For the last two-to-three years, a revolution has been taking place in the world of SEO optimization and search engine page ranking (SERP).

If you're keeping abreast of online marketing trends—and what dental or medical practice isn't—you've probably heard of them: the algorithm changes like Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird that Google started rolling out in 2011. But they're worth hearing about again, because these changes mark a momentous shift in search, and hence in your success at attracting new patients through your web and social media marketing efforts.

By now, you have likely heard of Google+. You might have even taken a peek at it, but are less than convinced that you need to be using it.

Every dentist, doctor or specialist with an office vying for patients would do well to look again.

Google+ is part of Google, the search engine behemoth that today largely defines search engine ranking, which in turn largely decides the success of your practice’s online marketing efforts. Opening a platform with the Google name is like entering real estate from a family named Trump or politics from one named Bush. You draw attention because of who or what stands behind you.

"I trust his work. I trust him to take good care of me."

These words, spoken by a patient in a "welcome to my practice" YouTube video of Dr. Jared Waite at Aspen Ridge Dental Care, are perfect. They get right to the heart of what inbound marketing via social media is all about: projecting yourself and your practice to a mass audience as capable, attentive and worthy of any would-be patient's trust and care.

Effective social marketing, however, isn't easy. It takes preparation and planning, an investment of time and money, and a fair bit of creativity.

Pick a city, start a search, and links to dozens of dental practices instantly pop up.

Clearly, dentists are as aware as anyone of the importance of online tools and social media in growing their practice.

List segmentation. Sounds sexy, doesn't it?

Actually, list segmentation is one of the most important tools available today in tailored marketing, including email marketing. If you're not segmenting your audience, or grouping them into categories, you cannot possibly be communicating with them effectively.

Remember the old saying, "Good things come in small packages?"

It's still as relevant as ever. But these days, little packages aren't limited to things that twinkle and gleam. They beep and ding and dash off a favorite ditty, too.

If you're thinking of how best to grow your practice and grab notice in the digital age, you need to be thinking of launching a mobile website. Specifically, an optimized site that plays well on that small screen you, very probably, and so many others, definitely, spend hours at: the smartphone.

Welcome—almost—to 2014! For doctors, dentists and just about any healthcare professional, the New Year promises to be a year chock-full of challenges and changes. But opportunities exist, too, for those thinking of how best to take advantage of them.

That's why setting up a good strategic schedule now will help elevate your practice and make you a brand worth noticing.

Here are 4 ideas for making the most of 2014:

A look into how the dental industry is using the web

Dr. Jeffrey Patrician, dressed in all white scrubs, sits in a big eat-you-up-kind-of-leather chair in the lobby of his new Boulder, Colorado dental office – Boulder Dental Arts. He’s cordially agreed to have me interview him about his marketing strategies, something that I am quite curious about since his is one of the fastest growing dental practices in this town. Not only that, but I’ve actually heard of this guy (who hears about a dentist??). Heard he is the best. Heard that I should definitely go have a check up because he somehow makes going to the dentist fun. And I’ve noticed my roommate has basically taken up a part-time job with his practice. She’s referred so many new clients to his firm, that she has a small stack of $10 iTunes gift cards on our coffee table – one for each person she sent Dr. Patrician’s way.