Dental Marketing FAQs

In today’s world you can’t just rely on word of mouth to get new patients into your practice. Dental marketing is key to being visible, trusted and attractive to new and existing patients. With the rise of digital everything patients are looking online, reviews and social media to find and choose dental services. If you don’t have a marketing strategy your practice will get left behind by the competition who are more active online.

This FAQ answers the questions dental practices ask about marketing. Whether you want to know how to improve your local SEO, get more patient reviews or whether you should invest in PPC ads this guide has the answers. By the end you’ll know how to boost your practice’s online presence and get more patients.

What is dental marketing and why is it Important?

Dental marketing is all the strategies and tactics used to promote a dental practice, get new patients and retain existing ones. It includes local SEO and social media marketing, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, content creation and reputation management through online reviews.

Why is Dental Marketing Important?

Dental marketing is key to the growth and success of your practice. Here’s why:

• Increased Visibility

  With so many people searching online for dental services, you need to have an online presence. Ranking higher in local search results means your practice will be found when patients search for dental services in your area.

  
  

• Attract New Patients

  Marketing generates new leads by getting your practice in front of the right people at the right time. Through GMB optimisation, targeted social media posts and PPC ads you can bring more patients to your practice.

  
  

• Build Trust and Credibility

  In the digital age patients trust a practice with positive reviews, an active social media presence and a professional website. Marketing helps build that credibility by showcasing your expertise, patient success stories and testimonials.

  
  

• Patient Retention

  Marketing isn’t just about getting new patients. Regular communication via email campaigns, social media content and loyalty programs can keep your existing patients coming back for routine check-ups and treatments.

By investing in dental marketing you’ll stay competitive, visible and trusted and grow and maintain a patient base.

What are the best dental marketing strategies?

Dental marketing requires a multi-faceted approach. To grow and stay competitive here are the top strategies to implement:

• Local SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Local SEO gets your dental practice to show up in search results when patients are looking for services in your area. Optimising your Google My Business (GMB) profile, using location based keywords and encouraging patient reviews will help boost your local visibility.

Benefit: You’ll show up in the Google Map Pack and at the top of local search results and drive more traffic to your website and more appointments.

• Content Marketing

Creating valuable content that educates patients about dental health is a great way to position your practice as an expert. Blog posts, educational videos and FAQs on your website provide resources to your audience and improve your SEO.

Benefit: Content marketing builds trust with patients, improves your search rankings and keeps your website fresh with relevant content.

• Social Media Engagement

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow you to talk directly to your audience. Share educational posts, patient testimonials, promotions and office updates to keep your practice top of mind.

Benefit: Regular social media engagement helps you build a relationship with both current and potential patients and expand your reach in your area.

• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads

PPC ads especially on Google allow you to target high intent keywords like “emergency dentist near me” or “cosmetic dentist in [city].” These ads will capture immediate traffic and convert leads into new patient appointments.

Benefit: PPC gives you quick results by driving traffic to your website and is especially useful for patients who need dental services now.

By combining these strategies you can create a marketing plan that drives traffic, builds patient trust and grows your dental practice.

How do I improve my local SEO for my dental practice?

Local SEO is one of the most important digital marketing strategies for dental practices. By optimising your website and online presence to show up in local search results you can attract more patients from your local area. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB) Profile

Your Google My Business (GMB) profile is key to local SEO. Make sure all the information – business name, address, phone number (NAP) and hours – is correct and up to date. Adding high quality photos of your office, team and services will also help your profile stand out.

Benefit: A fully optimised GMB profile will get you in the Google Map Pack where local businesses are featured in search results.

• Use Location-Based Keywords

Use location based keywords throughout your website. For example instead of just using “dental services” use phrases like “best dentist in [city]” or “teeth whitening in [suburb].” These keywords tell Google your practice is relevant to local searches.

Benefit: By targeting local keywords you’ll show up in search results when people are looking for dentists in your area and drive more relevant traffic to your website.

• Encourage Patient Reviews

Patient reviews not only build trust with potential patients but also improve your local SEO rankings. After every appointment ask satisfied patients to leave a review on Google, Yelp or Facebook. The more reviews you have the higher you’ll show up in search results.

