Jeremiah Sturgill on Boutique SEO, Phone Skills, and Turning Clicks into Starts

Show NotesGuest: Dr. Jeremiah Sturgill — Founder, Sturgill Orthodontics; Co-founder, Go Unicorn Strategy (concierge SEO/SEM for orthodontists).Learn more: https://gounicornstrategy.comWhy another company? A veteran ads/SEO partner (ex-HGTV/Discovery; managed ~$50k/day in Google Ads for a private client) audited ortho sites and found pretty but underperforming builds. Early tests drove measurable gains in qualified Google referrals; the two formalized a boutique service.Boutique by design: Targeting ~20–30 practices so one point of contact knows your brand, market dynamics, and projects end-to-end.Inside-out marketing: Don’t pour money into ads until the phones, web forms, and team follow-up are dialed in. Track missed calls (goal: zero), record and review, and role-play quarterly.Feedback loop that works: Ads go live → the team tags outcomes (show/start/no-show) → campaigns are adjusted to favor demographics, keywords, and offers that convert in your market.Budget truth: Tiny spends create noise, not signal. Commit to a test period and a budget that can generate statistically useful data; adjust by market competition (it’s a real auction).Brand over commodity: Build a site that sells your culture and trust, not “$500 off aligners.” If your web vibe doesn’t match the in-office experience, trust evaporates.Pricing with confidence: If you deliver Four Seasons-level service, don’t set Motel 6-level fees. You’re not everyone’s cup of tea—and that’s healthy positioning.Language matters: For out-of-network calls, lead with help (“We can file Delta for you… let’s get you scheduled…”) rather than a hard “We’re out of network.”AI on the horizon: Jeremiah is building a practice “master prompt” to capture decisions, SOPs, and red-flag handoffs so teams ask the system before they page the doctor.Practical TakeawaysFix the fundamentals first: Fast phones, fast follow-up, and a brand-true website before buying more traffic.Measure what matters daily: Missed calls, call length outliers, and lead outcomes by source—then tune campaigns accordingly.Fund real tests: Set a market-appropriate budget and time horizon; dabbling hides the truth.Sell the who, not the what: Lead with trust, culture, and clarity; avoid commodity framing.Close the loop with training: Quarterly role-play on the hardest questions your team actually hears.MentionedGo Unicorn Strategy: https://gounicornstrategy.comAcquired podcast (Google series)Scheduling Institute (Jay Geier) — phone excellenceDan Kennedy — back-end sales before better adsCliftonStrengths “WOO” — why trying to win everyone over can hurt decisionsFour Seasons/Ritz-Carlton service standards as a pricing/positioning lensPast related episodes: Dr. Jamie Reynolds; Dr. Ben Fishbein.Subscribe to The Burleson Box wherever you listen. ***The Burleson Box is brought to you by OrthoFi:Grow More. Worry Less. Simplify Your Practice with OrthoFi.Did you know that practices using OrthoFi start more patients and reduce financial barriers without adding complexity to their operations? With OrthoFi, you can simplify the insurance and patient financial process, streamline collections, and free up your team to focus on patient care. OrthoFi combines smart technology with patient-friendly payment solutions to help you start more treatment, improve cash flow, and deliver a better overall experience. Patients love the flexibility. Practices love the results.Take advantage of a platform built specifically for orthodontists and dental specialists—helping you manage everything from eligibility verification to automated payment processing in one easy-to-use system. Grow your starts. Increase your efficiency. And reduce the headaches of insurance and collections with OrthoFi.Want to learn more? Schedule a demo today and see how OrthoFi can help your practice thrive.Click below to learn more:OrthoFi.com*** Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, exclusive study guides, special edition books each quarter, powerpoint and keynote presentations and two tickets to Dustin Burleson's Annual Leadership Retreat.http://www.theburlesonbox.com/sign-up Stay Up to Date: Sign up for The Burleson Report, our weekly newsletter that is delivered each Sunday with timeless insight for life and private practice. Sign up here:http://www.theburlesonreport.com Follow Dustin Burleson, DDS, MBA at:http://www.burlesonseminars.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.