Google is the first place most people go when searching for just about anything–a new dentist is no exception. But the cost of setting up and running a successful campaign can leave you wondering if Google ads are right for your practice. In this post, we’ll help you decide if Google ads might be a fit for your goals.

Do your due diligence before you run ads

Before going live with any Google ads, you need to pinpoint the demographic who will be interested in your practice and the specific services they are looking for. Who is your target audience? How old are they? What is their income? How far would they realistically drive? You need to narrow down the search terms you’re hoping to target and segment your target audience as much as you can.

Check out the competition

It’s a good idea to spend a few hours running sample search queries through your browser to find out which of your competitors are paying for Google ads, what they are offering, how they structure their ads, and so on. Also, look for the ads the biggest practices in your region are running. In this way, you can get an idea of the types of copy and offers that are trending today.

Set up tracking

Running Google ads is all about data analytics and making the right tweaks to your campaign. Tracking and analytics is the only road that leads to an optimized campaign. You either need to do it yourself or pay a specialist. You should avoid running Google ads if you don’t plan on actively managing your account, as you are unlikely to generate a return on investment.

Make sure your website is ready to convert

There’s no point in sending paid traffic to your website if your page isn’t structured to effectively convert visitors into new patients. You may even want to send ad traffic to a dedicated landing page that’s designed to gather visitors’ email addresses or encourage them to set an appointment or take advantage of a special offer.

Inform your team about new campaigns

Any time you make a major change to your digital marketing campaigns, share the details with your team. To convert on your offer, your front-end staff need to know that the offer exists and understand the questions they might get from interested patients in your area.