Guide to PPC for Plastic Surgeons

The services plastic surgeons offer are in high demand, which brings up a great question: What is the best way for surgeons in this industry to reach their target audience? You can have a professional and well-designed plastic surgery website, but the key to success is engaging prospective customers and getting them to visit your site. Plastic Surgery Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a proven method to get traffic.

In this article, we’ll take a close look at PPC marketing for plastic surgeons and how it can help you can get the best possible ROI for your online advertising.

What is PPC?

Pay-per-click or PPC is a popular form of online advertising that charges advertisers each time an online user clicks on their ad. It is an efficient model that replaces traditional advertising methods, such as paying for space on a publication, listing, or directory. With PPC, there’s a good chance that the money you’re spending will be well-targeted.

Google Adwords was the first major PPC service, and it is still the most popular. Now, however, there are quite a few competitors, including:

• Facebook Ads —The world’s largest social media platform lets you place various targeted ads, including text, image, and video ads.
• Amazon Ads —Sponsored product ads, which appear in customers’ shopping results, are the most popular type of PPC ad on Amazon.
• Bidvertiser —An extensive advertising network that offers creative ad formats such as banners, sliders, and pop-unders using a PPC model.
• Bing Ads —Microsoft Bing, the second largest search engine after Google, offers PPC ads that work similarly to AdWords.
• RevContent —An advertising platform that specializes in native ads, which are designed to blend with the site on which they appear.
• AdRoll —A platform geared towards e-commerce sellers. They are primarily known for retargeting and remarketing ads.

Although plastic surgeons can use any of the advertisement types mentioned above, we will focus mainly on running Google AdWords campaigns. However, the same principles can apply to virtually every platform.

Top Advantages of Using PPC For Plastic Surgery Marketing

There are valid reasons why AdWords and other pay-per-click programs are so widely used by medical professionals. When implemented correctly, the benefits of PPC advertising for plastic surgeons are immense.

• Instantaneous visibility and traffic. While other traffic-generating methods like search engine optimization can take many months, PPC provides immediate results.
• You only pay when someone clicks on ads. You don’t waste money paying for ads that your audience has no interest in.
• Precision targeting. For example, you can target people based on location, age, gender, income, and other demographics.
• Get measurable insight. You can test various strategies and quickly change your ads based on your results.

In addition to these benefits, an important reason to advertise is that your competitors are most likely using PPC. If you don’t advertise, there’s a good chance that you’ll lose many potential customers who will be clicking on your competitors’ ads.

What is Search Intent?

Understanding search intent is crucial if you want to conduct successful PPC campaigns. When people search for information, they have a specific goal in mind. You want to attract users whose intent is a close match for your ads. For example, you don’t want people to click on your ads because they’re doing research for a term paper.

According to Search Engine Journal, there are four types of search intent.

• Informational —The searcher is seeking information on a topic. This is the most general type of search.
• Navigational — Searches for a specific destination, which may be your website or a competitor’s.
• Commercial —Searches that are comparing brands.
• Transactional —The searcher has done their research and is looking for the best solution.

Understanding search intent will inform your entire PPC strategy, including the keywords you bid on and the way you structure your landing pages. Your objective is to create maximum alignment between your search intent, ads, and landing pages.

How Does PPC For Plastic Surgeons Work?

Although the concept of PPC is simple, there are many details and strategies to master if you want to get the most from your advertising dollars.

Bidding on Keywords

The foundation of PPC advertising is bidding on keywords that your customers are looking for in search engines. Keywords may be based on location, needs, or interests. For plastic surgery marketing, your customers might be searching for terms or queries such as:

• “Plastic surgeon in Omaha”
• “Best plastic surgery Los Angeles”
• “Breast augmentation Chicago”
• “How much does rhinoplasty cost?”

These are just a few examples, and the specific keywords will depend on your specialty and location. Bidding, like any auction, is a competition between advertisers, and the more popular the term, the more you pay. There’s a whole science behind choosing your keywords which we’ll explore in detail very soon.

Types of Plastic Surgery PPC Ads

When you create a plastic surgery ad, you have many choices. The following are the main types of PPC ads you can place.

