The internet has changed the world for the better in so many ways. But it has also provided a platform for unscrupulous product sellers and service providers. Every day these shady operators rake in cash at the expense of public health—often with devastating consequences. Just ask the Pennsylvania woman who suffered permanent blindness in one eye after being injured by a product she bought on Amazon.
Consumers assume products and services they buy online have been properly tested and vetted. Yet governments and regulators around the world are still grappling with how to keep dangerous products and deceitful businesses off the internet.
LegitScript is trying to fix this problem. The company monitors millions of websites and merchants and informs businesses, governments, and the public about which commercial entities are legitimate, legal, and trustworthy.
LegitScript’s Certification Program
Certain types of businesses have been particularly guilty of using misleading digital advertising or flat-out scamming customers. To help combat this problem, LegitScript partnered with Google to restrict online ads for businesses in specific industries, including:
- Online pharmacies
- Addiction treatment facilities
- Telemedicine providers
- Supplement websites
- CBD (cannabidiol) product sellers
Only businesses (such as these) that have been LegitScript certified can advertise on Google.
Getting certified is not as easy as simply submitting some basic information and paying a fee. The process can be fairly involved. You must prove that your advertising matches what you actually offer and that you comply with state and federal laws and regulations. Be prepared to complete a detailed application and provide a variety of documentation and paperwork.
LegitScript’s Impact on Drug and Alcohol Treatment Providers
To better understand why certain industries have come under scrutiny it helps to look at the addiction treatment industry as an example, since it has been heavily impacted by LegitScript’s partnership with Google.
It started in 2017 when The Verge published a report about unscrupulous drug treatment centers abusing Google Ads to mislead people or scam them out of money. Many treatment providers were making it appear as though their facility was local to the person searching. Once a representative got the person on the phone, they’d reveal the facility was actually out of state. Using the person’s desperation to their advantage, some reps would go so far as booking the person’s flight to the facility. Other treatment facilities exaggerated their amenities or promised levels of care they couldn’t deliver.
This all began to change in April 2018 when Google announced it was partnering with the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) and LegitScript to create a more trustworthy digital advertising landscape. By that time LegitScript had already established a reputation for itself verifying online pharmacies, so vetting rehab facilities was a logical next step.
The implications of this change were—and are—huge for addiction treatment facilities, which now must get certified by LegitScript to do paid advertising on Google (or Bing or Facebook).
More broadly, this change applies to:
- Clinical drug and alcohol addiction treatment providers, including inpatient, residential, and outpatient programs
- Recovery support service providers, including sober living environments
- Lead generators and referral agencies for drug and alcohol addiction treatment services
- Crisis hotlines for drug and alcohol addiction
(Sober living homes aren’t allowed to advertise for drug and alcohol addiction treatment services on Google at all.)
Is LegitScript Certification Worth It?
If you’re a rehab facility and you want to advertise on Google, you must get LegitScript certification and be certified by Google. You might be wondering whether or not it’s worth it.
We think it is.
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads are an essential part of a robust marketing strategy. Without paid ads your audience may have a hard time even finding you. Sure, you can use other tactics like search engine optimization, social media posts, and Google ads that don’t use addiction-related language.
But targeted PPC ads give you that extra boost—not to mention more control over who sees the ads.
Also know that LegitScript will evaluate your digital presence after you apply, and they might deny your certification if they think you’re trying to get around their restrictions.
The application process to get certified can be tedious. You’ll be prompted to submit employee resumes and credentials, including licensure information for physicians and any contracted employees, such as therapists.
You’ll also need to provide information about past owners and business licenses, if applicable. You can expect to be asked to submit detailed information about how you comply with laws and regulations and about any legal disputes within the last 10 years. You may even be asked for current lease agreements, and LegitScript also requires that you have a public domain.
All in all, you can expect the whole process to take a few months.
LegitScript charges an application fee and an annual fee, but you may be eligible for discounts if you’re a nonprofit or if you operate multiple facilities.
The application fee can vary dramatically depending on the type of business, from $500 for healthcare merchant websites and pharmacies with a very limited internet presence to $2,500 for supplement websites. The even heftier annual fee can be as much as $3,500.
It may seem unfair that the addiction treatment industry and others are being penalized because of a few bad actors. But there are benefits to getting LegitScript certified.
It boosts your credibility, since it proves you employ properly licensed providers and comply with local and federal regulations. It also proves you advertise only for services you provide. LegitScript certification can also give you a decided advantage over competitors, since many providers simply won’t take the time to go through the process. And it can boost your credibility with doctors and therapists, who may be more likely to send their patients to your facility.
Like it or not, this is the new normal. So, stay ahead of the curve and get certified.
Get Help from the Pros
If your business is impacted by the shift in industry standards for online advertising, the pros at National Positions can help. Our PPC marketing specialists can help you determine whether getting LegitScript certification will help your business, and we can help you develop a PPC marketing strategy. Our team can even manage this LegitScript certification process for you and help streamline the process.
We have the expertise and industry-leading tools to help you create a profitable paid search campaign. We focus on the data that truly matters and monitor your campaign with laser-like precision. It’s why we’ve been so successful building targeted campaigns that optimize profitability for our clients.
Call us today at (877) 866-6699 for help with PPC, SEO, and much more.