SEO vs. PPC Advertising: Which Drives More Engagement In Healthcare Marketing?

If you want to engage with potential patients and bring more people into your practice, you may not be sure what you should focus on in your healthcare marketing strategy. Should you focus on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and organic search results, or invest in PPC (Pay Per Click) marketing?

The answer is… Both! Both SEO and PPC marketing can be great for engaging with potential patients and bringing them into your practice. Let’s get into the details.

SEO Helps Build Credibility And Boosts Visitor Engagement

SEO involves creating content and optimizing your website to rank higher for certain keywords in search engine results. For example, if a patient Googles “Cardiologist in Columbus, OH,” optimizing your website to target these keywords would help you rank higher – and you’d be more likely to get this person to visit your website.

In addition to this, SEO helps build the profile of your practice. The higher your website ranks, the more credible and trustworthy it will seem to a potential patient. This is especially true if your website is fast, easy to use, and has engaging, high-quality content for visitors to read.

Patients often perceive higher-ranking websites as more authoritative, which is essential in the healthcare industry. Trust is paramount, and showing up at the top of search results signals that your practice is a leader in its field. According to a study by Backlinko, the first result in Google’s organic search results gets about 27.6% of all clicks. If your site isn’t ranking high, you could be missing out on valuable traffic.

SEO also goes hand-in-hand with content marketing. By publishing high-quality, useful information about your medical specialty, you can engage with patients and build even more trust in your brand.

For example, a cardiologist could publish blog posts about how to recognize a heart attack. An oncologist could answer FAQs about certain types of cancer and treatment options, or a physical therapist could create an infographic about how the shoulder joint works. These content pieces not only educate but also encourage visitors to spend more time on your site, which boosts engagement metrics and improves SEO rankings further.

Additionally, local SEO is a crucial component for healthcare providers. Optimizing your Google My Business profile, collecting positive reviews, and targeting location-specific keywords can significantly impact your visibility in local searches, where most patients begin their journey. Tools like Google Maps and localized search listings ensure that your practice appears when someone nearby is searching for healthcare services.

PPC Advertising Targets Specific Keywords And Markets

In Pay-Per-Click advertising, you pay to display your ad to a user – and you pay only when they click on it and visit your website. Search ads displayed above “organic” search results on Google and other search engines are the most common type of PPC ad. This category also includes ads displayed on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, as well as display ads shown on third-party websites.

PPC advertising is especially useful if you’re trying to compete with a larger company or focus on a particular demographic – people located in a specific geographic area, for example. It’s also great if your practice is new and is still not ranked highly on search engines.

One of PPC’s most significant advantages is its ability to deliver immediate results. While SEO takes time to build, a well-optimized PPC campaign can start driving traffic to your website within hours of launching. This is particularly useful for practices promoting time-sensitive services, such as flu shot clinics or COVID-19 testing.

PPC platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads allow you to create highly targeted campaigns. You can select specific keywords that potential patients are searching for, narrow down audiences by age, gender, location, and interests, and even schedule ads to display during your peak business hours. For example, a pediatric clinic could target parents in a particular zip code searching for “kids’ flu shots near me.”

PPC is also great for “remarketing,” also sometimes called retargeting. Most PPC platforms let you serve ads specifically to patients who have already visited your website and engaged with your practice – but haven’t yet made an appointment or taken some other kind of action. Remarketing ads are about 10 times more effective than traditional ads – so this is a big benefit of incorporating PPC into your digital marketing strategy.

Remarketing can help re-engage potential patients by reminding them of your services or offering special promotions. For instance, a dental clinic might use remarketing ads to promote discounted teeth cleaning to users who previously browsed their website but didn’t schedule an appointment.

Additionally, PPC campaigns provide valuable data insights. Tools like Google Ads Analytics can track metrics such as click-through rates, conversions, and cost-per-click, giving you a clear picture of what’s working and what needs improvement. By analyzing this data, you can refine your campaigns over time, ensuring maximum ROI.

Which Strategy Should You Use?

The short answer is that you should use both SEO and PPC to maximize engagement in your healthcare marketing efforts. Each strategy has unique strengths that, when combined, can create a well-rounded approach to attracting and retaining patients.

SEO provides long-term value by building credibility, improving your website’s organic traffic, and establishing your practice as a trusted authority. On the other hand, PPC delivers quick wins with targeted campaigns that drive immediate traffic and conversions.

Together, these strategies create a balanced marketing plan. For example, a new dermatology clinic might launch a PPC campaign targeting “same-day appointments” while simultaneously investing in SEO content about “preventing skin cancer” to establish long-term visibility.

Ultimately, your choice depends on your practice’s goals, budget, and current online presence. If you’re unsure where to start, consulting with a healthcare marketing expert can help you develop a strategy that meets your needs.

Combining SEO & PPC Will Maximize Patient Engagement For Your Practice

Rather than being separate, healthcare practices should see SEO and PPC marketing as two sides of the same coin – and when they're used together, it’s easier to engage with potential patients and bring them into your practice. Need help setting up your digital strategy? Contact Incept Health today for a free consultation with one of our healthcare marketing experts.