The way people find dentists online has changed—and it’s still changing. The blue links on Google’s results are still there, but they’re not the whole story anymore. Increasingly, patients are skipping your website entirely and getting their answers straight from AI. And it’s not even always Google’s AI! If your website is still optimized like it’s 2017, you’re probably seeing your traffic slide. This new era calls for a new approach.
As an all-in-one dental marketing company, we understand that SEO today isn’t just about keywords—it’s about aligning with how people and machines discover information across platforms. Here are six dental SEO essentials to keep your strategy current and your practice visible.
1. Write like a human, for humans.
Search engines aren’t just parsing keywords anymore. They’re interpreting meaning, doing everything they can to understand what motivates a human when they type in a prompt. ChatGPT and tools like it thrive on content that reads naturally and covers a topic with clarity. That means ditching the robotic keyword stuffing and writing in a way that’s fluid and conversational.
If you’re writing for an algorithm, you’re doing it wrong. Instead, write for a person who might be reading your answer straight from a chatbot window. If it sounds awkward when read aloud, rewrite it. Be sure to include your practice name and doctor name in the answers you’re providing to people so that they know you’re talking to them about your practice and not just giving them general industry info.
2. Speak machine language, too.
Even though natural language is key, don’t forget about structured data. In a nutshell, structured data and schema markup is a way of programming your website’s content that helps machines understand what your content is about—and where it fits into the puzzle of a user’s question. You can think of it as the machine equivalent to tone of voice and facial expressions that provide humans with additional information beyond what the speaker is saying in a conversation. It gives your text context.
Whether it’s FAQ schema, article schema, or review markup, these bits of code give your content a fighting chance to show up as a rich result or get pulled into an AI-generated summary.
3. Prove you know your stuff.
In a sea of content, quality still matters. Google and ChatGPT-like tools are more likely to surface information that’s clearly written by someone who knows what they’re talking about. If your website is packed with vague, recycled fluff, it’s going to get passed over. Make sure your content is thorough, specific, and shows clear expertise in the topic—especially if you’re writing about health. Cite sources. Stay current. Be trustworthy.
If you’ve been hesitant to post before and after photos or build your About page with new details about your training and on-going CE, not to mention new testimonials from happy patients, you’re likely struggling right now. You’ve got to redouble your efforts to prove to people and bots who have never set foot in your dental office, you know your stuff and do good work.
4. Write for people who are searching for something specific.
Most people don’t search for “TMJ dentist.” More often, these days, they ask questions like “Why does my jaw click when I chew?” or “What kind of doctor helps with jaw pain?” There’s not just one question to optimize for either. The permutations are endless, but the search intent tends to be about the same. For example, why are people with TMD are online, looking for answers? Pain mostly.
Your content should be built around answering these kinds of real questions. That means thinking beyond generic keyword targets and leaning into long-tail, intent-rich queries. The better you match what someone really wants to know, the better your odds of showing up in the answers they see.
5. Design like it matters. Because it does.
Google knows when users bounce. If someone lands on your site and immediately hits the back button, that’s a signal. If your site loads slowly, looks bad on a phone, or makes it hard to find what they’re looking for, you’re losing visitors and you’re hurting your rankings.
Focus on user experience: quick load times, simple navigation, clean design, and clear calls to action. These things don’t just keep users happy. They help your content get found in the first place. Why? Because people care about these things, so the machines looking at your website do too.
6. Or just let us handle it.
Most dental offices don’t have time to stay ahead of the changes in AI and SEO. That’s what we’re here for. At Pro Impressions Marketing, our dental SEO pros help dentists get seen and attract new patients, even in an era where the rules are constantly changing. If you’re ready to do SEO the smart way, let’s talk.
Schedule a call with us and get started.
