Using Google Adwords to recruit family carers of people with dementia

Australas J Ageing. 2014 Jun;33(2):128-31. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12100. Epub 2013 Sep 12.

Abstract

Aim: Online advertising is a new frontier in research recruitment and Google Adwords (GA) is one method of online advertising. Only a handful of studies, however, have described its cost and effectiveness and none have focused on older adults. The aim of this paper is to describe a GA campaign used to recruit family carers of people with dementia and provide insight for researchers planning to use GA to recruit other older adults.

Method: A GA campaign was used to recruit family carers of people with dementia to a cross-sectional study of wellbeing.

Results: The ads were viewed more than 450,000 times in a six-week period, but only 49 surveys were completed, at a cost of $122 per survey.

Conclusion: GA has promise, but much remains to be understood about how to maximize its potential in ageing research. Recommendations for the design of future GA campaigns are provided.

Keywords: carer; dementia; internet; recruitment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Advertising* / economics
  • Caregivers / economics
  • Caregivers / psychology*
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Dementia / psychology
  • Dementia / therapy*
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Humans
  • Internet* / economics
  • Mental Health
  • Patient Selection*
  • Research Design*
  • Research Subjects*
  • Research Support as Topic
  • Search Engine*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires