SEO for orthodontists

Orthodontist SEO That Helps You Turn Clicks Into Smiles

Written By: Joey Randazzo

Joey Randazzo is the owner and Founder of SEO Growth Partners, based in Portland, OR. He’s worked with hundreds of businesses to build growth-centric SEO campaigns.

How We Help Orthodontists Grow Their Practice & See A
5.7x ROI on Their Monthly SEO Investment

Increase Google Rankings

Get your orthodontic office’s website ranking on Google for high-value keywords that potential patients are searching for.

More High-Quality Web Traffic

Get more interested patients coming to your website each month.

Increased Leads & Phone Calls

Get more motivated potential patients calling your clinic to schedule appointments and consultations.

You Get Your Time Back

Stop having your receptionist or technician write blog content or try to figure out digital marketing on their own.

What You Want to Launch With Your Startup’s Website & SEO

When Someone Types “Orthodontist Near Me” Into Google, You Show Up Here …

Think about how people search for orthodontists. They’re likely sitting on the couch and using their downtime to scroll the internet.

They go to Google and type in something like “Orthodontist Near Me” – the FIRST thing to show up is the Maps area of Google called the Google Local Pack. The orthodontic offices that appear up here “win” and get the most phone calls.

orthodontists seo 1
orthodontists seo 2

When Someone Types “Best Orthodontist in [City]” Into Google, You Show Up Here …

When people are looking for orthodontists, they often use the language of “best orthodontist near me” or “best orthodontist in [city]”.

The orthodontist offices that rank in the Maps area for these keywords get the most website visitors and phone calls.

When Someone Types Questions Into Google Like “Who Is the Most Reputable Orthodontist Near Me?” You Show Up Here …

People ask tens of thousands, potentially more, questions on Google each day. Questions like …

  • “What can’t I eat when I have braces?”
  • “Who is the best pediatric orthodontist in Portland, OR?”
  • “Should my braces be causing sores in my mouth?”

Ranking for these keywords in Google proves that your website is an “authority” and can be trusted.

portland orthodontist google search

People Are Searching Differently For Orthodontists Than They Used To

Check out how many more people are searching for “orthodontist near me” than they were several years ago.

Image 3-22-23 at 10.48 PM

The screenshot of this chart comes from Google’s own tool, Google Trends. It clearly shows how dramatically the search volume for “startups near me” has grown.

Get Your Orthodontic Practice in Front of Patients Actively Looking for Treatment

Local SEO ensures people find you when they Google orthodontists nearby. The higher you rank, the more clicks, calls, and new patient appointments you generate.

How Can I Get Actual Results With SEO Services for My Startup?

Step 1: Comprehensive SEO Audit


Sadly, this is where most SEO companies fail. They don’t complete this step — and it’s the most important step of them all!

How do you expect to get where you want to be if you don’t even know where you are?

Completing a comprehensive SEO audit can help your practice determine:

  • Your current SEO performance
  • Your current SEO errors
  • What your local competitors are doing
  • Your technical SEO performance
  • And more

Step 2: Create a Roadmap Based on Data


Now that we’ve gathered quite a bit of data from our SEO audit and local SEO visibility audit, we can provide you with insights into how your business is doing with our SEO roadmap. 

SEO for orthodontists should be strategized based on the data. Most other SEO companies don’t do this! They have a “hunch” that something will work. 

For example, if the data shows that your website is loading very slowly, (which is negatively impacting performance), you may want to begin with fixing that so that potential patients stay on your website. 

Step 3: Implement High-Impact Changes First


Once your SEO roadmap is in place, the real work begins — and prioritization matters. Not every task moves the needle equally. Updating alt text on an old blog isn’t nearly as powerful as optimizing your homepage or improving your Google Business Profile.

That’s why we start with high-value, low-effort wins — the “low-hanging fruit” that drives fast, measurable improvements. This often includes:

  • Ensuring your Google Business Profile is fully optimized
  • Building or improving service pages for braces, Invisalign, and other treatments
  • Strengthening homepage content and keyword targeting
  • Fixing critical technical issues that may be hurting rankings

By tackling the biggest impact items first, you make meaningful progress faster, leading to increased visibility, traffic, and patient inquiries sooner rather than later.

