What is a high Google position worth to my practice?
With inflation through the roof and costs rising, Practice Managers and Principals are wise to monitor and gauge their marketing expenses and analyse which channels are
- Paying their way and creating profit.
- Generating the right type of patient to future-proof the practice revenue.
- Increasing the value of the business.
Key Takeaways
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Treat SEO like an investment, not a cost: The page frames Google visibility as something that should be judged by profit, patient quality and business value—not “rankings for the sake of it”.
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Not all patients are equal: It emphasises assessing whether your marketing is attracting the right type of patient to future-proof revenue, rather than simply increasing footfall.
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A simple ROI model you can use immediately: It sets out the core inputs you need to calculate SEO ROI (organic patients generated, average patient value, average patient lifespan, and your agency retainer).
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Lifetime value is the real yardstick: The page pushes the idea that the true worth of SEO is tied to patient lifetime value (not just first-visit spend).
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A worked example shows how SEO can pay back strongly: It gives a practical scenario (leads → patients → monthly revenue → lifetime revenue) to illustrate how SEO spend can translate into a high percentage return when tracking is in place.
Not all patients are born equal
Over a period of three months, it is recommended that the ROI of every marketing channel be certified.
To do this effectively, you need the following metrics.
- Number of patients generated through organic search/Google non-ads
- Average patient value
- Average patient lifespan
- Your agency’s monthly retainer cost
ROI Equation
Total Revenue ÷ Total Expenses x 100 = ROI
- The average patient’s immediate spend with the practice is £400.
- Patients typically remain with the practice for 5 years.
A patient’s lifetime value is 5 x £400 = £2000.
It is common for our Google campaigns to generate an additional 20+ qualified leads to the practice, with an average of 7 becoming patients.
Total Monthly Revenue from SEO: 7 x £400 = £14000 pm
Lifetime value pm = £14000 x 5 years = £70,000.
Costs
Our average cost to our dental clients is £2150 per month.
(Total Revenue) £70,000 ÷ £2150 (Total Expenses) x 100 = 3256% (ROI)
This means that for every £1 you spend on optimising your site and copy for Google, you would receive £32.56 in return.
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