Website Analytics for Dentists

Dental practices don't need 40 reports. A few numbers tell you whether the website is bringing in patients and where to put your effort. This guide covers which to track, how to set it up and how to keep patient information out of your analytics.

TL;DR

• Set up Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4 and your Google Business Profile.
• Track actions, not only visits: calls, forms and online bookings.
• Use Search Console to see which Google searches bring people.
• Add call tracking so phone calls can be tied to a source.
• Keep patient information out of analytics, and have counsel review tracking on pages where patients enter health details.

The numbers worth tracking

1. Visits, by source

In GA4, check users and sessions, and how visitors arrived:

• Organic search: Google and Bing results. Shows whether your content and local SEO are working.
• Direct: people typing your URL, often existing patients.
• Referral: other websites linking to you.
• Paid: ads you run.
• Social: Facebook, Instagram and others.

Use UTM tags on your links so the source is correct. See how to track website leads.

2. Key events: the actions that matter

Mark these as key events in GA4:

• Click on the phone number.
• Form submission.
• Online booking started and completed.
• Click on directions.

A visit is a means; these are the outcome. Divide key events by sessions for a conversion rate, by source and by page. For scale only, First Page Sage's client data from 2017 to 2024 put the average dental website visitor-to-prospective-patient rate at 3.0% (2025 report). Track your own rate rather than chasing an industry figure.

3. Engagement

GA4 reports engagement rate, the share of sessions that lasted more than 10 seconds, had a key event or had at least two page views. Bounce rate is the opposite of engagement rate. A low engagement rate on a page can mean a slow load, a poor mobile layout or content that doesn't match what the visitor searched for.

4. Top pages

See which pages get visits and which lead to actions. Improve the pages with many visits and few actions first. Check for pages that bring patients but get little attention.

5. Search Console: what people searched

Google Search Console shows the queries that brought people to your site, along with impressions, clicks and your average position. Look for queries where you appear often but get few clicks, since a better title or description can help, and for questions you haven't answered yet.

6. Google Business Profile

The profile's performance report shows how people found you and what they did, including calls, website clicks, direction requests and bookings. For many local searches, this is the front door.

7. Phone calls

Many dental inquiries come by phone, and analytics alone can't see them. Aron's call tracking gives each marketing channel its own local tracking number that forwards to your main line, and logs the source, time, duration and outcome of every call.

Set it up

1. Verify the site in Google Search Console.
2. Install Google Analytics 4, and mark your key events.
3. Claim and keep up your Google Business Profile.
4. Add call tracking numbers for your main channels.
5. Ask new patients how they heard about you and record the answer.

Keep patient information out of analytics

Don't send names, email addresses, appointment details or health information to analytics, ad pixels or tag managers. Before you place any ad or analytics tag on a page where patients enter health information, ask your attorney or compliance advisor. HHS's Office for Civil Rights has issued guidance on online tracking technologies (a bulletin in December 2022, revised in March 2024). In June 2024 a federal court in Texas vacated one part of it, the rule that an IP address plus a visit to a public page about health conditions counts as protected health information (American Hospital Association v. Becerra); the rest of the revised bulletin was left in place.

A one-page monthly report

• Sessions by source, compared with last month.
• Calls, forms and bookings, by source.
• Top five pages by visits, and by actions.
• Top Search Console queries and the pages that appeared.
• New patients, and how they heard about you.
• One thing to improve next month.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Google Analytics for my dental website?

It helps, but you can start with Google Search Console and Google Business Profile Insights, which are free. Add Google Analytics 4 to see traffic sources and on-site actions.

What is a key event in GA4?

A key event is an action you mark as important, such as a form submission, a click on a phone number or a booking. Google renamed conversions in GA4 to key events in 2024.

What is bounce rate in GA4?

GA4 measures engagement rate, and bounce rate is its inverse. A session counts as engaged if it lasts more than 10 seconds, has a key event or has at least two page views.

Can I send patient information to Google Analytics?

No. Google's Analytics Help page on HIPAA says Google Analytics does not offer a Business Associate Agreement and that HIPAA-regulated organizations must not send protected health information to it. Track events and sources, not people, and ask your attorney or compliance advisor how to configure tracking on pages where patients enter health details.

How often should I check my analytics?

A short monthly review is enough for most practices. Check weekly only during a campaign.

How do I track phone calls from my website?

Use a dedicated tracking number on the site, and log the source, time, duration and outcome. Aron's call tracking does this for each channel.

Related: see how Aron handles dental websites.