Step 4: Local SEO Best Practices & Content Creation at Scale


Local SEO for orthodontists comes down to providing the following:

  • Consistent information that Google trusts
  • Authority
  • Accurate information

If your business has a different address on your website than what’s on your Facebook page, Google sees that as a red flag.

Because they can’t trust that if a user drives to the location mentioned on your website or Facebook they’ll be at the right business, Google may not choose for your business to rank in the local pack. 

Having consistent NAPs on high-authority directories across the internet is critical.

But how does your orthodontic office build authority on the internet? That’s where content comes in. Creating content that answers questions that your target audience is searching for tells Google that your business is more authoritative than other practices that do not have as much content on their website. 

Step 5: Measure What Matters


SEO should create real results — not just rankings. The goal is simple: more qualified website traffic, more inbound leads, and more revenue. If it isn’t driving growth, it’s just noise.

To know what’s working, you have to measure it. Build a clear dashboard that tracks your key metrics so you can see whether your SEO is actually moving your business forward. Focus on:

  • Keyword rankings
  • Website visitors
  • Phone calls
  • And other important KPIs

Top 4 Common SEO Mistakes Made by Orthodontists

Mistake 1:They Don’t Fill Out Their Google Business Profile in Detail

Comprehensiveness is key to increasing your local visibility. Take advantage of any and all opportunities to share information about your business.

What’s this look like? 

Do you have any photos of your orthodontic office on your Google Business Profile? Share photos that show your potential patients what sets your office apart from others in the area.

Don’t leave any applicable attributes unanswered about your business. Use the character space on your business description to give potential clients all the information they need to feel comfortable calling your office.

Mistake 2: They Don’t Build Comprehensive Pages for Each Servi

Many orthodontic practices list their services, but don’t explain them. A simple bullet list won’t convince Google or potential patients that you’re the best choice. Visitors need details. Search engines need context.

If your service pages are thin, vague, or combined into one generic page, you’re likely leaving rankings — and consultations — on the table.

To fix this, create:

  • A main services hub page that summarizes what you offer
  • Individual service pages for braces, Invisalign, early orthodontics, retainers, etc.
  • Content that answers questions, explains treatment benefits, and includes before/after proof where possible

Comprehensive, well-structured service pages help you rank for more treatment-specific keywords and make it easier for patients to feel confident choosing your practice.

Mistake 3: They Fail to Create Data-Driven Content That Adds Value to Their Target Audience

You may have an inkling about what your target audience is searching for online — but when you conduct keyword research you may find that your target audience is actually looking at other topics and issues. 

This is why data is so important. Creating comprehensive, data-backed content is the only way to know for sure what your target audience is searching for. When you know what your target audience is searching for you’re able to get your content in front of them and answer the questions they’re actually asking.

Mistake 4: They Don’t Have a Repeatable Process for SEO

SEO is not a “once and done” project. If you want to consistently drive more traffic and leads, you have to create a repeatable process that works. 

If you find that some of your web pages are performing exponentially better than other pages, it’s likely because you’re using a different formula for success for each website. 

Identifying what works and what doesn’t work will help you perform consistently. 

Orthodontist SEO Should Never Be One-Size-Fits-All — Your Strategy Must Be Built Around Your Practice

SEO for orthodontists is very different from SEO for dentists, med spas, or any other local business. Yet many agencies deliver the same templated strategy to every client, applying generic tactics and hoping they work for orthodontic practices the same way they work elsewhere.

That’s not growth-focused, and it’s not how we operate.

We tailor your SEO strategy to your practice: your services, your market, your competition, and even your city. What works in Philadelphia won’t necessarily work in a smaller New Jersey suburb. Every orthodontic website requires a customized approach — and that’s exactly what we deliver.

5 Tactical Local SEO Strategies for Orthodontists

Strategy 1: Optimize Your Google Business Profile

This is an example of an orthodontist office’s Google Business Profile:

seo for orthodontists

Well, technically, this is an example of the front end of a Google Business Profile. The part that someone searching Google can see.

