8 Can’t-Miss Dental PPC Strategies For 2025: How to Improve Your Google Ads

Key Points

• PPC fills your schedule — when SEO isn’t enough, Google Ads help you reach new patients exactly when they’re searching.
• Lean into your strengths — highlight your unique selling points (USPs) like 5-star reviews, flexible hours, or new patient specials.
• Stay organized — a clean account structure, smart bidding, and campaign testing lead to lower costs and higher conversions.
• Try new formats — test Performance Max, Local Services Ads, and Responsive Search Ads to expand your reach.
• Optimize for clicks that convert — use compelling ad copy, call-focused campaigns, and dedicated landing pages that match each ad.
• Track everything — measure calls, clicks, and conversions to maximize your ROI and stop wasting ad spend.
• We can help — :Delmain builds data-driven PPC campaigns that attract more of the right patients and make every click count!

Ready to turn ad spend into a steady stream of new patients?

You’ve built a beautiful website. Your SEO is solid. Patients are finding you online — but not as many as you’d hoped. You’re showing up in search results, but your calendar still has a few too many gaps.

That’s where PPC comes in.

To consistently attract the right patients and grow your practice, SEO alone isn’t enough. A smart, well-targeted Google Ads strategy can help you show up at the exact moment someone is searching for a new dentist — and turn that search into a scheduled appointment.

1. Lean into what sets you apart (What’s your USP?)

Identifying your unique selling proposition (USP) is an often overlooked aspect of setting up a dental PPC campaign. Your dental ads need to attract patients — but to do that, you first need to identify what makes your practice appealing.

Think about what differentiates your practice from competitors. What value do you provide? What sets you apart? These benefits should inform your ad copy and messaging. 

As an example, here’s a list of some important selling propositions we identified for one of our dental clients:

• 150+ 5-Star Reviews
• Weekend & Evening Appointments
• No Insurance. No Problem
• Same-Day Appointments
• Se Habla Español
• 20% Off With Membership
• $69 New Patient Special

2. Keep your ad account organized

A well-organized Google Ads campaign is critical. We can’t stress this enough. An organized account leads to:

• Less time spent managing your account
• Better tracking and reporting of results
• Low-risk, high-reward experimental campaigns
• Lower cost-per-click bids

A good place to start is with these 4 specific areas of your account:

1. Campaign type — Separate search, PMax, and display campaign types for easier management.

2. Networks — Experiment by including Search Partners. We’ve seen this work very well for certain campaigns like dental implants, but underperform for others. You’ll need to test and see what works for you. Kick off a campaign that enables this feature but make sure to come back to compare the data between Google Search and the Search Partners Network. You can do this by using the Segment > Network (with search partners) filter.

3. Bid strategy — Automated bid strategies can drastically cut down on the management time required in Google Ads and often return the best results. However, you’ll need to configure your account and campaigns correctly for this algorithm to efficiently optimize your campaigns. If you’re new to Google Ads, utilize the Maximize Conversions strategy.

3. Explore Google’s newest ad formats: PMax, LSAs, and RSAs

Google’s ad platform is constantly evolving, and dentists who stay on top of these changes are the ones who see the biggest return. If you’re only using standard search campaigns, you might be missing out. Here are three powerful formats to consider:

Performance Max (PMax)

PMax campaigns allow advertisers to access all of Google’s channels — Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, and Maps — from a single campaign. They are designed to complement keyword-based Search campaigns and can help you reach more potential patients across various platforms.

Local Services Ads (LSAs)

As of January 2023, Google expanded LSAs to include dental practices. These ads appear at the very top of search results and operate on a pay-per-lead basis, meaning you only pay for actual leads received. LSAs can enhance a practice’s visibility and connect them with local patients actively seeking dental services.

Responsive Search Ads (RSAs)

RSAs allow advertisers to input multiple headlines and descriptions, and Google’s AI dynamically combines them to optimize ad performance. This format can help dental practices test different messaging and improve click-through rates by displaying the most relevant combinations to users. ​

Pro tip: If you’re not sure which formats to try, test one at a time and monitor your results closely. Each offers unique advantages depending on your practice goals.

4. Target the right keywords

1. Test location-based keywords
2. Test localized niche keywords

2 more keyword tips:

2. Identify negative keywords to eliminate irrelevant search terms, better target your audience, and get better results.

5. Leverage Google Ads Assets (formerly Ad Extensions) to expand your reach

Dental PPC ads place tight limits on character count, so it’s crucial to hone your copywriting, get creative, and convey your value in as few words as possible. Fortunately, Google Ads now provides “Assets” (formerly called ad extensions) to help you pack in more information without cramming your ad copy.

• Calls (Phone Number) – Make it easy for prospects to connect with a single tap
• Location (Linked to Google Maps) – Highlight your practice’s address
• Sitelinks – Guide users to specific pages on your website
• Structured Snippets – List services or features to set your practice apart
• Ratings (Google Reviews) – Build trust by displaying your review score
• Callouts – Promote special offers and unique selling points without using extra characters

6. Optimize your ad for phone calls

Ad clicks cost money — phone calls don’t. Although driving traffic to your website is important, you can often increase your ROI by letting potential patients call your practice directly from the ad. Here’s how:

• Prominently display your phone number or “call” button on every ad
• Use call assets (formerly extensions) only when the office is open so callers are never sent to voicemail
• Implement a dynamic call tracking solution (or Google’s free forwarding number, if available) to connect inbound calls to specific campaigns—this may require extra code but ensures you can measure phone-based conversions effectively

7. Create effective landing pages

For every ad, create a website landing page specifically designed for that ad.

The job of an ad is to get someone to click. But your job’s not over — you still need to get the conversion. Whether it’s calling you, submitting a contact form, or scheduling an appointment online, your landing page should help make that conversion easier.

You definitely want to avoid your user thinking…

• They are on the wrong page and clicking the back button
• Your ad was a scam
• Your practice is unprofessional 

Avoid all this by making sure the transition from ad to landing page is smooth and makes sense. 

For example, if you’re advertising a teeth cleaning, lead the user to a page that describes your teeth cleaning services. If you’re advertising a new patient special, the landing page should provide more information about the special and how to take advantage.

8. Always be testing, tracking, and adapting

Testing is crucial to building a successful dental PPC strategy. Define your KPIs, monitor performance, and continually optimize your campaigns for maximum return on investment.

At a minimum, track:

• Number of clicks & Cost per click (CPC) – Are you controlling ad spend effectively?
• Conversions – Form fills, appointment requests, or any action that signifies a new lead
• Phone calls – An excellent indicator of immediate patient interest
• Keyword performance – Evaluate which search terms drive the most valuable traffic
• ROI metrics (where possible) – Integrate Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or practice management data to see the direct revenue impact

Though managing all this data can be challenging, analyzing these key insights helps you fine-tune campaigns, discontinue what’s underperforming, and maintain steady, high-value lead generation.

Stop wasting money on PPC campaigns that don’t perform

Google Ads can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolbox — but only if it’s set up, tracked, and optimized with care. PPC isn’t a “set it and forget it” strategy. Without consistent testing, analysis, and refinement, you could be pouring money into clicks that never turn into patients.

That’s where we come in.

At :Delmain, we specialize in building and managing high-performing PPC campaigns exclusively for dentists. Our data-driven approach helps you attract the right patients, reduce wasted spend, and see measurable results.

Let’s grow your practice with smarter PPC — we’d love to hear from you.