Today, around 90% of healthcare searches take place online. That means your practice’s online presence and reputation are more than just important – they’re critical to your growth and success. Fortunately, there are multiple marketing strategies that can greatly impact your visibility and reach when skillfully executed.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is one such strategy. PPC ads connect you with potential patients actively searching for a service, putting your practice at the top of search engine results. Pay-Per-Click advertising is lauded for good reason: It’s viable. Better yet, it’s incredibly cost-effective because you only pay when someone clicks through to your site.
What is PPC (Pay-Per-Click)?
PPC, or Pay-Per-Click, is an online advertising model where businesses place ads on search engines and websites. With PPC, it’s all in the name: you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. It’s a popular and effective model because you pay for engagement, not just impressions.
On most Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs), the top results aren’t organic – they’re ads. Though they closely resemble standard search results, they include tiny “Ad” text in the corner. Look for them next time you conduct a search! You’ll notice the first three (or more) slots almost always belong to ads.
Because ads take up a significant amount of online real estate, most digital marketing strategies take two tracks: an organic search engine optimization strategy to help you climb Google rankings and a pay-per-click campaign to help you capture those “number one” slots.
Benefits of PPC Advertising in Medical Marketing
When applied correctly, PPC ads get your name out there and attract motivated patients. Rest assured, nothing is wasted with targeted strategies. Everyone who comes across your ad is promising because their keyword search and your unique offering are one and the same.
- Immediate Visibility: PPC ads make your practice visible to potential patients as soon as your campaign launches, a tremendous boon for new practices or those looking to expand.
- High Probability of Conversion: With precise keyword targeting, your ads appear to individuals actively seeking your medical services, boosting conversions.
- Budget Control: Enjoy full control over ad spend, with daily or monthly limits to stay on budget.
- Measurable Results: The comprehensive performance metrics provided by PPC platforms offer invaluable insight into clicks, conversions, etc., fueling data-driven strategies that get real results.
How Can Pay-Per-Click Work For Me?
There’s no such thing as a “typical PPC” campaign because no two campaigns should look identical. Your PPC campaign should be calibrated and customized to your unique strengths and goals while adhering to the most up-to-date best practices.
The first step in creating a new PPC campaign is to analyze the origins of your traffic and identify growth opportunities. For example, is the majority of your traffic from mobile sources or desktop? Do more people search for symptoms or treatments?
With a PPC campaign, the more popular a keyword is, the more you’ll pay per click. This means you want to balance several things when crafting your strategy:
- The competitiveness of the keyword: Optimal keywords should be cost-effective and create a strong ROI. Keywords should be affordable, but not too obscure to generate clicks.
- The cost of the keyword: The search term should be popular without overextending your budget. PPC campaigns can quickly generate leads, but they are best as a long-term strategy.
- Likely conversions: It’s not enough for a PPC campaign to generate traffic. If you aren’t seeing a high conversion rate, you’re simply attracting tourists. Reliable, high-converting keywords aren’t necessarily the most popular.
A successful pay-per-click campaign must be custom-tailored to your goals and consistently monitored. If neglected, your campaign could go over budget, or the competition could crash the party by stealing your keyword real estate. A good PPC strategy is always looking to further optimize keywords and ensure they produce a strong conversion rate.
When is a Good Time to Use a PPC Campaign?
In general, PPC search engine results are a widely accepted practice, and they lead to significant growth for many clients. There are times when a PPC campaign may not be appropriate, and an expert can help you understand your best options with pay-per-click.
Under certain circumstances, PPC is especially essential – and can significantly amplify your results. Some of the most common instances include:
- As a companion to your organic search campaign.
- When you want to gain traffic in certain keywords.
- When you are running a promotion.
- When you begin offering a new treatment or procedure.
- When something happens to improve your reputation or standing in the community.
What Are Responsive Search Ads?
Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are a dynamic and innovative ad format introduced by major search engines like Google. Unlike traditional text ads, RSAs let you provide multiple headlines and descriptions for a single ad. The search engine then uses machine learning to combine and test different combinations to determine the most effective ad.
