Where they started
Meridian Dental Group came to us in February 2024 with a specific problem: they'd been operating four Toronto dental clinics since 2011 and ranking nowhere meaningful on Google. Page 3–5 for their most important service keywords. Zero map pack visibility despite four physical locations. Fewer than 5 Google reviews per location, all more than 2 years old.
They'd worked with two previous agencies. Both produced monthly reports. Neither moved rankings. They came to us after their office manager found our content on local SEO and noticed we actually talked about mechanics — not just outcomes.
The audit findings
We spent weeks 1–2 in pure diagnostic mode. What we found:
140+ crawl errors — broken internal links, redirect chains, duplicate content across all 4 location pages
Page speed score of 31/100 on mobile — caused by uncompressed images and render-blocking scripts
All 4 Google Business Profiles were unclaimed or partially filled — no service menus, no descriptions, wrong categories
NAP data inconsistent across 23 of the 45 major directories we checked
Zero content strategy — service pages averaging 180 words, no blog, no procedure guides
No review generation system — organic review volume had been less than 1 per month across all locations
140+
Crawl errors resolved in first 6 weeks
31→91
Page speed score improvement
120+
New 5-star reviews generated in first 90 days
What we built
The engagement ran in four parallel workstreams:
Technical Foundation (weeks 1–6): We resolved all 140+ crawl errors, implemented canonical tags across duplicate location pages, rebuilt the site's internal linking architecture, and optimised images and scripts to bring mobile page speed from 31 to 91. Core Web Vitals went from red to green across all pages.
GBP Rebuild (weeks 2–8): All four Google Business Profiles were claimed and rebuilt from scratch. Service menus with descriptions, professional photographs, Q&A content, complete categories, and business descriptions optimised for local relevance. We also implemented a systematic review generation programme — a post-appointment email sequence plus 48-hour SMS follow-up. Within 90 days, all four locations had 30+ new reviews each.
Content Architecture (weeks 4–20): We built a complete topical authority structure: a pillar page for 'Toronto Dental Services', four location-specific service pages (one per clinic), 24 procedure guides covering every primary dental service, and a monthly blog programme targeting informational dental queries at every stage of the patient journey.
Citation and Link Building (ongoing): We audited and corrected NAP data across all 45 directories, built new citations on 20+ local and healthcare-specific directories, and acquired local backlinks from Toronto healthcare associations, dental directories, and local press.
The results at 11 months
By month 11, every primary keyword target was on page 1. 'Dentist Toronto', 'emergency dentist Toronto', and 'dental implants Toronto' were all position 1 or 2. All four locations appeared in the map pack for their respective neighbourhood searches. Organic traffic was up 312%. Patient enquiries from organic channels were up 187%.
The result that mattered most to the client: their front desk went from averaging 12 organic call enquiries per month across all locations to over 80 — all without a single dollar of paid advertising.
The Lessons That Apply to Every Local Business
Technical issues silently cap how much content and links can move rankings
GBP is not a set-and-forget asset — it requires active management
Review velocity matters more than total review count
Content without architecture produces traffic, not authority
Patient/client outcomes don't improve until you fix the foundation first
Want us to apply this to your business?
Book a Free Call. We'll review your specific situation before we speak and show you the highest-leverage opportunities.
Book a Free Call