Google Ads for dental clinics: a guide to getting started

It’s possible to drive vast revenue for your dental clinic using Google Ads. Here’s a guide to getting up and running successfully.

You may feel sceptical when you are just starting out with Google Ads for your dental clinic. But if you get it right, it’s no overstatement to say that you can drive many thousands of pounds – even millions – in revenue for your practice. Toothsome returns indeed.

Here’s a guide to getting started with Google Ads for a dental clinics.

One quick thing before we get started…

It’s likely that you will be able to begin driving returns with Google Ads on your own. But getting the really big results takes time, tenacity and expertise. We can take care of it for you.

We are healthcare lead generation specialists and drive transformative returns for our clients – taking care of everything on their behalf and providing monthly reports that show exactly how we’re generating revenue. 

Interested? Ask for a free proposal. We may even be able to cover your ad spend.

The digital strategy the Adbetter team created for us immediately started paying for itself several times over in just the first month, by delivering significant new customer revenue. It also has allowed us to open up our customer base to new audiences that I never thought would be our target audience.

Kiana Djazeb, Director & Founder, Snatch & Glow

Dentists are in demand

There’s a well-publicised shortage of availability for new patients at dental clinics across the UK.

With many people willing to pay a premium for treatment, your aim is to make sure enough of this demand finds its way to you – rather than your competitors. 

Google Ads can help, keeping your appointment book full and your balance sheet happy.

3 advantages of using Google Ads for dental clinics

At this point we should say that this article focuses on the Google Search Network – and is concerned with getting your ads in front of people who are using the world’s most famous search engine to find a dental clinic.

However Google Ads also encompasses the Google Display Network, which serves ads across a vast estate of websites, apps and more.

>> Getting results with Google display ads for lead generation

1. Vast audience reach and targeting

With 8.5 billion searches per day, Google Ads puts an unfathomably vast audience at your fingertips. But it’s not the size of the audience that matters. It’s the sophisticated audience targeting tools that Google gives you access to.

Used correctly you can make sure your ads are served to people at the precise moment they are searching for services that you provide.

2. It’s cost-effective and accountable

Pay per click with Google is one of the most accountable forms of advertising on the planet. For starters you only pay when someone clicks – and if they’re clicking there’s a good chance they are at least half interested in becoming a customer.

Compare that with advertising in a print magazine, for example, where you pay for the placement, regardless of whether people read your ad or not.

Google also makes it easy to control your spending. You can set daily, weekly or maximum budgets – and hit the pause button whenever you want to rein things in.

Every penny is accounted for in the performance data Google lays out for you. So you can see exactly where your money is going.

3. Instant results and immediate feedback

SEO is an essential endeavour if you’re serious about lead generation. But it can take months, even years, for your efforts to be reflected in the search rankings.

With Google Ads, the results are immediate. Armed with the right keywords and enough budget, you can fire your business straight to the top of the search results.

Getting started with keyword research

Succeeding with Google Ads for dental clinics requires the ability to put yourself in your patient’s shoes. Think about why they might be searching for a dentist, and what words they might use to find what they need.

How does that align with the expertise you have and the services you want to promote?

To help you with your keyword research, try using Google’s free keyword planner. Enter some of the phrases that you think your audience might use to find you, then you can zero in on the most appropriate keywords for your campaign.

Here are some example ideas for a Bristol-based practice:

• Dentist near me
• Dentist in Bristol
• Family dentist in Bristol
• Tooth extraction Bristol
• Teeth whitening in Bristol

3 questions to ask during your keyword research

1. How much search volume is there?

If very few people are searching for your keywords, your ad may not be displayed as frequently as needed to drive revenue. However if you are focusing on a niche treatment or a specific region – such as ‘retainer fitting in Bristol’ – then search volume is obviously going to be lower than more general keywords.

2. What’s the intent behind the search?

Seeking to understand the intent behind different search terms will put you streets ahead of most people using Google Ads. In a nutshell, the trick is to consider whether the keywords that someone is using suggests they are ready to become a patient.

For example, “teeth straightening techniques” suggests someone is simply doing some research. Whereas “dentist for teeth straightening” signals a little more intent to become a patient.

3. Does the cost of the keyword align with your budget?

Different keywords have different monetary values. Generally speaking it costs more to bid on keywords that have higher search volume.

Success is about finding keywords that attract the right audience, have enough volume to drive traffic to your website and are affordable enough to drive return on ad spend.

And that requires…

Knowing your numbers

Using PPC in a way that can make a transformative difference to your business requires a strategy.

You need to think about how long it takes to perform the procedures you are promoting. You need to think about profit margins. You need to think about the operational capacity of your practice. You need to track the conversion rates of your campaigns and measure how long it takes on average to convert leads to sales.

When you’re on top of your numbers, it’s easier to run profitable Google Ads campaigns.

The mechanics of Google Ads for dental clinics

When it comes to Google Ads for dental clinics, you have a few short words to grab your reader. Let’s make them count.

Headlines and descriptions

The essence of every Google search ad is headline(s) followed by description(s).

• 1-3x Headlines: 30 characters
• 1-2x Descriptions: 90 characters each

When you’re creating your ad, you will have the ability to input various options for each. Google will then test different headline and description combinations to see what performs best – helping to make sure your ad spend is as efficient as possible.

Make sure all of the options you give for Description 1 are able to work with all of the options you give for Description 2. For example, the options for your first description line could focus on specific treatments, while the options for your second description line are more call-to-action focused.

