A great dentist SEO strategy will guide patients to your dental practice at the exact moment they’re ready to book.
Let me explain:
It starts with a dull ache.
Nothing catastrophic — just enough to remind them it’s there every time they bite down on something too crunchy or sip a cup of tea that’s hotter than it should be.
They’ve been putting off the dentist for years now, telling themselves they’ll get around to it when life slows down.
Spoiler: life never slows down.
But now the ache is talking louder, and the truth is, they don’t even know where to start looking for a dentist in the area.
So, they do what we all do.
They pull out their phone and type, best dentists near me.
Then maybe they try, affordable dentist or emergency dentist near me.
Like most people, they skim the top results, click on the first name that doesn’t sound like a dodgy pop-up ad, and book an appointment:
But here’s the thing: those top results don’t happen by accident.
Well, they typically don’t happen by accident.
Most of the dental practices that show up first in search results have a trump card in their pocket: SEO.
SEO isn’t about tossing a few keywords on a website and hoping for the best.
It’s about understanding how people search for dentists — or better yet, how they search when they’re not even thinking about dentists and are simply looking for solutions.
Maybe they’re googling why does my tooth hurt when I eat chocolate? or how to stop a tooth infection.
Those searches are breadcrumbs, leading potential patients to dentists who’ve positioned themselves as experts.
Today we’ll unpack how dentists can use SEO to connect with patients right when they’re looking for help — whether they’re searching for a dentist, or just peace of mind.
Use the table of content below to skip to the parts you’re interested in:
First things first, we need to run a quick audit on your current SEO performance to figure out what’s working; what’s not, and what’s missing altogether.
Since we’re dealing with local SEO here, the spotlight falls squarely on local searches and the big player in this game — Google My Business (GMB).
Now, if you’re new to this, GMB is basically the lifeline for local businesses.
When someone in Manchester searches for family dentists the first thing they see on Google is that “map pack” — a little map with three businesses sitting at the top of the page.
Crack open Google and type dentist <insert city/town/village>.
So for example, if you run a dental practice in Manchester, tap dentist manchester into the search bar.
Do you see your business there in the local map pack?
If the answer is, don’t panic.
This isn’t the end of the world.
That being said, it’s also not ideal.
If someone’s wisdom tooth is in pain, they’re not scrolling through a 2,000-word article on “How to Choose the Right Emergency Dentist.”
They’re typing emergency dentist near me and stopping at the first thing that promises relief.
The first thing, in most cases, is that map pack.
If you’re not in it, they’re not calling you. Period.
But like I said: not showing up in the local map pack isn’t the end of the world.
It just means we need to take a hard look at what you’re doing — and more importantly, what you’re not.
So let’s do that together.
Step 1. Keyword research for dentists
Let’s talk about the art of picking the right keywords.
You can have a website that’s drop-dead gorgeous, the type of site that makes other dentists jealous, but if you’re targeting keywords that nobody’s searching for?
Well, it’s like throwing a party and forgetting to send out invitations.
Crickets. Silence. A total waste of effort.
So let’s chat about how to find keywords.
Here are three, dead-easy ways to do keyword research for your dental practice.
1. AutoSuggest
You’ve used it a million times without even thinking about it.
That dropdown list that pops up when you start typing into Google’s search bar?
This one:
That’s called autosuggest, and it’s a great keyword research tool.
Here’s how you can use it:
Type something basic, like dentist <insert city/ town/village>, into the search bar and let Google do the rest.
Watch as suggestions roll out.
Going back to my earlier example, these are suggestions I get when I type in dentist manchester:
These are real searches from real people. Google doesn’t make this stuff up.
It’s based on what folks in your area are already looking for.
Write them down. Make them yours.
Side note: Experiment a little.
Add modifiers like best, cheap, or open late.
Swap out dentist for specific services like teeth whitening or dental implants.
Google’s going to keep feeding you ideas.
2. Related searches
When you hit enter on that search and scroll to the bottom of the results page, you’ll find the related searches section.
It’s a little overlooked box full of keyword that people are searching for in real-time.
For example, if I Google dentist manchester and scroll to the bottom of the page, this is what I see:
This is Google saying, “Hey, people who search for what you just searched also look for this.”
Side note: Think of related searches as the B-sides of your keyword strategy.
They’re not as obvious as the headliners, but they’re still damn good tracks.
Use them to flesh out your blog posts, FAQs, and service pages.
3. Hoth Rank Checker
Want to know what your competitors are ranking for?
The Hoth’s Google Rank Checker tool lets you peek behind the curtain, and it won’t cost you a penny.
Here’s how you use it:
- Head to The Hoth’s Free Google Rank Checker.
- Drop your competitor’s website URL into the tool.
- Boom. You’ll see which keywords they’re ranking for and where they sit on the results page.
