A new patient looks you up, then books with someone else. My take: people don't shop for a dentist the way they shop for tacos. Many are nervous, they compare a few practices, and they pick the one that feels safest. Your marketing's job is to earn that trust.
My take: many new patients compare before they call. A profile with lots of honest reviews and real answers feels safer than one with a few star ratings and nothing else. A site that lists cleaning prices and answers “do you take my insurance?” in plain text helps more than a smiling stock family. Google says “Businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results.” Fill in what a nervous stranger needs to feel safe.
My take: a practice that keeps patients coming back for regular checkups needs fewer strangers. The plain stuff works: reminder texts that sound human, easy rebooking, and a front desk that books the next visit at checkout. Marketing to people who already trust you costs little, so do it first.
Google Business Profile complete and photographed like a real place, not a brochure. Ask every patient for a review the same way, and let them write whatever they want. Google's review policy bans asking only happy patients or asking for certain words. A site that answers the actual questions: insurance, financing, emergencies, sedation for the scared. My take on what to skip: “dentist near me” ads before your profile is ready for the clicks, coupon-site blasts that bring one-visit bargain hunters, and any marketer promising a set number of new patients a month. Ask them which patients, and from where.
My take: mostly referrals and search, and search is a comparison. A complete profile with many honest reviews, real photos, and a site that answers insurance and cost questions helps you win it. Ads can bring more people once that base is ready.
I don't have a solid source for a typical percentage, so I won't give you one. My take: order matters more than the number. Bringing patients back and asking every patient for a review cost little. Do those before paying for ads that point to a thin profile.
They can. My take: dental clicks can be expensive, so the math only works when your profile and site turn clicks into calls and you track which calls became patients. Start small and measure booked appointments, not clicks.
The team, the office, and how a visit works: posts that make people less scared. Before-and-afters only with the patient's written OK, and check your state dental board's ad rules first. My take: few people want daily posts from a dentist; two real posts a week that make the place feel human is enough.
Not sure if people searching for a dentist in your town can find yours? Email alejandro@ojedaworks.com and I'll check for free.
Related: Law firm marketing · Responding to negative reviews · Do I need a website?