Actually, before we go any further, let’s take a few steps back:

Why do Google Business Profiles even matter for orthodontic offices? Google Business Profiles are relevant and important ranking factors to get your business into the Google Local Pack. If you forgot what the Google Local Pack is, below is a screenshot:

orthodonists in portland

Optimizing your Google Business Profile helps you get found here. 

When you show up in the Google Local Pack, you WIN. This will lead to more website visitors and phone calls. 

So, how do you properly optimize your Google Business Profile so you get found in the Google Local Pack?

The answer is … are you ready for it? Comprehensiveness.

The best way to optimize your Google Business Profile is to provide as comprehensive information as possible.

Areas where you can provide comprehensive information include:

  • Your categories
  • Your main description
  • Your services
  • Your products
  • Your photos

Need a quick example of the difference between being comprehensive vs not being comprehensive? We have one for you: 

For your main description, you may just be inclined to write a sentence like… “Our orthodontic office wants to help you look and feel your best.”

That is just one sentence… Google allows 750 characters for the main description. Use them up! Do you offer dentistry and orthodontic services? Do you serve adults and children?  Do you offer emergency oral services? 

By answering every possible question, you’re showing Google just how comprehensive your practice really is. 

Strategy 2: On-Page SEO for Your Homepage and Location Pages

On-page SEO for orthodontists is just a fancy way of describing the content on your website.

Your on-page SEO includes things like:

  • Title tags
  • Meta descriptions
  • Header tags (H1, H2, H3)
  • Internal and external links
  • Images
  • Basically, anything that you can put on a website page. 

Why is on-page SEO so important for orthodontists? It goes back to our friend, Google. 

For single-location orthodontist offices, the most important page on your website, from a local SEO perspective, is your homepage. For multi-location orthodontists, the most important pages on your website are going to be your location pages.

When doing on-page SEO for your homepage and services pages, you want to implement SEO-friendliness by using keywords but also by providing as much comprehensive information as possible to the user (and Google) about your practice.

For example, instead of a title tag like “Dr. Bragg’s Orthodontic Office – 503.222.1111” you can provide more context to Google by writing something like “Top Rated Orthodontic Office in Downtown Portland – Dr. Bragg’s Orthodontic Office.”

Strategy 3: Website Architecture Best Practices

This is an underrated SEO strategy for orthodontic offices. Your website architecture and your sitemap are intimately connected.

Google uses your sitemap to understand everything about your website architecture — allowing Google to get a clear picture of what your website is about.

Here’s an example of what a sitemap may look like to Google:

seo for orthodontist site map

Looks a little confusing, doesn’t it? Don’t stress about it too much. The important thing is to understand that when Google looks at a sitemap, it’s putting together what your website is about — which, remember, plays an important role in local SEO. 

The main point is that your website structure should make sense hierarchically. Let’s use the most common services that orthodontists offer – 1) metal braces and 2) clear braces.

Where should these pages live on your site? First, you should probably have a “services” page that has a URL structure similar to .com/services/

Now, any services that you offer (such as surgeries and vaccinations) should live UNDER this main services page. See below:

  • .com/services/permanent-braces
  • .com/services/invisible-braces

This seems obvious, but many websites do this wrong. There’s no vertical architecture. Instead, every page lives directly under the homepage. See below:

  • .com/services/
  • .com/braces/
  • .com/clear-braces/
  • .com/permanent-braces/

With this structure, it’s not clear to Google that “Clear Braces” are an option that you offer. It’s just another page on your site!

Strategy 4: Content Creation at Scale

This is where it gets fun. People search for thousands of questions on Google every day.

Some are very local:

  • Invisible braces in Portland
  • Pediatric orthodontists near Portland 

Others are generic:

  • What can you eat when you have metal braces?
  • Do braces cause staining on your teeth? 
  • Can you be too old to get braces? 
  • Can braces help fix TMJ?

When you answer these types of questions with comprehensive blog posts on your website, it will do two things: 

  1. Help you rank higher in Google with the keywords people are searching for, resulting in more traffic to your website. 
  2. Google will see your website as authoritative compared to your competitors. Google will think, “ This orthodontic office is providing valuable information on questions that users have. Their website must be more valuable than local competitors who haven’t answered any of these questions.”