RSAs offer the following benefits:
Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (eCPC):
This strategy combines manual bidding with automatic adjustments by Google’s algorithm. If Google predicts a click is more likely to lead to a conversion, it will increase the bid for that click.
Maximized Clicks:
This strategy focuses on getting the highest possible number of clicks within your budget. Google’s algorithm automatically adjusts bids to generate more clicks. Use this strategy if your goal is to increase website traffic and brand exposure.
Maximized Conversions:
Similar to “Maximize Clicks,” this strategy aims to generate the maximum number of conversions within your budget. It’s ideal when your primary goal is to drive conversions on your website.
Target Impression Share:
With this strategy, you set a target for the percentage of times your ad appears at the top of the search results or on the first page. Google automatically adjusts bids to help you achieve your desired impression share. It’s helpful when increasing visibility is a top priority.
The list of RSA benefits is long and also includes expanded reach, optimized performance, and increased relevance. Additionally, RSAs allow for a custom bid strategy for ongoing optimization.
What Makes a PPC Campaign Successful?
Targeting the right keywords is critical to a successful PPC campaign. A good keyword analysis considers the following: what’s popular, what’s sustainable, your budget, and how to attract users who become patients. The goal of the analysis is to help you reach and exceed growth goals.
After keyword selection, the next step is to draft the ads. Whether they’re designed for Google, Bing, or social media, PPC ads are always – you guessed it – advertising. As such, they must compel clicks. A successful ad is concise, captivating, and clear on how your practice positively impacts lives.
It’s worth noting that there are unique rules and requirements for healthcare PPC accounts. Adhering to these rules can be tricky for newcomers, but it’s second nature to PPC experts. Writing effective copy that converts and meets special healthcare standards is a fine art – one that Practis has proudly mastered!
Organic Search (SEO) Matters
Because pay-per-click ads dominate the top of the SERP rankings, you might wonder whether organic SEO is still important. But SEO still matters for multiple reasons. For example, some users refuse to click on ads. Understandably, they could be suspicious of advertising that targets their medical condition. As such, ranking near the top of the organic search results remains critical to your digital marketing success.
A PPC campaign can augment your organic SEO results, and vice versa. You can use PPC to reach keywords and patients that would otherwise be unreachable. And when you achieve organic SERP success, you can use PPC to ensure competitors don’t undercut you.
Remember: Getting more users to your website via PPC is good for SEO, but only if they encounter high-quality information and linger on your site.
PPC Advertising: Remind Me Why I Should Care
When you build a life around caring for people, it can be hard to care about advertising. Plus, your plate is already at max capacity. Luckily, PPC experts spend their days obsessing over thoughtfully tailored marketing strategies so you don’t have to.
Because PPC campaigns are not a “set it and forget it” type of tool, PPC experts are constantly innovating and refreshing your strategy for optimal results. Additionally, they keep their finger on the pulse of user behavior so your ads are always relevant, and always effective. In short, you don’t have to care about PPC advertising – you just have to prepare for more patients!
PPC professionals care for your campaign by:
- Constantly searching for new keyword opportunities. User behavior evolves, and as patient search patterns change, new strategies emerge for positioning your practice as their best option.
- Consistently monitoring your targeted keywords. We’ll ensure your keywords are delivering the desired results, and if a keyword skyrockets or plummets, we’ll know.
Google and other search engines are always changing their ranking algorithm to be more user-friendly, and this includes the PPC section. That’s why laser-focus on your PPC campaign is essential, but the onus isn’t on you. PPC experts are meticulous about caring for your campaigns so you can stay focused on your practice.
The Power of PPC: Get Your Free Audit!
PPC advertising – done right – can grow your practice, period. With its targeted approach, measurable results, and budget flexibility, PPC is a proven strategy you can embrace with confidence and enthusiasm.
If you want to get a taste of what PPC advertising can do for you, Practis can help. We’re experts at harnessing the power of PPC to breathe new life into stagnant marketing and plateaued growth. Our PPC team crafts targeted campaigns that drive significant results so practitioners can focus on doing what they do best – improving quality of life.
Ready to level up? Contact Practis today for your free audit.
