Acquiring new patients can always be a daunting task, regardless of your skills as a dentist or how well you have established your dental practice. Learning how to use marketing to your favor will help your business stand out.
Positioning your dental practice online and increasing your revenue shouldn’t be hard. Although it could be done through traditional marketing, online marketing is really what will set you apart. From search engine optimization (SEO), video marketing, text marketing, community management, and creating a Google My Business profile, to having an active social media presence, there are many channels you can look into. However, none will be as effective as having a PPC advertising campaign.
PPC ads are designed to directly reach your target audience and position your business ahead of your competition in search engine results. Whether you already have PPC ads set up and are not getting your desired results or you are totally new to PPC advertising, this post is for you. We’ll take you through how to create a dental PPC strategy that works for your practice and help you reach new heights with your business!
What exactly is dental PPC?
First things first. PPC stands for pay-per-click advertising. It is a form of digital advertising where the advertiser pays by the number of clicks the ad gets. In PPC advertising, you get to pay only when someone clicks on your ad. If potential clients view your ad without clicking on it, you will not have to pay for that prospect.
This advertising method enables you to save on your ads and target only the most qualified leads. When your ad is properly created, potential clients will click on it and be redirected to a page on your website which has details of your dental services, gives the information they were looking for, and a call to action for them to get in touch with you. Patients would be able to call your practice, schedule a consultation, or contact the dentist.
PPC ads can be implemented on different platforms including Google, Facebook, and other internet marketing channels. The trick is to choose the platform that works best for your practice. After determining your unique selling proposition, a dental PPC agency like Nomadic Advertising can help you decide which platform would be best for your PPC ad.
Why is dental PPC marketing important?
Dental PPC marketing is a unique advertising model that increases the visibility of your dental practice while keeping your cost low. When you advertise your practice through PPC, you are able to control your budget, maximize your spending by focusing on what is important, and prioritize conversion.
When most people search for a dental clinic, they start on Google. With Google Ads, you will not only get found by these people but will also be ahead of your competition. When Google displays the search results to potential customers, PPC ads are placed above organic search results. The first three results are sponsored ads and usually get 41% of the search traffic. If your practice isn’t showing up on the front page of Google’s search results or is below the dental clinics with the higher share of search traffic, PPC advertising can help you scale faster by placing you above the organic results. This is a quick way to increase the visibility of your practice.
PPC tips for dentists
Now that you know what PPC for dentists is, let’s delve into some tips that can help you make the most of your PPC marketing efforts.
Include dentistry keywords
PPC advertising thrives on keywords. Keywords are the search terms with which prospective patients are trying to find a dental clinic. By including the right keywords in your ad copy, you will be directly reaching those patients by answering their questions, matching their search intent, etc. For that reason, it is crucial that you use the right search terms so that people can actually find them.
But, how do you know what the right search terms are? Through keyword research! You have to find the keywords that your potential patients are using when they search for dental services online. Once you do, divide these keywords into groups reflecting the services you offer. Your PPC ads will be more relevant to prospective patients if they target the specific services those patients need. You can separate your keywords by service. For example, those for teeth whitening services and those for dental implants. Creating ads around these specific terms will result in a higher click-through rate for your practice.
Create customized landing pages
Your first task is to get prospective patients to click on your ads. Once they have seen your ad, you’ll want to convert them into customers, and for that, you’ll need a well-designed landing page.
Create a customized landing page for each PPC ad. If your PPC ad talks about a specific service but redirects potential customers to your homepage, the lead you acquire may leave your site because they did not find the specific service you were talking about. Your landing page should address the topic covered in your ad. So, if your ad copy was about wisdom teeth removal, the landing page should discuss this service in more detail and show how the lead can obtain that service.
Your landing page should be the direct solution to the problem or situation posed in your ad. Remember, the people who make it to your website from your PPC ad are seeking immediate solutions. If they are not able to get this, they will leave your site and may bounce to your competition. Your homepage would usually not have specific answers to their search, making it essential that you create a customized landing page for your ad.
