Have you started thinking about what your marketing strategies will look like next year? Savvy dentists know that having a plan is the number one piece of marketing advice! Beginning with a dental marketing plan helps busy dentists execute effective marketing with less effort. A plan also allows you to track your marketing and make changes when things aren’t working. In other words, a marketing plan will make sure you aren’t taking shots in the dark.

Google Ads are one of the most effective and fastest ways to get more new patients. 

illustration of a man pointing at presentation of a business plan

Refresher: What is Dental PPC?

PPC stands for pay-per-click advertising. It’s the most direct form of advertising, and it’s cost-effective. Here are the PPC basics:

  • You only pay when patients click on your ad.
  • You can target your ads directly to people who need your services.
  • Your ads can be in the form of text (search ads) or images (display ads).
  • You can target your ideal patients based on keywords, location, income, age, and gender.
  • Google Ads is the most popular and effective PPC platform, but other options like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube are worth considering as well.

Do Dentists Really Need Google Ads?

Our opinion? Yes. If you’d like to generate more ideal patients for your practice, you want to use Google Ads. Google is the most used search engine on the internet, so you’ll get the most expansive pool of patients to choose from when you use Google ads. Another piece of marketing advice is to put your advertising where your target audience is looking. That means search engines which, for most people, simply means Google.

Are you just starting out with Google Ads? This other blog, Google Ad Basics for Dentists, can help, for more on the best strategies for the upcoming year here are six tips to follow.

1. Get Your Campaign Up and Running Before The New Year

Alright, dentists, listen up! We all know that January and February are your busiest months, so why not capitalize on this and boost your reach with dental PPC? With more patients flocking to your practice, it’s clear that more people are searching for dental services online. Make sure your ads are in front of them by having your campaigns set up and running by January 1.

This requires some prework and planning, but when you see a surge in new patients, you’ll be glad you took the time to prepare! Start planning your dental PPC campaign now, including Google Ads, so you’ll have plenty of time to get everything in place before the holiday rush.

2. Use Location-Based Keywords

In setting up your dental PPC advertising, you’ll choose keywords that help to target the people who need your services. Think of keywords as topics. If you’re a TMJ dentist, you might use the keyword “jaw pain.” If you’re a sleep apnea dentist, you might use the keyword “CPAP alternative” in your Google ads campaign.

Also, make sure you’re using location-based keywords. More and more, when people search for a service or product, they’ll type their location too. For example, “dentist Denver” or “TMJ dentist Chicago.” Make sure to specifically use those keyword phrases in your PPC campaign to target people looking for you.

3. Use Negative Keywords

This one might seem odd, but aren’t there types of patients you don’t want to target? You can make Google ads even more cost-effective and stop wasting your front desk staff’s time by specifically avoiding certain keywords. Some examples of negative keywords you may want to use to avoid certain types of patients are

  • Low-income insurance
  • “Dental implant grants”
  • “Free cosmetic dentistry”

This will help minimize people clicking on your ads (costing you money) who aren’t a good fit for your office. And your front desk team members won’t have to deal with low-quality patient calls. But there are other things you may want to use as negative keywords, too, like, the name of another dentist near your office, your office name, or your name. You don’t want to spend ad money on people who are already looking for you or specifically looking for someone else.

4. Create Compelling Ad Landing Pages

When someone clicks on your dental PPC ad, it will direct them to a page on your website. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure the page is optimized for mobile, engaging, and features clear calls to action. At this point, your Google Ads campaign has done its job, and now it’s up to your website to convert that visitor into a patient by encouraging them to call or schedule an appointment online. Here are some quick tips for creating an effective dental PPC landing page. Make sure:

  • The page is easy to use and navigate on mobile.
  • It’s easy for patients to schedule an appointment.
  • Your page loads quickly.
  • The landing page quickly communicates pertinent information.
  • It’s visually appealing.
  • Your ad’s landing page is on the same topic as your ad (don’t send people to your homepage!)

5. Track Your Data

Here’s another important tip! Be sure to regularly monitor your dental PPC data, track what’s working and what isn’t, and make adjustments based on the insights you gather.

Avoid making changes based on gut feelings alone! This means allowing your dental PPC campaigns, including Google Ads, to run long enough to identify clear trends. If something isn’t working for a week or a month, be patient and wait to see if things improve. Keep in mind that there are many factors in dental PPC that can change regularly, and it’s important to wait for a trend to develop before making any changes.

6. Hire a Dental PPC Agency

Too busy to manage your dental PPC campaign? We get it—and we’re here to help. A dental PPC agency like Pro Impressions Marketing can handle your campaigns, including Google Ads, so you can focus on what you do best: dentistry. We stand out from other agencies because, in addition to delivering an effective campaign, we offer:

  • Transparent reporting
  • Lead tracking
  • Dependable communication
  • Accountability

We’re a marketing agency you can trust. Call (970) 672-1212 or schedule a free strategy call online.