Google Ads for Healthcare Providers: Differentiate Your Practice from Your Competitors

If your practice is not on Google these days, you’re probably missing out on a lot of new patients. People love Google because it works. It gives the best results for whatever you’re looking for and has gotten so smart that it now knows a searcher’s intent. Is the searcher looking for a new doctor or just looking for a diy at-home remedy? Based on someone’s search history, Google knows if they’re ready to become your patient. Why is this important? Because with Google Ads, you can show ads to the people who are ready to become a new patient and avoid those looking for DIY and OTC remedies.

Google Ads is a Tool for All Practices

The best part about Google Ads is that single clinic offices can compete with regional or national healthcare organizations in the Google search results by running ads. This is a game changer for local providers.

I’ve been fortunate to work with single-provider clinics spending $300/mo all the way up to national companies with budgets that would make your head spin. And the funny thing is that I’ve seen good results on both ends of the spectrum. Google Ads works for small and large businesses when managed effectively. How do you rise above your competitors on Google Ads? Here are a few tips to compete on any budget.

Differentiate your practice from your competitors on Google Ads

As a healthcare provider, you know that good communication is at the core of a good doctor/patient relationship. This goes for Google Ads and your digital marketing campaign as well. If your ads and website content (i.e. landing pages) can communicate your services and provide an easy way for patients to schedule an appointment, you’ll be well on your way to getting new patients with Google Ads.

• Don’t sell. Educate. Quality landing page content is key to a good Google Ads campaign. We’ve all had really bad experiences when clicking on an ad. You might click on an ad for a local business and realize that it’s just a squeeze page, or a basic landing page with a paragraph of text, a contact form, and really nothing else. This might work for ecommerce or trying to get people to sign up for a webinar, but not for health care services. You need to provide information about your services, about specific treatment options, about the provider, showcase reviews, and offer easy ways for potential patients to learn more about you and your practice. There are probably a dozen providers who offer your services in your area, so showcase what makes you different. Educate your patients on what they can expect.

• Easy appointment scheduling. Make it easy for your patients to schedule an appointment once they’ve clicked the ad. You would be shocked at how many websites force patients to search for a phone number or for an appointment request form. Don’t make it hard on your patients; make it as easy as possible to schedule an appointment. This will also allow you to more easily track on-site conversion in Google Ads. Setup multiple avenues for patients to schedule an appointment. 

1. Place your phone number prominently on your website, and in multiple locations. 
2. Add an appointment request form to every page, or at least put a visible link to the appointment request page on every page. 
3. Answer the phone. I’ve had clients who run ad campaigns but don’t answer the phone when someone calls. If you don’t answer immediately, or if you make patients go through ridiculous call trees, they’ll simply jump back on Google and go to the next provider. 
4. Respond to requests fast. People use online appointment scheduling because it’s fast and easy…and people hate talking on the phone. Make sure you’re responding to these requests within a reasonable timeframe. Same-day works great; next-day is okay. But the faster you can respond, the less likely a patient will just go find another doctor who responds immediately.

• Be patient. Don’t make rash decisions. Google Ads is a long game. You can see results really fast with Google Ads, but it can also take time. I’ve had conversions rolling in on the first day of the campaign in some cases. But it’s important to know that Google can take a while to understand what your goals are before you start seeing conversions roll in. Just keep calm if you don’t see the traffic or conversions you’re hoping for in the first few days or weeks. Hiring a good Google Ads manager can help speed up this process, but there’s generally a bit of time required to get your campaign up to speed and running like a well-oiled machine.

You’d be surprised at how good some practices are at providing healthcare services and how bad those same clinics are at offering a decent patient experience outside of the exam room. A huge percentage of bad reviews in healthcare are related to something other than the actual time spent with the doctor. The same goes for advertising. Most people can set up a general Google Ads campaign, but if the online experience is bad once the ad has been clicked, the searcher will simply click the back button and move on to the next provider in the list.

Hire a Google Ads Manager for Your Practice

I can help create a fantastic Google Ads campaign for your practice, but I can also offer insight into your online experience so that potential patients will want to stay on your site and make an appointment after they’ve clicked your ad.

Schedule a call so we can discuss your practice goals and build you an amazing Google Ads and digital marketing experience that will lead to new patients.