How to Use Google Ads for Doctors to Get More Patients Online

Did you know that there are over 100 billion healthcare-related searches on Google every year? That’s a massive number of potential patients actively looking for medical services—many of whom might be searching for the very same expertise you offer. Yet, despite the immense opportunity, getting your practice to appear on the first page of Google’s search results is no easy feat. This is where Google Ads for Doctors can make a massive difference in your visibility and patient acquisition strategy.

With Google Ads for physicians, you have a powerful tool to ensure that your practice stands out among the competition. By using targeted advertising methods like Google AdWords for doctors, you can ensure that your practice is visible to those actively searching for your services. Here’s how you can leverage this tool to quickly increase your online visibility, attract more patients, and grow your practice.

Why Invest in Google Ads for Doctors?

Google Ads campaigns offer significant benefits to doctors and medical practices who want to increase the online presence of their practice and attract new patients. Here’s a closer look as to why it’s worth your time and investment.

Get Noticed

Ranking within one of the top results on Google’s search results page is an extremely good candidate for driving clicks and traffic from your potential patients. However, for health care practices, especially the newer ones, it is often difficult to come up with an available position on the highly sought places in the list. Google Ads for Doctors can avoid the slow and sometimes unpredictable process of organic search rankings by ensuring your practice is the first result when people search for the medical services they need. Considering the fact that, as per a Statisa report, 89% of healthcare marketers use paid search advertising to reach the desired goals, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that it is definitely a result-driven choice.

Make Informed Choices

The greatest advantage in the use of Google AdWords for doctors is the richness of the information and data amassed. Google Ads campaign provides you with metrics through which you can track everything in your ads. From knowing exactly what patients are searching for to how many visitors complete your contact forms, you will have a very clear panoramic view about how well your campaign will do. This will enable you to make smart decisions based on the direction of your marketing strategy, refine your ads, and carry out your approach to target really highly-converting leads.

Versatile, Real-Time Marketing

It is possible to adapt your campaigns in real time through Google Ads campaigns. In contrast, typically more time is required for setting up traditional advertising methods before changes may be made; with AdWords for doctors, you may instantly track the results and adjust your ad copy, targeting, or budget accordingly. This elasticity allows agile responses to trends, keeps the ads relevant, and prevents unnecessary wastage of ads.

Improve Your ROI

Google Ads is based on a Pay-per-click model. This means that you don’t have to pay for ads appearing on the search results but only each time your ad gets clicked. And even for health professionals that would like to maximise their use of budget in advertisement, this is extremely useful since you do not spend money on advertisements that are not pulling traffic in. The ability to adjust your budget based on results further ensures that you are getting the best ROI from investment for your practice’s marketing dollars.

Better Engagement

Google Ads brings in new patients and keeps the old ones engaged too. Use Google Ads campaign for services you offer at special prices during seasonal time or due to participation in health events. Through personalised and relevant ads, loyalty is inspired and more patients are referred by word of mouth.

The Working of Google Ads

Before learning how to create a successful google ads campaign, it’s important to understand how Google Ads for doctors actually works. Here are the basics to be aware of:

Bidding on Keywords

The first step in AdWords for doctors is selecting the right keywords that will drive potential patients to your ads. For example, if you’re a cardiologist, keywords might include “heart doctor near me,” “cardiology services,” or “heart health specialist.” The key here is targeting high-converting keywords—those with high search volumes but also specific to your practice.

Once you’ve chosen your keywords, you’ll place a bid on how much you’re willing to pay each time someone clicks on your ad. The higher the bid, the more likely your ad will be shown. However, it’s important to balance your bid with a solid quality score, which we’ll cover shortly.

Query Search

Once a patient types a relevant search query—let’s say, “best dentist near me”—Google will scan its database for matching keywords and show relevant ads based on the user’s search intent. If you’ve bid on the right keywords, your ad will be displayed.

