When a patient searches “dentist near me”, Google shows three local businesses on a map before the normal results. That’s the “map pack”, and it captures the lion’s share of local clicks. For a dental practice, getting into it is the single highest-value SEO goal. Here’s how it’s done.
Your Google Business Profile is the engine of the map pack. Claim it, then complete everything: correct categories, services, opening hours, photos, and regular posts. An accurate, active profile consistently outranks a neglected one.
Review quantity, quality and recency are major ranking factors, and they reassure patients. Build a simple, compliant habit of asking satisfied patients for a Google review. Don’t incentivise them, and respond to reviews professionally.
Citations are mentions of your practice name, address and phone number (“NAP”) across directories. Google uses consistency as a trust signal, so your details must match exactly everywhere they appear. Inconsistent listings quietly hold you back.
Your website still matters for the map pack. Treatment pages, location-relevant content and a fast, technically sound site all help Google connect you to local searches. This is the core of our dental SEO work, and where dedicated location pages earn their place.
Local SEO is a build, not a switch. Most practices see meaningful movement within three to six months, with profile improvements showing sooner. Once you’re in the map pack, the position tends to hold and compound, which is what makes SEO such a strong long-term investment.
No one can guarantee a specific ranking, and any agency promising it is breaching advertising guidance. What you can expect from doing this properly is steady, compounding visibility for the searches that bring patients through the door. If you’d like that handled for you, get in touch.