Local SEO, or local search engine optimization, is a game-changer for dental practices aiming to attract potential patients without the high costs of paid advertising. By improving your visibility in local search results and the local map pack, your dental practice can connect with potential clients actively searching for dental services in your area.
With over 10 years of experience in Local SEO, I’ve already assisted more than 100 local businesses in ranking in the top 3 results on Google—both in google maps and organic local search results. The techniques in this guide are proven, with other dental practices already ranking #1 in their areas using these same strategies.
Why Local SEO Is a Must for Dentists
Local SEO is no longer optional—it’s necessary if you want your dental practice to stand out in a competitive market. Here’s why:
- Significant Search Activity: Around 71% of people searching for a dentist start their search online, demonstrating how critical it is for your practice to appear prominently in search results. (Source: Sixth City Marketing)
- Organic Search Traffic Dominance: Organic searches account for 53% of trackable website traffic, emphasizing the importance of optimizing your website for search engines to capture this large share of potential patients. (Source: Dental Design Marketing)
- Preference for Organic Results: About 65% of users click on organic search results rather than other types of links, making effective SEO essential to attract attention and drive visits to your practice. (Source: Dental Design Marketing)
How Do Patients Search for Dental Services?
When people need a dentist, they often turn to search engines. Common local search queries include:
- “Pediatric dentist near me”
- “Emergency dentist in [City]”
- “Dental implants [Neighborhood]”
These searches demonstrate local intent, meaning users are looking for a nearby solution. Appearing in local search rankings ensures your practice is seen first, giving you a higher chance of turning prospective patients into paying ones.
So Should You Include “Near me” on All Your Pages?
No! Google “translates” a Near me search into the location of the user that is doing the search. So the search results for the query “Dentist near me” for a potential patient in NYC are different than the results for someone from San Francisco.

We’ll cover the keywords and tactics to rank for these later in the article. You can also check out our guide on How to Rank for Near Me Searches afterwards.
Why Is Local SEO Important for Dentists?
- Cost-Effective Marketing
With local SEO, you avoid spending up to $40 per click on Google Ads for common keywords like “dentist NYC.” Instead, organic search results can drive consistent traffic for free. - Competitive Advantage
The dental industry is highly competitive. Ranking at the top of local search results helps your practice stand out among competitor dental practices.

What You’ll Learn in This Guide
In the rest of this guide, we’ll cover the essentials for your dental SEO strategy:
- How to optimize your Google Business Profile for better local search rankings.
- Turning your dental practice’s website into a lead machine without needing external dental SEO services.
- Building local landing pages to target relevant local keywords.
- Using keyword research to dominate local search rankings.
- Earning high-quality local backlinks from local directories and websites.
Optimizing Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the most important tools in implementing local SEO for dentists. It helps your practice appear in the local pack, on Google Maps, and in local search results. If you don’t have a GBP set up yet, this guide can walk you through the process.

Key Optimizations for Your Google Business Profile
Ensure Accurate NAP Details
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. These details must be consistent across all platforms, including your website and local directories. Add your business name exactly as it appears in your branding. Avoid abbreviations or variations.
Set Service Areas
Use GBP’s location settings to add all areas your dental practice serves. This helps you appear in searches like “emergency dentist near me” even if your office isn’t in the searcher’s neighborhood.
First you want to go and edit your Google Business Profile:

Then go to the Service Area section and include all areas you serve.

Add High-Quality Photos
Include professional pictures of your team, office, and any awards or certifications. Avoid low-resolution images, as they can make your practice appear unprofessional.
Leverage Google Posts
Regularly post updates, promotions, or blogs. For example, share tips on choosing the right emergency dentist or highlight a recent treatment success.

Focus on Google Reviews
Encourage satisfied patients to leave positive reviews on your profile. These are crucial for both local rankings and building trust with potential patients.

Respond to all reviews—both positive and negative.
For negative reviews, stay professional. Take time to reflect before responding. Explain what went wrong and how you’re addressing the issue.
The Importance of Reviews
- Higher Rankings: Practices with more reviews tend to rank higher in the local pack.
- Trust Factor: Prospective patients are more likely to trust a practice with numerous detailed reviews.
- Example: Where would you go—a dentist with one 5-star review or one with 500 reviews averaging 4.8 stars? The same logic applies to dental practices.

How to Actively Get More Reviews
- Send follow-up emails or texts to happy patients asking for feedback.
- Read our guide on How to get More Reviews for your dental practice.
We have a more in depth guide on Google Business Profile Optimization you should also check out when you want to take it to the next level!
Pro Tip: Your Google Business Profile is the foundation of your local SEO success. Treat it as you would your office—keep it professional, updated, and patient-friendly.
Next, we’ll discuss how to turn your website into a local SEO lead machine.
Your Website as a Local SEO Lead Machine
Your dental practice’s website is central to attracting and converting potential patients through local SEO strategies. A few simple adjustments can optimize your site for both local search rankings and higher conversions, turning visitors into new patients.
Key Features for Optimizing Your Website
Professional Design
- Your website should look clean, modern, and easy to navigate.
- Just like wearing a uniform at the practice, your website should represent professionalism.

Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
- Make it easy for visitors to take the next step, such as calling your practice or booking a consultation.
- Good CTA examples:
- “Call Now: +123456”
- “Schedule Free Consultation Today”
- Bad CTA examples:
- “Explore Our Services” (too vague)
- “Contact Us” (doesn’t guide the user to a specific action)
Trust-Building Elements
- Include patient reviews, testimonials, and certifications on your homepage and service pages.
- Embed positive reviews directly from your Google Business Profile near CTAs to increase credibility.
- Showcase awards or achievements, even if they are niche (e.g., “Top-Rated Pediatric Dental Practice in [Suburb]”).

Showcase Local Relevance
- Add real photos of your team, office, and community events to build trust with local searchers.
- Use a Google Maps widget to display your business location, making it easier for users to find you and boosting local intent signals to Google.
Basic Website SEO Principles
Headings (H1, H2, H3)
- H1: The most important heading, used once per page. It should include a main local keyword, like “Top Pediatric Dentist in [City].”
- H2: Subheadings for sections, such as “Our Dental Services” or “Patient Testimonials.”
- H3: Detailed subheadings, like “Family Dentistry” within an “Our Services” section.
Meta Titles and Descriptions
- Include relevant local keywords in your meta titles and descriptions.
- Example of a strong meta title: “Leading Emergency Dental Clinic in [City]—Call Today.”
- Avoid generic titles like “Welcome to Our Website.”
Trust Signals That Convert Visitors
- Patient Reviews Section: Dedicate a section to highlight feedback from past patients.
- Case Studies: Share anonymized success stories to demonstrate your expertise.
- Certifications and Badges: Display affiliations with dental organizations, such as the ADA or local dental groups.
Pro Tip: Place positive reviews next to your primary CTA, such as a ‘Call Now’ button, to boost trust and drive conversions.
Example Dental Practice Landing Page

Building Location and Service-Specific Pages
Creating location-specific and service-specific pages on your dental website is one of the most effective local SEO strategies for dental practices. These pages help your practice appear in local search results when users search for terms like “Dentist near me” or “Cosmetic dentistry in [City].”

