Running PPC for dental clinics isn’t just about “getting clicks.” It’s about filling chairs, increasing high-value procedures, and building a predictable pipeline of new patients who actually show up. In our experience managing paid search for clinics across the U.S. and Canada, the fastest wins almost always come from a smart, localized PPC strategy—especially on Google Ads.
Below is what we’ve learned after managing thousands of dollars in dental ad spend every month, plus a few real examples from clinics we’ve helped grow.
Build a Keyword Strategy Based on Patient Intent
We’ve tested hundreds of keyword variations. The ones that drive the best ROI for dentists always fall into three buckets:
1. Location-Based Keywords
- dentist in [city]
- best dentist near me
- pediatric dentist [city]
2. Problem-Based Keywords
- emergency dental care
- tooth pain relief
- cracked tooth repair
3. High-Value Procedure Keywords
(Click costs are higher, but so is ROI.)
- Invisalign dentist
- dental implants [city]
- root canal specialist
In one case, a Plano clinic saw a 27% drop in cost per lead just from removing overly broad terms like “teeth” or “dental office”—terms that burn budget fast.
Write Ad Copy That Speaks to the Patient’s Needs
Patients don’t care about your “state-of-the-art technology.”
They care about pain, convenience, confidence, and affordability.
Good Dental Ad Copy Examples
- Same-Day Emergency Care
- Get Whiter Teeth in 1 Visit
- Evening Appointments Available
- PPO Insurance Accepted
Use straightforward CTAs:
- Book Now
- Call For Availability
- Claim Your Offer
These small tweaks often lift click-through rates by 20–40%.
Track Every Call, Form, Appointment, and Click
PPC without tracking is like doing dentistry without X-rays — you’re guessing.
At AdJet, we track:
- Calls from ads
- Online appointment bookings
- Form submissions
- Clicks on “Book Now”
- Cost per conversion by service
When one of our dental clients noticed implants were costing $180 per lead but cleanings were $32, we built separate campaigns. ROI jumped almost immediately because we could finally see what was working.
A/B Test Like Your Growth Depends On It (Because It Does)
Small experiments lead to big breakthroughs.
For example:
| Test | Impact |
|---|---|
| Changing the CTA from “Book Now” to “Check Availability” | +18% more clicks |
| Adding a photo of the actual dentist | +22% higher conversions |
| Using a video on the landing page | +34% increase in engagement |
Felix always says:
“PPC is never set-it-and-forget-it. Testing is how we squeeze ROI out of every dollar.”
Avoid These Common Dental PPC Mistakes
We see these all the time when clinics come to us after burning money on DIY campaigns:
- Targeting the entire city instead of your real radius
- No dedicated landing pages
- Running ads only to the homepage
- No call tracking
- Not separating emergencies from routine care
- Ignoring mobile users (50–70% of dental searches happen on phones)
- Letting Google choose “broad match everything”
Most PPC failures come from these basics, not the budget. Learn more about Dental Practice Landing Pages.
Choose a Budget That Matches Your Area and Goals
Dental PPC clicks usually cost:
- $4–$10 for general dentistry
- $12–$25 for implants
- $10–$20 for Invisalign
- $5–$15 for emergencies
A starting budget we recommend:
| Service Type | Recommended Monthly Budget |
|---|---|
| General dentistry | $1,000–$2,000 |
| Emergency dentistry | $1,500–$3,000 |
| High-value procedures (implants, Invisalign) | $2,500–$5,000 |
You don’t need to outspend your competitors — just out-optimize them.
Work With a Dental PPC Expert (It Pays for Itself)
Running PPC is technical, time-consuming, and requires constant monitoring. When clinics come to us, it’s almost always because they launched ads themselves and saw high clicks but few actual bookings.
Look for an agency with:
- Google Partner status
- Dental industry experience
- Transparent reporting
- Proven local SEO + PPC expertise
- Real, measurable ROI case studies
We recently helped a Texas dental clinic drop their cost per lead by 53% in 90 days — simply by restructuring their campaigns and introducing proper tracking. Learn more about Dental Practice SEO.
PPC can be one of the fastest ways for dentists to drive new patient growth — but only if the strategy is tight. Focus on:
- Local targeting
- High-intent keywords
- Strong landing pages
- Full conversion tracking
- Continuous A/B testing
- Smart budgeting
When done right, every click turns into a meaningful opportunity.
If you want a custom PPC strategy for your dental clinic — one that’s built, managed, and optimized by certified experts — AdJet Marketing is here to help.
Reach out today and let’s start filling your schedule with high-value patients.