Remember your reader

You need to remember that there’s a real person behind every search. Someone with fears, anxieties, desires and ambitions. 

Speak to them directly. Start a conversation. 

It’s incredible how many businesses think advertising is about shouting as loudly as possible about their services. Then they wonder why they don’t get results. Remember your reader.

Provide value

What value are you providing to your prospective patients? Is there something you can offer that your competitors can’t – such as later opening hours? 

Are you particular skilled in a certain treatment or procedure? Do you specialise in helping anxious patients? 

Think about the value you provide – and how you can communicate it in your ad.

Make sure it’s believable

Overzealous claims look scammy and desperate – and are unlikely to bring you the results you’re looking for. Stay considered and professional.

Include a clear call to action

What action do you want your reader to perform after seeing your ad? Try to nudge people towards your desired outcome. 

Combining your call to action with an offer can be particularly compelling.

• “Get a free consultation.”
• “Book an appointment within 7 days.”
• “Ask about free hygienist services.”

Niche down or keep it general?

Your dental clinic most likely provides a range of treatments and procedures. So there’s an important discussion to be had about whether you promote these treatments individually or focus on advertising your clinic more generally. 

We’d advocate trying both – running separate ads for each treatment as well as ads about your clinic in general. Then track your ad performance and be led by the data. 

Bin the ads that aren’t working, double down on the ones that are.

Configure your settings

The Google Ads dashboard is slick and intuitive, and creating your ads is simple. Just hit the New Campaign button and follow the step-by-step instructions.

However, be careful about using Google’s default settings. Many of these settings can only be edited before you’ve published your ads.

Here are some tips.

Search v Display

Select Search Network Only so that you only target Google Search rather than Google’s vast ad network of websites and apps. The Display Network requires different targeting and different ads so it’s best to create campaigns that target each network separately.

Device bids

Your website really should be optimised for mobile. But if it’s not, set your device bids to -100%, which will prevent your ad being served to people searching on their mobile or tablet.

Keyword match types

The default setting for keywords in Google Ads is Broad Match. That means Google displays your ad to any keyword it deems relevant. 

This can attract more clicks, but possibly from people with no interest in your dental services. Select Phrase Match or even Exact Match to exercise more control over your ad targeting.

Negative keywords

Just as you can define keywords that you want your ad to be shown for, you can define keywords that block your ad from being shown. Why would you want to do this? 

Let’s say you have an ad based on the keyword “dentist in Bristol”. You’ll want to make sure people searching for “dentist training in Bristol” are excluded from seeing your ad – because they will most likely have no immediate interest in your services. 

Specifying “training” as a negative keyword reduces the chances of you paying for a click that won’t create new business.

Landing page best practice for dental clinics

When you’re paying for the click, you’ll want to make sure the place you’re sending your lead is set up for conversion. Here are some tips:

Embrace specificity

Each of your ads should point to a designated landing page that’s specific to that campaign. It allows you to be really targeted with your messaging, rather than sending your lead to a generic homepage.

Mobile optimised

We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again! Your website really should be mobile optimised.

Gather data

The overarching purpose of your landing page is to gather data from your lead so you can begin the marketing conversation. One way to do that is to create a form that funnels your lead down a diagnostic path. Ask them directly what services or treatments they are interested in.

This will arm your marketing team with invaluable insight on your leads. It’s a strategy we used ourselves to boost UK Vein Clinic’s leads by 157% – almost doubling their new patient inflow in the process.

Take care over your branding

People are discerning when it comes to making decisions about their health. Your branding absolutely must be carefully considered: projecting a clinic that’s professional, credible and trustworthy. 

In a brand-conscious world, lazy branding will be equated with lazy service.

Before and after images

Before and after images are so often a go-to of healthcare marketing. And while they’re banned from some pay per click advertising platforms, before and after images are permitted on your Google Ads landing pages. 

However there are certain guidelines to follow.

You need to use the same photographic process for both shots. That means shooting from the same distance. Using the same camera settings. Making sure the lighting in the room is the same. 

And while you are allowed to edit images, you cannot edit any part of the image that relates to the treatment being promoted.

Showcase your credentials

When it comes to dentistry, people want expertise. Reassure your leads of your credibility. Membership of any industry or regulatory bodies, certifications and awards, or professional qualifications should all be clearly signposted.

Embrace social proof

Good customer testimonials can take you far with Google Ads for dental clinics. Anything that helps to reduce uncertainty, shows how you overcame patient doubts or brings more clarity to the decision-making process is going to work in your favour.

Tracking your performance

Some dental practices might be content with a hit-and-hope approach to Google Ads. But success requires staying on top of your data: monitoring what’s performing well and driving leads, and what’s not. Then you can double down on the stuff that works, and ditch the stuff that doesn’t.

Conversion tracking in Google Ads can measure how many phone calls and appointments your ads are generating. Go to Tools > Conversions and follow the instructions to get set up.

Ongoing optimisation

Like a tooth losing enamel, many dental practices’ focus on Google Ads wanes over time. But if you want the really transformative results, you have to be all in. 

Success takes time, tenacity and consistently checking in with your data, then optimising your campaigns. 

Week after week. Month after month.

Let us take care of it

Day in, day out we use incisor-sharp tactics and strategies to make sure our dental clients unlock transformative revenue from Google Ads. 

We can do the same for you. 

Ask for a free proposal and we will work up a strategy – showing the results you can expect within three months of working with us. Let’s get started.

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