The success of a Google Ads campaign essentially depends on the choice of the right campaign type. These pursue different goals - be it increasing sales, lead generation, website visits, buying interest or increasing reach. They also vary depending on the advertising objective, ad type, format and the network in which they are shown. You can find out which Google Ads campaign types are best suited to healthcare marketing in this article.
Search campaigns: Text ads in search results
Search campaigns are used to place so-called responsive search ads (text ads) in Google search results in order to reach interested users. They consist of an advert title, a description and a URL and appear above or below the organic search results. In addition, extensions (e.g. images, sitelinks, callouts) can be added to create further impetus for interaction with the advert.
As search campaigns are targeted on the basis of keywords, they are categorized as pull marketing strategies. Ads are only displayed when users proactively search for specific terms (keywords) on Google.
As a result, search ads are particularly suitable for patients and their relatives who are looking for information on a specific indication/disease, for example. Pharmaceutical companies have the opportunity here to position themselves in the relevant indication areas and draw attention to themselves. Although specialized information is protected by the Medicinal Products Act, this type of campaign is also suitable for HCPs. This is because this target group also googles for information on diseases and medicines and can therefore be reached in the best possible way. Furthermore, pharmaceutical companies can use search ads to draw the attention of the interested specialist target group to medical congresses and events at which they are represented.
Display campaigns: Banner advertising on websites
In display campaigns, image ads are shown on websites, apps and in Google products such as YouTube and Gmail. These are proactively displayed to users as they browse the websites.
Either classic image ads (static and animated banners in various formats) or responsive ads can be used. Responsive display ads consist of various text, image and video elements that adapt dynamically and AI-based to the available space. As a rule, they achieve a greater reach and better performance values than classic banners.
Display campaigns can be organized according to target groups (person-related targeting) and on the basis of topics, placements and keywords (content-related targeting).
Display campaigns are push marketing measures, as they aim to increase brand awareness, increase reach and also address a target group outside of Google searches.
In healthcare marketing, display banners are particularly suitable for addressing patients. By targeting user-defined target groups, specific patient groups can be identified and reached - even those who are not yet aware that they are affected. This type of campaign is therefore ideal for disease awareness campaigns, for example to
- raise awareness of rare diseases,
- contribute to the education of diseases and
- promote awareness of diseases (pre- and aftercare, prevention).
In addition, this type of campaign is traditionally used in healthcare marketing to increase brand awareness. Display campaigns are therefore particularly suitable for the OTC sector in order to place brands/products with the right target group.
Video campaigns: Ads on YouTube
With this campaign type, video ads can be placed on YouTube as well as on websites and in apps from Google video partners. Google offers various ad formats for this:
- Skippable in-stream ads: Played before, during and after videos; can be skipped after 5 seconds
- Non-skippable in-stream ads: Playout before, during and after videos; 15 seconds long
- Non-skippable bumper ads: Playout before, during and after videos; 6 seconds long
- In-feed video ads: Play next to video recommendations, in YouTube search results, on the YouTube mobile home page; consist of a video thumbnail and text
- Out-stream ads: Display on websites and in apps of Google video partners on mobile devices
Similar to display campaigns, video campaigns can be targeted at target groups with specific demographic characteristics and interests as well as specific content. This is why this type of campaign in healthcare marketing is also particularly suitable for patient and disease awareness campaigns and for increasing brand awareness. Video ads are also used to increase awareness and visibility of a company's own website and YouTube channel.
Performance Max campaigns: Display on all Google Ads channels
The new, fully automated Performance Max campaign type enables access to the entire Google Ads inventory (Google Search, Display Network, YouTube, Shopping, Discover, Gmail and Maps) with just one campaign. The aim is to maximize previously defined conversions across all Google platforms.
Due to the low level of personal influence, a Performance Max campaign serves more as a supplement to the classic campaign types. It makes sense if clear conversions are defined that the campaign can be geared towards. In the OTC sector, for example, this could be clicks to pharmacies that sell your own product. For patients, on the other hand, engagement conversions (interactions with website content) are more likely to be used. For HCPs, on the other hand, it is mainly opt-ins (registrations, logins, newsletter subscriptions, contacts).
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