Utilize local targeting
The use of local search terms has grown in recent times. People who are inputting local search terms are looking for dental practices that are close to them. For dental clinics, this is an important trend because many dental issues are emergencies, so businesses within reach will be prioritized.
When you use local targeting for your PPC ads, your dental clinic will be displayed in search results for people who live in your community. Local targeting is also a great way to use your budget wisely, as people who live far away are not likely to match your specific search terms.
Enable call-in leads
Similarly, many dental patients would likely call your practice before scheduling a consultation. By adding your phone number to your PPC ads, they’ll have an easier time reaching you. Also, adding your phone number to the ad can help you maximize your ad spend because some of your leads may decide to call your practice without even clicking on the ad. To maximize these leads, you can schedule your call-in ad extension for when you are in the office. That way, there would be somebody available to pick up the prospects’ phone calls and they would not bounce to your competitors.
Track your results
Analyze your PPC campaigns to determine if you are achieving some progress or if there is something you will need to adjust. Google Analytics (and a host of other tools) can help you discover how to improve your PPC campaigns and get better results. With the information they provide, you can test new ad copy and change or add more keywords to improve your ad and increase conversion.
Types of dental ads
There are several types of dental PPC ads that you can implement for your practice. Let’s take a look at the most prominent ones.
Google ads for dentists
With Google dominating search traffic at 78% of desktop searches and 89% of mobile searches ahead of Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines, Google Ads is a prolific marketing model through which you can acquire high-quality leads and generate increased revenue for your practice. If you are not getting the results you want from your Google Ads campaign, here are some tips to help you optimize your Google PPC ads strategy for better conversion rates.
Change your keywords
There are several kinds of keywords you could use for your campaign including broad match, phrase match, and exact match keywords, as well as negative keywords.
The problem with broad-match keywords is that you’ll be tempted to include as many search variations as possible, which can cause your ad to appear for irrelevant search terms and thereby waste your ad budget.
Phrase match keywords, on the other hand, target searchers who use a variation of your seed keyword, which can often yield better results.
For the best outcome, your keywords should be as specific as possible. Although this could lead to lower impressions and lower search volume, there is also less competition for your exact match keywords and but can also have a reasonable search volume for your campaign.
You can also include negative keywords, they will help you exclude certain search terms (such as your competitor’s name, services you don’t offer, etc.), so your ad can be displayed to relevant searchers only.
Evaluate your landing page
Your landing page needs to be dedicated to your PPC campaign but also relevant. If your landing page experience is poor, it won’t lead to a conversion. Check that your landing page copy is related to your ad copy and that they are advertising the same things. If your ad copy is talking about dental implants, your landing shouldn’t be talking about teeth whitening. Also, ensure that your landing page is visually appealing. Reduce the distractions on the page. Putting too many things into your landing page can crowd out the CTA. Your CTA should be clear and placed near the top of the page and towards the bottom of the page. As with your ad copy, you can test different versions of your landing page for improved results.
AdWords for dentists: starting from scratch
To create your dental PPC ad from scratch, you follow the steps below:
1. Set up your Google Ads account
Visit the Google ads homepage and click on the “Start Now” button. Then follow the prompts to create your Google ads account.
2. Choose your campaign type
Log into your Google Ads account and click on “Create Campaign.” Then select the type of campaign you want to create and your campaign objectives.
3. Set your campaign settings
Go to “settings” and update the information required including your campaign name, location, language, budget, bidding strategy, and start and end dates.
4. Create your ad group
In the next screen, you’ll be asked to create your ad group. Each ad group consists of ads that target the same keywords and audience. For your dental PPC ads, you can categorize your ad group by service e.g. dental implants, crowns, root canals, and so on. The keywords you input for these ad groups would then target people searching for each specific service.
5. Create your ad
Next, follow the guidelines to create your ad. Start by choosing the ad format you want to use and add your ad copy, images, and other ad assets. Your ad format could be text, image, video, etc.
