Every week, the MSP team breaks down the dental marketing news that actually matters, from Google updates and AI search changes to social media trends, SEO shifts, and reputation management surprises.

• Advertisers report Google Ads promotional credits being revoked after they’ve already spent to qualify
• Google admits its Search Console reporting for AI search is inadequate
• Google Business Profile brings back post view counts
• Google says ranking recovery can take months, even after the underlying issue is fixed
• Quick hit: Google Ads adds “Local Customer Optimization” to Performance Max

What happened: A PPC consultant reported that a Google Ads promotional credit, one that required spending a set amount to unlock (in this case, $3,200), was marked “Invalidated” more than a month after the advertiser had already spent that money expecting the matching credit. He said he’s seen this happen twice in a short period, and he isn’t aware of a clear way to appeal it once it happens. Google hasn’t issued a public statement addressing the pattern yet.

Why dentists should care: Promotional credits are a common way new advertisers get talked into spending more upfront than they originally planned, on the assumption that part of it will effectively be free. If that credit gets revoked after the money is already spent, there’s no way to claw back the extra spend that was influenced by expecting it.

What to do next:

• If your practice has a pending or recently redeemed Google Ads promotional credit, keep a close eye on its status in your account
• Don’t let a promotional credit talk you into spending more than you’d be comfortable with if the credit didn’t come through at all
• If a credit gets invalidated after you’ve already spent to qualify for it, document everything and raise it with your Google Ads rep or support, even without a clear appeal process yet

What happened: Google’s John Mueller acknowledged that Search Console’s relatively new AI search performance report, the one that separates AI Overview and AI Mode impressions from regular search data, has real limitations. Specifically, the report’s “position” metric tracks where the entire AI answer block sits on the page, not where your specific link sits within that block, which is the number that actually matters for understanding your visibility. Mueller confirmed Google doesn’t have a better solution for this yet.

Why dentists should care: We’ve mentioned this report a couple of times as a helpful new tool for understanding AI search visibility. This is a useful correction. The data is a starting point, not a precise scorecard. If your AI impressions number looks great but you can’t tell whether your link was actually prominent within the answer, that’s expected, not a mistake on your part.

What to do next:

• Keep using the AI search report for general trend spotting (is your AI visibility growing or shrinking over time), rather than treating any single number as precise
• Don’t panic or celebrate over small week-to-week swings in this specific report
• Pair this data with your actual traffic and lead numbers, since those still tell the more complete story

What happened: Google is rolling out view counts for Google Business Profile posts globally, a metric that was actually removed back in 2023. The new numbers cover posts published in the past 18 months, apply to all post types (updates, offers, and events), and combine views from both Google Search and Google Maps into one number per post.

Why dentists should care: If your practice posts updates, promotions, or announcements to your Business Profile, you’ve likely been doing so somewhat blindly, with no real way to know if anyone actually saw them. This closes that gap and gives you a simple, direct way to see which types of posts earn attention.

What to do next:

• Once view counts appear on your profile, compare a few different post types (an offer versus a general update versus an event) to see what actually gets seen
• Remember that a view isn’t the same as a call, click, or booking, so treat this as one input, not the whole picture
• Use it to inform what you post more of, rather than assuming your current posting habits are already optimal

What happened: Responding to a site owner dealing with both a Google Business Profile suspension and a ranking collapse after filing a link disavow, Google’s John Mueller explained that recovery from a major ranking issue, including one caused by something like a spam update or an ill-advised disavow, typically takes months rather than days or weeks. He noted that actions like link disavow processing happen gradually, often over a three to six month window, and that a sudden rebound right after a fix is usually coincidental rather than a direct cause and effect.

Why dentists should care: If your practice went through a ranking drop recently (including from the August spam update we covered a couple weeks back) and fixed what you believe caused it, patience really is part of the process. A slow recovery doesn’t necessarily mean the fix didn’t work.

What to do next:

• If you’ve recently addressed an SEO issue, give it a real window (think months, not days) before assuming the fix didn’t work
• Avoid making a string of additional changes out of frustration while waiting, since that can make it harder to tell what actually helped
• Keep monitoring steadily rather than checking obsessively, since short-term fluctuation is normal during a recovery period

Google introduced a new setting for Performance Max campaigns with store-visit goals called Local Customer Optimization, which prioritizes showing ads to people who are nearby and actively searching, navigating, or planning a trip to a business like yours across Google Maps, Waze, and local search results. It’s part of the broader shift we’ve been tracking as Local Services Ads move into the main Google Ads platform. If your practice runs Performance Max campaigns focused on driving visits (rather than online conversions), it’s worth asking your ads manager whether this setting is enabled.

If there’s one thread running through this week, it’s patience and healthy skepticism toward the numbers in front of you. Google itself is admitting its AI search data isn’t precise yet, ranking recovery is confirmed to be a slow process rather than an instant fix, and even a promotional credit you were counting on can quietly disappear after the fact. None of this is a reason to disengage from tracking your marketing performance, quite the opposite. It’s a good week to look a little more critically at the numbers you’re relying on, and to build in a bit more patience before reacting to short-term swings.

• Advertisers report Google Ads credits being revoked after spending – Search Engine Land
• Google Admits Search Console Reporting For AI Search Is Inadequate – Search Engine Journal
• Google Adds Post View Counts To Business Profiles – Search Engine Journal
• Google Says Ranking Recovery Takes Months After SEO Issues Are Fixed – Search Engine Journal
• Google Ads Introduces Local Customer Optimization – Search Engine Journal

Adrian Lefler is the CEO and Co-Founder of My Social Practice and a recognized dental marketing expert with nearly two decades of experience. He is a trusted voice in dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and emerging technology, and he hosts BYTE SIZED, a podcast focused on dental AI, innovation, and technology.