The Dental Practice Online Presence Checklist

Basic — do these first

Your website

• ☐A separate page for each major service — implants, cosmetic, emergency, kids, etc. Not one long “Services” page with everything tucked inside.
• ☐Homepage, About, and an obvious way to book — a Book Appointment page, contact page, or button on every page.
• ☐A services page that links to each service — so patients and Google can find every treatment you offer.
• ☐Pages for nearby towns you actually serve — only if you truly draw patients from those areas.
• ☐Simple web addresses — like yoursite.com/services/dental-implants/, not yoursite.com/page?id=47.
• ☐Links from your homepage to your main service pages — not only a booking button.
• ☐Footer on every page with your name, address, phone, hours, and links to important pages.

Works on phones and loads quickly

• ☐Padlock in the browser on every page (secure / HTTPS).
• ☐Looks good on a phone — open your site on your own phone; text readable, buttons tappable, no pinching to zoom.
• ☐Loads fast on mobile — use Google’s free tool PageSpeed Insights: enter your website, run the test, switch to Mobile, and check that performance is in the green or “good” range. If the main content takes more than a few seconds to appear, patients may leave before it loads.
• ☐One clear main heading per page — plus subheadings that make sense if someone skims.
• ☐A unique page title and short description on each page you want on Google (what appears in search results).
• ☐Descriptions on photos — not filenames like image1.jpg.
• ☐No broken links — click through after launch and after big updates.

Easy to call or book

• ☐Phone number on every page — tap-to-call on mobile.
• ☐A clear “Book” or “Schedule” button visible without scrolling on key pages.
• ☐Online scheduling works — click through from your site like a patient would (Dentrix, NexHealth, Zocdoc, etc.).
• ☐Hours and address easy to find — and hours are still correct.

Real photos

• ☐Your logo on the site.
• ☐Real photos of your doctor and team — not generic stock smiles.
• ☐Swap obvious stock photos for your office, team, or before/after shots (with permission).

Google Business Profile (your Google Maps listing)

• ☐Profile claimed and verified — search your practice on Google Maps; “Claim this business” means it’s not yours yet.
• ☐Right business categories — e.g. Dentist, plus others that fit.
• ☐Profile filled out — hours, services, description, website, attributes.
• ☐Real photos — exterior, waiting room, ops, team.
• ☐Website link points to your real domain — not an old or duplicate site.
• ☐Review link saved — from Google → “Ask for reviews”; use at the front desk, in texts, and email signatures.

You own your accounts

• ☐Domain name registered to you or your practice.
• ☐Hosting account in your name.
• ☐Google Business Profile — you’re an owner, not just a manager invited by an agency.
• ☐Google Analytics — you can log in and see your data.
• ☐Google Search Console verified for your website (Google’s tool to see how your site appears in search).
• ☐A copy of your website — backup or files your vendor must give you if you leave.

Your name, address, and phone match everywhere

• ☐The exact same practice name, address, and phone on your website, Google profile, and directories — down to spelling and suite numbers.
• ☐Apple Maps — mapsconnect.apple.com
• ☐Bing Places — bingplaces.com
• ☐Yelp — biz.yelp.com
• ☐Healthgrades, Zocdoc, Vitals, WebMD — claim the ones your patients use.

Google can find your pages

• ☐Sitemap file exists — visit yoursite.com/sitemap.xml or ask your web person; it should list your public pages.
• ☐Sitemap submitted in Google Search Console — under Sitemaps.
• ☐Thank-you and staging pages hidden from Google — so only real pages show in search.

Before you call the site “done”

• ☐Service pages have real content — enough that a patient learns something; mention your city in the headline when it’s true.
• ☐Doctor bio on About — who you are, training, why patients choose you.
• ☐FAQ with real questions — cost, pain, recovery, insurance.
• ☐A few real reviews on the site — with permission.
• ☐Insurance or financing page — if applicable.
• ☐Click every page on phone and desktop — test phone, booking, and forms.

Advanced — once the basics are in place

Content that helps you rank

• ☐Specific, factual writing — what you do, where you are, who the doctors are.
• ☐FAQ written like patients talk — e.g. “How much do implants cost in [your city]?”
• ☐Same practice info everywhere — website, Google profile, and directories all agree.
• ☐Gallery or before/after — only real images with patient consent.

Reviews

• ☐At least 20 Google reviews (50+ is better); 4.5 stars or higher if you can.
• ☐A system to ask for reviews — front desk, text, or email.
• ☐QR code in the office that goes to your Google review link.
• ☐Reply to every Google review — good and bad.

Deeper website and tracking

• ☐Structured data set up — code that helps Google understand your address, hours, and services (test here if your web person handles this).
• ☐Google Analytics tracking phone calls and bookings.
• ☐Homepage links to your main services — not only “Book now.”
• ☐Related services linked together — e.g. implants page links to bone grafting.
• ☐Blog posts link to service pages when relevant.
• ☐Monthly check of Google Search Console — what people search for and any errors.

Keep it up

• ☐Post on Google Business Profile — offers, photos, news.
• ☐Keep collecting reviews.
• ☐Publish or update content when you add services or want to rank for new topics.
• ☐Update the site when hours, doctors, insurance, or services change.

Replacing an old website

• ☐Old web addresses redirect to new ones — your web person sets up redirects so nothing breaks.
• ☐Save a copy of the old site before canceling a vendor.
• ☐Update your Google profile’s website link after go-live.
• ☐Re-verify Google Search Console if your domain changed.