Overview for Paid Search Advertising for Healthcare Providers

What is Paid Search Advertising?

Paid search advertising, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising or search engine advertising, is a form of online advertising where businesses or advertisers pay money to have their ads displayed on search engine results pages. When a user searches for a keyword that matches the advertiser’s chosen keywords, the ad appears at the top or predetermined location in the results page, usually labeled as “ad” or “sponsored” or “promoted.”

How Does Paid Search Advertising Work?

We don’t have the space to get into the intricate details here, but let’s look at the general idea of how paid search advertising works.
First, the advertiser sets up a paid search campaign on an advertising platform such as Google Ads or Bing Advertising. Here, they’ll select a target audience, choose keywords related to their service or product, and set a budget. Then, they will determine how much they are willing to pay for EACH time someone clicks on the ad. This is why this advertising method is also called pay-per-click advertising.
Next, the advertiser must create a compelling ad copy that will appear in the results page. This will include a headline, short description, and a display URL. This ad copy should be carefully crafted to incorporate the search query and entice the user to click on the ad. Do NOT create “clickbait” though as you WILL be responsible for paying for each click.
Now your work is done; the platform takes care of the rest. When a user searches for a keyword, the advertising platform uses an auction system to determine which ads to display. Factors such as bid amount, ad quality, and relevance are considered.