Strategy 5: Prioritize User Experience, Not Keyword Stuffing

There was a time when keyword stuffing, PBN links, and similar tactics could boost rankings. Those days are gone. Google now rewards websites that deliver real value and a great user experience — not those that try to game the system.

So what does that mean for your orthodontic practice?

It means your website should be intuitive, helpful, and easy to navigate. Visitors shouldn’t have to dig to learn whether you treat adults, teens, or children. They should be able to contact you in seconds with a click-to-call phone number, simple contact form, and ideally, online scheduling that makes booking an appointment effortless.

And when it comes to content, quality beats keyword cramming every time. Provide useful information that answers real questions, covers topics thoroughly, and helps users feel confident in choosing your practice. If the content genuinely helps people, Google is far more likely to reward it.

On Average, Our Orthodontist SEO Services for Cost 31% Less Than Other SEO Companies

Compared to Other SEO Companies That Average Between $1.5k and $3k Per Month.

FAQs About Orthodontist SEO Services

Think of SEO for orthodontists as a form of marketing. Because that’s basically what it is. It helps orthodontists increase their visibility in search engines, like Google.  

SEO strategies for orthodontists all vary greatly — remember, not all SEO is created equal. 

Strategies include:

  • Keyword research
  • On-page SEO
  • Off-page SEO
  • Google Maps optimizations
  • Local SEO
  • Content creation
  • Landing page creation
  • And more

SEO matters because it places your practice directly in front of people who are actively searching for orthodontic treatment, not just those casually scrolling.

With social media ads, you’re interrupting users who may not be ready for braces, Invisalign, or a consultation. SEO is different. It captures high-intent patients — people who are already searching for terms like “best orthodontist near me,” “Portland Invisalign provider,” or “orthodontist for teens.”

When you rank for these keywords, you reach patients who are ready to schedule — which means higher conversion rates, more consultations, and more long-term treatment revenue compared to passive social media impressions.

SEO for orthodontists can take anywhere between one week and six months to start getting results. Various factors come into play, including:  

  • How big the city you’re located in is
  • How long your website has been up and running
  • What your domain authority looks like when you start SEO strategies
  • Your current SEO’s performance
  • And much more

Some of our clients have seen 2x – 3x the phone calls within as little as a month after starting their SEO campaign. Other clients don’t see noticeable increases in phone calls for a few months.

Think about it like this, though:

If everyone could make a couple of tweaks on their website and rank overnight for the HIGHEST value keywords out there, like “best orthodontist in New York City” then the internet would go haywire.

Good things take time. Google built its algorithms that way for a reason. 

Orthodontist SEO should be tracked meticulously.

Orthodontists want to know, with complete certainty, that the money they’re investing in SEO is working for their orthodontic practice.

Because of that, you need to track certain metrics to determine that your SEO campaign is working: 

  • Keyword rankings: Are your ranking on Page 1 of Google for the most important keywords? How are your keyword rankings changing week over week? What about month over month? 
  • Organic website traffic: Is your organic website traffic from Google moving upwards? Do you know which keywords are driving the most traffic?
  • Online lead submissions: Are you seeing more online leads? How are they changing month over month?
  • Phone calls: Are you getting more phone calls from people searching on Google? Is the amount of phone calls you’re receiving changing over time? 

A strong orthodontist SEO strategy starts with creating content that your ideal patients are already searching for online. We use advanced keyword research tools to uncover the exact questions, topics, and search phrases people are typing into Google, then build content around them.

Common searches might include:

  • “Who is the best orthodontist in Portland?”
  • “How do I clean my retainers?”
  • “What should I do if my braces wire breaks?”

When you publish helpful content that answers real patient questions, you increase your chances of ranking higher for valuable keywords. Over time, Google begins to view your site as more trustworthy, authoritative, and relevant — helping you outrank competitors and capture more organic traffic.

Curious to see what keywords people are searching for in your industry? We did a quick search and found that the following keywords may help increase your rankings and improve your SEO.