6. Enter your dental keywords
Using the Google keyword planner tool, you can find relevant keywords for your business. Consider what your patients are typing when they are searching for a dental clinic. Add these keywords to correctly target your ad.
7. Set your budget and bid strategy
Next, set your bids for each keyword. Specify your daily ad budget keeping your keyword competition in mind.
8. Launch your campaign
Use the preview tool to see how your ads will appear once they goe live. If everything looks good, launch your campaign!
Facebook ads for dentists
If you’re conducting your dental PPC ads using Facebook, then here’s how you can improve them.
Use Facebook custom targeting
Facebook has vast custom targeting options that can help you better streamline your ads to your ideal patients. You can add all the details of your buyer personas including where they live, their age, their income bracket, and so on. This helps Facebook show your ad to only the relevant people.
Scrutinize your ad copy
Check that your ad copy is correctly targeting your ideal patient. The solution you provide in the copy should resonate with them, focus on what you can offer them.
Use A/B testing
Create two or more similar ads to test which one is more efficient:
- Change something in the ads to differentiate them
- This could be the image or the text
- Don’t change more than one thing at a time so that you can identify the difference between the ads
- Then tweak your best-performing ad with any elements working in favor of the others and stick to this for your campaign.
- A/B testing helps you to optimize your ad spend
Add photos of your dental staff
Make your ads even more persuasive by including photos of your staff. They are the face of your dental office and dental patients like to see the dental clinic, equipment, and dental professionals that would attend to them before their appointment. Adding a face to your brand can make it more engaging and help increase conversions.
Create a specialized ad
Create ads for specific types of people who may be in need of dental services. For example, target senior patients with services that are more suited for them. You can also target teenagers, for example, through wisdom teeth removal ads. To increase conversions through this ad, include offers like free consultations or a discount that makes them end their search and reach out to your practice.
Creating a Facebook ad from scratch
If you don’t already have an ad campaign, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create your Facebook dental PPC ad:
1. Visit the Facebook ads manager
Log in to your Facebook business page and click on manage ads to navigate to the ads manager.
2. Create a new campaign
Click on “create” to start a new campaign, then select your campaign objective, and fill in all the information required.
3. Define your target audience
Provide information about your ideal patients including their interests, behavior, income bracket, location, demographics, and so on. You can follow the suggestions or create your custom audience.
4. Set ad placements
Choose where you want Facebook to show your ad. This could be in the news feed, in Instagram stories, or in Messenger. You can also select automatic placements to let Facebook choose the best placement for your ad.
5. Create your ad
Choose your ad format from a variety of options including image, video, carousel, and more. Select the format that is the best fit for your campaign objectives. After this, create your ad content with Facebook’s built-in ad creation tools. You would be able to upload images or videos, add your ad text, and include a call to action.
6. Set your ad budget and schedule
Now is the time to specify how much you want to spend on your ad. Set your ad budget and establish a start and end date for your campaign. You could choose a daily budget or a lifetime budget. You can also add the days and times you want your ad to run.
7. Launch your ad
Once this is done, preview your ad to ensure all the information you provided is correct. Then click on publish. Facebook will review your ad to ensure that it meets its advertising policies before approving it.
8. Set payment method
If you have not set up your ad account, you can do so now. Enter the information and select a payment method.
Some dentist advertisements you can include
Now that you know how to set up a PPC campaign, here are some dental PPC advertisements you can implement for your practice.
Dental implant advertisement
With many people missing a tooth or more, dental implant advertisements are one dental PPC ad you should consider:
- Research dental implant keywords carefully and include long tail keywords such as “dental implant procedures.”
- Use before and after photos in your dental implant ads.
- Dental implant patients may not be covered by health plans so offer different payment options to your prospects. You can include this in your landing page.
Unique creative dental ads
Include unique creative assets like great copy, images, and videos in your ads. Add photos of your staff and equipment and photos of any dental procedures including before and after photos of dental treatments that you have conducted. Ensure that your text, images, and videos are professional and stand out.
