Google Ads vs. SEO | Simplified SEO Consulting

Often times, our therapists come to us because their ideal clients aren’t finding them on Google. They’ve put time and energy into creating their website. There’s inspirational quotes, pictures of nature, people smiling; the whole nine yards. In addition, they take suggestions from other people on how to increase traffic to their website. They’ve thoughtfully hired other therapists to be part of their group practice. Often, because of the unique skill set or treatment modality.

All of this, and still nothing.

You’ve put some time and effort into boosting your internet presence. Unfortunately, the calls to your practice aren’t indicative of that. You’ve heard of SEO, what I will lovingly refer to as the secret underworld of website rankings. However, you know there can be a financial commitment and you might not be ready for that. For these situations, there is an option you can consider: Google Ads.

Important consideration: Much of this information is relevant for Facebook ads. However, there are some differences since it is a social media platform. But for this purpose of this blog post, I won’t be referring to Facebook ads.

What Is A Google Ad?

Google Ads, or Google Adwords, is an online advertisement platform developed by Google. It works by advertisers bidding to display brief advertisements on Google. In your case, it would be brief descriptions of the services your practice offers. By participating in bidding, your “advertisement” will be put in front of more web users. These ads can be placed in search engines, like Google. In addition, they can be placed in non-search engine websites.

How Do Google Ads Work?

While you are paying for them, Google Ads can help your website rank higher than your competitors’. Of course, this is assuming that you’re spending more money than your competitors for these ads.

While it’s not guaranteed, Google Ads can get your website (or “advertisement”) in front of more people scrolling through the internet. This can happen relatively quickly. It’s important to consider how competitive and/or saturated your specific market is. In addition, Google Ads can help you get more people to visit your website. To make it clear: it is not guaranteed.

When Should I Invest In Google Ads?

What a great question, I’m glad you asked! Google Ads absolutely have a place when building your practice. As previously mentioned, Google Ads can help your website get in front of more people scrolling through the internet. So if no one is finding your website, this is an option. With what we know about Google Ads, below are a few times that have the best return on investment.

In The Early Days of Private Practice

A great time to invest in Google Ads is when you’re building your practice. This could be in the beginning stages of your practice when you first create a website. This is helpful for a few reasons.

It can help increase the traffic to your website.
Increasing the traffic to your website has the possibility of increasing client conversion.
The more people that visit your website + the longer people stay on your website = impact on Google rankings. Often, this means that Google will begin to ‘trust’ your website.

Noticing Dips In Your Rankings

Another time to consider investing in Google Ads is when your rankings dip. This applies to practices that are established and have pretty consistent rankings. Usually, they’re on the first page for their specialty. And, are reaching their goals in terms of client calls and conversions. Sometimes, these practices can have dips in their rankings or calls. Because like other businesses, there peaks and valleys. When that happens, investing some money in Google Ads can help boost their rankings. Investing in Google Ads in this situation is typically a quick and temporary fix.

When You Shouldn’t Rely On Google Ads

Yes, Google Ads have a time and place. They can help your practice in the early stages and can give a little boost if you start to dip.

However. . .

There is not a causal relationship between Google Ads and consistently high Google rankings. What does this mean? Investing in Google Ads does not mean you will consistently rank well. Basically, your website can disappear from the first page when you don’t pay for these ads. Why is this the case? Because Google Ads only work in your favor while you’re paying for them. After you stop paying for them, the Google Ads disappear.

Another Option: Investing In SEO

Yay, investing in SEO! So, what’s the difference in Google Ads and investing in SEO? The difference is the longevity of your website ranking well. Investing in your SEO using the techniques we use as SEO specialists will give your website staying power in Google. This includes adding links, keyword research, writing quality meta descriptions, and much more. This is important because the results gained from our optimization will stay with your site.

Basically: when we are optimizing your site, we’ll put out all the stops to get on the first page of Google. We’ll make sure your website converts clients and can “stand the test of time.” When you stop paying us for optimization services, we leave with the work we’ve done (an optimized website). Now, your website will continue to show up in Google without you having to spend hundreds of dollars on advertisements.

So Why Am I Telling You This?

Is there a possibility that some people read half of this blog and decided to invest solely in Google Ads? Maybe. Are there some people who read this and are confused why an SEO company would talk about the benefits of another service? More than likely. So why did I do this?

Our goal at Simplified SEO Consulting is for our clients to be informed consumers. We want our clients to make the best decisions for their practices. And sometimes, this means pulling back the curtain and talking about what else can help. Could we ‘talk smack’ on other advertisements that use different techniques than we do? You betcha. Will we? No. Because in the wise words of Destiny’s Child, “(our) mama(s) taught (us) better than that.”

Moving Forward With SEO Services

So, hopefully, you read this blog and decided you want to learn more. Or, you read this blog and thought it was a bunch of gobbledygook. Either way, we would love to help you reach your SEO goals. To get started with any of our services, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for our free 7-day SEO course.

2. Schedule a free consultation with a member of our team.

3. Get on the first page of Google. . . and stay there.

About the Author

Alyssa Kohne is in the process of obtaining her Masters in Social Work with a clinical concentration from the University of Missouri- Columbia. She has been doing SEO with Simplified for the last few months. Recently, she participated in the two-part backlink webinar through Simplified. Additionally, she wrote a comprehensive guide on all things backlinks. She recommends both!

Time and Place for Google Ads