Keyword

Volume

how to find the best orthodontist

30

what’s the best braces brand with in-office orthodontist supervision

20

what’s the best ortho chain with certified orthodontist supervision

20

what’s the best orthodontist clear aligner program with clinical monitoring

20

what’s the best remote aligner company with certified orthodontist supervision

20

who are the best orthodontists in owasso

20

who is the best orthodontist in broken arrow

20

who is the best orthodontist in the world

20

who is the best orthodontist in tulsa

20

who is the best orthodontist near me

20

is it best orthodontist in texas for braces

10

what are the best continuing education courses for orthodontists

10

what’s the best affordable ortho provider w/ certified orthodontist supervision

10

which aligner providers have the best orthodontist-reviewed treatment plans

10

how to choose best orthodontist

0

how to choose the best orthodontist

0

how to find best orthodontist

0

how to find the best orthodontist in your city

0

how to find the best orthodontist reddit

0

what are the best orthodontists for fixing buck teeth

0

what are the best orthodontists in canada

0

what college is best for orthodontist

0

what degree would be best to be an orthodontist

0

what is the best college for orthodontist

0

what is the best college for orthodontists

0

what is the best college to become an orthodontist

0

what is the best orthodontist college

0

what is the best orthodontist college in oklahoma

0

what is the best orthodontist in enterprise

0

what is the best orthodontist near me

0

what is the best part of being an orthodontist

0

what is the best school for orthodontists

0

what major is best for orthodontist

0

what the best school for orthodontist in california

0

which school in boston has the best orthodontist for patients

0

who is the best orthodontist

0

who is the best orthodontist in adelaide

0

who is the best orthodontist in cincinnati ohio

0

who is the best orthodontist in denver

0

who is the best orthodontist in houston

0

who is the best orthodontist in las vegas

0

who is the best orthodontist in london

0

who is the best orthodontist in melbourne

0

who is the best orthodontist in milwaukee wi for visioline

0

who is the best orthodontist in milwaukee wisconsin for visualine

0

who is the best orthodontist in perth

0

who is the best orthodontist in summerlin

0

who is the best orthodontist in sydney

0

who is the best orthodontist in the cookeville tn area

0

who is the best orthodontist in the tennessee area

0

who is the best orthodontist in westport for invisalign

0

Keyword

Volume

Keyword Difficulty

orthodontist

246000

85

orthodontist near me

90500

50

best orthodontist near me

12100

49

orthodontist salary

12100

33

orthodontists

8100

82

orthodontists near me

8100

31

best orthodontist

5400

30

local orthodontist

5400

67

orthodontist earnings

5400

31

pediatric orthodontist

5400

28

how much do orthodontists make

4400

26

invisalign orthodontist

4400

53

my orthodontist

4400

17

orthodontist vs dentist

4400

22

what is an orthodontist

4400

51

family orthodontist

3600

55

invisalign orthodontist near me

3600

28

kids orthodontist

3600

34

orthodontist pay rate

3600

11

orthodontist starting pay

3600

24

pediatric orthodontist near me

3600

43

children’s orthodontist

2900

20

dentist vs orthodontist

2900

22

orthodontist and orthodontics

2900

36

orthodontist definition

2900

31

orthodontist meaning

2900

70

orthodontist ri

2900

39

adult orthodontist

2400

12

adult orthodontist near me

2400

62

emergency orthodontist near me

2400

49

kids orthodontist near me

2400

43

orthodontist pediatric near me

2400

52

orthodontist starting salary

2400

20

orthodontist tucson

2400

11

what does an orthodontist do

2400

2

american association of orthodontists

1900

62

children’s orthodontist near me

1900

41

how much does an orthodontist earn

1900

21

how much does an orthodontist make

1900

22

how to become an orthodontist

1900

20

orthodontist assistant

1900

20

orthodontist expert

1900

59

orthodontist los angeles

1900

50

orthodontist nyc

1900

52

orthodontist payment plans

1900

28

orthodontist reviews

1900

26

affordable orthodontist near me

1600

27

affordable orthodontists

1600

21

best invisalign orthodontist near me

1600

40

cheap orthodontist

1600

27

define orthodontist

1600

35

orthodontist chicago

1600

49

orthodontist houston

1600

51

orthodontist jobs

1600

55

