Should Dentists Use Google Ads or Facebook Ads?
Paid advertising is essential for dentists looking to reach new patients and grow their practices. With so many options now available, two of the foremost platforms dentists turn to are Google Ads and Facebook/Meta Ads. Both offer unique benefits and tradeoffs we’ll compare to ensure you can make the best decision for your business.
But don’t stress– Now Media Group has the expertise and experience to help dentists optimize their paid advertising campaigns on these platforms. If you’re looking for digital marketing services, contact our team today to set up your free strategy call!
Google Ads: Catching Patients Actively Searching
Google Ads allow dentists to promote their services at the critical moment when people search for related or exact-match terms on Google. Key benefits of Google Ads include:
- High Relevancy and Intent: By targeting keywords like “dentist San Diego,” you know patients are actively looking to book in your city. This high-intent traffic converts considerably better, leading to an increase in booked appointments.
- Appear Above Organic Results: Google ads appear prominently at the top and sides of search engine results pages, resulting in high visibility and click-through rates.
- Competition Requires Strategy: Popular keywords will be costly. Effective ad copy, landing pages, and tightly themed ad groups are needed to rise above the competition.
- Location Targeting: Google Ads allows you to target users based on their geographical location, making it effective for attracting more local patients.
- Budget Control: You can set a daily budget, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad (Pay-Per-Click or PPC), providing better control over your advertising expenses.
While effective, mastering the platform, tracking ROI, and managing budgets takes expertise and constant optimization. That’s where you turn to Now Media Group. Our paid advertising team can help you identify your goals, set up your campaign, and manage it effectively.
Facebook/Meta Ads: Brand Building and Retargeting
Alternatively, Facebook and Instagram ads provide dentists with uniquely visual and personalized targeting options such as:
- Creative Showcasing Services: Photo and video ads perform extremely well, especially on social media platforms, allowing dentists to showcase their facilities, staff, and procedures.
- Interest and Look-alike Targeting: With a Facebook Pixel installed, dentists can track site visitors and target similar audiences and those interested in dentistry.
- Retargeting Across Devices: Remarketing past visitors across devices increases brand familiarity and helps convert visitors into patients sooner.
- Engagement and Brand Awareness: Facebook Ads are more suitable for building brand awareness and engagement with your audience. You can run campaigns to educate people about dental health, share informative content, and foster a sense of community.
- Cost Per Click (CPC): Facebook Ads tend to have a lower CPC compared to Google Ads, but conversion rates may vary depending on your targeting and ad quality.
Yet, as social feeds get overly saturated with ads, standing out presents new challenges, as does inspiring social media users to become patients. If you need social media marketing services, contact our team today!
Which Platform is Best for Dentists?
In most cases, utilizing both Google and Facebook ads together is best. Google brings in ‘ready to book’ patients, and Facebook builds visibility and relationships with potential new patients over time through retargeting.
Budgets can be allocated based on which stage of the conversion funnel the marketer is focused on. Meanwhile, custom audiences and tight keyword targeting keep ad spend efficient across both platforms. With regular optimization and analytics analysis ensuring paid advertising budgets have the highest possible ROI.
Get a Personalized Strategy for Your Practice
Both Google Ads and Facebook Ads provide immense opportunities for dentists to attract new patients, but fully optimizing and managing these platforms takes extensive expertise. For over a decade, Now Media Group has specialized in delivering high-converting paid ad campaigns for dentists across these platforms.
Contact us today at 858-333-8950 to discuss how our customized paid search solutions can help take your practice’s digital presence and patient lead generation to the next level this year.