The second half of 2022 brought significant changes to the prolife movement and pregnancy help community. Nearly every facet of the lifesaving work happening across our nation and around the world had been affected and the realm of digital marketing is no exception.
The most notable changes in digital marketing came from Google in August of 2022. To appease politicians and suppress the great work of pregnancy help, Google implemented a disclaimer that accompanies ads for organizations that do not provide abortion in 2019. This disclaimer that had appeared below pregnancy center ads was moved to the top of each ad last August to give it a more prominent position.
Another change from Google has had a greater impact on pregnancy center marketing efforts by greatly altering the way Local Search listing are displayed. Google changed the default for local search results for abortion services to only show those verified to provide abortion procedures. Women can see more results if they choose to, including from organizations that don't provide abortions, such as pregnancy help centers.
This change has had the greatest impact on centers and their ability to be easily found by abortion vulnerable women searching for help.
Along with the strong opposition from Google, many centers continue to find resistance from major social media conglomerates. From posts being removed to ad accounts being frozen, efforts to reach women searching for help have been severely halted by big tech politics and bias.
So, what can centers do to reach a woman at a crossroads and in dire need of their lifesaving services?
1. Think outside the Google box. While the value of advertising on Google is still very evident, the impact and reach of these ads has diminished and their cost has gone up. It is essential for centers to think outside of Google ads and try adverting on additional platforms and in their local communities, schools, churches, and beyond.
2. Maintain a strong web presence. The importance of a warm and welcoming tone and design on a pregnancy center website cannot be understated. But beyond the look and feel of your site, centers must ensure content on their site is up-to-date, fresh, and optimized. Now is the time to increase Search Engine Optimization efforts, blogging and dynamic and engaging content. All these tools will increase the reach of digital marketing efforts.
3. Don’t go it alone. If possible, centers should consider the help of an outside marketing company to assist and guide their marketing efforts. Navigating the ever-changing terrain of the digital world can be daunting, especially when lives are on the line. Having the right company on your side can make a world of difference for a center.
Targeting and attacks from big tech can be disheartening and with no sign of Google easing their most recent policy changes it is hard to predict the future of marketing for the pregnancy help community. However, this is not the first time that resistance has attempted to stifle our work. With the right tools, strategy and guidance, lives will continue to be reached and rescued and communities will continue to be renewed by the great work of pregnancy help.