Benefit: Positive reviews not only build your credibility but also tell Google your practice is trusted and relevant and will rank you higher in local searches.

Why is local SEO important for attracting nearby patients?

Local SEO is important because it gets patients in your local area to find your practice. When people search for “dentist near me” they’ll choose a practice that shows up at the top of search results and in the Google Map Pack. Local SEO will get your practice in front of people who are actively looking for dental services close to home and will drive more phone calls, website visits and appointments.

By optimising your GMB profile, using location based keywords and asking for reviews you’ll get your dental practice to rank higher in local searches and attract more patients from your local area.

What’s the role of social media in dental marketing?

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are essential tools for dental practices to connect with their community, build brand awareness and attract new patients. Social media allows you to promote your services but also to form meaningful connections with your patients by sharing content that educates, informs and builds trust.

How to use social media to connect with patients

Social media is a great way to stay in touch with current and potential patients. By posting regularly and engaging with followers you’ll keep your practice top of mind and create a space for interaction.

• Facebook

  This platform is good for families and older adults. You can post educational articles, office updates and patient testimonials. Facebook’s event and ad tools also allow you to promote special offers or upcoming events to your local community.

  
  

• Instagram

  Instagram is visual and great for posting photos and videos of your practice. It’s good for a younger audience so perfect for posting before and after photos of cosmetic dentistry, behind the scenes office tours and short educational videos or tips.

Examples of Content Types That Work Well for Dental Practices

The key to social media marketing is to consistently share content that adds value to your audience. Here are a few types of content that work for dental practices:

• Educational Posts

  Share tips on oral hygiene, explain common dental procedures or post fun facts about dental health. Posts like “5 ways to keep your teeth clean” or “What to expect during a root canal” will engage your followers and position your practice as the expert in dental care.

  
  

• Patient Success Stories

  Share real patient success stories (with permission) by posting before and after photos or video testimonials. Posts like “See how we transformed John’s smile!” are powerful ways to build trust and encourage others to come to you.

  
  

• Office Updates and Promotions

  Keep your followers up to date with office news such as new staff, service expansions or holiday hours. You can also post special offers like discounts on teeth whitening or referral programs. Regular updates will keep your audience engaged and informed about what’s happening at your practice.

By connecting with your patients on social media you not only build brand loyalty but also increase the chances of new patients finding and trusting your practice.

How do I get more patient reviews?

Positive patient reviews are one of the most powerful tools you have to build trust and credibility. When patients search for a dental practice they often look at reviews on Google, Yelp or Facebook before making a decision. Having more positive reviews will help you stand out from the competition and improve your local SEO rankings.

How to get satisfied patients to leave reviews

Getting more reviews doesn’t have to be hard but it does require consistency and a few clever tactics. Here’s how to get satisfied patients to leave reviews:

• Ask after every appointment

  One of the simplest ways to get reviews is to ask. After a positive appointment, ask the patient if they would be willing to leave a review on Google or another platform. Most patients will if you ask nicely.

  
  

• Send follow-up emails or texts

  After an appointment send an email or text thanking the patient for coming to your practice and include a link to your Google My Business page or another review site. Make it as easy as possible for them to leave feedback.

  
  

• Offer incentives

  While you can’t buy reviews you can offer small incentives like discounts on future services or a free teeth cleaning for patients who leave a review. Just make sure to comply with review guidelines on platforms like Google to avoid any penalties.

  
  

How positive reviews impact trust, credibility and SEO rankings

Positive reviews are key to building trust and credibility for your dental practice. Here’s how they help:

• Build Trust

  When patients see a high number of positive reviews they feel more confident choosing your practice. Reviews are social proof, showing other patients have had a good experience.

  
  

• Boost Credibility

  Practices with many positive reviews are perceived as more trustworthy and professional. This gives you an edge over competitors if they have fewer or lower rated reviews.

  
  

• Improve Local SEO Rankings

  Reviews are a major factor in local search rankings. Google’s algorithm takes into account the number of reviews, their quality and how often they’re posted when determining which businesses show up in local search results. The more positive reviews you have the higher your practice will rank in searches for “dentist near me” or “best dentist in [city]”.

