The Big Brush Blog | Treloar & Heisel Insurance Products for Dental Professionals

Should Dentists Advertise on Google Ads?

Written by Kenneth C. Thomalla, CPA, CFP®, CLU® | Aug 16, 2021 1:00:00 PM

A lot of businesses use Google Ads to further their organization's growth. But should dentists advertise on Google Ads? 

Whether a dentist should use this particular service to advertise is a fair question, and it's one that doesn't necessarily have easy answers. There are benefits, drawbacks, and considerations when using any type of ad service, and dentists want to make sure they carefully address all potential concerns and opportunities before making a choice.

Why? 

Because there are times when the benefits of something don't outweigh the drawbacks. It's much safer to determine that before you get started. As beneficial as they can be, not everyone likes to see these ads. That could mean that some people would avoid a dentist who used them. If that's the case in your local area, you'll want to make sure you know who you're targeting before you start placing ads anywhere online. 

There are other concerns about these ads, as well, so understanding what you need may help you determine whether Google Ads are right for your practice.

Reasons to Use Google Ads

If you're wondering should dentists advertise on Google Ads, you're not alone. It's a fair question for many dentists, as they might not be clear on what kinds of benefits they can see from doing that. 

Among the main reasons to advertise this way is the affordability of ads. When done correctly, these ads don't have to cost much. You can control how much you want to spend per click, which lets you regulate the ads pretty well. That means you can reduce the cost of each ad, or raise the cost if you want to see a different type of placement for that same ad.

The profitability potential is another big reason to choose Google Ads for your dental practice. With the small amount you can spend on ads and the big ways they're able to reach a large percentage of the public, you could see a bigger profit margin with Google ads than with other types of marketing. 

If they target your local area the right way, each ad could bring in multiple new patients who are looking for a dentist and want to give your services a try. Whether they need a basic checkup, or they want to explore cosmetic or restorative options --- or anything in between --- seeing your ad at the right time could lead to a big profit potential.

Reaching new patients with Google Ads gives you the opportunity to get more people into your dental practice. That's a good way to help that practice grow, and to give your staff the job security they're looking for, too. You want to build your practice up so that it thrives. There's no guarantee that Google Ads will help you to do that, but they could play a part in a successful strategy.

You may also want to compete against other practices. 

Are those dentists using Google Ads for their advertising? Are they getting ahead of you in their growth and development? If you're not sure about how to advertise, you'll want to focus on all the ways you can do that safely and for a fair price. Take a careful look at what your competition is doing, so you know what other dentists in your area find valuable. That can help you sort out what you'd like to try as your next advertising strategy.

Reasons Not to Use Google Ads

For every dentist who uses Google Ads, there are also dentists who might not feel that option is right for them. The question of should dentists advertise on Google Ads isn't necessarily just yes or no. There are gray areas to consider, too. One of the reasons you might not want to advertise this way is the budget. While it's true that these ads are often very affordable, they do cost money. If you get a lot of clicks, the money you're spending for them can add up quickly. Unless those clicks are translating to new patients and more profit pretty quickly, you might be spending more than you're bringing in with this type of advertising.

Additionally, you might want to double down in other marketing areas instead of choosing something new. In other words, if what you're doing is already working well, you could choose to keep doing that instead of using Google Ads. You could even add more to what you're already doing in certain areas, so you would get more value from your current plan. You wouldn't need any other type of ads, and having them could even interfere with your current, successful marketing efforts.

If you have serious time constraints, Google Ads also might not be for you. Writing these ads is very important. They're limited in the number of characters they use and how they can be phrased. They need to provide the maximum potential value while offering as much as they can to the consumer, all at the same time. Successful ads aren't something you can just type up in two minutes and send.

 With little to no time to create and manage them properly, they could be an ineffective choice.

Great Ways to Grow Your Patient List

Google Ads is only one of the ways you can get more patients into your practice. To grow your patient list, you have options with advertising that go beyond just one type of ad or another. Don't settle for just one particular focus, when you may be able to do so much more by diversifying your efforts. 

Getting more patients is the goal, and if you work toward that goal effectively you can see your practice grow and develop in a way that works for the long term. That can benefit you, your staff, your patients, and your community.

Treloar & Heisel and Treloar & Heisel Property and Casualty are divisions of Treloar & Heisel, LLC.

Insurance products are offered through Treloar & Heisel, LLC.

Treloar & Heisel, LLC. does not offer marketing advice. This content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice.

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