What’s the fastest way to reach potential patients who are actively searching for optical services? The answer is Google Ads. It’s a highly efficient method for optometrists to connect with people who need eye care, whether they’re searching for glasses, contact lenses, or general eye health advice. Paul Sallaway explains why, and how independent practices can make the most of the opportunity.
The beauty of Google Ads lies in its pay-per-click system – you only spend money when someone engages with your ad. It’s a smarter way to advertise, allowing you to control your budget while targeting specific high-value services and eyewear. This is ideal for small optometry practices that don’t have the resources of larger chains.
Let’s explore why Google Ads is a way to grow your practice without wasting time or money on people who aren’t interested in your services – which can too often be the case with other forms of advertising.
Search Ads for Non-Competitive ‘Information’ Terms
Who says you have to compete with the big brands to run effective Google Ads? The truth is many large companies overlook ‘how to’ search queries that smaller optometrists can easily capitalise on. For example, phrases like ‘how to insert contact lenses’ or ‘how to choose the best sunglasses’ are often not targeted by the major players. Some of these top-of-funnel clicks can cost less than AU$1, and you’ll be providing useful information that builds trust and authority with your audience.
To make the most of these types of ads, you’ll need to offer what’s called a ‘lead magnet’. This is just what it sounds like. You are giving away something like a downloadable guide, a checklist, or a quick quiz that draws in potential patients (the magnet) in return for their contact details (the lead). That’s valuable, because it allows you to continue marketing directly to them without spending more money on ads.
Still not convinced? Let’s do the maths. Assuming we pay $1 per click, and just one out of every 10 clicks turns into a lead, and one out of those 10 becomes a patient; you’re looking at a cost of about $100 per new patient acquisition.
And here’s an important point – don’t just compare that to the revenue for the initial consultation. Think about the lifetime value of a single patient for your practice. Repeat visits. Eyewear upgrades. Friends and family referrals. Google reviews. That $100 you just spent will probably pay itself back, many times over!
… many large companies overlook ‘how to’ search queries that smaller optometrists can easily capitalise on
Re-Target ‘Warm’ Leads
Can you afford to let potential patients just slip away after they visit your site? Display ads give you a second chance. Retargeting those who’ve already shown interest but didn’t book an appointment is one of the most cost-effective ways to stay visible. These display ads keep your practice top of mind by gently reminding them that they still need to book their eye exam. You can even use these ads to promote special offers, like back-to-school eye check-ups or seasonal discounts.
Display ads are often much cheaper than other ad types, making them a great choice for continuous brand exposure without breaking the bank. Plus, with features like frequency capping, you can ensure patients aren’t overwhelmed by seeing your ad too often.
Boost Local Patient Bookings
How do you reach patients searching for an optometrist near them? Local search ads are the key. These ads are designed to appear when people in your area search for terms like ‘optometrist near me’ or ‘eye exam close by’. This is particularly effective for optometrists because most patients prefer a nearby location for convenience. Essentially, local search ads have replaced the role that the Yellow Pages once played.
Consider this: 72% of people who perform a local search visit a business within eight kilometres, and 88% of those searching on a mobile device either call or visit within a day.1 With those odds, ensuring your practice shows up in these local searches can significantly boost bookings. Setting up local search ads means your clinic appears at the exact moment someone is ready to take action. It’s an easy way to connect with patients who are nearby and actively looking for your services, leading to more foot traffic and appointments.
Craft a Cost-Effective Strategy
To make sure every dollar spent on Google Ads works effectively for you, it’s necessary to focus on crafting a cost-efficient ad strategy. Here’s how:
Set clear budget limits: Start with small daily and total campaign budgets. As you track performance and gather data, gradually scale up investment in ads that are delivering the best results. This ensures efficient spending without wasting money on unproven strategies.
Refine your targeting: Avoid irrelevant clicks by focussing your ads on a specific audience. For optometrists, narrowing down by location is crucial, but you can also target new patients based on factors like age, interests, and income levels. The more focussed the targeting, the better your chances of attracting the right demographic.
Use conversion tracking: It’s essential to track key actions, such as appointment bookings, phone number clicks, or online form submissions. This allows you (and Google) to see which ads are converting and which ones need adjustments, ensuring you’re getting the most value from your ad spend.
Time your ads strategically: If you accept appointments over the phone, run your ads during business hours when someone is available to take calls. This maximises your chances of converting leads into appointments.
