30 #1 Rankings From a Single Kirkland Practice
A single location that replaced its national marketing vendor, took the top of Google for 30 local keywords, and became the practice AI names first when patients ask who to see in Kirkland.
At the Top of the Kirkland Map for Years, and Higher on the Searches That Were Weaker
We check how often Google’s map results show this practice when the search is made from spots spread across Kirkland. For its main searches it has held the top 3 across nearly all of the city for more than five years, and the searches that used to be weaker have moved up to match.
It was not a straight line. The main searches slipped in mid-2023 and early 2024, and every search dropped for a single scan on May 5, 2026 before recovering the next month. Those quarters count against the totals above. The broad searches “dentist near me” and “dentist” sat near a third of the area from mid-2023 to mid-2024, reached 93% and 96% by the end of 2025, and are easing back (about 73% so far this quarter).
Source: BrightLocal Local Search Grid, scanned monthly from February 2021 and weekly from September 2026. Each figure is the average share of spots in the top 3 for that quarter. These are Google’s map results, not the website’s regular listings. The grid grew from 25 to 49 spots in July 2023, so we use shares of spots, not counts.
The Practice Grew. Its National Agency Didn't.
As the practice took on a second dentist, its national marketing vendor could not keep up. Results were thin, there was little proactivity, and the reporting never made clear what was working. The practice wanted a partner to own strategy, execution, and growth, not send a monthly summary.
How did a single Kirkland practice reach 30 #1 rankings and lead AI search?
By targeting every service it offers across Kirkland and the surrounding areas, building authoritative citations and links, restructuring the site for search, running an active review engine, and managing paid and AI search together. That is the full program our dental SEO agency runs.
The combined effect was 10,490 tracked patient leads in a year, about 874 a month, 30 keywords at #1, and the practice AI assistants name most often in its market.
Four Pillars, Built in the Right Order
Run continuously as a growth program, not a one-time project.
Brand and website
A memorable brand and a responsive site redesigned around the patient experience, on an SEO-friendly structure so search engines clearly understand what the practice does.
SEO and authority
Location plus service targeting across the full treatment list, backed by industry-relevant directories, press, and authoritative backlinks. Our guide to local SEO for dentists covers the same playbook.
A review engine
A review funnel that more than doubled new-patient reviews, feeding both the Google Business Profile and the trust signals AI assistants read.
Paid search, Local Service Ads, and AI
Full Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Local Service Ads management with call and lead tracking, conversion-focused landing pages with split testing, and content structured so AI assistants cite the practice.
The Most Visible Dentist in Kirkland
The practice AI assistants name most often in Kirkland
We asked ChatGPT, Google AI, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot 16 questions a Kirkland patient might ask, from "Who are the top family dentists in Kirkland?" to "Which Kirkland dentist is in-network with major insurance companies?"
Of the 95 practices the assistants suggested, this one was named in the most answers. It was strongest on Google AI (14 of the 16 questions) and Gemini (11 of 16). ChatGPT named it in 7, Copilot in 4 and Perplexity in 1.
A second tracker, Visby, shows the same lead. Over Oct 8 to Nov 7, 2026 the practice ranked first among the Kirkland practices it tracks on its share-of-voice measure (11.9%, against 5.5% for the next practice). It was mentioned 245 times against 114 for the next practice, and its own website was cited 268 times as a source in AI answers, ahead of every other site (162 for the next one).
Source: Press Ranger AI Visibility Report, Nov 6, 2026, and Visby AI Visibility Report, Oct 8 to Nov 7, 2026. AI answers vary from run to run, so treat this as a snapshot.
Top of the map across the whole service area
When someone searches for a dentist, Google shows a map with a few local results at the top. We tested how often those results show this practice when the search is made from 48 spots across its service area, in July 2023 and again in November 2026. For the searches that name Kirkland, the practice is now in the top 3 across 98% to 100% of the area. The broad searches "dentist" and "dentist near me" are tougher, and there the practice has gained ground but is not everywhere yet.
Here is what that looks like for each search. Each dot is one spot where we ran the search, and the number is where the practice ranked there. A red dash means it wasn't found.
July 28, 2023, the first time this grid was run, and November 5, 2026, using the same 48 spots about half a mile apart on both dates. Page one means the first ten places in the map results. Source: BrightLocal Local Search Grid.
The most visible dentist in Kirkland, across Google and AI search alike, growing on patient demand from every channel rather than any single source.
Every engagement is founder-led. You work directly with Tyson, not an account rotation.
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