’s book World Wide Rave. http://bitly.com/14NHK2 Dr. Smith’s E-book Healthy Mouth, Healthy Sex! is now one of the most downloaded books on the web. Dr. Smith used to spend $2000.00 per month in yellow pages ads to promote her practice 18 months later after giving her e-book away she is getting $15,000+ in new business.

Again I will be sure to tell her how dumb you think she was for being web savvy.

Thanks again for your input

JB

So I ask you, are web savvy dentists dumb? Please feel free to make a comment on this discussion.

All the best

JB

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I really would like to thank Colin Warwick, Product Marketing Manager at Agilent Technologies for answering our call for Web Savvy Dentists. He suggested I read about a dentist mentioned in David Meerman Scott’s book World Wide Rave.  I have not read the book yet but I did go to David Meerman Scott’s blog and found out who that web savvy dentist was.  Dr. Helaine Smith, DMD is that web savvy dentist. She wrote the Free e-book “Healthy Mouth, Healthy Sex!“and it has made her into an overnight world wide rave.  You can download the free e-book at her blog or just click the link below this blog post.  David Meerman Scoot has praised Dr. Smith for her e-book in his book World Wide Rave and I will be following  his lead by making her our first web savvy dentist to be on our list of 32.

Thanks again Colin

Healthy Mouth, Healthy Sex - Download (96) -

David Meerman Scott speaks at South-by-Southwest 2009 from David Meerman Scott on Vimeo.

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Does your dentist have a blog? Does your dental office send out custom text messages or html email notifications? Is your dentist on Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter? Does your dentist have a Youtube, Viddler or Ustream channel?

How web savvy is your dentist? Well, we want to know.  Please take the time to submit a comment on why your dentist should be nominated for this list.

I know there are some innovative people in dentistry when it comes to fixing our teeth.  Smile makeovers are all the rage right now.  What we want to know most of all is how do you see your dentist when it comes to their ability to communicate with you through the use of the web.  So please take the time to post a comment and tell us all about your dentist and why they should be nominated for our “32 most Web Savvy Dentist” list.

Please feel free to list the website addresses to all the places where we can find your dentist on the web.
You may also email your nomination to: websavvy@dentistsos.com

You can also send us nominations using Twitter @dentistsos or http://www.twitter.com/dentistsos

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