What You’ll Learn
- The exact number of Google reviews your dental practice needs to start ranking on Google Maps
- Why 80% of potential patients trust Google reviews more than personal recommendations
- How to set up a practitioner listing to double your visibility in local search
- The Friday scheduling trick that could be costing you 20% of your searches
- Why chasing new patients might be the wrong strategy for 2026
Your Google Reviews Are the Gatekeeper to Everything Else
Here is a hard truth that most dental marketing companies will not tell you: it does not matter how much money you spend on ads, SEO, or social media if your Google reviews are not up to par.
Guido Tebano, who runs marketing at Market by Market and manages SEO for over 100 dental practices, recently joined the Byte Sized Podcast to break down exactly what dentists need to focus on for local search dominance in 2026. His answer was refreshingly simple and slightly uncomfortable for anyone who has been ignoring their review profile.
“Almost 80% of people look at reviews,” Guido said. “They trust reviews more than their own mother.”
That statistic should reshape how every dentist thinks about their marketing budget. Every dollar you spend on advertising gets filtered through your Google reviews. Bad reviews? Your advertising budget essentially evaporates before it even has a chance to work.
The Magic Numbers: 33 and 100
Not all Google reviews are created equal when it comes to ranking on Google Maps. According to Guido, there are two specific thresholds every dental practice needs to hit.
The first milestone is 33 reviews. Below that number, the algorithm barely registers your existence. You are essentially invisible to local search.
The second milestone is 100 reviews. This is where the real ranking benefits kick in. Once you hit 100 Google reviews, your practice starts competing seriously in local search results.
After 100 reviews, additional reviews do not significantly improve your ranking position from an algorithm perspective. However, human behavior still matters enormously.
“If there’s other people in that market that have like a thousand and you have like a hundred, yes, you’re probably not going to get as many conversions,” Guido explained. The social proof component kicks in after you have satisfied the algorithm.
The Radius Rule for Competitive Analysis
So how do you know if 100 Google reviews is enough for your market? Guido recommends looking at a radius around your practice that encompasses approximately 100,000 people. That is your real competitive landscape.
Within that radius, check how many Google reviews your competitors have accumulated. If the top practices in your zone have 500 reviews and you have 100, you have satisfied the algorithm but you are still losing the human psychology battle.
Your goal should be matching or exceeding the top players in that population zone. This is not about vanity metrics. It is about understanding that patients scrolling through Google Maps results will naturally gravitate toward practices with more social proof.
Think about your own behavior when searching for a restaurant. Two places have great reviews, and one straggler has three stars. Yeah, you’re not even clicking on the three-star option. Dentistry works exactly the same way, since no one wants a three-star root canal.
The Practitioner Listing Strategy Most Dentists Miss
Google recommends that dental practices maintain both a practice listing and a practitioner (doctor) listing. Most practices completely ignore this opportunity.
Your practice listing captures general dentistry keywords like “dentist near me,” “dental cleaning,” and “hygiene appointments.” But your practitioner listing can target a completely different category.
If you are a GP who also places implants, your practice stays in the general dentist category. Your doctor profile can go into cosmetic or restorative dentistry. Suddenly you are capturing implant keywords, veneer keywords, and cosmetic dentistry searches.
Two listings. Two keyword sets. Double the visibility.
“I would put them in a cosmetic, restorative cosmetic category,” Guido explained when discussing how to optimize a practitioner listing for a GP who does implants. “So then you would highlight, do you do sedation dentistry? Do you take payment plans for that? Do you do emergencies?”
Important caveats: You cannot claim specialist categories you do not hold credentials for. A GP cannot create a pediatric dentist listing without proper certification. Google flags fake category claims aggressively, and competitors can report you.
Also, do not open a practitioner listing until your main practice listing has at least 100 Google reviews. The practitioner listing needs its own reviews, citations, and optimization to be effective. Opening it prematurely just dilutes your efforts.
