Every week, the MSP team breaks down the dental marketing news that actually matters, from Google updates and AI search changes to social media trends, SEO shifts, and reputation management surprises.
This Week’s Drilldown:
- Google is now AI Mode’s #2 most-cited domain, mostly through Business Profile cards
- Google says its AI Search features send billions of clicks to websites every week
- AI Mode ads now show up on nearly 1 in 3 commercial searches, but barely touch healthcare
- Local Services Ads are moving into Google Ads through Performance Max
- Quick hit: Google Ads adds a “Missed Growth Opportunities” tab
Google Business Profiles Are Taking Over the Front Row in AI Search
What happened: New data shows that when Google’s AI Mode cites a source, it’s citing itself more than ever, and the growth is coming almost entirely from Google Business Profile cards and product listings. Citations to google.com jumped more than 8 times over just two months, making Google the second most-cited domain in its own AI search results. For local searches specifically, that usually means a Business Profile card, complete with hours, photos, location, and reviews, shows up directly inside the AI answer before anyone even reaches a dental practice’s website.
Why dentists should care: This is a big deal. It means your Google Business Profile isn’t just a listing anymore, it’s increasingly the actual first impression a potential patient gets when they ask an AI tool “dentist near me” or something similar. If your profile has outdated photos, missing hours, or unanswered reviews, that’s what’s showing up front and center before a patient even considers clicking through to your site.
What to do next:
- Keep your Business Profile fully filled out: current hours, recent photos, accurate services
- Respond to reviews consistently, since that’s part of what’s on display in that card
- Treat your Business Profile with the same priority as your website homepage, because AI search is increasingly treating it that way too
Google Says AI Search Is Still Sending Billions of Clicks to Websites
What happened: A Google SVP said the company is sending “billions of clicks to websites every week” through AI-powered search features alone, on top of the billions it already sends daily through traditional search. This directly pushes back against the narrative that AI Overviews and AI Mode are quietly killing traffic to websites, a narrative backed by other studies showing steep drops in click-through rates when AI answers appear.
Why dentists should care: It’s reasonable to be skeptical of a company grading its own homework, especially since Google still won’t share the actual numbers behind this claim. But it’s still useful context. It tells us Google knows this is a sore spot for website owners and is actively tweaking things (like link placement inside AI answers) to keep the open web in the loop, rather than treating clicks to outside sites as expendable.
What to do next:
- Don’t panic if you’ve noticed lower click-through rates lately. Google is aware and says it’s actively working on this
- Keep monitoring your own Google Search Console data rather than relying on industry-wide averages, since results vary a lot by practice and location
- Focus on being the kind of clear, trustworthy source AI tools want to send clicks to in the first place
AI Mode Ads Are Rare in Healthcare Searches (For Now)
What happened: A new study analyzing 50,000 commercial keywords found that AI Mode now shows a paid ad on nearly 1 in 3 commercial searches overall. But that rate varies wildly by industry. Pet care keywords showed ads over 72% of the time. Healthcare keywords, on the other hand, showed ads on just 2.64% of searches, the lowest of every category studied.
Why dentists should care: This is genuinely good news for now. It means AI Mode isn’t yet a heavily paid, pay-to-play space for healthcare and dental related searches the way it already is for categories like pets or entertainment. Whoever shows up in those AI answers today is largely getting there through organic visibility and citations, not ad spend. That could change as Google expands ad formats, but right now, strong SEO and a well optimized Business Profile carry more weight than an ad budget in this specific space.
What to do next:
- Don’t feel pressure to rush into AI Mode advertising for now, since the ad inventory in healthcare searches is still thin
- Put that energy into organic visibility instead: content, reviews, and a complete Business Profile
- Keep an eye on this number over time, since ad density in other categories grew fast once Google built the formats for it
Local Services Ads Are Getting a New Home Inside Google Ads
What happened: Google is folding Local Services Ads into the main Google Ads platform, replacing the separate LSA dashboard with a new campaign type built for local service businesses. The rollout starts in August 2026 with a small group of advertisers and continues in phases through 2027. Existing budgets and settings will carry over automatically, though historical performance reports won’t transfer, so Google is encouraging advertisers to download their past reporting data before the switch.
