Don't let them dazzle you with jargon. Ask these ten questions to see if they really know their stuff:
1. 'Do I own the ad account, or do you?'
Why it matters: If they own it, they can hold your data hostage if you leave. Always demand ownership.
2. 'How do you handle negative keywords for dental practices?'
Why it matters: You don't want to pay for clicks from people looking for 'dental assistant jobs' or 'cheap toothbrush.'
3. 'What are the core marketing plan components you will build for us beyond just Google Ads?'
Why it matters: PPC shouldn't exist in a vacuum. It needs to support your broader business goals.
4. 'Can you show me a sanitized report from another dental client?'
Why it matters: If their report is just a dump of clicks and impressions without cost-per-acquisition (CPA), run.
5. 'How do you approach competitive content analysis to write better ad copy than my rivals?'
Why it matters: Your ads sit right next to your competitors. If your copy isn't sharper, you will pay more for fewer clicks.
6. 'What is your average Cost Per Lead (CPL) for a dental implant lead in my region?'
Why it matters: They should know the benchmarks. If they guess, they lack experience.
7. 'Do you use dynamic number insertion (DNI) to track calls?'
Why it matters: Most dental appointments happen over the phone. If they aren't tracking calls back to the specific keyword, they are flying blind.
8. 'How often will we meet to review strategy versus just reporting?'
Why it matters: You need a strategist, not a reporter.
9. 'What is your strategy for building a content creation strategy for the landing pages?'
Why it matters: Good ads die on bad pages. They need to know how to write content that converts.
10. 'Do you work with any other dentists in my immediate zip code?'
Why it matters: Conflict of interest. You don't want them bidding your budget against another one of their clients.
