Google Adwords is back for Addiction Treatment Centers, but there are some certifications and paperwork that needs to be completed.
Google announced and introduced a new certification process for rehabilitation and addiction treatment facilities.
Back in September of 2017 Google shutdown Adwords for addiction treatment centers. It was devastating for a lot of them. Even the good ones had to close their doors.
Google has confirmed that starting on the 15th, addiction treatment providers can contact LegitScript and fill out an application to be certified.
Starting in July 2018, LegitScript legitimate certified addiction treatment providers can request certification with Google through a form that we will publish.
After the two certifications, those advertisers can then advertise on all AdWords channels. This is the same process that our healthcare pharmaceutical certified advertisers follow.
The previous suspension of these ads was the result of this category being ripe for exploitation by spammers and third-party middlemen — such as lead generation providers who were falsely advertising services that they did not offer and then, for a fee or “kickback,” passing the resulting lead on to treatment centers.
Google’s decision to partner with LegitScript, a verification and monitoring service that online pharmacies utilize — and implement a two-step certification process — will make it much harder for third-party, non-service providers to exploit Google’s ad ecosystem. It will also be more expensive.
From the Reuters article:
LegitScript will evaluate treatment providers beginning Monday on 15 criteria, including criminal background checks and license and insurance verification. They must also provide “written policies and procedures demonstrating a commitment to best practices, effective recovery, and continuous improvement,” according to LegitScript, which will charge $995 upfront and then $1,995 annually for vetting.
