When it comes to orthodontic marketing, many orthodontists rely solely on referrals from dentists. While this can be a great source of leads, it’s important to remember that you need to diversify your marketing in order to be successful. One great way to do this is by adding PPC (pay per click) ads to your marketing mix. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at whether orthodontic Google Ads are effective and how you can make them work for your orthodontic practice!
Do orthodontic Google Ads work?
The simple answer is yes! Orthodontic Google Ads can be a great way to generate leads for your orthodontic practice. However, it’s important to keep a few things in mind in order to make orthodontic Google Ads work for you. Here are some keys to making orthodontic Google Ads that convert patients:
- Target the right keywords. There are some very specific keywords that work best for orthodontic Google Ads. Knowing which ones they are takes experience or at least some degree of research.
- Optimize your website. Driving people to a poorly designed website will not give you great results. Make sure you are taking people to a well-designed site. It should be relevant to the ads you are running (including the keywords), responsive, and optimized for mobile.
- Guard your online reputation. Put some effort into increasing your Google reviews and other reviews online. When someone is looking for an orthodontist, they often do their research. Make sure they are seeing how great you are. Don’t let one or two bad reviews get you down. Drown those negative reviews in a sea of positive reviews.
- Hire someone to run them for you. Whether it is a full time marketing director who can devote a lot of time to working on and learning Google Ads, or a third party dental marketing manager, you shouldn’t do it yourself. The reason is simple, you make the most money seeing patients and overseeing your practice. Someone else should handle your Google Ads because you want an expert devoting their time to it.
Why should you run orthodontic Google Ads?
If they really work, it just makes sense. First of all, orthodontists pay less than many other professional businesses do for keywords on Google Ads. It’s a great value for them, especially if it is making sense for other businesses.
Secondly, one patient is worth thousands of dollars. If you are able to acquire new patients at a cost of $50, $100, or even $200 each, it is money well spent. People are searching for orthodontists on Google, why shouldn’t they see your ad when they look for one?
Additionally, it makes your practice more diversified and able to withstand various scenarios that may present themselves. An orthodontist I knew was relying heavily on one specific pediatric dental practice for referrals for many years. When they suddenly hired their own in-house orthodontist, his practice took a big hit. You may have experienced something similar if you have been practicing for long.
Having more streams from which you can draw patients will make your business more resistant to such impacts.
Lastly, the fresh new blood from external marketing creates a new pool of people that can refer their friends and family to your orthodontic practice.
Conclusion
I wish I could help orthodontists understand this when it comes to marketing their business. I have worked in an orthodontic office that was very successful. Here’s what you should know:
Marketing and building a business is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t plan on overnight results. Make a plan, establish reasonable expectations, and stick to it. Play the long game. Go with proven methods and don’t look for shortcuts. If someone is selling you something that is too good to be true, it probably is.
Google ads for orthodontists is not a magic bullet that will cure all of your new patients needs. It’s just another piece of the marketing puzzle. It makes your practice less vulnerable to the whims of another single practice owner. If you want more patients and a more successful and diversified orthodontic practice, get in the Google Ads game. It makes you less reliant on other dental offices for referrals, and quite simply, it works.
Watch your practice grow with an AdPro!