Dental marketing is heading into 2026 with the ground moving fast under practice owners’ feet. In this episode of The Dental Marketing Mix, host Dan Brian lays out three clear predictions that will reshape how practices show up online, how they advertise, and how they turn interest into booked appointments.
This isn’t a “try this trend” episode. It’s a practical roadmap for what will matter next year as AI changes search behavior, changes how local recommendations are made, and changes how much practices will need to focus on converting the traffic they still get.
Why 2026 is a Different Marketing Game
Dan frames the moment simply: the marketing landscape is shifting, and it’s shifting fast. The tactics that carried practices through the past decade (especially “traditional SEO only” thinking) won’t be enough to win in an environment where AI increasingly answers patients directly and recommends providers based on trust signals, not just rankings.
The episode revolves around three predictions that connect in a powerful way:
- How practices get discovered is changing
- How practices pay for visibility is about to change
- How practices grow is going to depend more on conversion than clicks
Prediction 1: AI Search Reshapes Local Visibility, So Practices Need AIO Alongside SEO
Dan’s first prediction is direct: AI search will reshape local visibility and practices need to invest in AIO (AI Optimization) along with traditional SEO.
He’s careful not to dismiss SEO. He emphasizes that the technical and foundational work still matters. Practices still need strong fundamentals like:
- Fast website load times
- Strong service pages
- Accurate directory listings
- An optimized Google Business Profile
- Clean technical structure and indexing signals
But the key shift is what happens after you’re visible.
SEO Gets You Indexed. AIO Helps You Get Recommended.
Dan puts it this way: SEO gets you in the door, but AIO determines whether you actually get recommended.
That’s because AI-driven platforms don’t evaluate practices the same way classic search did. Instead, they look across a practice’s full digital footprint and ask questions like:
- Is this practice credible?
- Is it trustworthy?
- Can I defend recommending them?
Dan describes AIO as building confidence signals for AI engines.
What “Confidence Signals” Look Like for Dental Practices
Dan highlights several practical areas where practices should focus.
Reviews Become Even More Influential
Reviews already matter, but the role they play is changing. AI systems don’t just see the star rating. They analyze reviews for:
- Sentiment and tone
- Consistency over time
- Recency
- Patterns and recurring themes
If review velocity is weak and recent feedback is sparse, AI is more likely to favor competitors with stronger, more consistent patient proof.
Make the Practice “AI Readable”
Dan encourages practices to make their websites and listings easier for AI systems to interpret. That includes:
- Schema markup
- Clean, consistent NAP citations (name, address, phone number)
- Clear service definitions
- High-authority citations
- Structured FAQ content
The goal is clarity and structure. AI doesn’t just want keywords. It wants context.
Evidence-Based Content Beats Keyword-Driven Content
Dan emphasizes that AI prefers content that genuinely helps patients and demonstrates real expertise. Depth, clarity, and usefulness outperform generic, keyword-stuffed blog posts.
E-E-A-T Becomes the Deciding Factor
Experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness play an even bigger role in how AI platforms decide who to recommend. Dan points to signals such as:
- Provider bios and credentials
- Professional affiliations
- Community involvement
- Consistency across online platforms
For 2026, the takeaway is simple: practices need both SEO and AIO. One gets you found. The other helps you get chosen.
Prediction 2: AI Search Will Start Showing Ads (A Huge Shift in Local Marketing)
Dan’s second prediction is one many in dentistry aren’t paying attention to yet: In 2026, AI search will begin showing ads, and it will be the biggest shift in local marketing since Google Ads first launched.
He points to early experiments and signals across major AI platforms, indicating that advertising within AI-generated answers is not a question of if, but when.
Why This Matters for Dental Practices
According to Dan, AI-driven ads won’t work like traditional paid search, where higher bids alone can buy visibility. Performance and cost in AI dental advertising will be closely tied to trust and clarity.
Practices with strong authority and credibility signals are likely to see better performance and lower costs. Practices with weak or inconsistent digital footprints may pay more, perform worse, or struggle to appear at all.
This is where the first two predictions connect. The trust signals practices build today will directly influence how effective and affordable AI-based advertising becomes in the near future.
Prediction 3: Conversion Optimization Matters More Than Traffic Because AI Reduces Website Visits
Dan’s third prediction focuses on what happens after discovery: conversion optimization will matter more than traffic because AI is already reducing click volume.
AI platforms increasingly answer questions directly, summarize options, and guide decisions without requiring users to click through to websites. As a result, total website visits are shrinking.
The New Reality: The Traffic You Do Get Has to Convert
Dan puts it plainly: fewer clicks mean the clicks you do get must convert at a higher rate.
He argues that most practices won’t have a traffic problem in 2026. They’ll have a conversion problem.
What Conversion Optimization Looks Like in 2026
Dan outlines the practical elements that make practices easier to choose and easier to book:
- Fast-loading websites, especially on mobile
- Simple, confidence-building messaging
- Phones answered consistently and professionally
- Website chat integration
- Short, friction-free forms
- Clear scheduling options
- Rapid follow-up measured in minutes, not hours
The theme is friction reduction. When AI shrinks the total pool of clicks, the practices that win are the ones that convert attention into appointments.
Putting the Three Predictions Into One Action Plan
Dan summarizes the episode with three core ideas for dental marketing in 2026:
- Practices need SEO and AIO working together
- AI ads are coming and will reshape visibility and cost
- Conversion optimization becomes the growth engine as clicks decline
A useful way to approach 2026 is to tie each prediction to a clear priority.
Priority 1: Build Trust Signals That AI Can Read
- Consistent, recent patient reviews
- Clear provider bios and credentials
- Strong site structure and schema
- Helpful, evidence-based content
Priority 2: Prepare for Paid Visibility Inside AI Answers
- Strengthen authority signals now to reduce future ad costs
- Ensure brand and service information is consistent everywhere
- Improve review quality so AI systems have confidence recommending the practice
Priority 3: Tighten the Funnel
- Reduce friction across the website and booking process
- Improve speed-to-lead and follow-up consistency
- Upgrade the experience from first click to confirmed appointment
TLDR
In this episode, Dan Brian shares three predictions for dental marketing in 2026: AI will reshape local visibility, AI search will integrate advertising, and conversion optimization will matter more than traffic as website visits decline.
Key takeaways:
- SEO still matters, but AIO determines whether AI platforms recommend your practice.
- Reviews, structured data, and authority signals are now core trust signals for AI.
- AI-driven ads are coming, and trust will influence performance and cost.
- As AI reduces clicks, growth depends on converting a higher percentage of traffic.
- Speed, clarity, friction-free scheduling, and strong call handling are critical in 2026.
Ready to Dominate in 2026?
Want a clear plan to stay ahead of these changes? Schedule a free strategy call with DentalScapes to map out your 2026 growth strategy!