Attract New Patients With Google Ads
Approximately three in four adults in the U.S. search for health information online. Google Ads can deliver relevant, appointment-generating content to individuals actively searching online for the services you offer and conditions you treat. This Ask Fuel First article answers the following question about Google Ads: How can I leverage Google Ads to Grow My Practice?
The Benefits of a Google Ad Campaign
In today’s digital era, people have access to more information than ever, and studies have shown that most Americans search for health information online. Because of this, it’s important to make sure the right information reaches potential patients at the ideal time. That’s where Google Ads comes in.
With nearly 90% of the U.S. search market, Google search results can heavily drive new patient growth if properly leveraged. Here are some of the benefits of using Google Ads:
- Unmatched Reach: Google Ads can help your practice gain exposure in hyper-competitive searches faster and more reliably than organic efforts. Even if your practice has a strong organic presence, ads are often displayed before organic results, giving you more visibility among potential patients.
- Hyper-Specificity: Google Ads lets you target your ideal patients by keywords, location and more, so you can ensure your ads are reaching the right people.
- Quantifiable ROI: With Google Ads, you get measurable results. Track clicks, conversions and calls to illustrate your ad campaign’s direct impact on your bottom line.
Few marketing opportunities exist that place your brand directly in front of potential patients at the exact moment they are looking for a provider like you or researching conditions you treat or services you offer. That’s the beauty of Google Ads.
Where Do I Start With Google Ads?
Not all service lines will benefit from a Google Ads campaign, so the first step is determining which service lines to focus on. With Google Ads, you bid on key terms and search phrases that people type into the search engine. The more searches there are for a service, the more advertising opportunities are available. If a service isn’t frequently searched, it’s usually not a good fit.
Most markets have enough search traffic to support audiology, allergy, sinus and general ENT provider searches. For other conditions and services, ask yourself, “Do prospective patients commonly self-refer or self-diagnose for this service, or do PCPs (primary care physicians) usually refer patients for this service?” If patients often self-refer, the service is usually a good fit for a Google Ads campaign.
For example, many people recognize tinnitus without a PCP diagnosis—they might not know the term ‘tinnitus,’ but they are aware of its primary symptom. However, few can recognize a thyroid problem without visiting a physician. As a result, you can expect most markets to have enough search volume for a tinnitus campaign and rarely enough search volume to support a thyroid campaign.
Once you have a list of services that patients commonly self-refer for that you’d like to promote, Fuel Medical’s digital team can run a forecast looking at your market’s search volume and competitiveness for each. We can then recommend a budget and campaign strategy scaled to your market.
Curious about the opportunities available in your market? Contact your regional manager or account manager today.