Medical facility increases donor inquiries more
than 2,000 percent using Google AdWords.
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Business The George Washington University Medical Faculty Associates (MFA) is a large multi-specialty physician practice in Washington, D.C. With more than 270 doctors and 41 medical specialties, the MFA treats an average of 1,500 patients a day with a comprehensive set of healthcare services. The MFA also serves as the full-time faculty for the George Washington University Medical School. Among the most requested services for the MFA is fertility care, delivered through The George Washington University MFA Fertility Center (Wash IVF). The facility offers a range of fertility services including fertility testing and diagnosis, ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization. Approach Media and Marketing Manager David Garofalo is responsible for marketing the full range of MFA's services to potential patients. He uses print and radio advertising, but increasingly he is turning to online marketing. "About 90 to 95 percent of households in the D.C. area have a computer or have access to a computer at their workplace," he says. "This saturation makes the Internet an effective way to reach patients and educate them about our services." Industry research validates GWU's strategy of putting more resources into online marketing and search-based advertising. Based on a recent survey* conducted by GMI and Media-Screen, search engines play a major role in health information research. Ninety-three percent of people use search engines to research medications, conditions, and treatment options. The vast majority of users – 94 percent – find search engines very important or somewhat important for health-related research and purchases. To cater to its Internet-savvy audience, the MFA developed a website and an online patient portal where patients can log in, communicate with physicians, request appointments and pay their bills online. The MFA also created a standalone website for the Wash IVF outlining fertility services and providing information for women wanting to donate eggs. The next hurdle was driving traffic to the site. Garofalo was searching for a way to get people directly to the Wash IVF site without having to click through the main MFA page when he discovered Google AdWords search based advertising. He tried AdWords to reach both donors and patients and says he "couldn't be happier." Results Immediately after incorporating Google AdWords into the marketing mix with campaigns targeted to women interested in donating eggs, the MFA began to see results. Before using AdWords, Wash IVF received only about two to three inquiries per month from potential egg donors. But now, Wash IVF receives three to four inquiries per day. This astounding 2,000 percent increase in inquiries from potential donors is having a dramatic impact on Wash IVF and its ability to serve patients. Wash IVF has a steady stream of good egg donors and a deeper pool of applicants to draw from, making it easier and faster to meet the needs of women who need egg donor services. "The increase in egg donors is fantastic, because it means our patients don't have to wait," says Garofalo. "Donation is a key gating factor in our business. We're getting more than 2,000 percent more inquiries from donors since using AdWords." Because Garofalo can see the number of impressions he's receiving on each AdWords ad, he can assess overall market interest in fertility services. And he can shape his campaigns and keywords based on what is yielding the highest clickthrough rate – something that is not possible with print ads, radio and television. Garofalo also appreciates the agility and precise targeting of advertising using AdWords. While print ads are static for weeks or even months, AdWords campaigns can be altered at a moment's notice. Garofalo can make changes based on his budget or on results he's garnering from specific keywords and immediately sees the impact. "With AdWords, I have more control over my budget and more creativity," he says. "I can target with extreme precision and change keywords to continually improve results." Using AdWords to drive traffic to the Wash IVF site has proven so effective that Garofalo plans to use the same model for other specialty practices like cosmetic surgery. "AdWords is a fast, economical way to reach patients and donors," says Garofalo. "The search-based advertising model using AdWords is one we'll be extending to several other areas of our business." About Google AdWords Google AdWords is currently used by thousands of businesses worldwide to gain new customers in a cost-effective way. AdWords uses keywords to precisely target ad delivery to web users seeking information about a particular product or service. The program is based on cost-per-click (CPC) pricing, so advertisers only pay when an ad is clicked on. Advertisers can take advantage of an extremely broad distribution network, and choose the level of support and spending appropriate for their business. For more information on launching your own campaign or getting expert help, visit http://adwords.google.com. Would you like to share your Google AdWords success story with us? We'd love to hear from you! *GMI and Media-Screen: 2005 Health Care Survey, March 2005. Return to Healthcare overview |
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