AI Local Search for Dentists
Keep in mind that today is the spring of 2026, so what I’m writing may soon be out of date. AI is changing so many aspects of our day-to-day life, search being no different.
We have a weekly SEO meeting with the entire SEO team, and AI is always front and center in every discussion. Traditional SEO work is still the foundation. That’s citation and link building, website updates, Google Business Profile optimization, and the like. But AI is changing how people search and where they go when looking for a dentist. It is currently small, but I fully expect it to become dominant in the months and years to come.
Changing Behaviour
Before we talk about platforms like Google Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude, let’s look at keywords people have traditionally used compared to AI.
When someone goes to a typical search engine, they use consistent keywords like Toronto Dentist, Dentist near me, dentist on Main Street, or dental implant dentist in Springville. SEO strategies are optimized for these keywords, and reports can easily track how well a dental practice ranks for them. We build pages on the practice website, optimize them, and develop link strategies to enhance their reputation.
AI is fundamentally changing the language people use when looking for something. It is much more conversational, like they’re talking to a friend or family member.
“I just moved to the area, and I’m looking for a dentist for my family and me. Can you recommend a few that are close to our home and have a good reputation?”
They can ask follow-up questions.
“Are any of the practices you recommended good with kids?”
This change in behaviour means a practice needs content and reputation that cover a broad spectrum of needs and cannot simply rely on a well-optimized site with pages optimized for specific keywords. The content strategy needs to be expanded.
Platform and traffic
To date, traffic and new patients from AI sources are low. We monitor all AI platforms, and although our clients do see some from ChatGPT, the vast majority of new patients still come from Google. One caveat is that Google includes AI results for many dental-related searches, so traffic from Google could be driven by AI.
Rand Fishkin and SparkToro show internet-wide data that aligns with our experience. When we narrow AI activity to focus on search-like behaviour, as of the end of 2025, traditional search engines, including Google, still dominate with 80.76% market share. AI agents, including ChatGPT, have 3.19% market share.
I’m not highlighting search engine dominance to indicate AI isn’t important. I know full well AI will make traditional search redundant. I expect a future when we all have our go-to AI agent that knows us well and will make recommendations like the dentist we should choose based on our needs and preferences.
AI Strategies Short Term
Content: In the short term, content is king again. Early SEO strategies focused on publishing content to engage search engines and attract inbound links. These strategies lost effectiveness in dentistry due to the sheer level of local competition and the growth of traffic from map/local search queries that prioritize proximity and reviews.
AI agents are content hungry and reference many sources before making a recommendation. Building out content pages on your site, along with deep FAQ sections, gives AI platforms quick access to address specific questions.
Reviews: If someone is looking for a dentist who is good with nervous patients, a review from a patient talking about their experience is gold. Ask your patients for reviews, or use a tool to automate the process. Volume and star rating are important, but the content created is most important when it comes to AI.
Get mentioned. The more often an AI sees a reference to your practice, the more likely it is to include you in a result. Get involved in your community and industry, and earn mentions wherever you can. Local blogs, online news, social media, community hubs, industry publications, sponsorship pages, job boards, local business associations, and the websites of neighbouring businesses all count. Photos matter too. Google AI is showing large image galleries in its responses, so build out your visual footprint with photos of your practice, team, and technology.
What we’re keeping an eye on
Google’s Web Guides: We’re watching how Google is changing results to include more AI summaries. For direct keyword queries like “Dentist Halifax”, the results are standard with ads, map, and then organic. For a query like “Halifax Dentist that is great with kids”, Google shows an AI summary, then the standard results, without ads. Google is sacrificing ads as it works out the integration of AI.
Google’s Web Guides is a beta result that blends AI into more results, with Ads again prominently positioned.
Agentic AI: As people become more accustomed to using AI in their daily lives, they will give their AI agent permission to book appointments for them, reschedule, make payments, etc. Building integrations into practice websites and Google profiles will become important for these patients.
Expect change: This should go without saying, but it needs to be said. This article might already be out of date. AI is moving fast, and the story will be changing often, which is why AI is constantly part of our SEO strategies.