{"id":6917,"date":"2026-08-05T17:39:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T07:39:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/?p=6917"},"modified":"2026-08-05T17:40:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T07:40:39","slug":"seo-for-dentists-in-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"SEO for Dentists in Australia: Ranking Without Breaching AHPRA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"p1\">Almost every SEO guide written for dentists in Australia contains advice that could get the practice fined.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">The advice is usually some version of &#8220;embed your Google reviews on your homepage as social proof&#8221;. For a plumber, that is the single best thing you can do. For a dentist, it is a breach of the National Law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Section 133 of the National Law prohibits the use of testimonials in advertising a regulated health service, and AHPRA treats patient reviews about clinical care as testimonials. Penalties reach $30,000 per breach for individuals and $60,000 for businesses, on top of a referral to your board.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">So dental SEO is not general SEO with the word &#8220;dental&#8221; swapped in. The highest leverage tactic in local search is off the table, and you have to win with the ones that remain. This guide covers how.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/div>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ac0a5c882623\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ac0a5c882623\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#The_compliance_rule_you_have_to_get_right_first\" >The compliance rule you have to get right first<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#The_practical_version\" >The practical version:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Where_dental_search_demand_actually_sits\" >Where dental search demand actually sits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Since_you_cannot_use_reviews_use_these_instead\" >Since you cannot use reviews, use these instead<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#The_pages_a_dental_practice_should_build\" >The pages a dental practice should build<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Google_Business_Profile_is_where_dental_patients_actually_decide\" >Google Business Profile is where dental patients actually decide<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Schema_markup_for_dental_practices\" >Schema markup for dental practices<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#What_about_paid_ads\" >What about paid ads<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" >Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Can_dentists_in_Australia_use_patient_testimonials\" >Can dentists in Australia use patient testimonials?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Can_I_ask_patients_for_Google_reviews\" >Can I ask patients for Google reviews?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Can_dentists_use_before_and_after_photos\" >Can dentists use before and after photos?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#What_is_the_best_keyword_for_a_dental_practice_to_target\" >What is the best keyword for a dental practice to target?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#How_long_does_dental_SEO_take\" >How long does dental SEO take?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-for-dentists-in-australia\/#Where_to_start\" >Where to start<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_compliance_rule_you_have_to_get_right_first\"><\/span>The compliance rule you have to get right first<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">The distinction that matters is <b>who controls the platform.<\/b><b><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>What you can do.<\/b> Patients can leave reviews on Google, and you can ask them to. AHPRA does not hold practitioners responsible for unsolicited reviews on third party sites they do not control. Those reviews still count toward your Google Business Profile ranking, which means the map pack remains fully available to you.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>What you cannot do.<\/b> The moment you copy a clinical review onto your own website, put it in an ad, screenshot it for Instagram, or build a &#8220;Testimonials&#8221; page from it, it becomes advertising you control and section 133 applies.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_practical_version\"><\/span>The practical version:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table class=\"t1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td1\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Action<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td1\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Status<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td1\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Patients leaving reviews on Google<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td1\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Allowed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Asking patients to leave a Google review<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Generally allowed, keep the ask neutral<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Reviews appearing in your Google Business Profile<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Allowed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Embedding a Google review widget on your website<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Not allowed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Screenshotting reviews for social posts<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Not allowed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td1\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">A testimonials page on your site<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td1\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Not allowed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Before and after photos<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Heavily restricted, strict conditions apply<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">&#8220;Painless&#8221;, &#8220;best dentist&#8221;, &#8220;guaranteed results&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td2\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Not allowed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p class=\"p1\">Keep the review request neutral. Asking patients to share feedback is fine. Steering them toward praising the clinical outcome, or offering anything in return, is not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">This is a summary, not legal advice, and the guidelines are updated periodically. Check the current position on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahpra.gov.au\/Resources\/Advertising-hub\/Advertising-guidelines-and-other-guidance\/Advertising-guidelines.aspx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"s1\">AHPRA advertising hub<\/span><\/a> and with your indemnity insurer before you publish anything you are unsure about.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p4\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_dental_search_demand_actually_sits\"><\/span>Where dental search demand actually sits<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table class=\"t1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Search term<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Monthly searches (AU)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Difficulty<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">dentist near me<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">31,000<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">High<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">emergency dentist<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">1,900<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Very low<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">seo for dentists<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">900<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Very low<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">dental implants cost<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">700<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td class=\"td3\" valign=\"top\">\n<p class=\"p3\">Very low<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p class=\"p1\">Two things stand out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>&#8220;Dentist near me&#8221; is a map pack query, not a page you can rank.<\/b> At 31,000 monthly searches it is tempting, but Google resolves it through local results. You win it through your Google Business Profile, not by writing a page.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>The winnable, high value terms are emergency and cost queries.<\/b> &#8220;Emergency dentist&#8221; draws 1,900 monthly searches at almost no difficulty. &#8220;Dental implants cost&#8221; draws 700, also at near zero difficulty, and attaches to treatment worth several thousand dollars.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Since_you_cannot_use_reviews_use_these_instead\"><\/span>Since you cannot use reviews, use these instead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Trust has to come from somewhere. With testimonials unavailable, these carry the weight:<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Practitioner profiles that are genuinely detailed.<\/b> One page per dentist, with qualifications, AHPRA registration number, year registered, university, areas of clinical interest, professional memberships, and continuing education. This is the strongest E-E-A-T signal available to a practice, and it is fully compliant because it is factual information about the practitioner rather than a patient opinion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Your Google Business Profile rating, on Google.<\/b> You cannot embed it, but it is doing the work in the map pack where most patients are looking anyway.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Factual practice information.<\/b> Years established, number of practitioners, technology you use, languages spoken, whether you have on site parking, wheelchair access, and after hours availability. Specific facts build more confidence than adjectives.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Clear fee information.<\/b> Most dental sites hide pricing entirely, which drives patients to ring three practices for quotes. Publishing ranges for common treatments (&#8220;dental implants generally run $4,500 to $6,500 per tooth depending on whether a bone graft is needed&#8221;) is compliant, useful, and captures the cost searches your competitors ignore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Health fund arrangements.<\/b> Which funds you have preferred provider status with, whether you do HICAPS on the spot, and how the Child Dental Benefits Schedule works if you accept it. This is genuinely what patients want to know.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_pages_a_dental_practice_should_build\"><\/span>The pages a dental practice should build<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Most dental websites have a single &#8220;Services&#8221; page listing twenty treatments in one line each. That page ranks for nothing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Build these instead, in order:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li5\"><b>Emergency dentist page.<\/b> Highest intent, lowest competition. Cover the specific situations: knocked out tooth, broken tooth, severe toothache, lost filling, abscess, dental trauma in children. For each, give what to do right now before they reach you. That advice is genuinely useful, it is what featured snippets and AI answers pull from, and it builds trust in the two minutes before someone calls.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li5\"><b>One page per major treatment.<\/b> Dental implants, root canal, wisdom teeth removal, orthodontics and clear aligners, crowns and bridges, veneers, children&#8217;s dentistry. Each page needs what the treatment involves, how long it takes, what recovery looks like, a fee range, and what determines the price.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li5\"><b>Cost pages for high value treatments.<\/b> &#8220;Dental implants cost&#8221; style queries convert well because the patient has moved from wondering to planning.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li5\"><b>New patient page.<\/b> What happens at a first appointment, what to bring, how long it takes, how billing works. Reduces the friction that stops people booking.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li5\"><b>Practitioner profiles.<\/b> One per dentist, as above.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li5\"><b>Suburb pages,<\/b> only for the two or three areas you genuinely draw from.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p class=\"p1\">Our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/keyword-mapping\/\"><span class=\"s1\">keyword mapping<\/span><\/a> covers assigning one primary term per page so they do not compete with each other, and our <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/seo-checklist\/\"><span class=\"s1\">SEO checklist<\/span><\/a> covers the on page work each one needs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_Business_Profile_is_where_dental_patients_actually_decide\"><\/span>Google Business Profile is where dental patients actually decide<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">For a practice, the profile matters more than the website in the first six months.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Primary category<\/b> should be &#8220;Dentist&#8221;, with secondary categories for genuine specialisations like &#8220;Orthodontist&#8221; or &#8220;Dental implants periodontist&#8221; only if accurate.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Hours must be exact,<\/b> including whether you take emergency appointments outside them.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Photos<\/b> of the practice, the team and the equipment. Not stock images of models with unnaturally white teeth. No clinical before and after images here, given the restrictions.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Services list<\/b> filled out completely with each treatment.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><b>Appointment link<\/b> connected to your booking system, because a patient who can book at 10pm without calling will.<\/li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><b>Q&amp;A section<\/b> seeded with real questions and answered by the practice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"p6\"><span class=\"s2\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/google-my-business-optimisation-checklist\/\"><span class=\"s1\">Google Business Profile optimisation checklist<\/span><\/a> covers the full setup, and <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/google-local-search-algorithm\/\"><span class=\"s1\">how Google&#8217;s local search algorithm works<\/span><\/a> explains the map pack ranking factors.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Schema_markup_for_dental_practices\"><\/span>Schema markup for dental practices<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Use the <span class=\"s3\">Dentist<\/span> type. Add <span class=\"s3\">Physician<\/span> or <span class=\"s3\">MedicalBusiness<\/span> properties where relevant, and mark up each practitioner separately.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p7\"><span class=\"s4\">{<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;@context&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;@type&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Dentist&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;name&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Your Dental Practice&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;telephone&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;+61-3-XXXX-XXXX&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;address&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> <span class=\"s4\">{<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;@type&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;PostalAddress&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;streetAddress&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;123 Example St&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;addressLocality&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Camberwell&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;addressRegion&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;VIC&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;postalCode&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;3124&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;addressCountry&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;AU&#8221;<span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s4\">},<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;medicalSpecialty&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Dentistry&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;availableService&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> <span class=\"s7\">[<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s4\">{<\/span> <span class=\"s6\">&#8220;@type&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;MedicalProcedure&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span> <span class=\"s6\">&#8220;name&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Dental Implants&#8221; <span class=\"s4\">}<\/span><span class=\"s7\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s4\">{<\/span> <span class=\"s6\">&#8220;@type&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;MedicalProcedure&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span> <span class=\"s6\">&#8220;name&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Root Canal Treatment&#8221; <span class=\"s4\">}<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s7\">]<\/span><span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;employee&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> <span class=\"s4\">{<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;@type&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Person&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;name&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Dr Example Name&#8221;<span class=\"s4\">,<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s6\">&#8220;jobTitle&#8221;<\/span><span class=\"s4\">:<\/span> &#8220;Principal Dentist&#8221;<span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"s4\">}<\/span><span class=\"s5\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span class=\"s4\">}<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Do not add <span class=\"s3\">AggregateRating<\/span> markup. Beyond Google&#8217;s rules against self serving review markup, publishing your patient rating in your own site&#8217;s code is exactly the kind of testimonial use section 133 covers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Structured data is also increasingly how AI generated answers identify what a practice offers, which our comparison of <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/geo-vs-seo\/\"><span class=\"s1\">GEO and SEO<\/span><\/a> covers in more detail. For the wider technical setup, see our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/what-is-technical-seo-a-complete-guide-for-2026\/\"><span class=\"s1\">technical SEO<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_about_paid_ads\"><\/span>What about paid ads<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Dental keywords are competitive on price but the compliance rules are identical. Everything above applies to ad copy: no testimonials, no superlatives, no guarantees, no &#8220;painless&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Where ads earn their place is emergency and high value treatment terms, where a patient will book the same day. Send the traffic to a dedicated page rather than the homepage. Our guides to <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/google-ads-cost-in-australia\/\"><span class=\"s1\">Google Ads costs in Australia<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/landing-page-development\/\"><span class=\"s1\">landing page development<\/span><\/a> cover the mechanics.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_dentists_in_Australia_use_patient_testimonials\"><\/span><b>Can dentists in Australia use patient testimonials?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Not in advertising you control. Section 133 of the National Law prohibits testimonials about clinical aspects of care in advertising a regulated health service. Reviews left independently on Google are treated differently because you do not control that platform.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_ask_patients_for_Google_reviews\"><\/span><b>Can I ask patients for Google reviews?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Generally yes, provided the request is neutral and nothing is offered in return. What you cannot do is republish those reviews in your own marketing.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_dentists_use_before_and_after_photos\"><\/span><b>Can dentists use before and after photos?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Only under strict conditions, and the rules are detailed enough that you should check the current AHPRA guidance before publishing any. Many practices decide the risk is not worth it.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_best_keyword_for_a_dental_practice_to_target\"><\/span><b>What is the best keyword for a dental practice to target?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Emergency dentist terms and treatment cost terms. Both have real volume, low competition, and patients who are ready to book. &#8220;Dentist near me&#8221; is won through your Google Business Profile rather than a page.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_does_dental_SEO_take\"><\/span><b>How long does dental SEO take?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\">Google Business Profile improvements can show within four to eight weeks. Treatment pages generally take four to six months to rank, longer in competitive metro areas.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"p2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_start\"><\/span>Where to start<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Audit your existing website for compliance before you do anything else. If there is a testimonials page, an embedded review widget, or the word &#8220;painless&#8221; anywhere, that is the first fix and it is urgent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Then build the emergency page and one cost page for your highest value treatment. Those two typically outperform a year of unfocused effort.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Our <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/search-engine-optimization-seo\/\"><span class=\"s1\">SEO<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/search-engine-optimization-seo\/local-seo\/\"><span class=\"s1\">local SEO<\/span><\/a> teams work with Australian practices inside these constraints. <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/contact-us\/\"><span class=\"s1\">Get in touch<\/span><\/a> for a compliance and visibility review of your current site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Almost every SEO guide written for dentists in Australia contains advice that could get the practice fined. The advice is usually some version of &#8220;embed your Google reviews on your homepage as social proof&#8221;. For a plumber, that is the single best thing you can do. For a dentist, it is a breach of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":6918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaplusdigital.co\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}