5 Challenges in Healthcare Google Ads and How To Overcome Them

David Sanchez RN
2 min readJun 9, 2023

Google Ads generates over 180 million impressions every month, making it an effective and popular way for healthcare marketers to reach a broader audience and promote their services effectively. But healthcare marketing on Google Ads presents its own set of challenges. Here are five key challenges with solutions for each:

Challenge #1: High Competition in Healthcare Marketing

Competition among healthcare-related advertisers on Google Ads can be fierce.

How to resolve:

  • Carry out market research to deeply understand competitors and develop an original value proposition.
  • Emphasize unique selling points and narrow the target audience for customized messaging.

Challenge #2: Sensitive Health Issues Are Prohibited

Healthcare businesses dealing with delicate health conditions should take extra caution in their paid search marketing and content marketing.

How to resolve:

  • Revamp the ad copy to ensure it complies with policies while avoiding explicit or sensitive language.
  • Share educational content related to services instead of directly advertising them.

Challenge #3: Be Mindful of Negative Keywords

Misleading or deceptive keywords are prohibited in Google ads for healthcare.

How to resolve:

  • Google Ads allows advertisers to modify or delete keywords that violate its policies, so modify or remove those which violate Google Ads rules.
  • Replace non-compliant keywords with compliant alternatives that accurately convey the ad’s message without making false promises.

Challenge #4: Retargeting is Not an Option

Due to privacy considerations, healthcare facilities and medical practices cannot use display advertising for retargeting potential patients.

How to resolve:

  • Retargeting is prohibited for healthcare organizations due to privacy concerns.
  • Use Google’s targeting options to reach the intended audience without breaking policies or violating rules.

Challenge #5: Restrictions on Product and Services Promotion

Healthcare advertisers frequently face obstacles when using Google ad campaigns to market their products and services. Google sets certain restrictions and guidelines governing medical-related offerings or services.

How to resolve:

  • Advertisers must abide by Google’s policies and provide necessary documents.
  • Claims should be supported by scientific data or internationally-recognized certifications.

Google Ads has the incredible potential to attract new patients and expand your business, but it comes with specific challenges requiring proactive solutions.

You can significantly improve their efficiency and success by acknowledging and directly addressing any impediments to success in your healthcare Google Ads campaigns.

Originally published at https://digitalismedical.com on June 9, 2023.

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