Once you’ve got your shortlist of keywords, it’s time to pull out the magnifying glass and check their monthly traffic.
You’ll need an SEO software for this.
I personally use Semrush.
The free version gives you 10 daily searches, and trust me, you can do a lot with that if you know what you’re looking for.
If you’re ready to go all-in on SEO for your dental practice, you’ll probably want to invest in the full version.
But here’s the thing: Semrush has a 7-day free trial.
If you play your cards right, you can blitz through most of your keyword research and even tackle basic technical SEO issues in that window.
You just need someone who knows what they’re doing to handle it.
- Keywords
Before targeting any keyword, check the search intent.
For instance, let’s say I’m targeting the keyword best dentist manchester.
The top-ranking pages for this keyword is a list blog post.
So if I want to rank high for that keyword, my content has to match that intent.
I’m not going to rank with a homepage; I’ll need a blog post or a listicle of my own.
I go deeper into search intent in my blog post, How to write SEO-friendly content. It’s worth a read after this.
Lastly, use a spreadsheet to organise your keywords by priority.
Prioritise keywords with higher buying intent.
For example, emergency dentist manchester is more likely to convert than how to brush teeth properly.
Step 2. On-Page SEO
Now that we’ve got our keywords locked and loaded, it’s time to put them to work.
A good place to start?
Make a list of all the main pages on your site and assign each one a target keyword.
Let’s break it down with some examples.
Pages for a Manchester dental practice:
Here’s how I’d map out pages for a hypothetical Manchester dental practice:
- Page 1: Emergency Dentist Manchester
- URL:
/emergency-dentist-manchester
- Page Title: Emergency Dentist in Manchester | Open Late for Urgent Care
- H1 Tag: Manchester’s Trusted Emergency Dentist
Page 2: Teeth Whitening Manchester
URL:
/teeth-whitening-manchesterPage Title: Professional Teeth Whitening in Manchester | Affordable Prices
H1 Tag: Get a Brighter Smile with Our Teeth Whitening Services
Content Ideas: Detail the whitening process step-by-step, break down the costs, and answer FAQs like “How long does teeth whitening last?” and “Does it hurt?”
Page 3: Invisalign Manchester
URL:
/invisalign-manchesterPage Title: Invisalign Treatment in Manchester | Straighten Your Smile
H1 Tag: Invisalign Aligners in Manchester
Content Ideas: Dive into what makes Invisalign a game-changer — its benefits, the timeline, and how it compares to traditional braces.
1. Copy the format of top posts
Google’s not subtle about what it likes.
If you want to know what works, just Google your target keyword and open up the top 5 results.
How long is their content? What do their H1 tags look like?
Are they adding keywords into image alt text?
If you see a pattern — like all of the top results hitting a 1,500-word count or using a specific structure — you’d be smart to follow it.
2. Pour your expertise into your content
You need quality content.
Writing 200 words and calling it a day? Lazy.
Paying someone five bucks to write a 1,000-word article packed with keyword stuffing and bad grammar? Worse.
What you need is content that’s actually useful, natural, and speaks to the people you’re trying to reach.
And if writing isn’t your thing, hire someone who knows what they’re doing.
Trust me, it’s worth it.
For every page, aim to:
- Use your main keyword in the page title, H1 tag, and naturally within the content:
Write enough content to be competitive — whether that’s 800 words per page, 2,000 words, or somewhere in between. Whatever Google’s already rewarding.
But let me say this: anyone can write about dental treatments. Seriously.
A quick Google search, a few paragraphs cobbled together about root canals or crowns, and boom—content.
But the difference between content that ranks and content that actually makes people pick up the phone? Your expertise.
You’re someone who’s fixed dozens of smiles, calmed shaky hands gripping the chair, and seen more teeth than most people have seen Netflix shows.
That’s what makes your content stand out — the little things that only you know, the stories only you can tell.
And when you pair that expertise with a writer who knows how to structure it, optimise it, and make it sing? That’s where the magic happens.
Here’s how you make it work:
- Don’t just hand it off. Share your stories. Explain the procedures. Talk about the patient who walked in scared out of their mind but walked out laughing because you cracked a dad joke mid-cleaning. Give the writer something real to work with.
- Keep it collaborative. Let the writer handle the technical stuff — SEO, structure, flow — but make sure your voice, your expertise, and your quirks shine through.
- Add depth. A writer can explain Invisalign, but they can’t talk about the times you customised aligners for a patient with a hectic schedule or how you handle cases where traditional braces might actually be better. That’s the stuff that makes your content feel real.
The truth is, good content is always a team sport.
A writer alone can only go so far, and your expertise without the writer’s touch might not hit the mark either.
But together? That’s where the good stuff lives.
Thanks for reading, folks.
Until next time, peace.
