Earlier this month, we discussed your responsibilities as a dentist for helping your Google pay-per-click campaigns succeed. Part of this is knowing your current and potential patient base and having realistic goals for your ad results. Today, we cover the essential information you need to properly build your campaign, and what you can expect for your initial results.

Starting Questions for Dental Practice PPC

To start, you need to have an idea of who your target patient is so you can most efficiently spend your ad dollars. When creating your target patient profile, consider questions like this:

• What ZIP codes do my current customers come from?

By targeting specific parts of your town or region, you can ensure you show up when patients search for a “dentist near me” over your competitor. You’ll also show up for patients who may be a little further away from your practice, but might have the insurance you accept and are willing to travel to you.

• What services do I really want to promote? What specials do I offer? 

Are you located in an area with elderly patients looking for dental implants? Or young families looking for a dentist where they can all go for appointments? Maybe you want to generate more revenue for your practice based on these circumstances. 

Conversely, maybe you’re getting too many appointments for cleanings and not making enough money on this service–so you can also block services where you don’t want to show up when someone searches.

• What unique services do I provide that patients may be searching for? 

Do you have a dentist on staff who is highly skilled in wisdom teeth removal? Did you just hire a new specialist who can perform root canals? Consider using this as an opportunity to run a PPC campaign for these services.

• What differentiates me from my competitors?

Your competitors likely will run PPC ads too, so you need to stand out on the front page of Google. If you have any special practice attributes like weekend hours, emergency dentistry, Patient Membership Plans or discounts, advertise them to attract a wider range of patients.

What Potential Issues Might I Run Into With Pay-Per-Click Advertising?

While there are extensive benefits to using pay-per-click advertising, no marketing solution is perfect. Even if you properly plan, strategize and invest, you may still occasionally run into a few issues.

Wrong Numbers

If you’re showing up on the front page of Google, you’re going to get more calls–and while many of them will be the quality leads you want, several will also be wrong numbers, spam or calls from patients looking for services you don’t offer or with insurance you don’t accept. Don’t let this discourage you, though, or think your investment is in vain. PPC gives you a wide range of exposure, and as a result, be prepared for some incorrect calls. 

If you’re repeatedly getting calls for another dentist in your area who is also doing PPC, talk to your marketing partner. They can go in and block the other name so your ad won’t show up when people search for them.

If You’re Looking to Hire, Don’t Use PPC Ads 

An important note to make–and a question we often receive from clients–is that pay-per-click advertising is not a good option for hiring ads. Due to Equal Employment Opportunity regulations, you can’t target specific populations for hiring ads. If you want your ad to appear in front of people with specific qualifications, you can’t target them on Google or Facebook. If you need to hire, check out our top recommendations for recruiting talent to your dental practice instead.

What Results Can I Expect From a Solid PPC Strategy?

If you’re actively working with your marketing partner and doing your part to make your PPC strategy a success, here are some successes you can expect.

You’ll Show up on Google

Owning real estate on Google is crucial if your practice wants to succeed in the digital age. With pay-per-click advertising, not only do you show up at the top of the front page of Google, it provides you another opportunity to show up when patients search. Your organic, or unpaid result, Google Maps result and PPC result all work together.

You’ll Get Quality, Strong New Patient Leads

You can expect to see results from your PPC efforts within 30 days of implementing your campaign. While the exact results vary depending on your goals, location and other factors, PPC ads deliver results the fastest among digital marketing strategies.

Need a Marketing Partner for Creating the Best Google PPC Ads for Dentists?

At Whiteboard Marketing, we’re the experts in getting dentists in front of the patients they want in the digital marketing ecosystem. Our pay-per-click team utilizes intensive keyword research methods to help you show up on Google when patients search. Contact us at info@whiteboard-mktg.com to get started.

Written by Anna L. Davies, Digital Marketing Specialist at Whiteboard Marketing, with assistance from Michelle Yeauger, Pay-Per-Click Specialist.