What dentists need to know about this major online marketing shift
When patients search for a local dental practice online, they now get more than a list of offices that meet their criteria. Google provides AI summaries to answer questions right on the search results page—so even if your practice shows up on page one, you’re likely getting fewer website visitors than before.
“Patients often get what they need without ever clicking a website,” said Patrick McDonald, Head of Strategic Growth for RAMP Results, a full-service dental marketing company that helps dentists create successful SEO strategies. “The visibility’s still there, but the traffic is down. Plus, with AI summaries, paid ads, and Local Service Ads taking up more space, traditional organic listings are getting pushed farther down the page.”
This marks a major online marketing shift that makes search engine optimization (SEO) more important than ever, McDonald said. Now, not only do you need to show up on the first page of results, you also need AI summaries and other AI platforms to pull from your website.
“In other words,” McDonald said, “if your practice isn’t ranking on page one, you’re likely missing out on both search visibility and AI placement.”
Don’t Fight It
How can you ensure your practice maintains visibility? “You have to feed the AI model—not fight it,” McDonald said.
He recommends creating helpful, local content that answers common patient questions like “How much do dental implants cost near me?” or “Is Invisalign better than braces?” Keep answers to these questions short, McDonald noted, and use simple language. It's also important to include city names in “authentic content” like testimonials and reviews. Adding videos, educational posts, and an FAQ section will help keep your practice website on Google's radar.
“The more Google trusts your information,” McDonald said, “the more likely it is to pull your content into AI summaries.”
Investing in SEO will keep your practice visible, he said, and blending Google search, videos, maps, paid ads, and reviews into “one connected strategy” will help ensure AI doesn’t overlook your practice website.
Find the Right Partner
AI is reshaping SEO, not replacing it. Websites remain the foundation; credible AI tools need them to gather information.
The goal, McDonald said, is to turn your practice website into a trusted source that Google will reference in its AI summaries, and working with the right marketing company can help you achieve that.
“A marketing partner like RAMP brings it all together by creating content AI trusts, tracking real lead flow, and keeping your practice not just visible, but validated as search evolves," he concluded.
