For many dental practices, becoming visible in Google search is a challenge, as most are practically invisible. Now, this isn’t due to the practice and the quality of work it does, but it’s all down to the website. Usually, dental websites are built to look good rather than focusing on performance and user experience, which means that once created, it’s never touched again. Fixing this issue is much simpler than you may think once you understand SEO for dentists in the UK and know the signals Google uses. Using the right SEO and signals can significantly boost your visibility for local dental search and create quality traffic that actually turns into patients.
Why dental SEO is different from standard SEO
Dental SEO is very different because most dental searches have local intent. Patients tend to search terms like “dentist near me” or “Invisalign Manchester”, so Google knows that they want a practice that’s close by. It understands that they don’t want a national directory or an article about dental hygiene, so Google will produce results that appear in the local map pack. This is the three-business block at the top of the page, where three websites are chosen through specific signals.
To be able to rank in the map pack, your practice needs to have three things. These are:
- Relevance: Does your Google Business Profile (GBP) and website match what the person has searched for?
- Distance: How close is the practice to the person searching?
- Prominence: How well known is your practice online? Do you have reviews, citations and links?
Even though the distance of your practice from where the searcher is located is a fixed factor, the other two can be worked on and improved. You can make sure that your GBP and website match popular local terms people search for through relevant keywords, and you can also build your prominence online through reviews, citations and links, which will help you rank better and be shown on the local map pack.
Your Google Business Profile is not optional
When it comes to how to rank on Google as a dentist in the UK, the biggest, most impactful action you can take is properly configuring your Google Business Profile (GBP). This goes beyond just claiming it, but also properly completing it. You need to make sure that you choose the right primary category, which should be Dental Clinic rather than Health and Beauty, and add all the relevant secondary categories, such as Cosmetic Dentist and Dental Implants Clinic. Alongside this, you should upload at least 20 photos that show your practice and give potential patients a clear insight into what it’s like. These need to include the clinical team and treatment rooms. Your GBP also needs to have a complete and keyword-rich practice description.
With your GBP profile, it can be helpful to make use of the posts, which many practices don’t use. Creating a post once a week about a specific treatment, an event or a patient story tells Google that the profile is active and relevant. It only takes ten minutes and costs nothing, but it can be the difference between being invisible and gaining new patients.
Practices with fully completed GBPs rank 70% higher in local pack results than those with incomplete profiles, according to BrightLocal's annual local search survey.
Treatment pages and why most dental websites get them wrong
Another huge part of local SEO for dental practices is to get the treatment pages on your website right. If your site only has one page that lists all the treatments you offer in a single block, it won’t do anything helpful for your rankings. In fact, it probably won't rank at all. This is because Google wants to see specific, detailed pages for each treatment that you offer. These need to be written for people who are actively researching the treatment, rather than someone who is only aware that it exists.
For example, a good Invisalign page should explain the treatment process in plain, simple language and include the cost range, who is suitable for it, how long it takes and before and after images with consent from the patients. It should also be a minimum of 800 words to give Google enough content to understand what the page is about, giving the potential patient enough information to feel confident in choosing your practice.
All of your treatment pages should also include a local title tag to cover the local terms potential patients search. For example, you can have “Invisalign Manchester | From £2,800 | [Practice Name]”. This is more likely to rank for Manchester Invisalign searches than a page that’s simply titled “Orthodontics”.
✓Create a separate page for each treatment, such as Invisalign, implants, veneers, composite bonding, teeth whitening and so on.
✓Include the treatment name and city in the page title, H1 and at least three times in the body copy.
✓Add an FAQ section to each treatment page targeting the questions patients actually type into Google.
✓Link every treatment page to your Google Business Profile and your contact page.
Our team can review your GBP, treatment pages and local citations. We can provide a free written report within five working days.
