Google Paid Ads Vs. Search Engine Optimization for Doctors
As a healthcare professional, having both Paid Advertisements and Search Engine Optimized websites working for you to acquire new patients might be the best choice. Here is why.
Google ads vs search engine optimization is common topic for discussion between digital marketers. Understanding what both of them are, can help your medical practice grow into a flourishing business. In the following short article we give a bird-eye view on google ads vs seo.
What are Google Ads?
When people input a search term in the Google Search Engine, they will be presented with results that point to different websites. The first few results might be ads, depending on whether companies are advertising on these search terms or not. On the picture below, you can see the different elements of a Google search results page (In digital marketing, this page is referred to as the SERP or Search Engine Ranking Page). These first few results, that are ads, need to be set up by the advertiser. Although, this process might be complicated and requires knowledge about the Google Ads platform, this can be done by any website owner.
What is Search Engine Optimization?
Google determines which websites to show to what search term based on a very complex and technical algorythm. Designing a website and then optimizing it in a way that makes the job of the algorythm easier is called Search Engine Optimization.
Advantages and disadvantages of Google Ads
Advantages of Google Ads:
- Instant: If you launch such a campaign, your website will appear on the top of the Google result page immediately.
- The budget of the ad can be fine-tuned and monitored
- You pay only for those, who click on your ad
Disadvantages of Google Ads:
- Expensive
- If you stop it, your website will disappear from the Google result page immediately
Advantages and disadvantages of Search Engine Optimization
Advantages of SEO:
- Cheaper than Google Ads, but only on the long run
- If you stop SEO, your website does not lose its rankings immediately
Disadvantages of SEO:
- It does not have an immediate effect: the results come only 3-4 months
The best way is to follow a multi-channel approach. This means, that the budget is to be split between Google Ads and SEO. The first step is always to have a good website, this is the cornerstone of every online activity.