SEO & AEO for General Dentistry Practices

Local SEO focuses on improving visibility for location-based searches. For medical practices, this means appearing when patients search for "orthopedic surgeon near me" or "best dermatologist in ."

Patient reviews significantly influence both search rankings and patient decisions. Google explicitly states that "review count and review score factor into local search ranking," making online reputation management essential for attracting new patients while maintaining trust.

When patients search for "orthopedic surgeon near me," Google isn't just matching keywords anymore – it's looking for known, trusted entities. If your practice isn't established as an entity in Google's Knowledge Graph, you're invisible to both traditional search and AI tools like ChatGPT.

When a patient asks ChatGPT "best orthopedic surgeon in Boston," is your practice among the sources it cites? With nearly 60% of US adults searching for health information online, and AI tools rapidly becoming part of that journey, practices that aren't optimized for answer engines are invisible to a growing segment of patients.

Voice searches are inherently conversational – patients ask "Hey Google, what's a good dermatologist near me?" rather than typing "dermatologist near me." This shift toward natural language queries changes how practices need to structure content for discovery.

The local pack – the map and three business listings at the top of local search results – captures a disproportionate share of clicks for healthcare queries. Google determines local pack rankings using three primary factors: relevance, distance, and prominence.

For years, SEO meant targeting keywords – researching what patients search and optimizing pages to rank for those terms. But search engines have fundamentally changed. Google's Knowledge Graph now contains over 8 billion entities, and AI systems like ChatGPT retrieve information by understanding what entities exist, not just which keywords match. The practices still optimizing for keywords alone are increasingly invisible to both traditional search and AI.

You've worked hard to earn five-star reviews. Patients love you. But when someone searches for your specialty in your area, you're nowhere to be found. The frustrating truth is that reviews matter for local rankings, but they're not the only factor – and focusing on reviews alone while neglecting other signals can leave you invisible.

Your website shows up on Google. Your SEO reports look healthy. But the phones aren't ringing like they used to. You're not imagining it – something fundamental has changed in how patients find and choose healthcare providers.

Cosmetic dentistry patients research extensively before committing to treatment – nearly 60% of US adults search for health information online. They compare providers, look at before/after photos, and read reviews. Your search visibility directly impacts how many consultations you book.

One in four Americans – 84.5 million people – are impacted by skin disease. Patients actively research skin conditions, treatment options, and providers before booking appointments. Nearly 60% of US adults search for health information online, and dermatology patients are no exception. Your online visibility directly determines whether they find your practice.