If you own an optometry practice and need more new patients, one powerful tool to help you achieve this is Google Search Ads. Google Search Ads can drive more inbound phone calls, appointment request form submissions, and clicks to your online scheduling pages.
Here’s what you need to know to get started.
Define Your Primary Goal: What Do You Want to Achieve?
It’s essential to establish clear objectives for your ads. Here are three common goals for optometrists:
Objective one: Increase inbound phone calls from prospective patients
One of the first questions you need to ask yourself is whether your practice can handle an increase in phone calls. Google Search Ads can indeed generate a significant uptick in interest, and it’s crucial to be prepared.
- Make sure you have enough staff to answer calls. Unanswered calls or delayed responses can lead to missed opportunities. Adjust your ad schedule to run during hours when your staff is available to answer calls. This ensures that when people do click to call, someone is there to provide immediate assistance.
- Your staff should be able to answer phone calls efficiently and professionally. A good impression on the phone can convert interest into appointments.
Objective two: Increase inbound “appointment request” form submissions from prospective patients
If you want to increase the number of inbound form submissions from people who want to request an appointment, ensure your landing page is optimized with a user-friendly form that captures essential patient details. At Optometry Marketing Services, we utilize a HIPAA compliant form which encrypts patient information that will be forwarded to the practice email address.
- When you receive the inbound form submissions from people who want to schedule an appointment, it’s crucial to contact them as soon as possible so that you get that appointment scheduled.
Objective three: Drive traffic to online appointment scheduling page
If your focus is on driving traffic to your online appointment scheduling page, ensure that the landing page associated with your ad is intuitive and easy to navigate, and that your appointment scheduling system is robust enough to manage an increase in bookings without causing any glitches or delays.
Prepare for Human Behavior: Expect the Unexpected
People often skim through content quickly. They may see your ad, recognize a few key words like “optometrist” or “eye care,” and click to call without fully understanding the specifics of your services or special offers. Frustrating, for sure, but that doesn’t mean your ad isn’t working!
Strategies to Mitigate Quick Clicks
Negative keywords: Use negative keywords to filter out searches that are not relevant to your services. This can help reduce the number of irrelevant clicks.
Clear and Specific Ad Copy: Ensure your ad copy is as clear and specific as possible. Highlight key details about your services, specializations, and any other important information that can help users understand what you offer before they click.
- Example: “Comprehensive Eye Exams & Pediatric Eye Care – Book Now!”
Call Extensions with Additional Information: Use call extensions to provide additional information directly within your ad. This can include your business hours, specific services, or a brief qualifying question.
Example: “Call Us Today! Open Mon-Fri, 9 AM – 5 PM. Ask About Our Comprehensive Eye Exams!”
Landing Pages with Qualifying Information: Direct people to a landing page that provides more detailed information before they can click to call. This can help filter out casual browsers from serious inquiries.
- Example: A landing page that lists all the services you offer, along with a prominent “Call Now” button for those ready to take the next step.
Time for Testing: Commit to a Minimum of Three Months
Google Search Ads are not a set-it-and-forget-it solution. Successful campaigns require continuous testing and optimization. It takes time to gather sufficient data to make informed decisions. Analyzing this data will help you understand what works and what doesn’t.
A/B Testing: Experiment with different ad copies, keywords, and landing pages to see which combinations yield the best results.
Optimization: Use the insights gained from testing to refine your campaign. This could involve adjusting your budget, bidding strategies, or even the times your ads are displayed.
Summary
Google Search Ads can be a powerful tool to grow your optometry practice by increasing inbound phone calls, appointment request form submissions, or online appointment bookings. However, it’s crucial to set clear objectives, ensure you have the capacity to handle increased interest, prepare for human behavior, and commit to a minimum of three months of testing and optimization.
