Google Ads can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal — if done right. For DSOs, managing paid search campaigns across multiple locations can be a huge opportunity… or a costly mess. Especially for early-stage DSOs not yet widely known in the community, Google Ads can be make-or-break.
At DentalScapes our DSO marketing agency works with small to mid-size DSOs and group practices every day to help them maximize their ROI with digital advertising. And after auditing countless campaigns inherited from in-house teams and other agencies, we’ve seen the same issues pop up again and again.
If your DSO is investing in Google Ads but not seeing consistent results, chances are you or your marketing partner are making one (or more) of these common mistakes.
Let’s break them down—and show you how to fix them.
1. Not Using Location-Specific Campaigns
The Mistake: Many DSOs run a single campaign targeting a broad region or multiple cities, instead of customizing campaigns for each individual practice.
The Fix: Set up separate campaigns by location. This allows you to customize keywords, ad copy, and landing pages for each office, increasing both relevance and conversion rates.
Bonus Tip: Use location extensions and local call tracking numbers to help drive nearby patients directly to the right office.
2. Weak or Generic Ad Copy
The Mistake: Using bland, recycled ad copy that doesn’t speak to your specific services, value proposition, or audience.
The Fix: Customize your ad text to highlight what makes your practices unique. Use dynamic keyword insertion, call-to-actions and descriptors (like “Book Online” or “Same-Day Appointments”), and promote real differentiators — like free consultations, sedation options, practice amenities, pediatric specialists, or evening hours.
Your ads should answer the question: “Why should someone choose your DSO over another dentist nearby?”
3. Sending Traffic to the Wrong Pages
The Mistake: Running paid ads that drive traffic to your homepage—or worse, a generic “Contact Us” page.
The Fix: Create dedicated landing pages tailored to each specific service and location. If you’re advertising emergency dental care in Austin, your landing page should talk about emergency dentistry in Austin — not just general services across your DSO.
Higher relevance = higher Quality Scores = lower cost per click (CPC), more conversions, and lower cost per acquisition (CPA). The more relevant your Google Ads and landing pages, the more cost-effective your campaign will be.
4. Poor Conversion Tracking (or None at All)
The Mistake: Many DSOs have no idea which keywords or campaigns are actually producing new patient calls or form fills. Without proper tracking, you’re flying blind — and when you’re flying blind in online advertising, you’re lighting money on fire.
The Fix: Implement conversion tracking through Google Ads and Google Analytics. Set up goal tracking for calls, form submissions, appointment bookings, and chats. Use unique URLs and phone numbers to track performance by location.
At DentalScapes, we provide transparent, real-time dashboards so our DSO partners know exactly what’s working.
5. Ignoring Negative Keywords
The Mistake: DSOs often waste ad spend on irrelevant clicks — like job seekers searching for “dental assistant jobs” or people looking for free clinics.
The Fix: Build and regularly update a negative keyword list to filter out unqualified traffic. For example: “free,” “job,” “training,” “school,” “insurance accepted,” etc. This analysis and identification should be an ongoing task.
The result? More qualified leads, less waste, lower CPA and better ROI.
6. Underutilizing Ad Extensions
The Mistake: Many DSOs overlook ad extensions, missing the chance to boost their visibility and give searchers more reasons to click.
The Fix: Use all relevant extensions:
- Call extensions for direct phone calls
- Sitelinks to guide users to top pages
- Callout extensions to highlight services (“Same-Day Crowns,” “Sedation Available,” etc.)
- Location extensions tied to Google Business Profiles (GBPs)
Ad extensions don’t just add information — they improve click-through rates and ad rank, significantly improving your Google Ads ROI.
7. Set-It-and-Forget-It Campaigns
The Mistake: Running Google Ads with minimal optimization over time is a sure-fire way to burn through your marketing budget without seeing results.
The Fix: Google Ads is not a “set it and forget it” platform. Regularly test:
- New ad copy
- Landing page layouts
- Bid strategies
- Keyword performance
- Geo-targeting
And adjust based on what’s converting.
Stop Guessing. Start Scaling.
Google Ads can deliver a steady stream of new patients — but only when managed with precision, data, and dental-specific strategy. If your DSO is making even a few of the mistakes listed above, your ROI is likely suffering. Every patient missed by your DSO is one gained by a competitor.
The good news? These mistakes are easy to fix with the right partner.
At DentalScapes, we help small to mid-size DSOs build high-performance marketing systems that scale. From fully-managed Google Ads campaigns to local SEO and everything in between, our team takes the guesswork out of DSO growth.
Stop Wasting Your Budget and Start Driving Real Results
Don’t let another dollar go to waste. If you’re running Google Ads without the results to match — or you’re ready to scale your DSO to the next level — our DSO marketing company is here to help. Schedule a FREE strategy call with one of our DSO marketing experts today — let’s talk about what’s working, what’s not, and how we can help your marketing actually fuel your expansion.