By asking patients to leave reviews and making it easy for them to do so you can improve your online reputation, build patient trust and boost your local SEO and attract more new patients to your practice.

Should I invest in pay-per-click (PPC) ads?

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads are one of the quickest ways to get instant traffic to your dental practice’s website. Unlike SEO which takes time to build organic rankings, PPC ads – especially on Google Ads – allow you to show up at the top of search results for relevant keywords immediately. This makes PPC advertising a valuable tool for dental practices looking to attract patients who are searching for dental services.

What is PPC advertising for dental practices

With PPC advertising you bid on specific keywords that patients are searching for and you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. You want to target high intent keywords that signal the user is ready to book an appointment. Google Ads is particularly good for dental practices because you can target local patients and show up at the top of search results for high value keywords.

• Google Ads

  Google Ads allows your practice to show up at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) when users search for relevant keywords. You can create ads targeting patients in your local area so your ads only show to people who are likely to visit your practice.

Benefits of Targeting High-Intent Keywords

High intent keywords are search terms that show the user is ready to take action, such as booking an appointment. By targeting these keywords you increase the chance of attracting patients who need dental care now.

• Examples of High-Intent Keywords:

  • “Emergency dentist near me”

  • “Same-day dental appointment”

  • “Pediatric dentist in [city]”

  • “Teeth whitening in [neighborhood]”

By bidding on these keywords you can attract users who are looking for immediate services which increases the chance of converting clicks into actual appointments.

Why track ad performance?

One of the biggest advantages of PPC advertising is the ability to track and measure in real time. With tools like Google Ads and Google Analytics you can monitor key metrics like click through rates (CTR), cost per click (CPC) and conversion rates.

• Track Conversions

  Set up conversion tracking to measure how many users book an appointment after clicking on your ads. This will help you know the ROI of your PPC campaigns.

• Optimize for Better Results

  Use the data from your PPC campaigns to continuously refine your ad strategy. A/B test different headlines, CTAs and keywords to see which ones perform better. Adjust your bids to focus more on high performing keywords and reduce spend on underperforming ones.

By investing in PPC ads you can capture high intent traffic, get new patients fast and make sure you’re getting the most out of your ad spend by tracking and optimizing.

How can video marketing help my dental practice?

Video marketing is one of the best ways to connect with potential patients, build trust and provide valuable information about your services. Whether it’s explaining complex dental procedures or showcasing patient testimonials, video content allows you to communicate in a more engaging and relatable way than text or images alone.

Why video marketing for building trust and educating patients

Patients have anxiety about visiting the dentist especially when it comes to new procedures. Video content helps to ease those fears by educating patients on what to expect and showcasing your expertise.

• Build Trust

  Videos humanize your practice and give potential patients a glimpse into your personality and professionalism. This builds trust so they feel more comfortable booking an appointment.

  
  

• Educate Patients

  Many patients don’t fully understand the details of dental procedures which can make them hesitant to seek care. Explainer videos simplify complex procedures so patients feel informed and can make decisions about their dental health.

Explainer Videos for Dental Procedures

Explainer videos break down dental procedures step by step, using simple language and visuals to make it easy to understand. These can be placed on your website or YouTube channel so both existing and potential patients have a resource.

• Examples of Explainer Videos:

  • “What to Expect During a Root Canal”

  • “How Teeth Whitening Works”

  • “The Benefits of Dental Implants”

  
  

Explainer videos de-mystify dental care, reduce patient anxiety and position your practice as the authority on oral health.

Share patient testimonials for social proof

Patient testimonials are one of the most powerful ways to build credibility and trust. When potential patients see others talking about their positive experience at your practice they know they will get the same quality of care.

• Video Testimonials

  Ask happy patients to share their story on camera. These can be posted on your website, YouTube and social media to provide social proof that encourages others to choose your practice.

  
  

• Office Tour Videos

  Consider creating a video tour of your dental office so patients can get a behind the scenes look at your facilities and staff. This will help potential patients feel more comfortable and familiar with your practice before their first visit.

  
  

Post on multiple platforms

Once you have your videos, make sure you post them on multiple platforms to get maximum visibility.

• Website

  Feature videos on relevant service pages, your homepage or a dedicated video library. This keeps visitors on your site and improves SEO.

