Local Dental Marketing That Works in 2025

Running a dental practice means you’re not just a clinician, you’re also running a business. Today, having great clinical skills is no longer enough. You need a steady flow of new and returning patients walking through your door, and that means understanding local dental marketing. 

The good news? Dental marketing doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Let’s break down what actually works for dental practices in 2025.

Think about this. When someone needs a dentist, they aren’t searching nationwide. They’re looking for “dentist near me” or “family dentist in [your city].” That’s your opportunity.

Local marketing helps you show up exactly when and where potential patients are looking. It builds trust in your community, fills your schedule with new patients, and keeps your chairs consistently filled.

The #1 thing you need to do before anything else is to create and optimize your Google Business Profile. This is the first thing that potential patients see when searching for dental services in your area. 

Here are some of the top things you can do to increase your local presence: 

1. Claim and verify your listing. If you haven’t already, this is step one. Google needs to know you’re legitimate.
2. Complete every section. Hours, services, photos, phone number, website. fill it all in. Google Business Profiles with all details filled in are 7 times more likely to receive clicks compared to incomplete profiles
3. Respond to every review. Yes, every single one. Thank people for positive reviews and address negative ones professionally. Future patients are watching how you handle feedback.
4. Use relevant categories. Don’t just list yourself as “dentist.” Add specifics like “cosmetic dentist,” “emergency dental service,” or “pediatric dentist” if those apply.

Reviews aren’t just nice to have; they’re essential. Over 99% of consumers look at reviews before choosing a business, and while trust levels in reviews have fluctuated in recent years, they remain a critical factor in patient decision-making. 

Ask patients for reviews at the right moment, like right after a successful treatment when they’re feeling great. Train your front desk team to send a friendly follow-up text or email with a direct link to your Google review page so it’s quick and easy. Don’t make patients hunt for where to leave feedback; the simpler it is, the more likely they’ll do it.

Make sure to respond to all reviews within 24 to 48 hours to show that you care and are paying attention. Avoid offering discounts or freebies in exchange for reviews, since that violates Google’s policies and can get your listing penalized. When negative feedback appears, address it professionally, apologize if appropriate, take the conversation offline, and show potential patients that you’re committed to making things right.

Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is how you can rank higher in local search results. Here are some tricks to rank higher and gain more visibility. 

• Optimize your website for local searches. Include your city and neighborhood names naturally throughout your site. Create dedicated pages for each location if you have multiple offices.
• Build local citations. Make sure your practice name, address, and phone number are consistent across directories like Yelp, Healthgrades, Zocdoc, and local business directories.
• Create location-specific content. Write blog posts about local events, community involvement, or dental health topics relevant to your area.
• Get backlinks from local sources. Partner with local businesses, sponsor community events, or get featured in local news. These local backlinks tell Google you’re a legitimate part of the community.
• Use schema markup. This technical SEO element helps search engines understand your business information. It sounds complicated, but most website platforms have plugins that make it easy.

Don’t underestimate the power of community engagement when it comes to dental marketing. Showing up in your neighborhood helps build trust, attract new patients, and strengthen your brand’s reputation.

1. Sponsor local events and sports teams: Put your dental office name on community jerseys, school banners, or local event flyers. That’s not just goodwill, it’s continuous brand visibility every time your community shows up to cheer.
2. Host educational and wellness events: Offer free dental screenings, oral health workshops for kids, or senior wellness fairs. Educational outreach positions your practice as a trusted local authority in oral health care.
3. Partner with other local businesses: Team up with nearby pediatricians, orthodontists, or wellness clinics to cross-promote services. These partnerships strengthen referral networks and introduce your practice to new audiences.
4. Get involved in community service: Participate in charity drives, food bank donations, or volunteer programs. Giving back builds trust, loyalty, and visibility, while showing your patients that your practice truly cares about the community it serves.

Organic marketing builds trust and long-term visibility, but sometimes your dental practice needs a little push to accelerate growth. That’s where paid advertising for dentists comes in. Here’s when to put your marketing dollars to work:

1. Google Local Services Ads (LSAs): These appear at the very top of Google search results with the green Google Guaranteed badge. You only pay for qualified dental leads, not clicks, making LSAs one of the most cost-effective ways to attract local patients searching for dentists near you.
2. Facebook and Instagram Ads: Social media ads let you target specific demographics in your area. Promote new patient specials, highlight cosmetic dentistry services, or share patient success stories to build awareness and drive appointments.
3. Retargeting Campaigns: Use retargeting ads to reconnect with people who visited your website but didn’t book an appointment. A simple reminder can bring them back and help convert interest into scheduled visits.

Pro Tip: Start small, test your ad formats, and scale what works. You don’t need a massive budget to see measurable results. Focus on smart targeting, consistent optimization, and clear calls to action to get the most out of your spend.

Even the best local marketing takes time to build momentum. While you’re working on getting new patients through the door, you still need to keep your existing schedule full and running smoothly.

That’s where having reliable coverage makes all the difference. When your hygienist calls out sick or you need extra hands for a busy season, last-minute scrambling kills your momentum and costs you revenue.

Smart practice owners build flexibility into their operations. Whether you need a hygienist, assistant, or front desk professional for a few shifts or coverage for an extended leave, having a reliable way to fill those gaps keeps your marketing investment paying off.

Ready to never lose revenue to an empty chair again? See how GoTu helps dental practices maintain consistent schedules with reliable, credentialed professionals.