To effectively market your healthcare practice online, people need to see you in their search results. The fastest and easiest way to be seen on the first page of search results is pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. PPC ads can quickly and easily generate lots of web traffic, as well as build brand awareness. Moreover, PPC helps your healthcare website get immediate traction from targeted demographics.
Reliable, professional PPC campaigns can be created to target the exact people who can use your healthcare services. By getting your healthcare practice and your services in front of prospective patients with PPC, you’ll boost website traffic and get new patients. If you need instant results with a good return on investment (ROI), PPC marketing for healthcare is a smart way to go.
In the following post, we’ll outline what a comprehensive healthcare PPC marketing campaign involves. We’ll also outline the benefits each aspect of PPC marketing has for the healthcare sector.
Google Search and Display Ads
Without a doubt, both types of Google ads–search ads and display ads–are king when it comes to online marketing. Google search ads are based on keywords commonly used to search for a healthcare practice. Each sector of the healthcare industry will have its unique keywords, as will various regional locations.
Google display ads show up on Google’s partner websites, targeting people who visited healthcare-related sites. The website owners receive a small amount for each ad impression their website hosts. In turn, you’ll only pay when someone clicks through.
Both types of Google ads are effective and can be a good choice for your healthcare practice.
Google Shopping Ads
Shopping ads are displayed in a carousel along with the organic Google search results. Shopping ads allow people to see the services you offer, along with your prices. While not appropriate for all healthcare services, these ads can be useful for things like dental cleanings.
Bing Search Ads
Bing is the second most popular search engine, and it’s a default search option on PC computers. This makes Bing an extremely viable option for paid search ads. Bing search ads work in a similar way to Google ads, in that they are based on keywords. According to Digital Authority Partners, buying PPC ads on Bing could be a hidden gold mine for healthcare practitioners.
YouTube
Healthcare practitioners can use YouTube in two ways: to start a channel and gain a following, and to promote your practice through paid ads.
Starting a YouTube channel educating viewers on various conditions and treatment options is free, and it builds your authority and reputation. There are all sorts of healthcare professionals with popular YouTube channels. Some even have hundreds of thousands of subscribers who watch every video.
On the other hand, YouTube advertising promotes your practice with video ads, text ads, and banner ads. If you watch videos on YouTube, you’ve definitely seen these ads.
Facebook Ads
These ads can be used to reach your exact location and ideal audience. You can fine-tune the ads according to user demographics (such as women between the ages of 35 and 45 with a certain education and income level) as well as location (only shown to people in your city). This level of targeting can get the leads you need without wasting a single dime.
The ads appear in the News Feed of your target audience. You don’t absolutely need one, but having a Facebook business page also helps. Sometimes, Facebook business pages show up on organic search results, so it pays to take advantage of this free page.
Instagram Ads
Instagram is a division of Facebook, and they share some advertising features. Ads appear all over Instagram, including users’ news feeds, and stories, as well as on the search page. Like Facebook, it pays to routinely post on your practice’s Instagram account. Instagram is especially useful for cosmetic dentists and plastic surgeons.
LinkedIn Ads
These ads appear in the LinkedIn feed for users. While LinkedIn is often seen as simply a business networking site, it’s quite a bit more than that and offers many opportunities to advertise your practice. And don’t forget: professionals need healthcare services too!
Twitter Ads
These ads appear all over Twitter. Like other types of social media ads, they’re based on keywords and user demographics. Launching Twitter ads when a celebrity has some sort of health issue or surgical procedure can take advantage of the trending topics.
PPC Advertising Helps Healthcare Practices Succeed
Pay-per-click advertising is a comprehensive marketing opportunity for healthcare practices. It not only maximizes your conversions, but it also helps to educate your potential patients once they land on your site. Also, PPC ads work well with website SEO strategies.
PPC ads produce immediate results, with highly targeted, qualified traffic. You’ll be able to define your target audience and your location and set a budget. This makes PPC advertising cost-effective. You won’t waste money advertising to people outside of your service area, or to people who are not interested in your services.
PPC advertising is an extremely flexible option for healthcare practices. You can set a defined budget, and spend as much or as little as you like.
Also, you can quickly change your ad campaigns as the need arises. For example, if you are booked up with appointments for months, you can pause the ads and take a break.
Why Choosing a Healthcare PPC Ad Agency is a Good Idea
Running multiple or even just one PPC ad campaign can take up a surprising amount of time. Also, to get maximum results, you’ll need to do extensive keyword research and analyze the results. If you don’t have the time to do keyword research or don’t like crunching numbers, outsourcing your PPC campaigns is an option.
By working with a digital marketing agency experienced in the healthcare industry, you’ll get maximum results. They can design a digital marketing campaign to drive more traffic to your site and enhance your online reputation.
A PPC professional can work closely with you to create appropriate, HIPAA-compliant PPC campaigns that place your healthcare practice in the right places and for the right people to see.
What Can a Healthcare PPC Ad Agency Do for You?
A healthcare PPC ad agency takes on the work that you have neither the time nor the expertise for. They’ll extensively research keywords and audience demographics. They’ll use hard data, not guesswork, to maximize conversion rates.
Next, they’ll create informative and effective ads and landing pages that encourage clicks and convert visitors. They know the secret to great ad copy, and they’ll use this knowledge to your benefit. Of course, they’ll consult with you and your team to get a feel for who you are and what you do. From there, they can craft ads and landing pages that reflect you, your practice, and your values.
Once they have the keywords, audience, ads, and landing pages lined up, the next step is creating a PPC strategy. Each healthcare practice needs a unique strategy, displaying the ads on the right platforms, for the right price, at the right times. Crafting a PPC strategy involves analyzing many data points to find just the right balance.
Finally, a good digital marketing agency will provide you with reports to see how your PPC campaigns are performing. But an uptick in appointments may be all you need to know that your PPC ads are paying off.
