Dental SEO 101 - AI Facts and How to Avoid Google Suspensions

Join Ross Dunn as he dives into essential strategies to protect your dental practice from Google suspensions. Learn about common pitfalls and how to navigate them effectively. Plus, uncover fascinating insights about AI and its impact on the SEO landscape.

🔥 In This Episode:

1. Search Volumes Are Soaring
Did you know Google now processes over 5 trillion searches per year? That’s 158,548 per second! The opportunity to be discovered is greater than ever—make those listings count.

2. Google’s Fingerprinting Ban Is Gone—What Does That Mean for You?
Google has lifted its ban on “fingerprinting”—a way advertisers track you across different browsers by collecting info like your OS and screen resolution. Firefox offers better protection, but privacy is harder to maintain. Watch for those "creepily accurate" ads!

3. Chegg vs. Google: The AI Overview Controversy
Educational giant Chegg is suing Google for using their content in AI Overviews—those summary answers at the top of search results—without sending any traffic back. This matters for dental practices: If Google uses your content for its own summaries, you might lose visitors. Stand out by sharing unique details and going deeper than your competitors.

4. Behind-the-Scenes of Dates on Your Content
If you show both “date published” AND “date updated” on your articles, Google may get confused and prioritize the older date—hurting click-throughs. Best practice: Display a single, relevant date to showcase freshness. In your SEO schema (the hidden part), it’s okay to list both.

5. Google Business Profile: Avoid Major Changes!

• Suspensions Are Up: Innocent edits (like changing your practice name or categories) can get you suspended for a month or more.
• Stick with Minor Updates: Adjust hours, photos, and videos—it’s safer and even encouraged.
• Local Ranking Trick: If your homepage ranks organically, use a service or location page as your website URL on your Google Business Profile. This could help you show in BOTH local (map pack) and organic results—without filtering yourself out.

6. Survey Says: Google Is Losing Trust

• 42% of people say Google is less useful
• 61% of Gen Z use AI tools instead
• Quality and trust are slipping—now’s your time to stand out with genuine, quality content

7. AI Search: Proceed with Caution
New research shows AI chatbots make mistakes (over 60% wrong answers!) and even fabricate citations. Rely on quality, well-attributed sources for your content—and be wary about trusting AI for accurate references.

Takeaways for Dental Practices:

• Keep your content up-to-date, but don’t clutter it with too many dates.
• Make only minor, strategic changes to your Google Business Profile—consult with your SEO if in doubt.
• Add detail, local flavor, and regular updates to your website to appeal to both users and AI-powered search.
• Stay cautious with new AI tools and watch your website’s traffic like a hawk.
• Unique, high-quality content will give you the edge as Google—and your patients’ search habits—change rapidly.

• (00:00) - Intro
  


• (01:36) - Firefox May Not Be a Privacy Champion
  


• (03:23) - The AI Content Dispute That Matters
  


• (05:31) - Optimize Page Date Display
  


• (07:31) - How to Avoid Google Business Suspensions
  


• (10:20) - Make Only Minor Changes to a Google Business Profile
  


• (12:05) - Google is Losing Marketshare
  


• (13:38) - How Dentists Can Differentiate
  


• (14:31) - Be Careful Using Chatbots For Your Practice