  
  

• YouTube

  As the 2nd largest search engine, YouTube is a great platform for video content. Optimize your video titles and descriptions with keywords to get visibility.

  
  

• Social Media

  Share video clips on Facebook and Instagram to engage with your audience and drive traffic to your website. Short video content gets more engagement than static images or text.

By adding video marketing to your overall strategy you can educate patients, build trust and increase engagement across all your digital platforms.

How Often Should I Update My Website?

Updating your dental practice’s website with fresh content is key for both SEO and patient engagement. Your website is the digital front door of your practice and keeping it current means visitors get up to date information and stay engaged.

Why update your website with fresh content? Updating your website regularly tells search engines and patients that your practice is active and engaged. Fresh content gives your site more opportunities to rank higher in search results.

• Blog Posts

  Post regular blog content on dental health, procedures or tips for oral hygiene to keep your site fresh and engaging. Blog posts improve SEO by targeting long tail keywords and answering patient questions.

  
  

• Service Pages

  Keep your service pages up to date by adding new treatments, refining existing descriptions and incorporating patient testimonials. This means patients can easily find information on the services you offer.

  
  

• Patient Testimonials

  Updating your website with patient testimonials regularly builds trust and social proof. New reviews and success stories will make potential patients feel more confident in choosing your practice.

How Updating Your Website Improves SEO and Patient Engagement?

• SEO

  Search engines like Google love websites that update their content regularly. Each new blog post, updated service page or testimonial gives search engines more content to crawl and index which can improve your search rankings.

  
  

• Engagement

  Patients will stay on your website and visit multiple pages when they find fresh and relevant content. Higher engagement means more inquiries, bookings and returning patients from happy patients.

To get the most out of it, try to update your website at least once a month with fresh blog posts, testimonials and updates to your services.

What metrics should I track to measure my dental marketing?

Tracking the right metrics is key to understanding how your dental marketing is performing. By monitoring your key performance indicators (KPIs) you can measure the impact of your strategies and make data driven decisions to improve your marketing campaigns.

Metrics to track

Here are the metrics you should be tracking to measure your dental marketing:

• Website Traffic

  Track the number of visitors to your website and where they’re coming from (organic search, paid ads, social media etc). A steady increase in traffic means your marketing is working to drive more potential patients to your site.

  
  

• Conversion Rate

  This measures how many visitors take a specific action, such as book an appointment or fill out a contact form. A high conversion rate means your website is converting traffic into new patient inquiries.

  
  

• Bounce Rate

  The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate means users aren’t finding what they’re looking for or your site isn’t engaging enough.

  
  

• Online Reviews

  Monitor the number and quality of reviews your practice gets on platforms like Google, Yelp and Facebook. Reviews impact your local SEO rankings and build trust with potential patients.

  
  

• PPC Metrics (Click-Through Rate & Cost Per Click)

  If you’re running PPC ads, track metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Cost Per Click (CPC). These metrics will help you understand how your ads are performing and if your ad spend is giving you a good return on investment.

How Google Analytics and GMB Insights can help?

• Google Analytics

  This is the tool to use to track website performance. It gives you detailed reports on traffic sources, user behaviour, conversion rates and more. Google Analytics will help you understand how visitors are interacting with your website and which marketing channels are driving the most traffic.

  
  

• Google My Business (GMB) Insights

  GMB Insights gives you valuable data on how users are interacting with your business profile. You can see how many people are requesting directions, visiting your website or calling your practice directly from your GMB listing. Tracking this data will help you optimise your local SEO and make sure your practice is visible in local search results.

  
  

By tracking these metrics regularly you can optimise your dental marketing, get more patient inquiries and improve overall marketing performance.

Conclusion

A good dental marketing strategy is key to growing your practice, getting new patients and retaining existing ones. From local SEO and social media engagement to content marketing and PPC ads, each piece is important to keep your practice competitive in today’s digital world.

But the key to long term success is consistency and data driven decisions. By testing new strategies, tracking performance metrics and refining your marketing based on real data your dental practice can achieve long term growth.

Not all marketing is the same. Be flexible. Adjust. Improve. 🙏🏼