Dental clinic advertisement
Instead of creating your ad by service, you can create one around your dental clinic. Use keywords that relate to your dental clinic as a whole but ensure to utilize local targeting and specific search terms so that your ad results aren’t too broad.
Dental office ads
Similarly, you could create an ad focusing on your dental office and using that keyword or any similar search terms such as “dental office near [your specific location].”
Teeth whitening ads
This ad would focus on your teeth whitening service and can include before and after pictures of a teeth whitening treatment. Be sure to add different keywords around “teeth whitening”, link to that specific service page, and add your contact information. Your price range could also be helpful, and a special discount would go a long way.
Missing tooth ad
Like the ads for dental implants, the ad copy can focus more broadly on anyone who is missing a tooth including people with gaps in their teeth. You should emphasize the solution that you provide, why your service is important, and include a call to action.
Examples of dentist advertisements
Dental Implant ad
- This ad clearly outlines the benefits that prospects would get from the service: they would be able to “smile, speak and chew” more confidently.
- It also points out the features of the implants making it clear that they can be as beautiful, strong, and comfortable as natural teeth.
Cosmetic dentistry
- This ad uses language that appeals to the patients in need of this service.
- It also provides some financial perks such as a free consultation and 0% interest financing.
- It showcases the expertise of the dental clinic by saying they are AACD accredited and then provides them with a payment option while explaining what they’d get from the service: a beautiful smile and different veneer options.
- The ad also uses site link extensions that take the patient to services pages on the clinic’s website.
Invisalign dentistry
- Since Invisalign is a well-known product, this ad capitalizes on that knowledge to only add the most relevant information and make the most out of the available space.
- They concentrate on the benefits of the service and avoid going into the features, which are of common knowledge.
- It then mentions the various offers including payment plans, custom treatment plans, free consultations, and extra availability.
- It showcases the clinic’s authority by adding a trademarked name.
Dental Facebook ads examples
Before and after teeth whitening ad
- This ad has a clear message which is also an offer: a free whitening session for new patients.
- It uses great before and after photos of the clinic’s teeth whitening treatment.
- It also mentions its rating on Google and Yelp while keeping the ad copy concise.
Local targeting ad
- This ad clearly targets patients in Los Angeles.
- It also states the benefit of the service: “a smile that reflects who you truly are”, which is supported by an attractive image.
Seasonal ad
- This ad took advantage of the season and showcases a clear offer to draw new patients in.
- It complements the ad copy with a great image.
Is a dental PPC agency necessary?
Not necessarily. By following this guide, we hope you’ll be able to create successful campaigns for your dental practice. If you do this well enough, you should be getting a lot of patients to your practice, but will you then have enough time to manage the ads? If you’re unable to conduct the ads properly or end up neglecting ads management and performance monitoring, your ad budget could be wasted without you reaching your marketing goals. Conducting a dental PPC Ad campaign on your own can be tedious and time-consuming, but you can attempt to do it on your own.
However, a smarter choice would be to hire professional help to aid you in the process so you can focus on your dental practice, which is what you do best. Here at Nomadic Advertising, we can take care of the whole PPC ads process for you!
You don’t want to waste your time and risk making the slightest mistake, which could jeopardize your entire process. We have years of experience with dental marketing and have a professional team that can lift the weight off you so that you concentrate on your core business. Creating a solid and optimized PPC marketing strategy will be a game changer for your practice and we are equipped to help you succeed at your dental PPC campaigns. We will go the extra length to ensure conversions on your ads and to help you create a digital marketing strategy that would change the face of your business. Book a FREE 30-minute consultation with us today to discuss your dental marketing needs with our highly knowledgeable PPC professionals.
- Key Takeaways
- Dental PPC advertisements are a quick and easy way to get more patients for your practice.
- The two main types of dental PPC advertising are Google ads and Facebook ads.
- Your keywords, ad copy, and landing page must all be connected to ensure relevancy and lead conversion.
- You can create ad groups that relate to the services you offer.
- When done well, a PPC advertising campaign can increase the visibility of your dental clinic thereby leading to more clients.
