Short answer
Write a clear, specific description covering what services you offer, who you serve, and what makes your practice a sensible choice, in plain, accurate language without exaggerated claims. Avoid generic phrases that could describe any practice, and keep it genuinely reflective of what a patient will actually experience. Small wording choices like these compound into a meaningfully stronger first impression over time. A few extra minutes spent getting this right is one of the better returns on time available in local SEO.
Start with what you actually do, specifically
A description that opens with your core services, general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, for example, immediately tells a prospective patient whether you're relevant to their need, which matters more than an opening line about your team's passion or dedication. Specificity here does more work than warmth in this particular field.
Avoid claims that could apply to any practice
Phrases like "providing quality care you can trust" or "your health is our priority" say almost nothing distinctive, since every practice could claim the same thing. Genuinely useful descriptions mention specific services, credentials, or practical details, extended hours, bulk billing availability, specific equipment or techniques, that actually differentiate your practice from the next listing.
Keep claims accurate and AHPRA-appropriate
Avoid unsupported claims about outcomes or superlatives like "best" or "leading" that you can't substantiate, since this both risks compliance issues under AHPRA advertising guidance and can read as exaggerated to a skeptical prospective patient. A grounded, accurate description tends to build more genuine trust than an inflated one.
Structure it for both patients and search
A reasonable structure covers your core services in the first sentence or two, a brief note on your approach or what patients can expect, and practical details like location context or new-patient availability toward the end. This naturally incorporates the terms patients search for without reading as keyword-stuffed, since the structure follows genuine, useful information rather than forcing in search terms artificially.
A worked example showing the difference clearly
Compare two descriptions for the same imagined dental practice. A weak version reads simply as caring and dedicated with a focus on patient comfort, saying nothing distinctive. A stronger version specifies general and cosmetic dental care in a named suburb, including check-ups, dental implants and teeth whitening, same-day emergency appointments, extended hours on a specific day, and a clear welcome to new patients. The second version tells a prospective patient exactly what's offered, signals a specific practical benefit, and invites new patients directly, all in roughly the same length as the vague first version. Notice that the improvement isn't about clever marketing language, it's about specificity and genuinely useful information presented plainly. This is a useful exercise to run on your own current description: read it as a stranger would, and ask honestly whether it tells them anything a generic competitor's description couldn't equally claim. If the answer is no, it's worth rewriting with the same specificity as the stronger example above.