Contextual Advertising for a Medical Center: A Google Ads PPC Case Study for a Clinic in an EU Country

Client:

An international medical clinic based in an EU country.

Our Objective:

To ensure a steady increase in conversions for online consultation and treatment services targeting an international audience.

Project Duration:

The client has been working with us since August 18, 2017, and the collaboration is ongoing.

Case Study Data Period:

This case study presents results from January 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024.

Project Challenges

Niche-specific aspects complicating project execution:

• The need to balance the client's specific wording with Google Ads policies on medical advertising, restricted under the "Personalized Advertising: Healthcare" policy.
• The absence of automated booking systems that could be tracked using Google tools.
• Low search volume and an unclearly defined demand.
• Certain internal nuances within the clinic's organization and limited information on the user journey from initial interest on the website to booking a consultation or visiting the clinic.

Preamble:

The primary advertising focus is on "oncology treatment" and "oncologist consultation" for audiences in Ukraine and several other countries. Geo-targeting is periodically adjusted at the client’s request due to global marketing decisions. In 2024, new service categories—ophthalmology and cardiology—were added. Comparing results across the entire collaboration period is not representative due to several major changes:

1. Global website updates:
   • Implementation of recommendations after a website audit.
   • Adjustments based on user behavior analysis.
2. Changes in the clinic's marketing strategy:C
   • Analysis, priority adjustments, and introduction of new service directions.
3. Shifts in user behavior:
   • The impact of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on audience behavior.

These factors have significantly influenced website performance and user behavior, making long-term data comparisons more complex.

Search Advertising Campaigns:

In the search network, ad campaigns (ACs) were structured as follows:

• "Oncologist Consultation" AC – targeting queries for online consultations.
• Clinic’s Branded AC – focused on brand-related searches.
• "Oncology Treatment" AC – targeting searches for the treatment of specific cancer types in the EU country where the clinic is located.
• "Cardiology" AC – targeting searches for online consultations and disease treatments.
• "Ophthalmology" AC – targeting searches for online consultations and treatment of diseases/pathologies.

During the period covered in this case study, several tests were conducted:

• Launch of separate ACs with dynamic ads.
• Launch of specific ad groups with dynamic ads.
• Segmentation of campaigns by geographic regions.
• Gradual testing of broad match keywords.
• Ad quality optimization based on regular performance analysis.
• Adjustments to bidding strategies to align with client goals.
• Expansion and analysis of keyword performance.

Based on a comprehensive analysis of landing pages, we developed recommendations to improve website conversion rates. These changes positively impacted not only advertising traffic but also all marketing channels by enhancing the site's usability. As a result of this comprehensive and collaborative work with the client, conversions increased by 327.48%, while costs decreased by 15.29%:

High-Performance Campaigns:

To enhance search campaigns and engage users at earlier stages of the sales funnel, the team launched Performance Max campaigns. Challenges:

• Higher rejection rates for ad assets compared to search campaigns.

To ensure compliance with advertising policies, we regularly update ad copy, minimizing rejection risks and ensuring stable ad delivery.

• Restrictions on using audience segments based on clinic data (prohibited by Google Ads policies).

To maximize relevance, we systematically work with available audience signals and test various user intent groups, optimizing targeting within permitted parameters.

• Ad placements beyond targeted services due to the presence of other offerings on the website.

Our team conducts continuous monitoring of search queries and themes, promptly excluding irrelevant placements. For greater control and the ability to make adjustments, the project team created a separate negative keyword list for Performance Max and requested activation through Google Ads technical support (this functionality was unavailable in the interface at the time of writing this case study). As a result, this campaign type generates approximately ≈90% of conversions and has 90% lower conversion costs compared to search campaigns. However, this is not a reason to abandon search campaigns, as they contribute to improving Performance Max efficiency. For the first 9 months of 2024, we achieved a 1,063.18% increase in conversions and an 84.98% reduction in conversion costs while increasing the budget by 75.03%:

Conclusions:

• The medical field combined with EU legislation requires a team approach to balance the client's wishes with Google Ads rules.
• Partnership and effective communication are key elements to achieve goals.
• Using and testing different types of advertising campaigns ensures maximum efficiency despite Google Ads limitations.
• Monitoring and manual adjustments remain an important step to maximize audience relevance.

Project Team:

• Project Manager: Oleksandra Nesina
• PPC Specialist: Diana Kharytonenko
• Head of Contextual Advertising Department: Halyna Lyman

Client’s Feedback: