We Checked 12 US Dental Websites for Local SEO Basics
GreatInflux Team
·2 min read
Table of contents
Short answer: We checked the homepages of 12 independent dental practices in Texas, Ohio, Florida and Colorado on 1 November 2026. All 12 had a tap-to-call link and a meta description, but none had FAQ structured data, only 8 had dental or local business schema, and 4 had weak or missing image descriptions on most photos. The basics are mostly in place. The gaps are in the details that help Google and AI answers understand a practice.
How we ran the audit
We opened each practice's homepage in a normal browser and read the page's own code: title tag, meta description, headings, structured data, phone link, canonical tag, image alt text and visible review and booking content. We looked at homepages only, on one day, and results are not a ranking or a judgment of care. Practices are not named because the point is the pattern, not the people.
Results at a glance
| Check | Practices passing (of 12) |
|---|---|
| Meta description present | 12 |
| Tap-to-call phone link | 12 |
| Booking or appointment option on the page | 12 |
| Canonical tag | 10 |
| Review or testimonial content visible | 10 |
| Exactly one H1 heading | 8 |
| Dentist or LocalBusiness structured data | 8 |
| Title tag 60 characters or fewer | 9 |
| Most images (over 50%) have alt text | 8 |
| FAQ structured data | 0 |
What stood out
- Nobody marks up FAQs. Not one homepage used FAQ schema. Questions like "Do you take my insurance?" and "Do you see emergencies?" are exactly what patients ask search and AI tools.
- One in three has no local schema. Four of 12 gave search engines no dentist or business markup, so Google had to infer the name, address and hours.
- Heading structure varies. One site had no H1, and three had two or more, which blurs the main topic of the page.
- Titles are often the wrong length. Three titles ran past 60 characters and could be cut off in results; one was only 16 characters and said little.
- Images are under-described. Four practices described fewer than half their images, and one only 13 percent.
A 30-minute fix list for any dental homepage
- Rewrite the title as "Service in City | Practice name", under about 60 characters.
- Use one H1 that states the service and area.
- Add Dentist schema with name, address, phone, hours and the services you offer.
- Add a short FAQ section of real patient questions, with FAQ schema.
- Describe every real photo in plain words in the alt text.
- Set a canonical tag on every page.
- Show recent reviews and link to your review profile.
Caveats
Twelve practices is a small sample, and the sites are independent practices that appeared in public directories for four US cities. The audit reads page code and does not measure rankings, speed or the quality of the writing. Use it as a checklist, not a benchmark.
Next steps: see our local SEO for dentists service, the complete local SEO guide for dentists, and how to get more patient reviews.
Frequently asked questions
What did the dental website audit check?
Title tags, meta descriptions, headings, structured data, phone links, canonical tags, image alt text, and visible review and booking content on 12 homepages.
Do dental websites need FAQ schema?
It is not required, but none of the 12 practices we checked used it, so adding real patient FAQs with schema is an easy way to stand out.
How long should a dental homepage title be?
Aim for about 60 characters or fewer so it is less likely to be cut off in search results.
Do dentists need local business schema?
It helps search engines read your name, address, phone, hours and services, and 8 of 12 practices in this audit already had it.
Was the audit a ranking study?
No. It only reads page code on one day and does not measure rankings or care quality.