The Friday Scheduling Mistake Costing You Patients
This one stings for dentists who love their three-day weekends, but if you close on Fridays and mark your Google Business Profile as closed, you are losing approximately 20% of your potential searches.
“You close on a map and you are not going to show,” Guido said bluntly.
The workaround is simple but requires a mindset shift. Leave your Google Business Profile open on Friday even if you are technically closed. On your website, clearly state “by appointment only.”
“I am talking about getting you visible for searches,” Guido clarified. “When you get to the website, on your website, you say by appointment only.”
If a patient wants a consultation on a $45,000 all-on-X case and they can only come in Friday, most dentists will find two hours to accommodate that. The key is making sure those patients can find you in the first place.
Why Patient Retention Beats New Patient Acquisition
The obsession with new patient numbers might be the biggest strategic mistake dentists make in 2026.
“Everyone is so focused on new patients, new patients, new patients. Bad strategy,” Guido argued. “You want patients that stick. Otherwise, we’re constantly in this cycle.”
This ties directly back to Google reviews. Patients who stick around become patients who leave reviews. Patients who leave reviews help you attract more patients who stick around. It is a virtuous cycle that starts with retention, not acquisition.
Consider implementing an in-house membership plan where patients pay monthly. Look at your patient communication systems. Think about the mouth-body health connection messaging that resonates with the 55-and-over demographic who values longevity.
“You don’t want to be in this constant cycle of I need 40 new patients a month because they come to you and they never come back and they’re looking for that $79 or $39 cleaning and that’s it,” Guido said.
The Integration Reality of 2026 Marketing
The days of siloed marketing tactics are over. Social platforms now tie into Google Business Profiles. AI search engines aggregate what people say in your Google reviews and summarize it for potential patients.
Someone asks ChatGPT “who is the best dentist in Salt Lake City?” and it responds with a recommendation based partly on what your Google reviews actually say, not just how many you have or your star rating.
This means the content of your reviews matters more than ever. The consistency of reviews matters. The engagement with your profile matters. Everything connects to everything else.
Working with a dental marketing company that understands this integration is no longer optional for practices that want to grow. The complexity has simply outpaced what most practice owners can manage themselves.
In This Episode:
Guido Tebano, Chief Marketing Officer at Market My Market
Guido Tebano is the Chief Marketing Officer at Market My Market, where he drives growth for dental practices nationwide by turning marketing investments into measurable revenue gains and quality leads. Before entering the dental space, he honed his skills in New York City’s competitive self-storage industry, mastering the blend of traditional marketing fundamentals with cutting-edge digital strategies. Under his leadership, Market My Market has grown from a startup to an industry heavyweight, building strategic relationships with financial institutions, brokers, and accounting firms throughout the dental community.
Adrian Lefler, CEO and Co-founder of My Social Practice
Adrian Lefler, CEO of My Social Practice, is a seasoned expert in the dental marketing industry with 14 years of experience. He is widely recognized for his engaging and informative presentations. Based in Suncrest, Utah, Adrian shares his life with his wife, four children, and a lively mix of pets. My Social Practice is a leading dental marketing company, and Adrian is passionate about helping dental professionals succeed in this dynamic field.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Google reviews does a dental practice need to rank on Google Maps?
You need a minimum of 33 Google reviews to start gaining any traction on Google Maps. However, the real ranking benefits unlock at 100 reviews. After hitting 100, focus on matching or exceeding competitor review counts in your local market for maximum patient conversion.
What star rating do dental practices need to rank on Google Maps?
Most dental practices need at least a 4.3-star rating to rank effectively on Google Maps. Below that threshold, both the algorithm and human behavior work against you. Patients scrolling through results will skip over practices with lower ratings regardless of other factors.
Should dental practices respond to Google reviews?
Yes. Google prefers that dental practices respond to reviews immediately, and this engagement helps your Google Business Profile rank higher in Google Maps. Consider setting up automated responses to ensure timely replies while maintaining a personal touch for reviews that require specific attention.
