Marketing for dentists is mostly local marketing. A practice draws patients from a few miles of road, so the work that matters is being findable and credible in that radius rather than being famous anywhere else. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts about 149,300 dentists in the United States in 2024, with 78% working in offices of dentists, which is a market of many small local competitors rather than a few national ones. That shape decides the order of purchase: profile and reviews first, site and local search second, paid acquisition third, and brand work last. This page sets out what each layer actually is, what the rules require around patient reviews, and how to test an agency's claims before money changes hands.
The order that actually works for a practice
Start with the free surface that most patients see first. A Google Business Profile has to represent the practice as it is represented in the real world across signage and stationery, with a precise address, no marketing taglines stuffed into the business name, and as few categories as possible describing what the business is rather than what it has. Getting that right costs nothing and fixes the listing that appears above your website in local results. Only then does website work pay off, because a good site with a broken or duplicated listing is a good site nobody reaches. Paid acquisition comes third, once you know which treatments actually convert and what a booked patient is worth. Brand advertising comes last, if at all, because a single-location practice rarely has the frequency budget to make it work.
Reviews are a legal surface, not a growth hack
Patient reviews are the strongest local signal a practice has and the fastest way to get into trouble. The Federal Trade Commission's endorsement guidance is explicit that endorsements must be honest and must reflect the honest opinion of the endorser, and that a connection between an endorser and the marketer that a significant minority of consumers would not expect has to be disclosed clearly and conspicuously. If an advertiser pays someone or gives them something of value to mention a product, that has to be disclosed. Fake reviews are treated harder still: the FTC notes that likes and endorsements from non-existent people, or from people with no experience of the service, are clearly deceptive and that both the buyer and the seller of them can face enforcement action. Any agency that offers to seed reviews, write them, or gate them so only happy patients are asked is selling you a liability. Ask for its review process in writing before you sign.
Paid channels a practice can actually use
Local Services Ads are the most practice-shaped paid product Google runs, because they are billed per lead rather than per click. Google's own description is that you advertise on Google and receive leads directly from potential customers, and pay only for leads related to your business and the services you offer. Dentists are among the listed eligible categories, and eligibility varies by area, so the first step is checking whether the format is even available where you practise. Beyond that, ordinary search ads work when they are aimed at treatments with real margin rather than at the word dentist, which is the most expensive and least specific term in the category. Whatever the channel, insist on tracking that ends at a booked appointment rather than at a form submission, because the gap between the two is where most dental ad budgets quietly disappear.
How to vet the agency before you sign
Google publishes hiring guidance for this exact purchase and it works as a checklist for a practice owner. Ask for examples of previous work and success stories, ask what results the agency expects and in what timeframe, and ask about its experience in your industry and geography. Be wary of firms that email you out of the blue, of anyone claiming a special relationship with Google, and of any company that is secretive about what it intends to do. Google states outright that no one can guarantee a number one ranking, so treat a promised position as evidence about the vendor rather than about your future traffic. Practically: grant read-only analytics and Search Console access during an audit rather than write access, ask who owns the website and the ad accounts if you leave, and get the answer in the contract rather than in an email.
Questions people ask about marketing for dentists
What should a dental practice spend money on first?
The Google Business Profile, then the website and local search, then paid acquisition. The profile is free, appears above your site in local results, and has to be accurate before anything else is worth doing.
Can we offer patients a discount for leaving a review?
Not without disclosure, and it is a bad idea regardless. The FTC requires that a material connection a significant minority of consumers would not expect is disclosed clearly and conspicuously, and reviews must reflect the endorser's honest opinion. Incentivised review programmes create a compliance problem and a credibility problem at the same time.
Do Local Services Ads work for dentists?
They are available to health service categories including dentists, and they bill per lead rather than per click, which suits a practice with a known patient value. Availability depends on your service category and area, so check eligibility before building a plan around them.
How do I know if an SEO agency is any good before I pay?
Use Google's own hiring questions: previous work, expected results and timeframe, experience in your industry and area, and how you will communicate. Then check the warning signs it names, including ranking guarantees, unsolicited pitches and any claimed special relationship with Google.
How many dentists am I competing with?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted about 149,300 dentists in 2024, most of them in offices of dentists, and projects about 4,500 openings a year over the decade. In practice your competition is the handful of practices inside your catchment, not the national number.