Google Ads for Dentists – Ultimate Guide 2021
If you are thinking of ranking your dental services landing page organically, consider this:
Search engine optimization can take plenty of time. And, given the level of competition in the dental industry, you can’t be sure about ranking on the first page either.
So, while SEO is an important marketing strategy for almost all types of businesses, it shouldn’t be your only strategy.
As a dentist, you want to focus on other effective marketing strategies that can bring customers to you, like Google ads.
The focus of this article would be to help you understand how Google ads for dentists work. So, stay with us till the end to get the full picture.
Let’s dive in.
How Google Ads for Dentists Work?
Google’s advertising model is based on pay-per-click, so as an advertiser, you don’t pay the platform until someone clicks on your ads.
This is good because you have a chance to generate high-quality clicks; clicks that are more likely to convert into conversions.
Let’s say you want to advertise your dental services on Google’s search engine. First, you’d have to find out the keywords that your target patients are searching for.
This is easy and free.
Just log into your Google account and open Google Keywords Planner.
Source: Google.com
After clicking on “Discover new keywords”, enter a keyword related to your industry. We are focusing on “Dental Services”, so let’s put that as our keyword.
Source: Google.com
When you click on “Get Results”, the tool will spit out an extensive list of related keywords.
Source: Google.com
You’ll see the search volume and the competition in front of every keyword.
It’s important to note that while a keyword’s volume is important, you also want to have an eye on its competition.
If the competition is high, you’ll have to spend more on that keyword. So, choosing the right keyword is probably the most important part of a Google ads campaign.
Plus, different keywords have different user intent. And, depending on that, your ad spend can vary.
For instance, someone who is just searching for “Root canal symptoms” is in the discovery stage. They are not yet ready to become your patient, so the keyword would be cheaper to target.
But, if someone types in “Root canals near me”, they are almost ready to become your next patient. So, different keywords might have different prices based on the intent.
Keyword Match Types
Keyword match types determine how close you want your keyword to the search query.
So, you can show your ad against search queries that exactly match your keyword.
Or, you can show your ad to a variety of searches related to your keyword.
Source: Google.com
Broad Match Type: This is the default keyword type in Google ads.
Broad match keywords can be words or phrases that relate to your target keyword. It can also include the searches that don’t have your exact keyword.
They are suitable when you want to bring more traffic to your site and don’t want to spend much time on keyword targeting.
Google takes into account a few factors to present relevant ads to the users. These are:
- The user’s search activity
- The landing page content
- Your ad group’s other keywords
Here is an example of a broad match-type keyword.
Source: Google.com
Phrase Match Type: Phrase match keywords target searches that have the same meaning as your target keyword. So, a search doesn’t have to include your exact keyword to be considered for the auction.
So, “Dentists near me” and “Nearby dental services” won’t be treated differently by Google.
Here is another example:
Source: Google.com
Exact Match Type: In exact match type keywords, any search with the same meaning or intent as your keyword can trigger your ad.
For instance, if your keyword is “Shoes for men”, your ad will show up on “men shoes” as well.
But, it’s less flexible than the phrase match type. The exact match type gives you greater control over your target audience.
Source: Google.com
Which Keyword Match Type to Use?
We don’t recommend using the broad match type keyword unless you know what you are doing. Because it can include the words you don’t want to target.
For instance, if you have “Dental” in your broad match keyword, someone searching for “Dental school” will see your ad, which you don’t want.
The drawback is that anyone clicking on your ad with the intent to join a dental school won’t probably be interested in your dental services.
So, you’d be charged for irrelevant clicks, which can add to your overall ad spend.
The more you move away from the broad match type, the more control you have over who sees your ad.
So, you probably want to steer clear of the broad match type for your dental services. Let’s take another example.
Let’s say someone is searching “Dental salary”. Do you think they searched that because they want your services? No.
With broad match, Google shows your ad for any query that includes your keyword.
Negative Keywords
This leads us to negative keywords. Negative keywords further help you to narrow down your target audience by excluding some irrelevant keywords.
A good way to prevent Google from showing your ad to irrelevant search queries is by uploading a negative keywords list.
As a dental service provider, any words or phrases that don’t attract patients to your practice can be negative keywords.
For instance, you don’t want to target “School”, “Salary”, or “Job”. So, you can just include these words as negative keywords and Google won’t show your ad for the search terms that have these words.
The next step after finalizing your keywords is to create an ad campaign. But, before that, you need to understand how Google ads auction works.
Google Ads Auction
So, Google ads work like an auction; multiple bidders are bidding for the top spots on the first page of Google.
These spots are right above the organic results, so your prospects see them before they can see organic results. Another reason why you should be focusing on Google ads as a dentist.
However, your bid isn’t the only factor here; Google looks at other stuff to make sure your ad is right for the keyword you want to target.
Here are the two main factors that Google takes into account.
Ad Bid
Your ad’s bid is the amount of money you are willing to spend every time someone clicks on your ad. Of course, Google prefers a higher bid amount; but, it also wants the search engine to be user-friendly.
So, there is another major factor that is at play here.
Ad Quality Score
Your Google ad’s quality score, in turn, depends on three factors:
- Your ad’s expected click-through rate: The likelihood that someone will click on your ad after seeing it.
- Ad relevance: How close is your ad to the searcher’s intent.
- Landing page experience: The usefulness and relevance of your landing page.
So, it’s not just the bid that determines whether you get the top spot in Google or not. Your ad needs to have a good enough quality score to make its place there.
You could have the highest bid among the advertisers bidding on a particular keyword. But, if your ad quality score and relevancy aren’t up to the mark, it would be difficult to win the top position on Google.
Google Ads for Dentists – Using Extensions
One of the things that can affect your Google ad’s click-through rate is the real estate it gets. The more the better.
Extensions allow you to take up more search engine real estate, hence, minimizing distractions for the user. As a result, there is a higher chance that they would click on your ad.
Use Powerful Words
Lastly, your ad’s copy has the power to make or break your campaign. Use persuasive words to entice prospective clients to click on your ad.
Keep in mind their pain points and desires while you write your Google ad. You want to stop them in their tracks and make them show interest in your service.
One way to stand out is observing other ads against your target keyword before publishing your campaign.
Source: Google.com
Try to cut through the noise by offering something unique; something that grabs their attention and compels them to land on your website.
Google Ads for Dentists – Why Use Them?
Unlike social media ads, impressions don’t cost you anything on Google ads. So, if you have an ad on the search engine, you only get charged when someone clicks on it.
Google ads are great for conversions.
You also don’t have to wait for your dental services to show up on the first page of Google, unlike SEO. Although SEO can be pretty rewarding once your site wins a top first-page position, it takes time.
So, if you want to attract new patients instantly, Google ads are for you.
However, they can be a black hole for your money if you don’t implement the right strategies.
The good news is, we can take care of Google ads for you.
Let’s make Google ads work for your dental services. Get in touch here!
Further reading: SEO VS SEM
