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You can be the best clinician in town, but if new patients can't find you, your schedule stays empty. Stephen Taylor, Director of Marketing at Delmain, explains what actually brings new patients into a dental practice in 2026, from the fundamentals that still work to AI search, SEO, Google and Meta ads, and the measurement that separates real ROI from wasted ad spend.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- The marketing fundamentals that still work in 2026: a website and a phone that gets answered
- How one practice dramatically increased new patients from Meta ads by running them only during business hours
- How patients are using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to choose a healthcare provider, and how to show up
- Whether Google Ads are still worth it when so many people search with AI
- Why SEO still matters and overlaps heavily with AI visibility
- How a practice in a competitive New Jersey market grew patient opportunities with SEO alone
- The biggest way dentists waste marketing dollars, and why you must connect marketing data to your practice management system
- Realistic new patient benchmarks and how to build a plan around your goals
- A startup marketing plan: website, Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, reviews, ad timing, and ongoing content
- Organic social media, micro-influence, and why your patients are better influencers than you
Questions answered in this episode:
Do dental practices still need a website in the age of AI search? Yes. The website is essential for visibility, AI citations, and meeting patient expectations.
Is SEO still worth paying for? Yes. The work that helps you rank in traditional search also helps you appear in AI overviews and AI assistants.
How do I know if my marketing is working? Track beyond clicks to booked appointments, kept appointments, and collections by connecting marketing data to your practice management software.
About the guest: Stephen Taylor is Director of Marketing at Delmain, a dental marketing company that partners with more than 200 practices on websites, SEO, paid ads, and patient acquisition.
Hosted by Dr. Melissa Seibert, DMD, MS, FAGD, ABGD. The Dental Digest Podcast is a top 1% podcast for general dentists focused on clinical dentistry: restorative dentistry, occlusion, endodontics, implants, imaging, and practice growth. For CE, case discussions, and a community of GPs who love clinical dentistry, join Elevated GP at theelevatedgp.com.