• Search ads — These are the most common type of PPC ads. When you perform a search on Google, you’ll see search ads either above or below the organic listings (non-paid listings).
• Video ads — Video is an increasingly influential force on the internet, and advertisers can take advantage of this. Since Google owns YouTube, you can place PPC ads in targeted videos.
• Local Services Ads (LSAs) —Google Local Services Ads allow you to market specifically to people in your area, which is very useful for plastic surgeons. You will be targeting customers in the area you specify and you are only charged if potential customers call or message you after seeing your ad.
• Remarketing — Remarketing is a powerful type of advertising where you show ads to people who have already visited your website. Google, Facebook, AdRoll, Criteo, and other platforms offer a variety of remarketing advertising options.
• Email ads —Google lets you target Gmail users by advertising directly in emails. When you open Gmail, you’ll notice that there are sponsored ads that look like regular emails.

What Plastic Surgery PPC Advertising Isn’t

PPC is sometimes confused with other types of promotional and marketing methods. Let’s look at a few practices that are not PPC.

It’s Not Banner Ads and Display Ads

Display and banner ads are essentially the digital version of traditional print ads. The advertiser pays a specific price, which will depend on the size of the ad and the website’s traffic. As an advertiser using banner and display ads, you can expect to pay the same amount whether your ad gets zero clicks or a million.

PPC was designed to create a more advertiser-friendly approach, so you pay per click. PPC ads may also look very similar to traditional display ads. The most significant difference between the two advertisement types is how you will be charged for them.

It’s Not SEO

Search engine optimization or SEO is another popular way to get targeted traffic. With SEO, you can optimize your website to make it easier for Google (and other search engines) to find your site and rank it. The traffic you get via plastic surgery SEO is called organic traffic because it doesn’t require advertising. However, it does require a great deal of effort and strategy, which may include:

• Keyword optimization — Like PPC, SEO is very concerned with keywords. However, instead of bidding on keywords, you insert them strategically in your content so you can rank for them.
• Backlinks — Getting links from authoritative sites is a signal that helps you rank.
• On-site SEO — This includes page loading speed, mobile-friendliness, optimized URLs, and security. For example, having an SSL Certificate shows that your site is secure by providing you with an URL that starts with HTTPS rather than HTTP.

While SEO can be effective, it’s also time-consuming, and it can take months, even years, to rank. For competitive keywords, you may never be able to catch up with competitors who are already ranking. For example, if your practice is relatively new, it will be challenging to rank for a keyword such as “plastic surgery Dallas.” However, you can become visible with PPC advertising by outbidding your competition.

Plastic Surgery PPC Best Practices

PPC advertising is relatively simple to start. If you want to advertise with Google, you simply sign up for an Adwords account and follow the instructions. However, if your goal is to get the best return on your investment, several PPC best practices are available for you to follow.

Perform Keyword Research

Identifying the right keywords is one of the first and most essential steps to planning your PPC strategy. When choosing keywords, you don’t want to guess which keywords your customers are searching for. You also have to balance the popularity of a keyword against its cost.

For example, a keyword such as “plastic surgeon” can be very costly. It’s also considered a broad keyword since it doesn’t contain any information about specialties or locations. The best way to do keyword research is using an automated tool. Fortunately, Google provides one you can use for free.

Use Google Keyword Planner

There are many keyword tools, some free, others that charge you a one-time or ongoing fee. When starting, you may as well take advantage of the free Google Keyword Planner. To start using Keyword Planner, simply begin typing keywords into the Discover New Keywords search box, similar to how the Google search engine works.

You could type in something general, such as “plastic surgery my location” or any specialty services you offer. You will immediately get a list of suggested keywords. For example, typing in “plastic surgery” produced the following keywords (your results may differ, as Google continuously updates its results).

• Nose job
• Cosmetic surgery
• Nose job cost
• Neck lift
• Reconstructive surgery
• Eyelift surgery
• Thigh lift

You will naturally want to target the plastic surgery keywords that are relevant to your practice and location.

Monitor Average Monthly Searches, Competition, and CPC

Monthly searches and competition are both essential to note when searching for keywords. Competition is ranked low, medium, or high. It also gives you an idea of how much it will cost to bid on each term, also known as cost-per-click or CPC. These metrics are listed under Top of Page Bid (i.e., the cost of having your ad near the top of the page).

“Plastic surgery,” for example, gets 100K to 1 million searches per month and is low competition, with an estimated bid between $1.90 and $6.52. You can see that the potential bidding cost has a wide range. The general rule is to seek keywords within your budget, that can help maximize your return.

