Google Ads for Dentists: 3 Mistakes That Waste Your Budget
Too little budget to learn anything, location targeting that is too wide, and campaigns that ignore mobile. Here is how to fix all three.
If your Google Ads budget seems to disappear without bringing in patients, it is usually down to one of three mistakes.
Mistake 1: Not enough budget to test properly
Running a campaign on too small a budget is like trying to water a whole garden with a cup of water.
I recently audited a dental account with one campaign running at $10 a day, where a click cost about $8. It took weeks to gather any data, and even then the results were inconclusive.
Set a realistic test budget. I recommend at least $1,000 to $1,500 over 30 days, depending on how competitive your area is. That gives the algorithm time to learn and gives you a clear view of which keywords and ads are profitable.
Mistake 2: Location targeting that is too wide
Targeting a wide area feels smart, because it reaches more people. But you don't want to pay for clicks from people 20 to 50 miles away who will never drive to your practice.
We audited a campaign for a local dentist who was targeting an entire metro area. Refining the radius and excluding the lower-performing zip codes cut the cost per lead by 42%.
Start with a 5 to 10 mile radius around your office and expand only if you need to. The goal is to reach the right people, not everyone.
Also check the location option itself. The default, marked "recommended", shows your ads to people who have merely shown interest in your area. Switch it to the option that limits ads to people who are in or regularly in your location.
Mistake 3: Not optimizing for mobile
In the dental accounts I manage, more than 80% of impressions, clicks and conversions come from mobile phones. Yet many practices haven't set up their ad accounts or their websites for mobile.
Four things to do:
- Enable call assets, so a call button appears with your ad and people can call without visiting the website.
- Connect your Google Business Profile, so your ad can appear in Google Maps.
- Use mobile-focused keywords, such as "dentist near me".
- Make your website mobile responsive, so booking an appointment from a phone is easy.
If you want me to look at your account and tell you what I would fix first, book a strategy call.