orthodontist miami

1600

50

orthodontist near me for braces

1600

52

orthodontist pediatric

1600

30

orthodontist philadelphia

1600

46

orthodontist schooling

1600

43

what do orthodontist do

1600

15

what is a orthodontist

1600

48

cheap orthodontist near me

1300

32

how long does it take to become an orthodontist

1300

4

orthodontist austin

1300

50

orthodontist before and after pictures

1300

0

orthodontist braces cost

1300

29

orthodontist dallas

1300

35

orthodontist for adults

1300

15

orthodontist for kids

1300

41

orthodontist insurance

1300

50

orthodontist near by me

1300

60

orthodontist near me invisalign

1300

57

orthodontist san antonio

1300

50

orthodontist wax

1300

30

pediatric orthodontists near me

1300

49

affordable orthodontist

1000

22

best orthodontist tucson

1000

50

braces orthodontist near me

1000

63

dentist and orthodontist near me

1000

56

difference between dentist and orthodontist

1000

5

how much does a orthodontist make

1000

37

near me orthodontist

1000

42

orthodontist around me

1000

51

orthodontist assistant salary

1000

34

orthodontist baltimore

1000

36

orthodontist before and after

1000

1

orthodontist charlotte nc

1000

52

orthodontist consultation

1000

22

orthodontist dallas tx

1000

20

orthodontist employment opportunities

1000

33

orthodontist for retainer

1000

13

orthodontist for teens

1000

2

orthodontist las vegas

1000

51

orthodontist orlando

1000

39

orthodontist orthodontics

1000

50

orthodontist prices

1000

39

orthodontist that accept medicaid

1000

31

orthodontist tucson az

1000

54

orthodontists in miami fl

1000

50

starting salary for orthodontists in georgia

1000

15

top rated orthodontist near me

1000

49

tucson az orthodontist

1000

54

what is an orthodontists

1000

0

worst orthodontist near me

1000

27

worst orthodontists near me

1000

19

average orthodontist salary

880

34

average pay of an orthodontist

880

49

best orthodontists near me

880

41

braces and smiles invisalign orthodontist of queens ny

880

36

children and teens orthodontist

880

38

children orthodontist

880

43

childrens orthodontist

880

41

dentist and orthodontist

880

28

dentist orthodontist

880

63

emergency orthodontist

880

8

orthodontist appointment

880

46

orthodontist atlanta

880

47

orthodontist braces price

880

24

orthodontist fort worth

880

36

orthodontist median salary

880

43

orthodontist raleigh north carolina

880

50

orthodontist rochester

880

54

orthodontist san diego

880

48

orthodontist school

880

35

orthodontist spacers

880

5

orthodontist st louis

880

38

orthodontist tampa

880

38

orthodontist that take medicaid

880

43

orthodontist wage

880

44

orthodontists for adults near me

880

9

orthodontists in jacksonville

880

9

pediatric orthodontists

880

53

smiles orthodontist

880

50

vegas orthodontist

880

43

associated orthodontists

720

34

boston ma orthodontist

720

40

davis orthodontist

720

40

dr brown orthodontist

720

35

family orthodontist near me

720

63

how do you become an orthodontist

720

8

johnson orthodontist

720

46

orthodontist accepts medicaid

720

50

orthodontist and dentist difference

720

0

orthodontist augusta ga

720

43

orthodontist austin tx

720

21

orthodontist baltimore city

720

41

orthodontist close to me

720

50

orthodontist dictionary

720

0

orthodontist fort worth tx

720

48

orthodontist frisco tx

720

46

How To Work With Us

We believe in transparency, which is why we think it’s important to let you know that we don’t work with all orthodontic offices.

We only work with orthodontists who:

  • Are ambitious about growing their business
  • Have the bandwidth to take the growth that will come from working with us
  • Treat their employees and their customers well

If that sounds like you, follow the process below:

Step 1

Request a 'Free SEO Audit'

This process takes about 2 minutes.

Step 2

Check Your Email

In less than 24 business hours, one of our talented SEO specialists will send you a 3-5 minute customized video analysis. It will explain opportunities for you to outperform competitors.

Step 3

Sit Back And Watch Your SEO Skyrocket

Just take a look at our case studies of the success that other U.S. businesses have seen. You can have the same results.

If you’re looking for SEO growth, we can help. Give us a call today to learn more about our pricing and availability.

Let's Take Your Orthodontic Practice From The "Best Kept Secret" To The "Most Sought After Provider"