Why Dedicated Pages Matter
- Target Local Searches
- Google relies on pages tailored to specific local keywords to show relevant results for local searchers.
- Example: A user in Downtown Houston searching for “Emergency dentist near me” is more likely to find your practice if you have a page titled “Emergency Dentist in Downtown Houston.”
- Boost Your Local Rankings
- Dedicated pages increase your relevance for both local intent searches and specific dental services.
- Highlighting neighborhoods, cities, or even suburbs shows Google your practice is deeply connected to the local community.
- Capture Niche Search Queries
- Example: “Pediatric dental practice in [Suburb].” By creating pages for multiple areas, you cover a wide range of local search rankings and attract more new patients.
How to Structure These Pages
- Include Local Keywords
- Use specific phrases like “Family Dentist in [Neighborhood]” in the title, headings, and meta description.
- Highlight Your Services
- Provide details on what you offer, such as emergency care, dental implants, or pediatric dentistry.
- Mention how your services address common issues in that area (e.g., “We understand the unique needs of families in [City] requiring pediatric care.”).
- Use Local Reviews and Case Studies
- Showcase patient reviews from past cases in the same area. If reviews are too general, ask patients for permission to highlight specifics (e.g., “[Dental Practice Name] helped me with my dental emergency in [City].”).
- Add Visual Elements
- Embed a Google Maps widget showing your office location or the area served. (Check out our article on how to embed a Google Map on your website)
- Use real images of your team or office.
- Implement Schema Markup
- Schema is a technical SEO tool that tells search engines more about your practice’s location, services, and reviews. Learn more about local business schema here.
- An example schema markup for a dental practice in Manhattan could look like this:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Dentist",
"name": "Manhattan Dental Care",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Park Avenue",
"addressLocality": "New York",
"addressRegion": "NY",
"postalCode": "10016",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"telephone": "+1-212-555-6789",
"url": "https://www.exampledental.com"
}
The ROI of Location-Specific Pages
- Practices that create local landing pages often rank in the top 5 for hundreds of keywords, driving consistent traffic without paying for ads.
- The top average CPC for “dentist NYC” is $15. A location page ranking organically saves you thousands in advertising costs.

Pro Tip: Start by identifying the most important services and locations for your practice. You don’t need a new design for each page—just customize the content to reflect the area or service. If you’re on WordPress, read our article on How to Bulk Create Pages in WordPress to learn how to easily create all the location and service pages for free in just minutes.
If you are a dental practice with multiple locations you might want to check out our article on How to Do Local SEO for Multiple Locations.
Local Keyword Research for Dentists
Finding the right local keywords is critical for boosting your local SEO rankings and making sure your practice appears in local search results. The good news? Keyword research for dental practices is straightforward and uncovers valuable opportunities to target local searchers effectively.
Why Keyword Research Matters
- Understand What People Are Searching For
Potential patients often search for specific needs, like “Pediatric dentist in [City]” or “Emergency dental care near me.” If your website isn’t optimized for these terms, those patients could choose a competitor instead.- Remember: “Near me” is not a term you should include on your website. Google automatically “translates” a “Near me” search into the location of the user that is doing the search
- Target High-Value Queries
Focus on terms with local intent, like “Top dentist [City]” or “Affordable pediatric dentist near me,” which attract people ready to seek dental care. - Expand Into Problem-Specific Keywords
Many dental patients search for solutions to problems they’re facing. Instead of targeting only broad terms like “dental care [City],” create content for detailed searches like:- “Dental implants procedure overview.”
- “Teeth whitening benefits in [State].”
- “Pediatric dental care tips [City].”
Covering these topics shows you understand your patients’ challenges and positions your practice as the solution.
How to Identify Local Keywords
Google Autocomplete
Start typing “Dentist in [City]” or “[City] dental care” into Google. The autocomplete suggestions are based on real searches, providing valuable insights into what people are looking for.
Examples:
- “Pediatric dentist [City]”
- “Dental implants specialist [City]”
- “Affordable dental care near me.”

Google Keyword Planner
This free tool from Google provides search volume and competition data for various terms. You will need a Google Ads account for this. Then go to Tools > Planning > Keyword Planner.
Here you can then enter your area you serve and type in some broad keywords like your main dental services.

And after typing in some keywords you will get a list of keyword ideas which you can scroll through and filter as you like.

- Focus on queries with clear local intent, like “Pediatric dental specialist in [City].”
- Use filters to find related searches tied to specific dental services or problems.
Learn more about this in our article How to Do Basic Keyword Research.
Ahrefs or SEMrush
Advanced tools offer deep insights into keyword competition, search volume, and long-tail opportunities.
- Use these tools to uncover terms like:
- “Top-rated dental clinics near [Neighborhood].”
- “Dental implants cost in [City].”
- “Multilingual dentist [City].”
Multilingual Keywords
If you serve patients from diverse backgrounds, target keywords in their native languages. For example:
- Spanish-language queries for dental services:
- “Procedimiento de implantes dentales [City].”
- “Dentista asequible en [City].”

