Mini guide to Google Ads for healthcare and medical companies
Our expert Craig Johnston shares his mini guide to Google Ads advertising for those in the healthcare and medical space
8 mins | 19/02/2025In today's digital age, online visibility is crucial for businesses across all industries, including those in the healthcare and medical space.
Google is a core weapon in the arsenal of any good pharma marketer. As Senior SEO and PPC Manager at AMP27, I've written this mini guide to provide healthcare and medical companies with some valuable insights into how, when, and why you should use these tools.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is an online advertising platform that allows businesses to promote their products or services through various channels managed within a single campaign.
When a user searches for a specific term on Google, relevant ads may appear at the top or side of the search results page. Advertisers pay only when someone clicks on their ad (pay-per-click or ‘PPC’).
Beyond search ads, Google Ads also offers a broader range of advertising options, for example, Performance Max is a campaign type that leverages Google's machine learning to optimise ad delivery across multiple Google-owned channels. This approach aims to maximise performance based on the advertiser's specified goals.
Additionally, Google Ads offers extensive advertising opportunities specifically on YouTube, such as skippable or non-skippable ads, in-feed ads, and ads on Shorts; allowing businesses to reach a wide audience and engage with potential customers through video content.
Why use Google Ads?
Competition for attention in today's digital world is fierce. As a targeted, immediate visibility tool, Google Ads offers unparalleled benefits. Some of these include:
- Allowing healthcare companies to cut through the clutter and position themselves prominently on Google and YouTube, the two biggest search engines in the world
- The precision of audience targeting ensures that you invest your resources where they matter most
- A multi-directional approach to effectively capturing audience interest at different stages of the user journey, using a wide range of creative formats and targeting strategies
- The dynamic nature of Google Ads seamlessly integrates with broader marketing strategies, complimenting long-term initiatives like search engine optimisation (SEO). If you're interested in learning more about SEO, go ahead and download our SEO guide for healthcare companies!
Understanding the landscape of Google Ads in the healthcare industry
Before delving into the specifics, let's acknowledge the unique landscape of the healthcare industry.
Regional regulations, ethical considerations, and user expectations play a significant role in shaping digital marketing strategies for healthcare and medical companies.
Compliance with healthcare advertising regulations
The healthcare and medical industry operates within a framework of strict regulations, and advertising is no exception. Different countries and advertising platforms have distinct regulations governing the promotion of healthcare and medical industry interests.
To navigate this complex landscape successfully, your compliance team and paid search team must both be actively involved in the keyword, ad creation (this includes copy and creative), and approval processes of any Google Ads campaign.
Legal and regulatory bodies in the UK
The UK healthcare industry is subject to strict advertising regulations to ensure the responsible promotion of healthcare and medical interests.
Advertisers must adhere to guidelines set by regulatory bodies such as the PMCPA (the Prescriptions Medicines Code of Practice Authority). Understanding and complying with these regulations is paramount to running successful and legally sound Google advertising campaigns.
Ad platform policies and their restrictions
Further to the regulations we've just discussed, you will also need to comply with Google Ad platform policies. It's important to use a team that will be familiar with these policies, and know how to minimise the risk of your ad accounts being suspended.
NOTE: When Google reviews your ads, they will check not just the ad copy, but also any image or video assets you use, as well as your landing page.
Popular types of Google Ads and some key formats
To effectively reach your target audience, it's essential that you know how to leverage various campaign types. Let's explore three of the most prominent types of Google Ad campaigns we use in healthcare and medical advertising.
Responsive Search Ads
Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) use automation to optimise ad performance by dynamically adjusting which of your headlines or descriptions will appear in an ad.
Enhanced by machine learning, RSAs improve efficiency, relevance, and targeting versatility, allowing advertisers to tailor bidding strategies to specific campaign goals.
You can add up to 10 headlines and 4 descriptions per ad, with a max of 3 headlines and 2 descriptions able to be shown. Make sure you pin specific headlines or descriptions so that essential information is communicated.
(Note: Above image is an example, and ads were not produced by AMP27)
RSAs: A quick guide
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Automation | Ads automatically adjust headlines and descriptions to optimise performance |
| Control | Crucially for healthcare advertisers, you can ‘pin’ specific headlines and descriptions to ensure important information is consistently shared with the audience |
| Bidding system | Advertisers compete for ad placement through a bidding system |
| Automated bidding | Modern machine learning enhances automated bidding for better results |
| Targeting options | Beyond keyword targeting, you can target audiences by demographics, devices, interests, and location |
| Bidding strategies | Tailor automated bidding to various campaign goals, from traffic generation to conversions |
Key benefits:
- Efficiency: Automated adjustments save time and effort
- Relevance: Ads adapt to user searches for better engagement
- Performance: Machine learning drives improved results
- Versatility: Target specific keywords users search and audience characteristics to achieve different campaign objectives
NOTE: While responsive search ads offer many advantages, careful monitoring and management are still essential, especially for medical advertisers.
Performance Max ads
Performance Max or ‘PMax’ ads are a powerful tool that lets you reach people across Google Search, Display, YouTube, and Gmail with just one campaign.
These ads automatically adjust to get the best results based on your goals. They use the content you give them to create custom ads that connect with your audience.
A single bidding strategy helps you target the right people and get better results. Plus, automated management makes it more efficient to run campaigns across all these channels.
Performance Max ads: A quick guide
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Cross-channel reach | Target audiences across Google's Search, Display, YouTube, and Gmail networks from a single campaign |
| Machine learning optimisation | Automatically optimise ads based on campaign goals, like form submissions or driving disease awareness |
| Asset-based ads | Advertisers provide assets (text, images, videos) for dynamic ad creation across Google's network |
| Unified bidding | Maximises results and reaches target audiences effectively through a unified bidding strategy |
| Audience targeting | Reach users through contextual targeting, demographics, and behavioural signals |
| Automation | Streamlined campaign management and enhanced performance through automated bidding and asset optimisation |
Key benefits:
- Efficiency: Centralised campaign management for multiple channels
- Relevance: Machine learning ensures ads align with campaign goals
- Engagement: Dynamic content can effectively capture audience attention
- Reach: Target audiences across various Google platforms
- Performance: Automated optimisation drives better results
NOTE: While Performance Max ads offer many advantages, ensuring content compliance, especially for medical advertisers, is crucial.
YouTube ads
YouTube ads offer various formats, from skippable and non-skippable video ads, to short clips and discovery ads. This gives advertisers a lot of creative options to reach their audience.
By mixing and matching these formats in a single campaign and using a well-structured campaign plan, you can connect with the right people. Machine learning and automation make it easy to manage your campaigns and get the best results, but to really make an impact, you need high-quality videos and a solid targeting strategy.
YouTube ads: A quick guide
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple formats | Choose from skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable in-stream ads, Shorts, bumper ads, and video discovery ads |
| Multi-format campaigns | Combine different ad formats within a single campaign for maximum reach and effectiveness |
| Compelling content | Create immersive ad experiences with engaging video, text, and image |
| Advanced targeting | Reach audiences matching specific demographics, interests, and search behaviours |
| Machine learning optimisation | Real-time optimisation of delivery and bidding for better results |
| Automated optimisation | Streamlined campaign management and improved performance |
Key benefits:
- Versatility: Choose the right format for your marketing objectives
- Engagement: Create engaging ad experiences
- Relevance: Target specific audiences with precision
- Efficiency: Automated optimisation saves time and effort
- Results: Drive brand awareness, consideration, and conversions
NOTE: Effective YouTube ads require high-quality video content and strategic targeting to maximise their impact.
Ad copywriting and creative
Creating compelling ad copy and creative assets is essential for capturing the attention of your target audience. Focus on creating ads that highlight your key message, with a strong call to action. Remember to have approval processes in place within your campaign, and legal teams to catch any potential compliance hiccups!
Integrating Google Ads with healthcare digital marketing strategies
Like any marketing tactic, your Google Ads campaigns must align with your overarching strategy.
Google advertising is a vital component of a holistic healthcare and medical digital marketing strategy. It's ability to target specific audiences and generate immediate visibility makes Google Ads an essential tool for healthcare, medical, and pharmaceutical companies looking to engage with their target audiences.
When meticulously integrated with other digital marketing initiatives, Google Ads can fill in the gaps in any omnichannel campaign, allowing you to bring your messaging to where your audience live online.
Cross-channel optimisation for enhanced audience engagement
To optimise audience engagement across all channels, it's essential for us to understand how Google Ads data can inform and improve other marketing tactics. For instance, insights derived from search campaign performance can guide content creation, help refine audience segmentation for email campaigns, and enhance social media targeting.
Utilising strong tracking and analytics, healthcare marketers can create a cohesive cross-channel strategy that leverages the strengths of each platform, while ensuring that paid search efforts are always targeted and efficient.
Remember to keep track of your costs so that you can optimise your budget allocation. By analysing the performance of each channel, you can ensure that you direct resources to the channels with the highest return on investment (ROI).
Optimising your Google Ads campaigns
Once your campaigns are up and running, continuous optimisation is crucial for maximising ROI and achieving long-term success. Google offers recommendations on your active campaigns with auto-apply options; but be cautious and thoroughly review these recommendations before applying them, as they may not always be the best fit for your campaigns. You can review recommendations for new keywords, bid adjustments, and asset opportunities.
Other essential optimisation techniques include A/B testing your ads, managing budgets and bidding strategies, audience remarketing, negative keyword management, and staying informed about industry trends and regulatory changes.
In conclusion
We've explored some key components of an effective and compliant Google Ads strategy, from understanding legal and regulatory compliance, to delving into various campaign types like responsive search ads and YouTube ads.
Navigating the realm of Google Ads for healthcare companies requires a delicate balance between leveraging powerful platforms and adhering to stringent regulatory frameworks.
Get help from AMP27
Still not sure quite where to start or how to improve your paid search campaign? At AMP27, we're experts in Google Ads for the healthcare and medical industry. If you're eager to explore how AMP27 can promote your website content, let's start the conversation.