By implementing these strategies, you can get the most bang for your buck and ensure every dollar is used to maximum effect.
Write Ads That Convert
To craft Google Ads that effectively bring patients through the door, there are several key elements to focus on.
Start with an attention-grabbing headline: Use direct and urgency-based messaging like ‘Book Your Eye Exam Today’ to clearly convey what you offer and encourage immediate action.
Highlight unique selling points: Emphasise what makes your practice stand out, such as advanced equipment, convenient location, or being family friendly. Focus on the benefits rather than features, like how your technology leads to faster appointments or more accurate prescriptions.
Ensure alignment across keywords, ad copy, and landing page: Consistency builds trust and enhances performance. If you offer a discount in the ad, the landing page should reflect that specific promotion, too.
Let Google test different ad variations: Provide a few headline and description options so that Google can identify which combinations work best for your target audience.
Don’t send traffic to your homepage: Create a dedicated landing page tailored to each campaign. This improves conversion rates and your ad quality score, potentially lowering your cost per click.
Promote something special: An attractive deal is essential. If your offer is average, even the best ad won’t perform well. Provide an incentive that encourages new patients to act, like a special discount or bonus.
By following these steps, you can make your marketing budget stretch further as you attract more patients to your practice.
Is This the Right Option for YOUR Business?
To determine if Google Ads are suitable for your optometry practice, consider the following key factors.
Patience is essential: Google Ads is not a quick-fix solution. It can take a few months to fine-tune campaigns, test different strategies, and develop a scalable plan for consistent growth. However, if you’re committed to long-term investment, the return on investment can be substantial.
Budget considerations: For meaningful outcomes, you’ll need to invest realistically – at least $1,500 per month to begin. This allows for proper testing of keywords, audiences, and ad variations. If your budget is lower, you may not gather sufficient data for informed decision making.
Understand your business metrics: Knowing the average lifetime value of a patient is an important part of the campaign planning equation. Track how many website visitors book appointments and calculate your conversion rate. All these numbers are necessary to determine how much you can spend on ads while still breaking even.
Website quality matters: Google prioritises fast, user-friendly websites with lower ad costs. A slow or outdated site can harm your ad performance, so it’s vital to have a polished, mobile-friendly website that converts visitors into patients before investing heavily in Google Ads.
Local patient pool size: Consider the number of potential patients in your local area. Google Ads is most effective when there’s a decent-sized audience of people that Google can target. If you’re in a small town you might struggle to generate enough high-quality clicks to make it worthwhile.
If you know how to use the Google Ads platform the right way, it should be a money printing machine – feed a dollar in; get multiple dollars back out
Conclusion
Time for some tough love. Over the years I’ve had many new clients comment to me that “Google Ads don’t seem to work. I spent my marketing budget and didn’t have anything to show for it”.
The problem with this statement is that Google has become a massive company, pretty much on the strength of one product – Google Ads. In 2023, Google made 77% of its $307 billion revenue from the Google Ads platform alone.2 So clearly someone must be seeing a return on investment. In fact, advertisers see an ‘average’ 8:1 return on ad spend from search ads, according to Google itself.3
If you know how to use the Google Ads platform the right way, it should be a money printing machine – feed a dollar in; get multiple dollars back out. You’ll want to feed that sucker with $50 bills all day long!
But note the qualifier, ‘if’.
Many people need assistance from someone who understands Google advertising strategies and is up to date with the latest changes to the platform. Otherwise, you can quickly burn a hole in your pocket and become another cautionary tale. Sadly, most eye care practice owners are already wearing too many hats and don’t have the time to learn about the Google Ads platform properly. This is where it helps to ask for professional help with your marketing.
Paul Sallaway is the founder, owner, and web strategist behind Optics Digital Marketing. His agency specialises in assisting business growth for optometry practices through data driven marketing, including Google Ads. For a free consultation, visit: opticsdigital.net.
References
- Cox LK, 16 Stats that prove the importance of local SEO (webpage) available at: blog.hubspot.com/marketing/local-seo-stats [accessed Oct 2024].
- Oberlo, How does Google make money? (webpage) available at: oberlo.com/statistics/how-does-google-make-money [accessed Oct 2024].
- Google Economic Impact, Methodology (webpage) available at: economicimpact.google/methodology [accessed Oct 2024].
