Google Ads budget calculator for orthodontic and dental practices
Short answer: work backwards from the new patient starts you want. Divide by your consult-to-start rate to get consultations, by your show rate to get booked leads, by your landing page conversion rate to get clicks, then multiply clicks by your average cost per click. Divide by 30.4 for a daily budget.
By Dr. Mahmoud Elsheikh, a dentist completing an MSD in Orthodontics · Updated
Start small; you can scale once tracking proves the numbers.
From your own records: starts ÷ new patient consults.
Booked consults that actually attend.
Calls plus forms ÷ ad clicks. Use your account data if you have it.
Get a real figure for your area from Google Ads Keyword Planner.
Used only to show cost as a share of revenue.
- Consultations needed
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- Booked leads needed
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- Ad clicks needed
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- Monthly ad budget
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- Daily budget
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- Cost per lead
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- Cost per start
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- Ad cost as % of start revenue
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The starting values are an example only, not benchmarks. Replace every field with your own numbers. Ad spend is paid to Google and is separate from any management fee.
How to set your Google Ads budget, step by step
- Set a starts goal. Decide how many new patient starts you want from ads each month, based on chair time you can actually fill.
- Know your case value. Use your average treatment fee, and lifetime value if you track family referrals. Our patient lifetime value calculator helps.
- Measure your close and show rates. Pull consult-to-start and show rates from your practice software for the last 6 to 12 months.
- Set a target cost per start. Choose the most you will pay for one new start and still be happy with the margin.
- Find real costs per click. In Google Ads Keyword Planner, check the bid ranges for your treatment searches in your service area.
- Calculate the daily budget. Use the calculator above. Google can spend up to twice the daily budget on a given day but averages to your monthly amount.
- Test, then scale. Run 60 days with conversion tracking before judging. If cost per start is below target, raise the budget in steps of about 20%; if above, fix landing pages, keywords and follow-up first.
For the full setup (tracking, landing pages, negatives and a 60-day test plan), read Google Ads for orthodontists: what to set up before you spend. For your total marketing budget, see how to plan an orthodontic marketing budget.
Frequently asked questions
How much should an orthodontic practice spend on Google Ads?
Enough to buy the clicks your starts goal requires at your real cost per click and conversion rates. Work it out from your own numbers with the calculator rather than copying a percentage from another practice.
Why is my daily budget sometimes exceeded?
Google may spend up to twice your average daily budget on busy days, but it keeps the monthly total within about 30.4 times your daily budget.
Is Google Ads management included in your plans?
Yes. Google Ads management for one location is included in our $1,490 Growth plan. Ad spend is paid directly to Google. See pricing.