How One Dentist Got 68 New Patients From $2,000 in Google Ads
A six-step framework for dental Google Ads, and the results it produced in one practice in a single month.
Many dentists set up a campaign, cross their fingers and hope patients walk through the door. Here is the approach behind one account where a practice spent just over $2,000 in a month and gained 68 new patients, about $31 per new patient, with a conversion rate of 16%.
The framework has six steps, and the first letters spell DENTAL.
D: Define your local area
Most dentists target too broadly, thinking more reach means more patients. Narrow the radius to 5 or 10 miles around your clinic, so you reach people who are likely to show up. Cutting out distant areas removes low-intent clicks.
E: Extract high-intent keywords
Not all searches are equal. Some people are browsing. Others are ready to pick up the phone.
Build ad groups around exact and phrase match keywords that signal "I need a dentist now", such as "emergency dentist" plus a location, and "dentist near me". In my experience these convert far better than generic terms like "tooth pain", "dental tips" or "dentist" on its own.
N: Nail your ad copy
Your ad is your first impression, and it has to build trust quickly. People are nervous about the dentist. Your copy should make them feel safe and give them a next step.
Use headlines like "Gentle Family Dentist" or "Same-Day Appointments". Click-through rates rise when patients know what to expect: fast, friendly, local care.
T: Transform your landing page
If the ad is great and the page doesn't convert, the money is wasted. A homepage is usually too cluttered and too generic for paid traffic.
Build a clean, mobile-first landing page with one clear action: call or book. Google reviews, tap-to-call buttons and real photos of your clinic all lift conversions.
A: Analyze and adjust fast
Even a good campaign underperforms without ongoing changes, and not everything works, especially automated campaign types.
I usually avoid Smart campaigns and Performance Max in favor of manual bidding and tighter control over placements and budgets. In this account, making that switch brought the cost per lead down significantly and improved lead quality quickly.
L: Leverage mobile traffic
Patients often won't fill in a form. They tap the phone number and call.
So we doubled down on mobile-optimized pages, call-only ads in some cases, and faster load times. More than 70% of new bookings in this account came through mobile.
If you want me to look at your account and tell you what I would fix first, book a strategy call.