The Tooth about Dental Ads

Dentists—and doctors of all types—should drill down on these tips for writing healthy ad copy

Ah, the dentist. We put it off, we brush furiously to avoid it, but sooner or later we all wind up seeking out the man—or woman—in white.

When it comes to finding dental help, the Internet has made the thing easier, bringing local dentist info out of the yellow pages and onto our computer screens. But like anything else you search for online, there are a lot of possibilities out there. Dentists have to compete for attention online by creating strong search results that stand out and catch the eyes of users.

Given that, here are some tips that can help our dental advertisers put a polish on their search campaigns:

Get to the point
Ads for dentist offices (and all ads, really) should be direct and to the point, avoiding slogans, jargons and claims to fame. Lines like “We provide miles of smiles” may sound cute, but they don’t really explain what services you offer, and worse, they take up valuable real estate in your ad copy. Likewise, stuff like “As seen on WKTV local news” doesn’t have as strong an impact as titles and descriptions that clearly and precisely explain who you are and what you offer.

Additionally, we’ve noticed that specific dentist names don’t matter much to users. Rather than use up space by listing doctor names or degrees, dental advertisers should consider using that space to explain the services they offer, as well the location they service.

Please, think of the children
If you offer dental services to kids and your keywords are child-specific (i.e., “child dentist”) then your titles and descriptions should focus on children, even if you also serve adults. Make sure your “child” info comes early in your ad copy, because anyone searching on child dental keywords will absolutely be looking for it.

Also, make sure your ads for children keywords make sense for children. Ads for “children’s dentist” may flounder if they’re full of references to tooth whitening, dental implants or other services that children generally don’t need. Lastly, make sure that your ad copy doesn’t clash with the keyword. People may be deterred if they search on “kid dentist” and get back a result that offers things like “sexy smiles.”

Pinpoint your location
Since the majority of dental advertisers offer local services, it’s a good idea to mention your service area in your titles and descriptions, even if your ads are already geo-targeted to that area. However, make sure that your service area is clear to users: If you live in a highly recognizable city, that’s easy enough, but if the city you work out of is lesser known, simply listing that city name may deter users who aren’t familiar with it. Adding a state name or the name of a more recognizable city that’s close by may help users place your location.

And, as always…
All types of advertisers should use keyword insertion to make sure that users’ keywords appear in your ad copy, as well as alt text to make sure that they appear just the way you want them. Write ads in sentence form and avoid “shopping list” copy that simply lists the services you offer. Avoid redundant or repeated words that make ads read poorly. Don’t use abbreviations that aren’t typically well known; abbreviating words just to save space may confuse and deter users. Simply put, make your titles and descriptions concise, to the point, and clearly indicative of who you are and what you’re offering.

In the end, your ads are a lot like your teeth: A little maintenance and care will help keep them in great shape. So when you have a chance, give your ads the check-up they deserve.

— Noah Belson, Content Quality Analyst