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Google Has Confirmed AI Mode Will Be New Default For Dentists
When Google flips the switch, the question is simple. Will your practice show up or will your competitors?
Kyle OConnor
September 17, 2025
Read Time: 1 Minute, 35 Seconds
Google has finally confirmed it: AI Mode will become the default search experience.
The below is from Logan Kilpatrick, Lead Product Manager for Google AI.
This isn’t rumor or speculation anymore, as we’ve already heard the same from Liz Reid, the Head of Google Search. AI Mode is the future of Google Search. And soon it won’t just be an option, it will be the default.
For those of you that know me or have been following me for awhile, I’ve been sounding this alarm for a very long time. It was always inevitable. And now it will change the strategy for every dental practice that uses Google for new patients.
Why This Is MASSIVE News
“Google replacing its classic Google Search with AI Mode will cause massive changes to the entire internet as we know it.” - Mashable
AI Mode is a fundamental shift in how people find and choose providers online. Here’s what you need to know.
Fewer Clicks To Your Site
Traditional search gives patients dozens of results and opportunities to click into your website. AI Mode summarizes answers directly in the results, citing only a handful of sources. If you’re not one of them, you’re invisible.
Longer, Layered Questions
Instead of typing ‘dentist near me’ people will start asking, “What’s the best dentist near me who can do a crown right away and takes Delta Dental?” You’ll need long-form, deep content to rank. Just publishing a website won’t cut it.
Winner-Take-All Visibility
In the current model, multiple practices can compete on Page 1, usually 10-12. In AI Mode, only a few will be chosen as trusted sources. That makes visibility more competitive than ever and paid clicks more expensive than ever.
There’s More You Need To Know
This isn’t happening in a vacuum.
Google is rolling out AI Mode Ads soon.
ChatGPT has announced ads will appear in the free tier soon.
Apple is building their own search engine, complete with ads.
The three biggest players in tech are rewriting how discovery works online. Dental marketing that ignores this will get left behind. There is no gray area.
The good news is that you can start preparing right now. We’ve been prepping our dental practices for almost 18 months now. They are in great shape to take advantage of this shift. It’s not too late for your practice to do the same.
Invest In Long-Form, Structured Content
This looks like in-depth conversational content, FAQ landings that are fully built out and hyper-localized copy.
Build Authority Signals
Google is looking for trusted sources. That means patient reviews (more below), backlinks from credible sites and a strong local presence.
Update Your SEO For AI Search
Technical SEO, structured data and signals like fast load times and mobile optimization matter more than ever. Be buttoned up all the way around.
Focus On Outcomes, Not Vanity Metrics
Don’t obsess over impressions or clicks. Track the only thing that matters, booked patients.
Reviews, Reviews, Reviews
Especially within Google AI Mode, they are leaning heavily on reviews tied to your practice. Encourage them as often as you can.
The Bottom Line
AI Mode as default means the old way of just publishing a website and then maybe running ads, hoping patients click through, will not cut it.
From here on out, dentists need to think like publishers of trusted content and work with partners who can keep them ahead of the curve.
It’s not too late. We are still in the first inning. But the second inning is coming up.
Start now.
-Kyle
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