If you’re looking for ways to generate new patients for your dental practice by using Google, you may have heard of Google Ads. Google Pay-Per-Click advertising, or PPC, is an excellent–and often necessary–investment for dentists looking to consistently grow their practice within a specific time frame. 

With over 63,000 Google searches made each second, using Google PPC is a simple method to show up when a patient searches for a new dental practice–and convert them to a valuable patient of your practice.

What Is Google PPC Advertising and How Does it Work?

Google Ads are based around keywords that businesses bid on so they can show up at the top of a search result. Whoever bids the most money for key phrases and has a strong quality score on the back end of Google Ads will show up among the top results with the small “Ad” indication next to it. Every time this ad is clicked on Google’s Search Engine Results Page (SERP), the dentist pays a preset fee.

For example, this dentist is using the phrase “Family Dentist” so they will show up as the first result when a patient searches for “Family dentist Worthington Ohio.”

After clicking on the ad result at the top of the page, the ad will take patients to a landing page where they can request an appointment, learn about services and more.

Google Advertising is a form of pull marketing, which means that Google Ads target patients with specific intent. These patients are searching with a goal in mind and are trying to find a certain service or product. It is also a conversion-driven form of marketing, meaning that the end goal is to “convert” searchers from potential patients to actual paying patients at your practice.

As such, you can theme your Google Ads around certain services of yours that potential patients are searching for, services you want to promote or a general goal like increasing new patient appointments. 

Do My Google Ads Appear Anywhere Else?

Along with showing up at the top of the SERP, your Google Ads can also show up in the Google Map results as well. Depending on where your patients are searching location-wise, or what they are looking for in a specific location, your ad will show up on Google Maps.

With Map ads, your Google Business Profile will show up as one of the first three results shown on the Google Map–also known as the Local 3-Pack:

Why Does My Practice Need Google PPC?

In your marketing plan, PPC advertising gets you in front of patients the fastest. Google PPC ads enable your practice to get in front of the target clientele of patients you want to choose your practice because you can build a unique audience based on demographics.

Do Google Ads Work for Dentists?

Google Advertising is one of the most effective ways to reach your potential patients at the exact moment they are searching certain keywords. As soon as your practice starts investing in paid advertising, you’ll have immediate visibility on Google search. Thanks to your landing page, PPC results are also very easy to track in terms of how many patients are clicking on your ad and converting. 

On average, Google PPC ads yield 180 million impressions, or views, per month. Paid search results are also 1.5 times more likely to convert patients than organic, or unpaid, search results. 

But Aren’t People Tired of Ads?

Another benefit of advertising on Google is how discreet PPC ads are in the SERP. According to SEO Tribunal, 46% of people can’t accurately identify paid Google Ads. In fact, most searching patients don’t even know what they’re viewing is an ad.

How Do I Get Started with Google PPC?

Work with your marketing partner to discuss your goals with Google Pay-Per-Click advertising and what you hope to accomplish with your paid ads. A few factors to consider when building your strategy are: 

• Services that generate significant revenue for your practice
• Services you’d like to promote more 
• What kind of patients you’d like to target

Establishing a Sustainable Budget

Budget is the key to success with Google Ads. ​​We’ve found for our clients that $500 or less does not generate enough patient conversions to see a significant increase. Dentists that invest a minimum of $1,500 per monthly ad campaign see more calls, contact forms and scheduled appointments.

Tips for Success with Google PPC Advertising 

Based on the success of our clients, we’ve developed six key tips for developing an ad campaign:

• Use a $1,500 minimum budget for each monthly campaign on Google.

  • The more you spend, the more likely you are to have conversions or patients who call you or fill out a contact form.

• Frontload your budget so the majority is spent at the beginning of each month.

• Invest in campaigns with high search volume keywords.

  • Keywords with high search volume are the keywords that prospective patients are searching the most.

• Offer a complimentary consultation for specific procedures.

  • Ads that offer free consultations for a certain service or procedure often get more conversions.

• Train your front desk team to be welcoming and educate patients on specific services you’re promoting.

  • Set the expectation for your staff’s behavior yourself.

• Build a conversion-driven landing page for each campaign.

  • A conversion-driven landing page is one specifically designed to get patients to call your office or fill out a contact form. This includes strong calls-to-action, a clearly visible phone number and an easy-to-use contact form for patients.

Follow Along With Google PPC Dental Trends

Tracking trends in the dental industry is crucial with PPC. Current trends for dentists include:

For Services Advertised the Most:

• Emergency Services
• Restorative

For the Most Competitive Keywords:

• Dental crowns
• Root canals
• Cracked tooth
• Tooth repair
• Black dentist
• Dentist near me
• Spanish-speaking dentist

For Where Users Are Searching From:

• 65% mobile users
• 35% desktop users

Need Help With Google PPC Advertising 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 today 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.