The years 2015-2019 were when fatal overdoses because of drugs happened. You may have assumed that these years are the years when rehab centers generated lots of leads.
Unfortunately, the answer is no.
Between these years, Google changed its Ad policies for healthcare providers, including addiction services. It complicates the whole picture of what information people find when they perform keyword searches about drug rehab and treatment.
According to Google’s Ad Policy changes from 2018, it updated the restrictions on advertising for recovery-oriented services for drug and alcohol addiction. This policy was applied globally.
Here are some examples of addiction services that Google restricted under the new policy:
- Clinical treatment providers for drug and alcohol addiction, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient programs
- Recovery support services for drug and alcohol addiction, including sober living environments and mutual help organizations
- Lead generators and referral agencies for drug and alcohol addiction services
- Crisis hotlines for drug and alcohol addiction
There is an exception though.
Google requires that when you use Google Ads to advertise in the US, advertisers must first obtain LegitScript certification as providers of addiction treatments.
Additionally, not every service for drug and alcohol addiction qualifies for LegitScript Certification, like sober houses and referral services.
How Does It Affect the Marketing Strategies of Rehab Centers?
The new guideline places rehab advertisements, both good and bad, in an unclear gray area. All advertisers are displaying small advertising on rehab terms, but many are unsure of what is and isn’t authorized. Because not all keywords are equally impacted.
The effects of the change in policy on advertisements differ enormously among many common semantic strings, which complicates things more.
Unlike “treatment” and “addiction” related keywords, which still appear around a third as much as they did before the new restriction, “rehab” related terms are subject to far stricter Google policies. Rehab marketing is truly a complex and sensitive way to expand your business.
The good news is there are many marketing strategies, aside from Google Ads, for addiction services that you can use.
To learn more about effective digital marketing, get in touch with Rehab Marketing.
Request a proposal today, and let one of our strategists talk to you. We’re more than eager to help you out, so reach out to our team today.