Review Meeting

What’s happening:

• Google updated how it shows local businesses—fewer listings, more ads, stripping call and website click buttons, and more emphasis on fresh, relevant content.

What to focus on now:

• Refresh Google Business Profile photos and videos to signal activity and improve visibility
• Increase review volume and consistency
• Respond to reviews
• Post weekly on your Google Business Profile to maintain engagement signals
• Get your team to use Directions on your Google Business Profile when they’re driving to work every day
• Align your website content with your services and locations (Google now evaluates both together)
• Build more location-specific content on your website to improve local relevance and rankings

👉 The goal: stay visible and competitive in a more crowded search space

Google has launched a new feature that allows its AI to call dental practices for patients.

After answering a few questions about the treatment they need, insurance, location, and availability, Google’s AI contacts dental offices, gathers appointment information, and sends the patient a comparison of their options.

What you should do:

• Let your front desk know these calls are legitimate.
• Answer them just as you would any new patient inquiry.
• Avoid hanging up if the caller sounds automated.

This is another example of how AI is becoming part of the patient journey.

Read our latest blog to learn more.

Google recently announced that Gemini can now connect directly to eligible Google Business Profiles to update business information, create posts, draft review responses, and analyze performance.

Why this matters

Google is making your Business Profile one of the primary sources AI uses to answer patient questions. The more complete and accurate your profile is, the more likely AI is to provide patients with the right information about your practice.

That’s why we’re continuing to optimize your profile with:

• Accurate hours and contact information
• Complete services and attributes
• Updated photos and posts
• Ongoing profile maintenance

Want to learn more?

AI is changing how patients search for dentists. Our latest blog explains how AI Overviews work, why they’re important, and what your practice can do to stay visible.

Google updated its review policy in April to discourage practices that direct or pressure patients into leaving reviews.

✅ Continue doing:

• Text or email review requests
• QR codes
• Review links (We recommend directing patients to your Google Business Profile instead of a direct review link)
• Encouraging every patient to leave an honest review on their own device

🚫 Stop doing:

• In-office tablets or kiosks for reviews
• Staff review quotas or bonuses
• Offering discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews

Following these guidelines helps protect your reviews and keeps your Google Business Profile in good standing as Google continues expanding its use of AI.

AI tools like Google AI, ChatGPT, and Perplexity pull information from many places, not just your website. They look at your website, Google Business Profile, reviews, directories, videos, social media, and other sources to understand who you are, what you offer, and whether you’re a trusted answer.

So, what helps your practice get found?

• Answer real patient questions.
  Create helpful content around what patients actually want to know—cost, treatment time, comfort, candidacy, insurance, and what to expect. Start with the questions your front desk and doctors hear every day.
• Build your presence beyond your website.
  Reviews, business profiles, directories, videos, and social content all help create a fuller picture of your practice online.
• Start with what matters most.
  Choose one priority service and build from there. Answer the most common questions about it, strengthen the service page, create supporting content and videos, and then repeat the process for your other services.

Want to learn more?
Read our blog: Answer Engine Optimization: How Dental Practices Can Appear in AI Search

Great SEO and AI visibility increasingly depend on real, specific information about your practice. 

Keep us in the loop about:

• Photos & Videos
  Aim to send us fresh, authentic photos throughout the year (your team, office, technology, events, and everyday practice life). We’d love to get 15-20 quarterly.
• Insurance & Financing
  Let us know whenever accepted plans, membership plans, or financing options change.
• Technology & Services
  New scanner? Added sedation? Same-day crowns? New service? Tell us!
• Doctor Expertise
  Share new training, certifications, professional memberships, awards, or areas of focus.
• Costs
  Patients (and AI) are asking what treatments cost. When possible, give us realistic ranges for your most-requested services.
• Community Involvement
  Sponsorships, charity events, school visits, local partnerships, and community events give us authentic local stories to share.

Social media isn’t just about posting to stay active. It’s another place to demonstrate who you are, what you know, and what makes your practice different.

• Answer real questions.
  Turn the questions your team hears every day into short videos: “Does an implant hurt?” “Am I too old for Invisalign?” “How long does a crown take?”
• Add useful captions.
  Use captions to explain the service, answer related questions, and add context about your practice.
• Show your expertise.
  Let doctors explain treatments, technology, and common misconceptions in their own words.
• Show some personality.
  Not every post needs to be educational. Team moments, humor, celebrations, and behind-the-scenes content help patients feel like they know you before they walk through the door.
• Think beyond one platform.
  One good video can become social content, website content, YouTube content, and more… giving your expertise a much longer life.