Facebook Ads vs Google Ads For Medical Clinics & Healthcare Agencies

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Many healthcare agencies and medical centers want to grow the number of patients they serve. This is a natural goal. But, as part of the helping professions, they do not want to appear insincere or spammy. Healthcare professionals are sensitive to the fact that they are delivering valuable services.

Yet, healthcare is an industry and health professionals need to attract new patients. If not, their practice or agency will have trouble offering services over the long term. The use of social media and other online applications are a must.

Online networks and social media:

There is sometime a lack of clarity on the topic of online advertising and pay per click (PPC) services. It is field that quickly changes as new players and technologies disrupt the industry, or when tech giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter implement major changes in their operating platforms.

Keep mind, there are a variety of online advertising platforms and pay per click services. But, the biggest players in this field are Google and Facebook. These massive companies are actively competing against each other and continue to fight for market dominance in the technology industry. They are even expanding into other industries that are projected to grow, such as healthcare.

The basic concept behind pay per click advertising concept is understood by most people. If someone is using Google’s search engine, sees an online ad and clicks on it; Google will charge that advertiser a fee. Their search engine, successful directed an interested viewer to an advertiser’s services or product offer. Facebook ads are conceptual similar, but operate in a different manner. However, this is a very basic description of how these PPC services work.

Google and Facebook’s PPC ads may initially sound and look similar in form and purpose, but they are actually very different. Many people are not aware that these two advertising platforms actually operate in different parameters. If these minor details are overlooked, they can have a major impact on the overall performance of PPC ad campaigns.

Google AdWords versus Facebook Ads:

After a deeper investigation, people soon realize that Google and Facebook’s online ad platforms are built with a different purpose in mind. Google and Facebook are the two major advertising platforms that dominant internet marketing.

Google AdWords:

Their PPC ad platform focuses is on the intent of the internet search or query. This intent-based model is built on trying to help people find what they are looking for online.

If they type in term cheap OSU Buckeye tickets or directions to nice Cleveland hotels, Google’s search algorithm will look for information that best relates to these terms or specifically answers these search queries.

This platform is actually great at directing information (like PPC ads) that fulfill an internet searcher’s intent. If people search for the restaurants in Columbus, Ohio; chances are that Google’s AdWords system will understand that these individuals are looking for places to dine in Columbus, Ohio.

Facebook Ads:

This platform, unlike Google, is not built on an intent-based model. Facebook’s platform is not trying to answer people’s questions. Facebook is primarily designed to connect with people and expand that network.

The objective is to have people look at visuals and texts on people’s walls and timelines. Because of this network focus, Facebook generated ads do not operate in the same way that ads do on Google. So, typing in cheap OSU tickets will not automatically generate traffic from people who are looking to buy cheap OSU tickets.

Facebook ads excel at reaching a broad audience. These ads campaigns are better at targeting an entire healthcare category or medical specialty such as behavioral health, home health aides, dental, cardiology, etc.

Summary of Google versus Facebook:

If a medical clinic or healthcare center is offering a specific service or product, Google’s PPC model is a good fit. Products like smartwatch compatible heart monitors or services like applied behavioral analysis (ABA) for autism will likely involve intent-based research on the internet.

However, a physician who is a general practitioner could focus on wellness during the winter season. This is a more general approach that is not directly based on a person’s search intent.

For example, Facebook ads can deliver content that focuses on people who are interested in staying healthy during the winter months. Perhaps they would want to know about new medical studies or other updates that are changing how patients think about wellness.

One could argue that the people viewing these updates have an intent to stay healthy, but the focus of their searches are not as narrow on Facebook. In other words, when people want to answer a question, they use Google. But, when they want to see what is happening on a topic or subject that interest them, they use Facebook. Both PPC ad platforms take this into consideration.

About ABCS RCM:

We provide healthcare-focused marketing and website development for medical professionals. We also provide experienced medical billing, credentialing, HCBS Medicaid Waiver billing and workforce management tools (SaaS). For additional questions about this topic or other healthcare-related questions, please contact us.

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Facebook Ads, Google, PPC, Advertising, Healthcare Marketing