Dental Marketing Ideas: Should You Try Google Adwords?

Last updated on October 24th, 2025 at 03:33 pm

Clients often ask me: “Is Google Adwords a worthwhile investment or a poor use of marketing funds?” As a matter of fact, I just got asked again a couple of days ago.

Now, two important things to keep in mind as you read this post:

1. This is not an overly “technical” article. If you’re currently doing (or looking at doing) any advertising with Google, you should read this. Even if you hire someone to do it—there are some things you absolutely have to know to ensure you don’t waste valuable marketing dollars and to ensure your marketing dollars produce results (i.e. new patients).
2. Terminology-wise, to be clear, “Google Adwords,” also known as “Google Pay-per-Click,” is Google’s advertising platform where you can pay to appear at the top of the page when someone searches something like “Dentist Near Me” or some similar phrase, as shown in this photo.

Alright, so back to the question. Like I said, I get it a lot—especially at the MGE New Patient Workshop. Many dentists feel that Google Adwords is too expensive compared to results. And to be honest, I’ve spoken with a lot of dentists who are spending way too much compared to what they see in return.

My answer to the question I started this article with would be: yes, I do think Google Adwords can be a good marketing tool and provide great return-on-investment with a qualifier: if it’s done right.

The majority of dentists I know that get a high number of new patients online are using Google Adwords as a part of their strategy. It’s the most direct way to reach potential new patients online, because people who are searching for a dentist on Google are, well, searching for a dentist!

However, as I touched on above, it can definitely be overly expensive if it’s not done right. To explain why, let me give a very brief summary of how it works, and then I’ll get into 9 tips for doing it right.

(As an aside, I cover this in depth at both the MGE New Patient Workshop and the MGE Internet Marketing Seminar. I highly recommend registering for those if you’d like to increase your new patient numbers. Call (800) 640-1140 to register or click here for the New Patient Workshop and here for the MGE Internet Marketing Seminar. We also have a free e-book available for you to download that goes over Internet Marketing basics—you can download it by clicking here.)

How Google Adwords Works

Google provides data about what people in your area are searching for, such as “Dentist near me,” “Best dentist in Tampa,” “Pediatric dentist,” or “Emergency dentist.” These search phrases are called “keywords.” You can pay Google to put your website at the top of the listings for those selected keywords. Typically, the top four listings on Google are advertisers (like you).

How high up you appear depends on a few factors:

1. How much you’re willing to spend.

   
   
   
   You can set whatever budget you’d like with Google, but the more money you’re willing to spend, the more often and the higher up your ad will appear. Competition in your area will drive up prices as multiple offices bid for the same keywords.

2. The quality of your ad and website.

   If your ad is poorly written and nobody clicks it, Google won’t show it as much. Likewise, if your website is slow or irrelevant, your ad will perform worse. But if your ad and site are great, you can outperform your competition even with a smaller budget!

For example, one of our clients, a dentist in New York City, spends about $94 per new patient via Google Adwords—far below the national average of $250–$400. If he can do it in NYC, you can too.

Doing It Right

There are many technical details in running a Google Adwords campaign. I generally recommend hiring an expert. However, if you want to learn yourself, Google offers a free online Adwords Fundamentals Course.

9 Tips to Make the Most of Your Google Ad Campaign

1. Spend more on ads than on management fees.

   Ideally, spend 80% of your budget on ads and 20% on management. For example, if your total budget is $1,000, spend $800 on ads and $200 on the company managing them.

2. Limit your target area.

   Focus on your immediate 2-mile radius first. Expanding too far often doubles costs with little return.

3. Monitor your Google Ads account.

   
   
   
   Check your reports regularly to ensure efficient spending. Unchecked campaigns can quickly inflate costs.

4. Run ads only during business hours.

   Set ads to run when someone can answer the phone. Missed calls = wasted ad spend.

5. Have an effective website.

   Your site must convert clicks into calls. Ensure it’s relevant, fast, and user-friendly. For more on this, see Why Most Dentists Have Horrible Websites (& What To Do About It).

6. Use Ad Extensions.

   Add features like call buttons, star ratings, and links to relevant pages.

7. Test multiple ads.

   Write different versions and track which performs best. Keep what works.

8. Offer free consultations on landing pages.

   
   
   
   This encourages serious leads to take the next step and book.

9. Track everything!

   Measure clicks, calls, and ROI. If you’re getting clicks but no calls, your website likely needs improvement. If calls happen but few appointments, review how your front desk handles inquiries.

I hope this helps! Once again, consider attending the MGE New Patient Workshop or MGE Internet Marketing Seminar to strengthen your online marketing.

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