Why Google Ads Can Feel Like Throwing Money into the Wind

A couple of years ago, while managing conversion campaigns for a global SaaS client, I realized something that applies just as much to a dentist in Chicago or a medspa in Toronto: most marketing fails not because it’s bad but because it’s misaligned.

We see this every day at AdSapient when small business owners tell us, “We tried Google Ads once… it didn’t work.” Usually, they picked the wrong campaign type for what they actually wanted; clicks when they needed calls, display ads when they needed local visibility.

This is my attempt to break down which type of Google Ads fits your business goals, using simple, practical examples I have seen in my last 8 years of working in marketing and sales. Whether you run a dental clinic, a medspa, or any local service business, by the end you willl know how to pick a campaign that attracts the right people without burning your budget.

Start with the End in Mind: What’s the Goal?

Every ad type has its own “superpower.” The mistake? Treating all of them as the same.

When I worked with large enterprises, every marketing team had a different success metric. One team wanted awareness, another wanted sign-ups, and another just wanted to retarget users who abandoned carts. Google Ads gives you that same flexibility but you have to pick your battleground.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want people to book an appointment (Action)?
• Do I want people to discover my brand (Awareness)?
• Do I want to stay top-of-mind after they visit my website (Remarketing)?

Here’s a simple way to frame it:

• If your phone needs to ring → Search Ads
• If you want locals to recognize your brand → Display Ads or YouTube Ads
• If you want to nurture curious visitors → Remarketing Ads

Once your goal is clear, the right campaign type almost chooses itself.

Search Ads: The Most Direct Path to Bookings

If someone types “dentist near me” or “Botox medspa Toronto,” they are not browsing, they are buying. Search Ads let you appear at that exact moment.

For small businesses, Search Ads are like renting a billboard on Google’s main street. You are there when someone is looking.

Why they work for Dentists & Medspas:

• High-intent traffic (people ready to call or book)
• You can target by location, keyword, and even device
• You pay only when someone clicks

Case Example:

A medspa we consulted in Dallas was spending $3,000/month on Instagram ads but getting inconsistent leads. We shifted half that budget to Search Ads focused on “laser facial near me” and “Botox Dallas.” Within 60 days, appointment calls doubled because we stopped showing ads to people scrolling for fun and started showing them to people searching to act.

Pro Tip:

Start with “exact match” keywords and a small radius around your clinic (5–10 miles). Add call extensions (so people can tap to call) and schedule your ads during business hours.

3. Display Ads: Great for Awareness, Not Instant Sales

Display Ads are those visual banners you see across blogs and apps. They are fantastic for reminding people you exist but don’t expect them to instantly book a $700 dental whitening.

Think of Display Ads as your digital business card floating around the web.

When to use:

• You have just launched or rebranded your clinic
• You want to retarget people who visited your site but didn’t act
• You have a time-limited offer (e.g., “Free consultation this month”)

Example:

At my time while helping my cousin on a freelance project for his yoga studio in Goa, our campaigns used Display Ads to build early brand awareness before trade shows. For small businesses, the same principle works: show your logo, your offer, and your credibility consistently.

Best Practice:

Use smart audiences (people searching for related services). For example:

• Dentists → target “teeth whitening” and “cosmetic dentistry” topics
• Medspas → target “anti-aging,” “skincare,” “facial treatments”

Avoid:

Dumping budget into generic display placements. They are cheap, but they rarely convert without remarketing layers.

4. Performance Max Campaigns: The All-in-One Engine

This is Google’s “smart” campaign that mixes Search, Display, YouTube, and Maps automatically. It sounds futuristic and when done right, it’s powerful.

Performance Max (PMax) uses machine learning to optimize your ads across platforms. For busy owners who can’t manage multiple campaign types, it’s like having a digital assistant testing hundreds of combinations for you.

When it shines:

• You already have some conversion data (e.g., online bookings, form fills)
• You are targeting a defined geography
• You have high-quality visuals and copy

Case Example:

A dental practice in Vancouver running both Search and Display separately saw inconsistent cost-per-lead. We merged them into one PMax campaign with clear conversion goals. Within two months, their average cost per lead dropped 22%, while bookings rose 35%.

Caution:

PMax isn’t “set it and forget it.” You need good creative assets and conversion tracking. Think of it as your AI co-pilot, not your autopilot.

YouTube Ads: Tell Your Story, Build Trust

If your service is personal and most local ones are; nothing builds trust faster than a face and a voice.

Why YouTube Ads work:

• People buy from people they trust
• You can show results visually (e.g., patient smile transformations, medspa results)
• Viewers are more emotionally engaged

Example:

A medspa owner we worked with ran a short 15-second ad: “Hi, I’m Sarah, and I help women feel confident in their skin again.” That’s it. No pushy offer, just empathy and authenticity. Over a few weeks, website traffic from YouTube viewers had 2x longer session durations and 40% higher conversion rates.

Best Practice:

Start with a short “brand story” ad and layer it with remarketing to those who visited your site. Don’t overthink production. Sincerity beats cinematic quality every time.

6. Don’t Forget SEO and Retargeting: Your Silent Closers

Paid ads drive discovery. SEO drives credibility. And retargeting brings them back to book.

Imagine this: someone clicks your ad, reads your site, then gets distracted. Retargeting brings them back gently like a polite reminder, not a pop-up pest.

Meanwhile, SEO ensures you are not paying forever. If your website answers the exact questions people Google (“How much does teeth whitening cost?”), you will rank organically over time.

For small businesses, the combo of Search Ads + SEO + Remarketing is the holy trinity. It balances speed, trust, and sustainability.

Conclusion: Start Small, Measure, Then Expand

If you have ever felt like Google Ads is a mystery box, remember this: it’s not about mastering every feature, it’s about picking the right tool for your goal.

Start with Search Ads. Layer Display or YouTube for visibility. Try PMax when you have some data. And always connect it back to what matters i.e. real people booking real appointments.

At AdSapient, we have seen this approach transform hesitant business owners into confident marketers.

Want to see how we help businesses like yours find their perfect mix of ads?

Let’s start with a simple chat.

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One-Sentence Takeaway:

Pick your Google Ads campaign based on your business goal, not your budget or guesswork.