A Beginner’s Guide to Google Ads for Veterinary Practice
Veterinary professionals have years of education about veterinary medicine but learn little about business or marketing during their schooling. However, marketing strategy is critical to vet practice success. Digital advertising and online veterinary marketing campaigns have quickly become the norm, and for good reason. Well-placed online ads can get you noticed by your target audience, but you need to invest strategically to reach the right demographic.
If you’ve ever searched for something on Google and noticed the first few results labeled as "Sponsored" or "Ad," you’ve encountered Google Ads. This popular tool is a powerful way to attract potential clients to your practice—but it can take some time to learn. Here’s our beginner’s guide to Google Ads for vets to help you get started.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is Google’s online advertising platform that allows businesses to display ads in search results and on affiliated websites. When someone searches for a key term, such as “veterinarian near me,” your ad can appear at the top of the results, increasing the likelihood that pet owners see you and choose your clinic over competitors.
Key marketing and Google Ads terms
Before you dive into Google Ads for veterinary practices, you’ll need to understand a few key terms:
- Pay-per-click (PPC) — A type of advertising where you pay only when someone clicks on your ad, rather than paying a flat fee; Google’s cost for vet PPC ads varies based on keywords
- Keywords — The words or phrases that link to your ad when someone searches for them
- Search intent — The reason behind a user’s search
- Impressions — The number of times your ad is shown, even if it isn’t clicked
- Click-through rate (CTR) — The percentage of people who click on your ad after seeing it
- Conversion — When a searcher performs the desired action after clicking your ad, such as calling or booking online
- Landing page — The webpage users are taken to after clicking your ad; a good landing page is easy to navigate and understand, and has a clear call to action (CTA)
- Quality score — Google’s rating of the relevance and quality of your ad, keywords, and landing page; a higher quality score can improve ad placement
How to set up a Google Ads campaign
To help you understand Google ads for vets, here’s an overview of the basic steps to set up a Google Ads campaign.
1. Create an account
If you don’t already have one, you’ll need a Google email account for your clinic. Then, using the clinic’s account, you can sign up for a Google Ads account and start the guided setup process. Inputting accurate and complete business information helps guide Google’s recommendations.
2. Choose Your campaign type
Select an objective from the list, such as sales, clicks, or leads, and Google will show you the best campaign types for reaching your goals. Effective vet PPC ad types include search campaigns and local services ads, which appear in search engine results when people enter relevant keywords. Performance Max is another option that expands your reach beyond search engines and uses AI to optimize and automate the campaign.
3. Select keywords
Use Google’s Keyword Planner to find and incorporate relevant keywords, which determine when and where people see your ads. Aim for a mix of:
- Broad keywords — General terms like “veterinarian near me” can capture more searches.
- Specific keywords — Terms like “24-hour emergency vet” or “cat spay cost” attract users with a clear intent.
- Negative keywords — It’s also important to identify words you don’t want to trigger your ads (e.g., “free veterinary services” if you don’t offer free care).
4. Provide compelling assets
Google uses assets, including text, images, and videos, to place your ads. Your vet PPC ad copy should be clear, concise, and engaging. Ads should include strong headlines, a concise message communicating the benefits of your services, and a call to action (e.g., to schedule a visit). The better your ad quality, the more likely Google will prioritize your ad over others.
5. Optimize your landing page
Ensure the page users land on after clicking your ad is inviting and user-friendly. Users click because they are interested, but you need to keep their attention on the landing page to drive conversions. A strong landing page should directly relate to your ad content, include a call to action, and work well on mobile devices.
6. Set your budget
Google Ads operates on an auction system, meaning you set a budget to bid for ad placements. Start low to see how your ads perform, and then increase your daily budget if needed. Google’s AI considers quality in addition to your ad spend, so changing your content or keywords can also affect placement.
7. Analyze performance
Once your ads run, use Google Ads analytics to check their performance. Check these metrics to understand how you’re doing:
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Conversion rate
- Cost per click (CPC)
- Quality score
- Search terms
If you need help with Google Ads or vet PPC ads at any point, you can search through Google Ads’ many help pages, or consult a professional digital marketing specialist. Start small with Google Ads for vets and keep things simple, then monitor performance and make adjustments to get a feel for what works for you.
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