How we make money, and how ranking works
We think you should know how a directory earns its money and what that does, or does not, change. Here is exactly how it works at Dentist Locator.
Last updated July 2026
Every practice is listed free. Practices can pay to manage and enrich their own listing. Paying never buys a higher position in the normal results. The only paid way to be more visible is a clearly labelled "promoted" placement, kept separate from the normal results.
How we earn revenue
Our revenue comes from practices choosing a paid plan to manage their own listing, from £29/month. That is currently our only revenue from practices. Plans add owner-managed content and presentation; they are set out on the Plans & terms page, which also holds the subscription terms.
What payment does, and does not, change
- Let the practice manage its own listing and keep it current
- Add owner content: description, photos, video, prices and a booking link
- Show a listing that's actively managed by the practice
- Change a practice's position in the normal results
- Change the independently sourced facts we show (regulatory status, reviews)
- Hide or down-rank a practice for not paying
- Let a practice edit or remove its reviews
What "promoted" means
A promoted placement is the one thing a practice can pay to be more visible. It is a separate paid option, arranged directly with us and not part of the standard plans. When we show it, it is labelled as promoted and kept separate from the normal results, so you can always tell the difference between a practice that ranks on its merits and one in a paid slot.
How default ranking works
Unless a result is clearly labelled as promoted, ordering is decided by relevance, not by who pays. In plain terms, we weigh:
| Factor | What it means |
|---|---|
| Relevance | How well a practice matches what you searched for, such as location and the service you need. |
| Distance | How close the practice is to the area you searched. |
| Rating signals | Patient reviews and star rating, weighted so a handful of reviews can't outrank a long, consistent record. We never sort by raw star rating alone. |
| Data completeness | How complete and confirmed a listing's details are, so patients see useful, reliable results. |
| Freshness | How recently a listing's details were checked or updated. |
| Promoted placement | A clearly labelled paid placement, shown separately and never mixed into the normal results above. |