Consider Keyword Match Types

Keyword matching refers to the keyword searches that will bring up your ads. Google gives you three options for keyword matching: broad match, exact match, and phrase match, and you should understand what these terms mean when researching keywords.

• Broad Match —This is the default setting, which allows users to see your ad based on any searches related to your keyword. This setting allows you to reach the largest possible audience. It may show your ads to people who haven’t entered your exact keyword. For example, if you are using “plastic surgery,” your ad may appear to people typing in “reconstructive surgery.”
• Exact Match —As the name suggests, your ads will only appear to users who type in the exact keywords that you bid on.
• Phrase Match —This setting is somewhere between broad and exact in terms of specificity. Unlike exact match, your ad will be displayed to people who type in a phrase even if the order is different or there are extra words before or after it. For example, if the keyword is “plastic surgeons in Detroit,” a phrase match will show ads to someone who types in “Best Detroit plastic surgeons.” However, unlike broad, it won’t show ads if they type in different words such as “Detroit reconstructive surgery.”

PPC Automation

Managing your PPC campaigns can be tedious and time-consuming. Automation software for PPC makes use of AI and machine learning to optimize your campaigns without having to constantly make manual changes. This type of software can perform several important functions, such as optimizing your bids on all your keywords. Here are four of the most highly-recommended PPC automation tools.

1. Wordstream PPC Advisor
2. Optmyzr
3. Google Ads Editor (which is free if you’re using Google AdWords)
4. Semrush PPC Toolkit

PPC Reporting Tools

It’s essential to have regular and accurate reporting for your PPC campaigns. Just as it’s more efficient to use software to automate your PPC campaigns, you can also use efficient tools for reporting. Some leading software solutions for PPC reporting include Reporting Ninja and Swydo.

Spy on Your Competition

One keyword research tactic that can be useful in finding out which keywords your competitors are using. You can use a paid tool such as Spyfu or Ahrefs, or Google’s Auction Insights to see what they are doing and use that information to improve upon your strategy. It’s helpful to see what similar businesses are doing with the PPC budgets.

If someone is bidding on a particular term over a long period, there’s a strong chance it is highly profitable for them. At the same time, you have to remember that every business is unique. The effectiveness of a keyword may vary depending on the location and other factors, such as the landing page (i.e., the web page the visitor first lands on when clicking on an ad).

Tracking and Managing Your PPC Campaigns

Almost anyone could “succeed” in the pay-per-click world with a large budget and unlimited ambition. The main challenge with PPC is creating the proper budget and effectively managing it to get a solid ROI.

Below are a few tips that can help keep you on the right path:

• Set a budget for your campaigns — It’s usually best to start with a modest budget and scale up as you learn and identify the most profitable keywords.
• Use the cost projection feature — This is located in the Google Keyword Planner, which is found in the Plan Overview window.
• Track your results with conversion tracking — You need to specify what counts as a conversion, which may be calling your business or filling out an online form.

Hierarchy of Ad Ranking Factors

You receive a quality score from Google for every keyword you bid on. The higher your quality score, the higher your ad ranking, which means more people see your plastic surgery advertisement. When optimizing your plastic surgery marketing, the goal is to have your ads rank high while spending as little as possible.

Quality Score and Ad Rank

Several factors determine your cost and quality score when you bid on a keyword.

The pay-per-click model is based on advertisers competing against one another in auctions. Like a traditional auction, the auction company sets the rules, including whether or not your bid is even accepted.

When using Google AdWords, aiming for a high-quality score and Ad Rank would be beneficial. Google considers several factors to determine quality score:

• Relevance
• The expected CTR (click-through rate)
• The quality of your landing page

Google’s basic formula to calculate ad rank is max CPC x quality score. Although this seems like a scientific formula, there is still a subjective element regarding how Google calculates quality scores. Max CPC refers to the highest cost-per-click you’re willing to pay.

How Landing Pages Help PPC Campaigns and Drive Conversions

Landing pages are critical to include in your PPC campaigns since they can improve your ad ranking and offer potential customers the best possible user experience. The landing page is simply the web page that a user lands on after clicking on a PPC ad. Landing pages are essential components of ad ranking. While a PPC ad does a great job of capturing your prospect’s attention, your landing page is responsible for conversions. A conversion is when your visitor takes action, such as calling you or filling out a contact form.

Google (or any other PPC platform you may be using) wants to ensure that your ads and landing pages are well-matched. Regardless of how well-crafted an ad may seem, your ad score will suffer if it doesn’t bring users to a high-quality and relevant landing page.

