In a recent episode of Senior Living Marketing Perspectives, Debbie Howard spoke with Chris Zook, SLS’s Director of Search, about the constantly changing world of Google Ads.
During the conversation, Chris mentioned several underutilized tools and tactics that he recommends senior living marketing teams take a closer look at.
Here’s the roundup.
Executive Summary: Four Underused Tactics Worth a Closer Look
- Use Google’s search terms report to understand the specific phrases families search before finding your community.
- Ideally, connect your marketing software and Google Ads so Google can learn from qualified leads, tours, and move-ins.
- Set up Bing Webmaster Tools to support visibility in ChatGPT, not just traditional search.
- Approach Reddit Ads carefully by listening first, learning the platform, and building creative around real caregiver conversations.
- These tactics work best when they are part of a broader strategy for search, paid ads, AI visibility, and emerging channels.
Table of Contents
Use Google’s search terms report to see how people are really finding your senior living community.
Use your marketing software to feed better lead data back into Google Ads.
Set up Bing Webmaster Tools to support your community’s visibility in ChatGPT.
Test Reddit Ads, but learn the platform first.
1. Use Google’s search terms report to see how people are really finding your senior living community.
Chris’s core advice here is simple: Understand how the people who need your services are looking for you online.
One way to “pull back the curtain,” as he puts it, is Google’s search terms report. This report shows the specific words and phrases people searched before they found your brand online.
Chris recommends reviewing it over a recent window, like the last 30 days, and over a longer window, like the last year. Then sort the table by conversions to see which searches actually led to a lead, a phone call, or another meaningful action.
Going through this exercise can show you more than which keywords are “working.” It can show you whether families are starting to search differently.
Maybe they’re using extremely long questions. Maybe they’re using language your team doesn’t normally use. Or maybe they’re looking for in-home care because they’re interested in doing it themselves before considering senior living. (Chris mentioned he’s seeing a rise in searches around home-based care.)
That information gives operators a practical decision point. Do you block those searches because they’re not the right fit? Or do you create content that explains the difference between, say, in-home care and assisted living, then send families to that content with a specific campaign?
- The takeaway: This report is worth more than a quick glance. Add it to the mix of things you check every few months. It can help you see where search behavior is changing and where your next campaign or content opportunity may be hiding.
2. Use your marketing software to feed better lead data back into Google Ads.
One of the strongest passive marketing tactics is using Google Ads’ enhanced conversions feature. This allows Google Ads to communicate directly with marketing software to get conversion data more accurately and quickly than the standard Google Ads setup. If you’re not sure whether your marketing software connects to this feature, contact your software provider to confirm.
Here’s how it works (we’re using HubSpot as the example): A lead comes in from Google Ads and gets pushed into HubSpot. Once that lead becomes sales-qualified, it can move into WelcomeHome CRM. If that person schedules a tour or eventually moves in, that information can flow back into HubSpot. Then, through HubSpot’s enhanced conversions connection with Google Ads, that data can be pushed back into Google.
That matters because Google is no longer learning only from top-level actions, like form fills or phone calls. It can start learning from the qualities of people who are actually becoming sales-qualified, scheduling tours, and moving into your communities.
As Chris puts it, you’re no longer just hunting for people who fill out a form. You’re helping Google understand who is more likely to schedule a tour or move in.
- The takeaway: If Google can see deeper lifecycle data, it has a better shot at finding better leads.
3. Set up Bing Webmaster Tools to support your community’s visibility in ChatGPT.
Chris is clear that Google is still “top dog” when it comes to search. But he also sees ChatGPT and Claude as the biggest threats to Google’s dominance. That’s why he recommends taking another look at Bing Webmaster Tools.
For a long time, Bing may not have been the first place that senior living marketers focused their attention. But Chris’s point is that Bing matters more now because of its connection to ChatGPT. If your community is doing well on Google, that does not automatically mean it is showing up well in ChatGPT.
Bing Webmaster Tools gives your website a more direct line into Bing’s index. And because ChatGPT uses Bing’s index of the internet, that connection matters. Chris called Bing Webmaster Tools one of the more underutilized tools that can lead to success.
- The takeaway: If families are using AI tools to research senior living, your visibility strategy needs to account for more than Google.
4. Test Reddit Ads, but learn the platform first.
Chris called Reddit Ads one of the biggest underutilized opportunities he sees in senior living right now.
Why? Because adult children are already there. They’re talking about aging parents, caregiving stress, family dynamics, costs, independence, memory care, and the moment when home care may no longer be enough. They may not be using the phrase “senior living,” but the conversations overlap directly with the questions senior living communities can help answer.
But Reddit is not Google. And it is definitely not Facebook.
SLS’s Reddit guidance is clear: Reddit is a conversation network, not a promotional social network. Communities that do well there show up as helpful humans, not advertisers. They answer real questions, share useful insight, respect community rules, and build credibility over time.
That means senior living operators should not jump in with a “Schedule a tour” ad and expect Reddit to perform like a bottom-of-funnel channel.
Start by listening. Look for the questions families are already asking. Pay attention to the language they use around guilt, burnout, cost, safety, independence, and care options. Then use those insights to shape content that actually fits the platform.
Once you understand the conversations, Reddit Ads may be worth a small, focused test. HubSpot’s Reddit Ads guide makes a similar point: Targeting specific subreddits can be more effective than broad interest targeting, but it requires research and tailored creative.
- The takeaway: Reddit Ads may help senior living communities reach adult children earlier in the decision process. But the strategy has to start with listening, not promoting.
Need help implementing any of these tools or tactics?
The above list includes many moving parts, but we can help manage them since we have a dedicated team focused on senior living search, paid ads, AI, and emerging channels.
Bottom line: You don’t have to figure it out alone. Get in touch and let’s take a closer look at these things together.
