Google Maps ranking for dentists: what actually moves the map pack

What Google says it uses

Google explains that local results are based mainly on three factors:

• Relevance: how well your profile matches the search.
• Distance: how far your practice is from the searcher or the location in the search.
• Prominence: how well known your practice is, including reviews, links and mentions across the web.

You cannot move your building, so the work is on relevance and prominence.

The checklist for dental practices

Relevance

• Choose the most accurate primary category (for example, dentist or a specialist category if that is what you are), and add secondary categories that genuinely apply.
• List your real services and treatments in your profile.
• Keep hours, including public holidays and emergency arrangements, accurate.
• Make sure your website has strong pages for the treatments you list, with the same practice name, address and phone number.

Prominence

• Ask every patient for an honest review at the right moment, and reply to reviews professionally. Follow your regulator's rules on how reviews are used in advertising; in Australia, Ahpra's rules on testimonials apply.
• Earn mentions from local organisations, professional bodies and genuine local press.
• Add real photos of the practice, team and equipment regularly.

Conversion

Ranking is wasted if calls ring out. Make sure every call is answered or followed up within minutes. See new-patient enquiry handling.

What does not work

Keyword-stuffed business names, fake reviews and listings at addresses where you do not see patients break Google's guidelines and can get a profile suspended.

Want it built?

See SEO for dentists or book a free audit of your practice's local visibility.