Pro Tip: Expand your keyword strategy by focusing on dental challenges your patients might search for. Covering topics like ‘dental implants procedure overview’ or creating content in Spanish can help you stand out and connect with a wider audience.”
Examples of High-Value Keywords for Dentists
- “Dental implants procedure overview [City].”
- “Best pediatric dentist in [City].”
- “Affordable family dental clinic near me.”
- “Multilingual dental care specialist [City].”
- “Teeth whitening services [City].”
Tips for Using Local Keywords
- Include Keywords in Key Locations
Naturally integrate keywords into:- Titles and meta descriptions.Headings and subheadings.The first 100 words of your content.
- Optimize Location and Service Pages
Create dedicated pages for each service and area you serve, targeting local search queries like “Emergency dentist in [Neighborhood].” (So if you offer four dental services in three areas you would want to have 12 pages to target these) - Avoid Keyword Stuffing
Overloading your pages with keywords can hurt rankings. Instead, use natural language to provide useful, well-written content. - Write Problem-Specific Content
Address common dental challenges that your target patients face. Examples:- “Steps to affordable dental care options.”
- “How to choose the right dental implants provider in [State].”
- Multilingual guides for patients who speak Spanish, Mandarin, or other languages common in your area.
Pro Tip: Simply listing your dental services alongside the areas you serve is a great way to start. For example, ‘Pediatric dental care serving [City], [Suburb], and [Neighborhood].’
Earning Local Backlinks and Citations
Building local backlinks and managing local citations are critical steps in improving your local SEO rankings. Backlinks act as endorsements from other websites, signaling to search engines that your dental practice is trustworthy and relevant. Local citations—mentions of your practice’s business name, address, and phone number (NAP)—reinforce your presence in your community and improve your local search rankings.
What Are Backlinks, and Why Do They Matter?
A backlink is a link from one website to another. Think of it as a referral: when reputable websites link to your dental practice’s website, they tell Google that your site provides valuable information.
Key Benefits of Backlinks:
- Higher Rankings: Backlinks are one of Google’s top local search ranking factors.
- Increased Traffic: Links from local directories or news outlets can also drive potential patients directly to your site.
- Enhanced Authority: A link from a credible source, like a dental directory or local media coverage, boosts your practice’s credibility.
Earning Local Backlinks
- Partner with Local Directories
- Submit your practice’s details to reputable online directories like the Chamber of Commerce, Yelp, or dental-specific platforms like Healthgrades and Zocdoc.
- Ensure your NAP information is consistent across all listings.
- Collaborate with Local Media
- Offer to write articles or provide expert quotes on dental topics for local newspapers or community blogs.
- Example: Write an article on “Understanding Dental Benefits in [City]” or provide insights into a high-profile treatment option.
- Sponsor Local Events
- Support health fairs, dental aid workshops, or school events in your area. Request a backlink from the event’s website to your homepage or a specific service page.
- Write Guest Blogs
- Contribute content to other local websites, like health blogs or industry-specific publications. Make sure your byline includes a link to your dental practice’s website.
Managing Local Citations
A local citation is any mention of your practice’s NAP information online. These mentions don’t always need to include a backlink, but they still help improve your local search rankings.
Best Practices for Local Citations:
- Claim Listings: Ensure your practice is listed on major platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Local Dental Networks.
- NAP Consistency: Double-check that your NAP details are identical across all citations. Even small inconsistencies can confuse search engines.
- Update Regularly: If you change your address or phone number, update all listings immediately.

