3 Dentists Show Up in Google's Map Pack.
Everyone else fights for scraps.
When someone in your zip code searches "dentist near me," Google displays exactly three practices above organic results. These Map Pack slots capture 42% of all clicks. If you're not in them, you're invisible to the patients actively looking for a dentist right now.
Get Into the Map PackWhy Your Practice Isn't Ranking Locally
The dentist ranking #1 in your area isn't necessarily better at dentistry. They're better at being found. Local SEO for dental practices requires specialized tactics that generic SEO agencies don't understand—and that most dental marketing companies get wrong.
Google Business Profile Optimization
Your Google Business Profile is the single most important asset for local dental SEO. But most practices have incomplete profiles with generic descriptions, missing services, outdated hours, and zero posts. Google rewards active, complete profiles with higher Map Pack placement.
We optimize every field: primary and secondary categories, service areas, attributes (wheelchair accessible, accepts new patients), Q&A, photos with geo-tags, and weekly posts that signal to Google your practice is active and engaged.
The Review Velocity Problem
A practice with 50 reviews from 3 years ago ranks worse than a practice with 30 reviews from the last 6 months. Google measures review velocity—how fast new reviews come in—as a trust signal. If your competitor gets 5 reviews per month and you get 1, they'll outrank you even with a lower overall rating.
We implement review generation systems that work within Google's guidelines: post-appointment SMS sequences, email follow-ups, and staff training so asking for reviews becomes part of your checkout process.
Local SEO Strategy for Dental Practices
Local SEO isn't "regular SEO but for local businesses." It's a distinct discipline with its own ranking factors, tactics, and pitfalls.
See If We're a Fit
NAP Consistency Across 100+ Directories
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. Google cross-references your practice information across hundreds of directories—Yelp, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, Yellow Pages, local chamber listings, and more. Any inconsistency (different suite numbers, old phone numbers, misspellings) creates confusion that tanks your rankings.
We audit every citation, correct inconsistencies, and build new citations on high-authority directories that specifically impact dental local search. This foundational work often produces ranking improvements within 60-90 days.
Location-Specific Service Pages
A generic "Services" page won't rank for local searches. You need dedicated pages for each service in each location you serve. "Emergency Dentist in [Your City]" with 1,500+ words of unique content outranks a thin page every time.
We create service-location content clusters: "Dental Implants in [City]," "Teeth Whitening in [City]," "Invisalign Provider in [City]"—each optimized for local intent keywords, embedded with schema markup, and internally linked to support your site's topical authority.
Get in touchLocal Link Building That Actually Moves Rankings
Generic backlink packages from overseas SEO farms will get you penalized. Local dental SEO requires links from locally-relevant sources: your city's chamber of commerce, local news coverage, dental association directories, community organization sponsorships, and partnerships with complementary local businesses.
We focus on quality over quantity—earning links that signal to Google "this practice is an established, trusted part of this community."
What Sets Dental Local SEO Apart
Dental-Specific Search Intent
Patients searching for a dentist have different intent patterns than other local searches. "Dentist near me" is often an emergency—someone with a cracked tooth or sudden pain who needs to book today. "Best dentist for veneers" is research-stage, comparison shopping. "Pediatric dentist accepting new patients [city]" is ready to book.
Your local SEO strategy must capture all three: emergency keywords for immediate appointments, research keywords for consideration-stage patients, and transactional keywords for patients ready to schedule.
Insurance and Payment Keywords
Patients search by insurance provider: "Delta Dental dentist near me," "dentist that takes Cigna [city]." If your website doesn't clearly state which insurance plans you accept—and have dedicated pages for each major provider—you're invisible to these searches.
We build insurance-specific landing pages that capture this traffic and convert it into appointments with patients who already know you're in-network.
Mobile-First, Click-to-Call Optimization
78% of local searches on mobile result in an offline action within 24 hours. Your website must be optimized for mobile-first indexing, with prominent click-to-call buttons, easy-to-find address and hours, and fast load times. Slow, clunky mobile experiences don't just frustrate patients—they actively hurt your rankings.
Transparent Reporting, No Vanity Metrics
We report on what matters: Map Pack position, phone calls, appointment requests, and new patient acquisitions. Not "impressions" or "reach" that don't translate to revenue. Every month you'll see exactly how your local visibility is improving and which efforts are driving results.
Book a Strategy CallStop Losing Patients to Less Qualified Competitors
The practice showing up in position #1 isn't necessarily better at dentistry than you. They invested in visibility. Every day you wait is another day of "dentist near me" searches going to your competitors—patients who would have chosen you if they'd found you first.
Let's Talk Strategy
