Google Ads for doctors: the business case and the challenges
When it comes to Google Ads for doctors, one thing is clear: the opportunities are huge. In fact you’d be hard pressed to find a more accountable and cost-effective form of advertising to help grow your healthcare business.
They say health is wealth. For you, that statement is particularly laden with meaning. After all, your prosperity relies on a steady stream of new leads.
You know your next customers are out there. Google Ads provides sophisticated tools to help you find them – at the precise moment they are searching for the services that you provide.
But – like anything worth doing – Google Ads is not without challenges. This article will help you decide whether Google Ads is right for you and your healthcare team.. To decipher whether it can help you build towards the bulging appointment book you deserve. Or whether the challenges are too much for you to realistically take on.
It’s up to you to decide.
One quick thing, before we dive in…
As a doctor, it’s fair to say that spare time is a commodity you’re not abundantly endowed with. We are a performance marketing agency. We specialise in Google Ads. And forget fluffy metrics. You care about ROI, and we drive it for our clients. Ask us for a free proposal. We will lay out a three-month paid media strategy – showing the results you can reasonably expect. If you don’t like it, no obligation.
“The Adbetter team have played a key role in our scale up journey and it’s a pleasure to work with them. Their communication is always clear and prompt and it’s nice to be able to trust an agency to follow up in the right way. They are always happy to put in the hard graft, both in terms of campaign optimisations and our broader lead gen/nurture strategy. Having them share their broader experience across the market helps us as we seek to constantly make improvements.”
What are Google Ads?
You already know. Good SEO can get you far. But you will never outrank the ads at the top of the search results. Google Ads give you a way to skip to the top of the search rankings for search terms related to your healthcare business. And because you only pay if someone clicks, it’s one of the most accountable forms of marketing on the planet – with the potential to drive significant revenue for healthcare businesses like yours.
(A sidenote, in the interests of clarity. The Google Ads platform isn’t just about search. It also encompasses display ads and video ads across YouTube and a dizzying number of websites, mobile apps and more. For now, let’s keep things simple and focus on search. If you want to dive deeper, we’ve covered it in the article below.)
Google Ads for doctors: the opportunities and the business case
Capture intention
One of the reasons Google Ads is such a powerful tool is it enables you to get your brand in front of people at the precise moment they are searching for services and treatments that your healthcare business offers.
Capture curiosity
What do people do when they are worried about a particular ailment? That’s right. They Google it. While you are no doubt weary of valetudinarians and their dramatic self-diagnoses, the fact is that Google gives you a chance to capture people at the peak of their curiosity – and, if appropriate, guide them towards your expertise.
Capture location
Day in, day out, people in your region are searching for services that your healthcare business offers. That’s low hanging fruit. But without the right Google Ads setup, you are missing those leads. Worse, your biggest competitor might be gobbling them up instead.
Society is waking up to the need for private healthcare
Wherever you lie on the political spectrum, long waiting lists for NHS treatments are now the norm for many patients. Those that can are increasingly willing to pay to go private. By making yourself visible in Google search results, you can help to make sure people are directed towards credible and competent health services.
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You get clarity
When you run campaigns on Google Ads, you get instant feedback on how your ads are performing. Interpret that data correctly and you can incrementally improve the performance of your ads. It takes a lot of the mystery out of marketing.
Google Ads for doctors: the challenges and the case against
The regulatory environment is harsh
Firstly let’s recognise that a harsh regulatory environment is a good thing. For everyone. It prevents unqualified charlatans from hawking their products and services to an innocent public. Yet there’s no doubt that the regulations around Google ads for doctors are strict and ever evolving. You need to stay alert if you’re running ads. (We’ve covered the current regulations here.)
It takes time
You’re busy.
It takes tenacity
If you get it right, Google Ads can drive millions of pounds in new revenue. But to unlock the really big rewards, you have to constantly monitor your ads. Constantly adjust. Constantly iterate.
It takes technical expertise
Google Ads gives you a good picture of how your campaigns are performing. But you don’t get the full picture. To really capitalise on the potential of Google Ads, you need to have full visibility into the actions your leads are taking. You need to know what happens after they click your ad. That’s where you unlock the potential for real revenue generation. But setting up that kind of audience tracking requires technical expertise.
Your audience is discerning
People are far more discerning when it comes to making choices about their health. And they are quick to judge. If your messaging and branding isn’t right, they will go elsewhere – regardless of how good your services are.
It can pay – literally – to work with an expert
So there you have it. The opportunities for healthcare businesses are vast. But there are real challenges too. We are a paid media specialist – and we know the tactics that drive revenue for healthcare brands.
Let us give you a three month proposal. It won’t cost you a penny. But it will show you what results you can expect within three months of us working together. Just ask.