Updated September 1, 2026
When people are looking for a new dentist, they might ask their friends and family for recommendations or, if they’re feeling adventurous, look for options online. You’d be surprised at how many people do a quick Google search for a good dentist in their area and read through reviews.
So, when someone asks AI or Google for recommendations for dentists in their area, if a dental practice takes their specific insurance, and if that dentist is open when they can make the time, are they finding your practice, or are they finding your competitors?
Before they make that call to set up an appointment, new patients are doing their research beforehand. Here are some tips to ensure your dental practice shows up when they’re looking up dentists and exploring options.
#1: Understand How New Patients Find You
As the saying goes, knowledge is power. You want to understand how new patients find your practice. How are people hearing about you? What are they searching—and are you showing up for those searches?
From Google’s own numbers, 7% of all searches across Google are related in some way to healthcare. More than 50% of Google’s AI Overviews (those summaries you see at the top) have healthcare-related answers. Additionally, a whopping 78% of patients find their dentist online; the vast majority through search engines of some kind, like Google. And rather amazingly, 86% of those people request an appointment with a dentist or reach out for more information.
New patients in the market for healthcare providers also spend a significant time looking at a provider’s Google reviews. If you haven’t paid much attention to your Google page or Google Business Profile, you ought to.
#2: Research How SEO Can Boost Your Footprint
Your website and Google page are the foundational pillars of your online footprint (along with your social media profiles). It’s important that all of these touchpoints have accurate information, read well, are informative and helpful, and show that you are a legitimate practice that can help people have clean teeth and beautiful smiles.
For people to find you and believe your practice is the one for them, here are a few of the basics about what you need to do online:
- You need to have an intuitive, easy-to-use, and informative website or landing page. People should know exactly how to contact you, schedule an appointment, review the services you offer, and understand what insurances you accept. A bonus is a staff directory or biographies that show your team, including your office administrators, dental hygienists, and dentists.
- Reviews on your website, as well as on places like Google, Yelp, Bing, and Facebook.
- Social media accounts, like Facebook and Instagram, that are active and show what you and your practice do every day.
- Listings all around the internet that AI and Google can reference to corroborate that you are who you say you are, and you do what you say you do.
#3: Call in Marketing Experts
It’s hard for a dental practice to clean teeth, perfect smiles, deal with insurance, and find new patients. At Uptick Marketing, we’ve worked with practices just like yours to help win new patients through a strategy-first approach. You deal with the day-to-day of your office; we’ll handle what’s best for bringing in new business and getting more foot traffic through your door.
Connect with us today for a quick talk about your practice and marketing goals.
