Where Montana's dental practices are
The largest concentrations of dental practices in our Montana data are in Missoula, Great Falls, Helena, Bozeman, Billings, Kalispell, Butte and Whitefish. Competition for the map pack is heaviest there, and so is the reward: the same review count that dominates a small town is invisible in Missoula.
The map pack in Montana
Google shows three businesses in the map pack for a search like "dental practice near me" in Missoula. In Montana the shops that hold those spots usually sit near the 90th percentile, 476 reviews, not the median. 31.6% of Montana dental practices have passed 100 reviews; the other 68.4% are competing for whatever is left below the fold.
The website gap in Montana
A website is the clearest marker of a dental practice that is going to compete for the map pack, and 26.6% of dental practices in Montana do not have one linked. Across the country the median review count with a site is 103, without one 1. If your shop is in the 26.6%, start there.
What to do first in Montana
- Put up a real website if you are in the 26.6% without one. Service pages, city pages for Missoula, Great Falls, Helena, tap-to-call on every screen.
- Set a review velocity. One review per job day, asked at the door, moves a 16-review shop past the Montana 75th percentile (151) within a year. The guides have the scripts.
- Finish the Google profile: primary category, every service you offer, real job photos, and hours that match reality. It is free and it is where Montana customers decide.
- Follow up every lead within five minutes. Speed to lead beats ad spend in a trade where the customer is collecting three quotes. The calculator shows what slow replies cost.
- Then, and only then, spend on ads. Pointed at a profile with 16 reviews and no website, ads pay for your competitor's education. Pointed at a finished profile, they work.
The full national picture, with percentiles, ratings and hours, is in the benchmark report. The method is on the about page.