Understanding Your Metrics for A More Profitable Practice: Online Reviews
Dec 11, 2025
Why it Matters
Online reviews have become one of the most influential factors in how patients choose a dental practice. While there are many platforms where reviews can be collected, Google remains the most trusted and most viewed. When someone goes online to look for a dentist, Google reviews are usually the first place they turn.
And that’s exactly why reviews matter.
You can create beautiful commercials, publish a polished website, and tell the world how great your practice is — but potential patients trust other people more than they trust your marketing. Real experiences from real patients serve as the most unbiased, credible source of information.
Many practices use add-on software that automates review requests through text, email, or QR code. These tools are extremely helpful in increasing consistency — but they still need to be managed. If a patient has a poor experience, you must disable the automated review request for that visit.
Reviews influence trust, visibility, and growth — which is why having a system around them matters.
Benchmarking
There is no specific benchmark for how many reviews a practice “should” have — the goal is to keep the number growing.
A simple way to benchmark is to look at other practices in your local area. If most of your competitors have 100–200 reviews and you have 40, then your goal becomes closing that gap.
Your only real benchmark is forward progress.
Just keep your number going up month after month.
Also, remember: Google values recent activity. Even a handful of new reviews per month can improve your visibility.
How to Track
Tracking reviews doesn’t need to be complex.
One of the best ways to keep the momentum going is to bring reviews into your daily huddle. Announce how many reviews you received the day prior so the team knows their efforts are working.
It can also be extremely motivating to read the reviews aloud to the team. Many times they don’t ever see the feedback, so celebrating positive comments boosts morale and strengthens consistency.
Software tools can help automate review requests, but they must be monitored, especially for patients with negative experiences.
Tracking should focus on:
- Total number of reviews
- Star rating trend
- Growth week-by-week or month-by-month
- Team participation in asking for reviews
Keeping reviews visible keeps your goals achievable.
How to Make It Better
If you want more reviews, you have to ask for them. Most practices simply don’t — and that’s why they don’t get any. Patients will leave you a review if you ask!
Here are the systems that make it better:
Patient Contest
A fun and effective way to boost engagement is with a patient contest. For example:
- 10 points for every new patient referral
- 5 points for leaving a review
- 2 points for liking or following your social media pages
Patients collect points throughout the month, and you can reward the winner with a gift card, whitening kit, or anything exciting for your community.
Always check your state laws before running incentives or contests related to referrals or reviews.
Team Motivation
Your team is the key to your review strategy.
Patients rarely leave reviews unless they’re asked — and asked well.
Boost engagement by creating a team contest or setting a team goal such as:
“Let’s grow by 40 new Google reviews this month.”
Reward the team with bonuses, lunch, extra time off, or whatever motivates them.
Team accountability + clear goals = results.
Simple Review System
One of the easiest and most effective systems for generating reviews:
- Ask the patient how their visit was.
- Hand them a referral card.
- One side: “Refer a Patient.”
- Other side: a QR code linking directly to your Google My Business page.
- Let them take the card with them.
Google doesn’t like receiving multiple reviews from the same location, so avoid having them scan a QR code at checkout
Tip: You can easily create QR codes in Canva.
Ask Every Time
If reviews and referrals aren’t built into your daily systems, they won’t happen consistently.
But when you make it easy, when your team is trained, and when you mix in a little fun — the results come quickly.
Respond to Every Review
If a patient takes the time to leave a review because you asked — you need to respond. It is kind, professional, and meaningful. Patients reading your reviews will notice and appreciate your engagement.
Online reviews grow when the process is simple, team-driven, and consistent. With the right systems, continuous tracking, and a motivated team, you can turn your online reviews into one of your greatest assets.
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