The following are some guidelines to help you optimize your landing pages for your PPC campaigns.

1. Create Dedicated Landing Pages For Each Campaign

One common mistake made by PPC advertisers is to send all traffic to one page, such as their home page. It’s more effective to create a separate landing page for each campaign, or at least for each type of campaign. Plastic surgery websites should have dedicated pages for each service. This will ensure that the keywords you’re bidding on are a good match for the landing page. This is a solid SEO practice as well as helpful for PPC. You may have pages for areas such as:

• Liposuction
• Thigh Lift
• Breast Implant Removals
• Rhinoplasty
• Dermabrasion

If someone clicks on an ad for a specific procedure, you don’t want to send them to a generic or not very relevant landing page. For example, if someone clicks on an ad for facelifts, don’t send them to a page with a title such as “5 Ways That Plastic Surgery Can Transform Your Life.” The latter is too general when people are seeking a specific service.

2. Have a Clear Call to Action

You want visitors to take action, such as calling you or filling out a contact form. It’s best to give them an option, as some people prefer using the phone while others would instead send a document.

Make sure your call-to-action (CTA) buttons or forms are bold and clear. You can include an inducement such as a coupon or a free consultation. Make contact forms as straightforward as possible to fill out. The less information you ask for, the better your responses will be. Name, email, and phone number are examples of personal data that is essential to collect.

3. Test Landing Page Elements

To ensure your landing pages are optimized, conduct A/B tests on different elements. An A/B or split test simply tests two features, such as the page title, an image, contact form, or layout. You can then track how well an ad converts by changing various elements. The key is to change only one element at a time, so you know what is making a difference.

Plastic Surgeon PPC Campaigns: DIY vs Agency

When getting ready to launch your PPC campaigns, a big decision is whether to handle them yourself or hire an agency. A couple of the most significant DIY advantages are that you have complete control over your campaigns and save money.

On the other hand, learning to manage PPC campaigns takes a great deal of time and research. Hiring an agency is an expense. However, choosing the right company could save you hundreds of dollars that would have otherwise gone into campaigns that may or may not perform well.

Choosing the Right Agency

While outsourcing your PPC campaigns can be a wise choice, you must do your research and find the right agency.

Red Flags to Watch Out For

There are certain red flags to look for that should warn you away from an agency.

• Their website doesn’t look professional or is not user-friendly.
• They don’t offer extensive tracking of results.
• They make guarantees about conversions or acquiring new customers. Even the best agencies can’t guarantee results.
• They can’t provide case studies or testimonials.
• They aren’t forthcoming about answering questions or presenting you with a clear strategy.

How to Find a Good PPC Agency

Here are some tips for finding the right PPC agency for plastic surgery marketing.

• Look at their track record — Testimonials, reviews, and case studies are some excellent places to start. It’s best if you’re able to contact current or former clients. If they’ve worked with other plastic surgeons before, that’s a plus, but it’s not essential. It will help if they have experience with medical practitioners.
• Who owns and controls the account and data — This is especially important if you decide to switch agencies at some point (or go the DIY route). You want to be sure you’ll be able to take your data with you.
• Make sure you’re clear about costs — Remember that you have to pay the agency fee and your ad budget. A reputable company is transparent about costs.
• Ask about their tracking — You should also ask what kind of reports they provide regarding campaigns. Ask if you will have access to metrics or if you have to wait for them to issue reports.

Call several companies. Talk to them on the phone and make sure you feel comfortable with them. Ask them questions and pay attention to how they respond. Be wary of agencies that try to hard-sell you with boasts and promises.

PPC: An Efficient Way to Boost Marketing for Plastic Surgeons

There are many ways to grow your business and attract visitors to your plastic surgery website. PPC marketing, however, is one of the fastest tools to generate targeted traffic for your plastic surgery business. Whether you handle your own campaigns or hire an agency, it’s essential to develop a unique strategy that works for your business. Over time, you can finetune your ads and keywords to get a steady stream of leads that convert into customers — month after month.

Get More Patients to Your Plastic Surgery Practice with Effective PPC Advertising from Dagmar Marketing

Now that you have learned the ins and outs of PPC for plastic surgeons, it’s time to put it into practice. If you are looking for a marketing agency that has experience managing PPC for plastic surgeons, Dagmar Marketing can help. Contact us today to get started.