Why dentists should care: If your practice runs Local Services Ads, the core mechanics aren’t changing. You’ll still only pay for real leads like calls, messages, and bookings, and ads will still only show on Search and Maps. What is changing is where you manage everything, and Business Profile updates will now sync automatically into your campaigns in real time.
What to do next:
- If you use Local Services Ads, download your historical performance reports before your account gets migrated
- Watch for a notice from Google ahead of your account’s transition date
- Expect campaign management to eventually move fully into the regular Google Ads interface
Quick Hit: Google Ads Adds a “Missed Growth Opportunities” Tab
Google Ads is testing a new tab that shows potential clicks, conversions, and revenue you might be missing based on its recommended bid and budget changes. It’s a handy way to spot possible opportunities to scale a campaign, but the word “potential” is doing a lot of work here. Treat it as a starting point for a conversation with whoever manages your paid ads, not a guarantee.
Action Items
| Update | What It Means | What To Do | Priority |
| Google Business Profile cards in AI Mode | Your GBP is now often the first thing patients see in AI search | Keep hours, photos, and reviews current and complete | High |
| Google’s “billions of clicks” claim | Google says AI search still sends significant traffic to websites | Monitor your own Search Console data over time | Low |
| AI Mode ads rare in healthcare | Paid ads aren’t yet common in dental-related AI Mode searches | Prioritize organic visibility over AI Mode ad spend for now | Medium |
| Local Services Ads move into Google Ads | LSA management is shifting platforms starting August 2026 | Download historical LSA reports before migration | Medium |
| Missed Growth Opportunities tab | Google Ads now flags “potential” performance gains | Review suggestions with your ads manager before applying | Low |
MSP’s Take
The throughline this week is that Google is quietly becoming the gatekeeper of its own AI answers, and for dental practices specifically, that’s a mixed bag leaning positive. Your Business Profile now matters more than ever since it’s what shows up inside AI Mode before anyone reaches your website, but the good news is AI Mode ads haven’t caught up to that shift yet in healthcare, so there’s no urgent pressure to start throwing ad dollars at it. The Local Services Ads move and the new Google Ads tab are worth knowing about, but neither requires immediate action beyond downloading your reports before the LSA migration hits.
Learn More
- Google is AI Mode’s No. 2 most-cited domain: Report – Search Engine Land
- Google says AI Search features sending billions of clicks to websites each week – Search Engine Land
- Google AI Mode ads reach nearly 30% of queries: Study – Search Engine Land
- Local Services Ads come to Google Ads via Performance Max – Search Engine Land
- Google Ads adds missed growth estimates to the Recommendations tab – Search Engine Land
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Google Business Profile so important for AI search now?
Google’s AI Mode is increasingly citing its own Business Profile cards in local search results, meaning your profile’s hours, photos, and reviews often appear directly inside the AI answer before a patient reaches your website. Keeping it complete and current has become one of the most impactful things you can do for visibility.
Is AI search actually sending traffic to websites, or is it just replacing clicks?
Google says its AI Search features send billions of clicks to websites weekly, though it hasn’t released the underlying data to verify this. Other independent studies have shown declines in click-through rates when AI Overviews appear, so the real picture likely varies by industry and query type.
Should my dental practice start advertising in Google's AI Mode?
Not urgently. Recent research found that healthcare-related searches show ads in AI Mode far less often than other industries, just 2.64% of the time in one study. That suggests organic visibility currently matters more than ad spend for dental-related AI Mode searches.
What happens to my Local Services Ads campaigns during the Google Ads migration?
The core features stay the same. You’ll still pay only for valid leads and ads will still appear only on Search and Maps. The main change is that campaign management moves into the regular Google Ads interface, with your Business Profile syncing automatically. Download your historical performance reports before your account transitions, since that data won’t carry over.
What is the new "Missed Growth Opportunities" tab in Google Ads?
It’s a feature that estimates potential clicks, conversions, and revenue a campaign could gain from Google’s recommended bid and budget changes. The estimates are projections, not guarantees, so it’s worth reviewing with whoever manages your paid ad campaigns before making changes.
Adrian Lefler is the CEO and Co-Founder of My Social Practice and a recognized dental marketing expert with nearly two decades of experience. He is a trusted voice in dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and emerging technology, and he hosts BYTE SIZED, a podcast focused on dental AI, innovation, and technology.
