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A Brief Explanation of Google's AdWords and Analytics
Many therapists feel confused and even intimidated when they hear techno-terms like:
- AdWords
- Keywords
- Analytics
- Search Engine Optimization
- Pay Per Click
Along with that confusion may come feelings of helplessness, shame, anger - especially if it feels like this knowledge directly impacts their INCOME!
Yet why would a therapist know about these things? They're not taught in grad school (they didn't even exist until recently!). The average person on the street doesn't know a whole lot about this.
But lately, there's huge buzz about having a website and making that website a good source of new clients.
So, here's the skinny on all the buzz words and techno-terms you need to know...
The Basics
The internet is like a huge tub of websites. When you need to find something, you use a search engine to sift through the tub and pull out just the things you want. Google, Yahoo, MSN and Ask.com are some of the bigger search engines you can use to sift.
Example:
You type in your search term (also called Keywords) "Recipe for Sourdough Bread" and you get pages and pages of recipes.
Google is the biggest and most widely used because it's a very good sifter. The guys who developed Google were academics. They thought of the internet like a big book, and saw Google as the index to the book. They were not just concerned about providing search results that matched what users were looking for. All search engines did that. They wanted to provide search results that were extremely RELEVANT to the user.
They developed a program that looked at each page of each website and determined how closely that page fit the user's request. When Google displays the results of a search, the items at the top of the search results page are the ones that Google's software determines are the MOST RELEVANT.
Using the sourdough example, the results at the top should be more what you're looking for. As you move down through the list, you may find recipes for sourdough pancakes, places to buy sourdough bread, or a band called Sourdough Starter.
Organic vs. Paid Results
When you do a search in Google, you may see a shaded area at the top and/or a column off to the right called "Sponsored Links." These are paid ads. In the main part of the page, you see the "regular" results. Google calls these "Organic" results. They are unpaid and appear based on RELEVANCE.
AdWords
AdWords is the tool that Google provides so that you can create your own sponsored links. Within Google's site, you sign up for AdWords (signing up is free), and Google walks you through the process of creating an ad.
Google gives you LOTS of control over the content of your ads, where they are seen geographically, even the time of day the ads appear.
Cost/Bidding
You only pay when someone clicks your ad - which is why it is often called "Pay-per-click." You even get to set the price you want to pay when people click.
However, you will likely be bidding against other people who want to put their ads in the same place. So you need to do some figuring to determine how much to pay. Google provides data on what people are currently bidding, so you can bid appropriately.
What you bid on are Keywords - those same search terms we talked about above. Let's say you've bid $1.00 on the keywords "Therapy for bed wetting." And no one else has bid as much as you. Whenever someone types that term into Google in your geographic area, your ad will appear in the sponsored links. If someone then clicks your ad, you pay $1.00.
What about Analytics?
Analytics is another, separate tool that Google offers entirely free. Analytics allows you to track:
- How many people visit your website
- Where their searches started
- What words they searched on to find you
- Where they are located geographically
- Whether they clicked on a Paid (AdWords) ad or an Organic link
- Whether they came from a referring site like Psychologytoday.com
- And, if you set up your site to do so, you can even track when they click a link to contact you!
This tool helps you see which of your advertising dollars are working the best for you.
What about Search Engine Optimization?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO for short) is a the process of making your website as RELEVANT as possible. That's all.
When you know who your ideal client is, you can put yourself in their shoes, imagine what they would be searching for, and write your website content so that it's relevant to them. This is CAKE for therapists - because we are already highly skilled in empathy, mirroring and using the client's language.
When your website is optimized, your ideal client will feel mirrored and be more likely to call you. AND Google will see your site as RELEVANT and reward you with higher listings in the organic results. If you choose to use AdWords, you'll also be rewarded with lower costs - because Google factors relevance into the price of bids!
Is it worth the effort?
All of these features make Google very powerful, but also very confusing. Without a guide, it's hard to know what to write about on your website, what to say in your ads, how much to bid, when to run ads, and how to determine if you are getting a good return on your advertising investment.
It's really important to give yourself permission to get good help, go at your own pace, ask lots of questions, and experiment until you really get the hang of all this.
You may be wondering if the learning curve and time is worth it. I think it is. I've built my practice ENTIRELY on internet marketing, and I've had a full practice almost since I started. You may not want to do every little technical thing yourself, but it's important to understand the basics, even if you hire others to do the actual work. Then you're ensured that they are getting you the most bang for your buck.
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