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A step-by-step tutorial for creating paid branded medical ads

Protecting your brand is an important piece of online advertising.

Doctor creates branded medical ads

About 75 percent of people say they have looked online to find information about a doctor, dentist, or medical care, according to PatientPop. One of the most effective ways to reach these patients is via paid online advertising.

Because Google has 88 percent of the U.S. search engine market share, according to StatCounter, placing medical ads on Google is an effective way to reach patients who are searching for you and your services.

When paying for medical ads, we recommend launching a branded ad campaign, which targets a branded keyword such as your name or the name of your practice. This allows you to dominate Google’s results when your name is searched.

Read on — or watch the video — for step-by-step instructions on how to create a branded medical ad campaign.

How to launch branded medical ads on Google

Step 1: Create a Google account

If you already have a Google account, skip to step 2. If you have a Google account that is already linked to Google Ads, skip to step 3.

If this is your first time running medical ads on Google, you’ll need to create a Google account. This will be your single sign-on for all Google properties such as Gmail, Google Chrome, YouTube, and Google Ads. You can do this by visiting accounts.google.com/signup.

Step 2: Link your account with Google Ads

Now that you’ve created (or logged into) your Google account, go to ads.google.com and click on the “Start now” button. The screen will ask you for your main advertising goal. Instead, click on the link that reads “Are you a professional marketer? Switch to Expert Mode.”

Branded medical ads how-to

Then, you’ll be asked to select a campaign type. Instead, click on the blue text that reads “Create an account without a campaign.”

Branded medical ads how-to

The next screen will ask you to verify your business information. Click the “Submit” button, and then you’ll be ready to begin placing medical ads.

Branded medical ads how-to

Click the “Explore your account” button and you’ll be directed to the Google Ads main page.

Check out: Marketing your private practice with paid advertising

Step 3: Create a campaign

Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new campaign. You may have to click a blue “+” sign, and then click “+ new campaign.”

The next screen will ask you to select a goal. Click the last box marked “Create a campaign without a goal’s guidance.” We find this is the most customizable option.

Branded medical ads how-to

When asked to select a campaign type, choose “Search” and click the “Continue” button.

Branded medical ads how-to

Step 4: Set parameters for your healthcare advertisement

Where it says “Campaign name,” type in “Branded Campaign.” This will differentiate this particular campaign from other healthcare ads you’re running. Then, uncheck the box that reads “Include Google Display Network.”

Branded medical ads how-to

Select your target geography by selecting “Enter another location,” and fill in your desired targets by city name. Your target patients are most likely going to be in your immediate area. You should have a general sense of where most of your patient base lives.

Branded medical ads how-to

Do not worry about the language section, as it will default to English. Enter your desired daily budget. Leave the bidding section blank, and then click the “Save and continue” button.

The Practice Growth Podcast: Online advertising for doctors

Step 5: Write your medical advertisement

Now you’re ready to start writing your medical advertisement. Name your ad group “Branded Ad Group.” Then, list your keywords. We recommend adding all applicable variations of your name and your practice name in quotation marks. For example, if your name is Jane Doe, your keywords might include:

  • “Dr. Jane Doe”
  • “Jane Doe MD”
  • “Dr. Doe Santa Monica”
  • “Dr. Doe OBGYN”
  • “My Practice Name”
Branded medical ads how-to

Click the “Save and continue” button. On the next screen, you’ll start adding text to your medical ads. Enter, at minimum, a URL, Headline 1, Headline 2, Description 1.

Use the following copy guidelines:

  • Headline 1: your name or practice name (ex: Jane Doe, MD Santa Monica)
  • Headline 2: a call-to-action (ex: Book online or call today)
  • Description 1: what sets your practice apart (ex: Dr. Doe is a trusted board-certified OBGYN with 20+ years of experience.)
Branded medical ads how-to

As you’re filling in the text for your healthcare ads, you’ll see a preview on the right-hand side of your screen. Keep the character limits displayed in mind, so your ad doesn’t get cut off.

When you are satisfied with your ad, click “Done.” Then click “Save and continue.” You can modify your medical ads even after they start running.

Click the “Continue to campaign” button to review your campaign. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to set up your billing information, as your campaign won’t run until this information has been input. To do this, select “Tools” in the upper right-hand corner of the web page. From the dropdown, under the “Setup” column, select “Billing” then “Billing settings.”

Branded medical ads how-to

Once you update your billing information and click “Submit,” your campaign will be active.

Branded ad campaigns are a great way to get started with Google Ads, as they are simple to set up and manage, and you usually won’t need to spend more than a few dollars a day to protect your brand. Branded medical ads are important to your online advertising strategy because they help you rank above other practices who may also be running ads on your name. Additionally, online advertising is a great tactic to use while you wait for your website’s SEO to ramp up and your organic rankings to improve.

Know that if you were interested in running ads specific to your specialty or services that you offer, the steps are exactly the same. The main difference with these medical ads is that you would have chosen different keywords to target and changed the ad copy accordingly. 

Interested in learning more about online medical ads? Check out the blog post “5 online advertising options for healthcare practices.”

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PatientPop
PatientPop is the leader in practice growth with the only all-in-one solution that empowers healthcare providers to improve every digital touchpoint of the patient journey. As experts in the healthcare technology space, PatientPop makes it easy for providers to thrive in the consumerization of healthcare and promote their practice online, attract patients, and retain them for life.

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As leaders in clinical, financial, and practice growth technology, Kareo and PatientPop have joined forces as Tebra to support the connected practice of the future and modernize every step of the patient journey.

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