If you are not ranking on Google Maps, you are invisible to most of your potential patients. That statement sounds dramatic until you understand the numbers.

Guido Tebano, who runs marketing at Market by Market and manages SEO for over 100 dental practices, joined Byte-Sized to break down exactly what dental practices need to focus on for local search dominance in 2026.

The answer is simpler than most marketing agencies want you to believe. And more uncomfortable.

In a post-COVID world, 30 to 40 percent of all patient searches find dental practices through Google Maps. That is the low estimate. For practices with strong profiles, the number climbs higher.

Most people do not trust paid ads anymore. They understand those positions are purchased. What they trust is the Google Business Profile because that is where patients leave unbiased opinions.

“Almost 80% of people look at reviews,” Guido said. “They trust reviews more than their own mother.”

That statistic alone should reshape how you think about dental practice automation and AI dental marketing strategies. Every marketing dollar you spend gets filtered through your review profile. Bad reviews? Your advertising budget evaporates.

Here is where the numbers get specific.

You need 33 reviews minimum to start gaining any traction on Google Maps. Below that threshold, the algorithm barely notices you exist.

You need 100 reviews to unlock the ranking benefits. This is where your Google Business Profile starts competing seriously in local search.

After 100, additional reviews do not significantly improve your ranking position. However, human behavior still matters. If competitors have 500 reviews and you have 100, conversions will favor them.

The strategy: Look at a radius around your practice that encompasses about 100,000 people. That is your market. Check competitor review counts. Your goal is matching or exceeding the top players in that zone.

Google recommends that dental practices maintain both a practice listing and a practitioner (doctor) listing. Most practices ignore this entirely.

Here is why it matters for dental practice marketing optimization:

Your practice listing captures general dentistry keywords. Dentist near me. Dental cleaning. Hygiene appointments.

Your practitioner listing can target a completely different category. If you are a GP who does implants, your practice stays in general dentist. Your doctor profile goes into cosmetic or restorative dentistry. You capture implant keywords, veneer keywords, and cosmetic dentistry searches.

Two listings. Two keyword sets. Double the visibility.

The rules matter though. You cannot claim specialist categories you do not hold credentials for. A GP cannot create a pediatric dentist listing without proper certification. Google flags fake category claims aggressively.

AI search engines like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are fundamentally changing how patients find dental practices.

Traditional SEO focused on optimizing pages for specific keywords. Answer-based search focuses on providing direct answers to questions embedded in your website content.

Someone asks ChatGPT: “How much is a dental implant near me?”

AI does not send them to a search results page. It pulls the answer directly from websites with authority and pricing transparency. It summarizes reviews. It makes a recommendation.

“Transparency is king in 2026,” Guido explained. “You don’t go to a restaurant today without looking at the number of dollar signs. Everything in life is based on a range. You need to play the game if you

AI Video Content for Dentists: How to Create Engaging Social Media with Sora and ChatGPT

AI in dentistry isn't just for diagnostics—it's revolutionizing how dental practices create social media content. In this episode of the Bite-Sized Podcast, we dive deep into AI video creation tools that can help dentists produce engaging short-form video content in minutes. Learn how to use ChatGPT for meta-prompting, leverage Sora 2 for AI-generated videos, and build a consistent social media presence that supports your practice's SEO and brand. Whether you're wondering how AI is changing dentistry marketing or looking for practical dental AI tools to streamline your content workflow, this conversation with content creation expert Megan Nelson delivers actionable strategies you can implement today.

ABOUT MEGAN NELSON

Megan Nelson is the Grand Master of Copywriting and SEO at My Social Practice. She specializes in AI content creation tools and has been on the front lines of emerging AI technologies since the launch of ChatGPT. Megan has extensive experience with AI image generators like Midjourney, music generators like Suno AI, and video creation tools including Sora 2 and Veo 3. As a content creator and SEO specialist, she develops workflows and processes that help dental practices leverage artificial intelligence in their marketing efforts. Megan writes all blog content for My Social Practice and manages the Dental AI Art Instagram account showcasing AI-generated dental content.

DENTAL AI AND TECH COMPANIES MENTIONED

Sora 2 (OpenAI Video Generator) - https://openai.com/sora

ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com

Midjourney (AI Image Generator) - https://www.midjourney.com

Suno AI (Music Generator) - https://suno.com

Veo 3 (Google Video Generator) - https://deepmind.google/technologies/veo/

TikTok Creative Center - https://ads.tiktok.com

Instagram Edits App - https://www.instagram.com

Annie AI - https://mysocialpractice.com/annie-ai/

My Social Practice - https://mysocialpractice.com

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION

1. Dental Marketing Social Media Ideas: https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/11/dental-marketing-social-media/
2. Dental Social Media and AI: https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/08/dental-social-media-and-ai/
3. Video SEO for Dentists: https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/05/video-seo-for-dentists-boost/

CONTACT INFO

Megan Nelson: My Social Practice - https://mysocialpractice.com

Adrian Lefler: Website: https://mysocialpractice.com - Phone: 877-316-7516

👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth.

#DentalAI #AIinDentistry #DentalMarketing...

AI SEO for Dentists: How Zero-Click Search Is Changing Dental Marketing Forever

AI in dentistry isn't just about diagnostic tools anymore—it's completely transforming how patients find your practice. In this episode, we explore how AI SEO, voice search, and zero-click searches are revolutionizing dental marketing and what every dentist needs to know to stay visible in 2025 and beyond.

Is your dental practice invisible to AI search engines? With zero-click searches now dominating how patients find dentists, traditional SEO strategies are no longer enough. In this podcast, serial entrepreneur and dental marketing expert Ridgely Goldsborough breaks down exactly how artificial intelligence in dentistry is reshaping patient acquisition. Learn why patients are trusting AI recommendations over traditional search results, how voice search is creating longer conversational queries, and what your practice website needs to rank in ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. Discover why dental AI optimization isn't optional anymore—and how practices that adapt are capturing patients from competitors who don't even know they're losing them. If you're wondering how AI is changing dentistry from a marketing perspective, this is the episode you can't afford to miss.

ABOUT RIDGELY GOLDSBOROUGH

RIDGELY GOLDSBOROUGH is a serial entrepreneur who has started 45 different companies and now focuses exclusively on helping elite dental practices dominate their markets through cutting-edge digital marketing and AI optimization strategies. After spending years in the speaking circuit delivering CEO-level presentations worldwide, Ridgely pivoted to dental marketing during the pandemic and has become a leading voice in AI-powered dental marketing solutions. He runs an AI mastermind to stay on the cutting edge of developments and founded Dental Market Dominator, working exclusively with practices generating $250,000+ per month.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST:

• What zero-click searches are and why they're disrupting dental marketing

• How voice search is changing the way patients find dentists

• Why AI recommendations have 400-800% higher conversion rates than traditional search

• How to optimize your dental website for ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity

• The EEAT framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) for AI visibility

• Why FAQ content written as natural questions outperforms traditional SEO copy

• The future of agentic AI and automated appointment scheduling

DENTAL AI AND TECH COMPANIES MENTIONED

ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com

Google Gemini - https://gemini.google.com

Perplexity - https://www.perplexity.ai

Grok (xAI) - https://grok.x.ai

DeepSeek - https://www.deepseek.com

Dental Market Dominator - https://dentalmarketdominator.com

My Social Practice - https://mysocialpractice.com

ADDITIONAL EDUCATION

• AI Search Podcast: https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/11/ai-search-patient-discovery-podcast/

• Don’t Fall for AI SEO Gimmicks: https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/10/ai-seo-gimmicks/

• 16 SEO Strategies: https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/06/seo-for-dentists/

CONTACT...