There are plenty of patients searching for a dentist, but they may be unable to find your practice – David Nelkin explains why local marketing is the secret to increasing your patient base.
Every month, hundreds of potential patients in your immediate area are searching for dental treatment. They’re ready to book, they have the budget, and they’re looking for someone local. Yet most of them will never find your practice – not because you’re not good enough, but because you’re invisible to the search method they’re actually using. The practices that understand this shift are quietly building patient waiting lists while their competitors wonder where all the patients have gone.
This approach has become even more critical since Google’s 2025 diversity update made it significantly harder to dominate search results beyond your core location. The practices that are thriving right now are those that have embraced local marketing strategies for dentists – and I’m seeing remarkable results across our client base.
‘Most practices are competing in the vast ocean of dental marketing when they should be dominating their local pond’
The local opportunity most practices are missing
Here’s what I see happening across the dental industry: practices invest heavily in generic digital marketing. That might include broad SEO campaigns, general Google Ads, and website content that could belong to any dentist, anywhere. They’re competing in the vast ocean of dental marketing when they should be dominating their local pond.
Most practices don’t have a defined local business strategy. They might have a Google Business Profile (usually half-empty), mention their town name on their website, and run ads with a geographical radius. But that’s not local marketing – that’s just marketing with location settings turned on.
Meanwhile, Google displays completely different search results for local searches like ‘dental implants near me’ compared to generic ‘dental implants’ searches. There’s the local map pack, prioritised local results, and higher conversion rates because people searching locally are typically ready to book.
But this only works if you have a properly structured local strategy. Without optimised Google Business Profiles, location-specific content, and genuine local connection, you’re invisible to these high-intent searches.
Seven strategies that actually work (and why most practices get them wrong)
After working with hundreds of dental practices across the UK, I’ve seen which local marketing strategies consistently deliver results and which ones are just busy work. Here’s what actually moves the needle:
1. Optimise your Google Business profile for the zero-click world
With 60% of searches now ending without any click to a website, your Google Business Profile (GBP) has become critical for patient decision making. We’re now seeing Google’s AI chatbot integrated directly into GBPs, and Google is even starting to remove direct links to websites and phone numbers in some cases.
This means if you don’t have comprehensive content on your Google Business Profile, your website, and social media, you won’t stay ahead of the curve. Patients are making their treatment decisions directly from your GBP – add full service and product listings, images of your practice and local area, online booking links, and post weekly with updates about your services, patient success stories, and community involvement.
2. Transform your website into a conversational, local content hub
People no longer search like robots typing ‘dental implants Balham’. Instead, they ask questions like: ‘Where can I find a dentist near me who specialises in fixing missing teeth and can I see examples of others they have treated?’ Your website content needs to mirror this conversational search behaviour, using natural language that reflects how people actually speak.
Create location-based landing pages for each service and area you want to target – but make each page genuinely unique. Don’t just copy and paste content and swap out geographical keywords. Instead, showcase specific local patient reviews, include neighbourhood-specific photography, mention local landmarks and transport links, and create FAQ sections that address longer, more specific local queries. Each page should feel authentically connected to that community whilst answering the real questions patients are asking.
‘Local dental marketing isn’t about shouting louder – it’s about sounding closer’
3. Use targeting on paid media that actually converts
For general new patient acquisition, local targeting works brilliantly. Run Google Ads within a three to five mile radius of your practice rather than casting a wide net. This reduces competition and improves your cost per click significantly.
Always include the location in your H1 title tags on landing pages – we’ve tested this extensively and it consistently boosts conversions. Pair your targeting with compelling local headlines like ‘Live in Balham? Your dream smile is five minutes away’ or ‘Clapham residents: transform your smile without the commute’.
For high-value treatments, patients will travel further, but depending on your budget, it’s often best to start locally and saturate your immediate area first. As we discussed earlier, people still prefer local connection and trust, even for high value treatments. Once you’ve dominated your local area, then expand your radius strategically.
4. Build local social proof and patient testimonials
Share video reviews and transformations from real local patients, and encourage them to mention their area or why proximity mattered to them. When someone from your neighbourhood sees a testimonial from their neighbour, the trust factor increases dramatically.
Tag nearby locations in your social media posts and use local hashtags strategically. Include ‘Why I chose this practice’ narratives that specifically mention location benefits – convenience, community feel, or local reputation.
5. Partner strategically with like-minded local businesses
Cross-promote with complementary businesses like gyms, beauty salons, cafés or yoga studios. These partnerships often convert better than traditional dental advertising because they come with built-in trust and recommendation.
If you have a CSR focus, partner with like-minded businesses that share your values – we’ve seen joint giveaways with sustainability-focused local businesses work particularly well. Look beyond just consumer-facing businesses too – consider corporate partnerships, relationships with local schools for educational talks, or connections with new housing developments where residents are looking for local services.
Sponsor a local event, run collaborative competitions, or simply refer clients to each other. It’s excellent for building backlinks, increasing local awareness, and establishing your dental practice as part of the community fabric rather than just another business.
6. Build a strategic local backlinking network
Local backlinks from other websites in your area carry significantly more weight than generic links from anywhere to boost your local and AI-focussed SEO. The key is to start with your existing connections and work systematically through opportunities.
Begin with low-hanging fruit – ask anyone who helped establish your practice, from suppliers to designers, if they’d feature you on their website. Think about your team’s local connections: sports teams, religious communities, hobby groups, or volunteer organisations. You’d be surprised how many people will happily link to you when simply asked.
For the next level, create content that other local businesses would want to share with their customers. Write about the best local cafés, new entertainment venues, or if you’re near a transport hub like an Elizabeth Line station, day trips people can now easily make. Post these on social media and ask other local businesses if the content would be useful for their customers too. It’s not about dentistry – it’s about demonstrating your local knowledge and community connection.
7. Track and measure your local dental marketing performance
Monitor where your new patient leads are coming from using postcode data, ad channel analytics, and landing page performance. Use tools like Google Maps rankings tools, Google Analytics 4 with location filters and Google Ads location reports.
Adapt your messaging based on what works in your most responsive areas. If patients from certain postcodes convert particularly well, consider increasing ad spend in those areas or creating specific content that speaks to those communities.
‘The dental practices that dominate their local area aren’t necessarily the biggest or the flashiest – they’re the ones that understand their community and consistently show up as the obvious choice for dental care’
How to succeed with local dental marketing in 2025
Local dental marketing isn’t about shouting louder – it’s about sounding closer. When you align your marketing strategy to the community around you, you build trust, relevance, and significantly better conversion rates.
At Xcelerator Dental, our mission is to simplify the path to growth and take the stress of marketing away from dental practices, so they can focus on delivering exceptional patient care. We’ve helped practices across the UK turn their location into a competitive advantage through our promote, convert, grow methodology – and local marketing is often one of the fastest ways to boost new patient numbers.
The dental practices that dominate their local area aren’t necessarily the biggest or the flashiest – they’re the ones that understand their community and consistently show up as the obvious choice for dental care. With the right local marketing strategy, that practice can be yours.
What’s the best way to start with local dental marketing? Begin with optimising your Google Business Profile, then add location-specific keywords to your website, and gradually expand to include local partnerships and targeted advertising.
The question isn’t whether local dental marketing works – it’s whether you’re ready to make your neighbourhood your biggest competitive advantage.
Xcelerator Dental is a specialist dental marketing agency that helps practices grow through digital marketing focused on new patient conversion.
Learn more about Xcelerator Dental.
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