It has been a minute since I wrote a blog and now, I realize that a) I miss writing blogs and b) I have a lot to share. I am looking forward to getting the ball rolling again. 2022 is almost history and the years since the March 2020 lockdowns have been rough for many of us. In thig blog I will address Pharma Paid Search and the different nuances that crystallize when implementing Paid Search campaigns for Pharma clients.
Health-related searches are a large piece of the total search pie. Sidenote: The most searched term in 2022 on Google is “Wordle”. Many of us research our symptoms first before we pay our doctor a visit. Since the FDA also oversees advertising for prescription drugs, it’s paramount to run an airtight ship from the beginning. It’s a highly regulated industry and you need to get it right or you’ll have the FDA knocking on your door. We wouldn’t want that.
First, you must apply for Pharma advertising certification. Both Google and Microsoft Bing have their own application process. All keywords, ad copy, and ad extensions need to go through a review process before all material can receive a green light for launch. An MLR (Medical, Legal, and Regulatory) board looks at all content with a magnifying glass and there can easily be several rounds of edit, which can take approximately 6 weeks before the SEM campaigns submissions content is filtered for an “all clear”. The MLR board can be very picky so patience will be of the highest order.
Ad copy for pharmaceutical products needs to follow strict guidelines and the SEM expert needs to be aware of these guidelines. For example, ads must include “fair balance” i.e. if content showcases benefits, then about an equal amount of content needs to address the side effects. If you are interested in reading about more guidelines, then check out this article.
One peculiarity in pharma SEM is that your Unbranded ads are not allowed to display brand.com. For example, on the Google SERP, if a user searches for “lupus treatment options” the ad must display “Prescription treatment website” instead of the brand.com URL.
Microsoft Bing doesn’t have that option and the client will need to actually purchase a vanity URL, e.g. lupus-treatment.com (if the URL is available).
In pharma paid search advertising you have two main targeted audiences: 1) the health care professional (HCP) and 2) the patient; If done correctly, there should be one website for the HCP and one for the patient. Your accounts should be broken out for HCP and patient. It’s best practice in pharma search to also leverage the strengths of Microsoft Bing, which can yield some fruitful HCP traffic especially due to usually heavier desktop impressions during the HCPs business hours. You can read one of my older articles about the synergy of Google and Bing called “Grow Your Business With Bing Or Google Ads Or Both?”
You can’t add keywords, change ad copy or ad extensions once campaigns are live. That’s why it’s so paramount to run a tight ship from the beginning. The keyword research, ad copy writing, coverage of users’ journey, and the SEM submission process are the heavy lifts before you launch pharma paid search campaigns. Lastly, you also can’t implement any remarketing campaigns on Google.
Adhering to the regulations and with a solid strategy targeting HPCs and patients you can have great SEM success for pharma brands.
Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash
