Fifteen years ago, Google changed the face of digital advertising forever with it’s launch of Google Adwords, a self promoting advertising service any business can utilize to reach their target audience.

Even today, the potential this platform offers companies is exponential, with Google owning 67.6% of U.S. search engine shares.

Understanding Google Adwords is imperative to marketing your hospital in this competitive digital world.

Search Ads – Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC)

Google Adwords uses search ads, or Pay-Per-Click (PPC), that allow your message to appear above or to the right of organic search engine results. You can specify which area of the page you want your ad to appear, and you only pay when someone clicks your ad. The cost-per-click varies, depending upon the competition.

When creating PPC ads, it’s important to stay extremely precise.  Use keywords that will help you reach your goal or objective. Take note of your top competitor’s ads to see what keywords are giving them high-ranking scores. Then, focus on what makes your hospital different from the keywords competitors are utilizing and try marketing those differences.  Your goal is to help viewers click your ad instead of the competition’s.

Landing Pages Save You Money

When you set up a PPC campaign, you are including links to a destination page. It’s a common mistake to make this page your hospital’s homepage.

Creating a landing page for your PPC ads increases the likelihood of achieving your goal and can improve your ad relevance, which decreases the cost-per-click. On the landing page, it’s essential to make sure there is a call-to-action. For example, you can create the page so visitors can fill out a form to request an appointment or sign up for a health screening event.

Use Site Link Extensions

Finally, make sure to take advantage of Google Adwords’ site link extensions.  Site link extensions increase your ad space and make you more relevant to any given search.

Advertisers have reported a 30% increase in click-through-rates (CTR) in the last year by using these extensions. Location and review extensions are seeing the highest CTR increases, and are extremely important for hospitals in-particular.

Hospital care is usually received locally, therefore, including a location link makes your hospital more relevant and accessible in a search.

Likewise, review extensions establish credibility. Patients want to receive quality care and if your hospital has great reviews, then seeing the high reviews beside your ad can make your hospital stand out among the competition.
It’s important to note that adding these extensions do increase the cost-per-click of your ads.

Without a strong knowledge on how Google works, the return on investment tends to be minimal. The only way to keep your hospital ahead is to join your competitors in competing for relevant Google Adwords.

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ABOUT JIMMY WARREN
Early to bed, early to rise, work like crazy and advertise! Jimmy Warren is president of TotalCom Marketing Communications and has over 30 years experience helping all kinds of businesses build a strong brand. A large portion of that experience has been helping hospitals and healthcare organizations. He loves the ‘weird’, interesting and extremely talented people he gets to work with every day – that includes co-workers and clients. Outside of work he enjoys his grand kids, traveling and any kind of good ole fashion Alabama sports. Roll Tide!