Why Local Backlinks and Citations Are Worth the Effort
- Local backlinks show Google that your practice is part of the local community, improving your visibility in the local map pack and organic search results.
- Accurate local business listings make it easier for local searchers to find your dental practice when they need care.
Pro Tip: When contributing to local media or directories, ask for links to specific pages, like ‘Dental Implants Specialist in [City]’ or ‘Pediatric Dentist in [Neighborhood].’ This improves the value of the backlink for your SEO.
Monitoring and Improving Your Local SEO Efforts
After setting up your local SEO campaign, monitoring your performance is essential to ensure your strategies are working. Regularly analyzing your local search rankings, traffic, and patient interactions allows you to adjust your approach and maximize results.
Tools to Track Local SEO Performance
- Google Analytics
- Tracks website traffic, showing how many visitors come from local search results.
- Check which pages drive the most engagement and whether visitors take desired actions, like booking an appointment.
- Google Search Console
- Provides insights into your local search rankings and the keywords driving traffic to your site.
- Look for queries with local intent, like “Emergency dentist near me”, and create or optimize pages for those terms.
- Google Business Profile Insights
- View how often your Google Business Profile appears in searches and how users interact with it (e.g., clicks to call, direction requests).
- BrightLocal
- A paid tool that tracks local rankings, analyzes reviews, and helps manage citations.
How to Analyze and Improve Your SEO Strategy
- Check for New Local Search Queries
- Use Google Search Console to find new keywords that users are searching for.
- Example: If “Dental implants in [Neighborhood]” appears as a query, but you don’t have a page for it, create one.
- Evaluate GBP Performance
- Are users interacting with your profile? If not, consider adding more photos, regular posts, or updating service areas.
- Review Website Analytics
- Track bounce rates and conversion rates on key pages. High bounce rates might indicate the content isn’t engaging or relevant to users.
- Adjust Based on Trends
- If a particular service becomes more popular, optimize your website and local landing pages for those queries.
Tips for Ongoing Success
- Set a Review Schedule: Regularly audit your GBP and website for outdated information or opportunities for improvement.
- Add New Content: Create blog posts or service pages targeting emerging dental topics or local search trends.
- Experiment: Test different CTAs, headlines, or images on your website to improve conversion rates.
Pro Tip: Make it a habit to check your Google Business Profile insights monthly. Look at the search terms driving interactions and adjust your local SEO strategies to match.
Conclusion: How to Do Local SEO for Dentists
Building a strong local SEO campaign for your dental practice is one of the most effective ways to attract potential patients while saving on expensive paid advertising. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you’ll improve your local search rankings, drive more traffic, and ultimately secure more patients without breaking the bank.
Key Steps for Local SEO Success
- Optimize Your Google Business Profile (GBP):
- Complete your NAP details.
- Add service areas, high-quality photos, and regular posts.
- Gather and respond to positive reviews to boost both rankings and trust.
- Turn Your Website Into a Lead Machine:
- Ensure a professional design with clear CTAs.
- Embed Google reviews and add trust-building elements.
- Use targeted local keywords in your headings, meta tags, and content.
- Build Location and Service-Specific Pages:
- Create unique pages for each area and dental service you offer.
- Incorporate local search queries and patient reviews to enhance relevance and trust.
- Conduct Keyword Research:
- Use tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs to find high-value local keywords.
- Focus on phrases with clear local intent, like “Family dentist in [City].”
- Earn Local Backlinks and Citations:
- Partner with local directories and media outlets.
- Ensure your business information is consistent across all platforms.
- Monitor and Adjust Your Efforts:
- Use tools like Google Analytics and BrightLocal to track your performance.
- Regularly refine your strategies based on trends and data insights.
Prioritize Your Actions
If you’re unsure where to start, here’s a quick prioritization list:
- Don’t have a GBP profile? Create one immediately.
- Have a GBP but few reviews? Focus on getting more Google reviews.
- Good GBP but unoptimized website? Update headings, CTAs, and embed your reviews.
- Optimized website but limited pages? Build local landing pages for each service and location.
- Have everything in place? Start earning backlinks and monitoring results.
Small, consistent efforts in local SEO will lead to long-term gains. Once your foundation is in place, your practice will benefit from ongoing traffic and organic search results without additional costs.