Local SEO and Google profile for a dental practice
The map pack decides who gets the call for dentist near me. Three slots, decided by proximity, category and reviews. Average practice rating is 4.6 and half of all practices sit at 39 reviews or fewer, so review volume moves you further than anything else on the checklist.
Category is the second lever and the most commonly wasted. Primary category Dentist, then add Cosmetic dentist, Emergency dental service, Pediatric dentist, Orthodontist or Oral surgeon where you genuinely provide the service. Each one is a new set of searches you can appear in.
Then the neglected fields. Service entries with descriptions for implants, Invisalign, crowns, extractions and emergencies. Real photos of the operatory and the team. Correct hours, and note that only 14.1% of practices list Saturday at all, so listing one is a visible differentiator.
Two weeks in, working looks like more calls and direction requests in the Google insights panel, not a ranking screenshot.