Ad Auction

Once the patient performs the search, an ad auction occurs. Advertisers who have bid on matching keywords enter the auction. However, the highest bid doesn’t always win; Google uses a “quality score” to determine which ads are shown. Ads with higher relevance, higher expected click-through rates (CTR), and better landing page experiences are prioritised, even if they aren’t the highest bidder.

Quality Score

The quality score is one of the most important factors in Google Ads for physicians. It’s determined by:

Ad Relevance: How closely your ad matches the searcher’s query.
Expected Click-Through Rate (CTR): Google’s estimate of how likely your ad is to be clicked.
Landing Page Experience: How relevant and useful your landing pages is once the user clicks on your ad.

The higher your quality score, the less you will pay per click and the more likely your ad will appear in the top search results.

Medical advertising regulations apply to the operations of Google Ads for practitioners, ensuring respect for and avoiding the legal eventuality regarding unethical promotional practices. Some other salient points to consider relative to advertising would be the nitty-gritty of national health privacy legislation, especially relating to advertisements of services by health workers.

Google Ads Policies for Healthcare

Google has set out stringent guidelines for the running of ads pertaining to doctors or regarding health care services or when such are dispersed in different types of medical conditions. These core policies include:

Restricting Medical Content: The use of misleading claims, miracle cures, and unverifiable medical treatments in ad copy is not allowed by Google. Therefore, using “100% effective” or “instant results” will definitely land you an advertisement rejection.
Certification Requirement: Any medical practices, such as telemedicine or prescription drug provider ads, will hence oblige Google certification before being able to be advertised through Google PPC.
No Sensitive Targeting: Medical conditions should not be targeted in demographic targeting. This means that while it may be okay to target ads towards general health services, it is not permitted to do interest-based targeting for specific ailments.

HIPAA Compliance & Google Ads

This is a HIPAA compliance matter because the Google Ads either very much pertain to existing/old patient data or create such records. Various points are:

No PHI (Protected Health Information) in Ads: Do not allow personal identifying information such as patient names, medical records, or any other details that can lead back to a patient to appear in ad copy and landing pages.
Secure Data Collection: If lead forms are being used, encode with HIPAA and use standards applicable to what constitutes HIPAA standards. Google form and Standard ad lead forms are not considered HIPAA compliant.
Safe Remarketing Practices: Remarketing for healthcare ads is very much cut out with Google. To move away from a privacy breach, ensure that targeting is based on the relevant keywords with the new patients being the result of organic search.

On the other hand, you’ll have a few tips which you might need to guarantee Google ads compliance.

Be Sure to Use Negative Keywords: Removing ads for doctors from searches not related to them that could put them at risk of being blocked by compliance issues.
Be Sure Your Landing Page Is Compliant: Be sure the landing page states clearly a privacy policy, disclaimers, and a form for HIPAA-compliant contact requests.
Track the Performance of Your Ads: Enable conversion tracking to spend money wisely for ads and to keep track of compliance.

When all rules influencing Google search results and requirements from the HIPAA(Health Insurance Portability Act) are fulfilled, compliance is ensured and Google Ads are run seamlessly.

Creating Effective Google Ads for Doctors: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating effective Google Ads for doctors is not only about getting listed on the search engine but getting the proper people to click and visit the medical office. Global health spending is on pace to reach $15 trillion by 2029; the competition is bound to increase. Below is a guide to getting your ads right so they bring in more patients back into your offices.

Step 1: Conduct Keyword Research

Keyword research is the first step toward creating the best Google Ads for doctors. Consider which words and phrases prospective patients enter on Google when looking for medical services. It is not just about choosing broad terms like, “doctor near me” but rather a little further. An example might be, “pediatrician near me” or “urgent care clinic in.”

Let’s just say that you are after “doctor near me” with in excess of 200,000 monthly searches. Huge audience! But of course, make sure that you are not burning through your budget on clicks that aren’t going to make you any revenue in the end. Therefore, make sure you target highly intent-based keywords like, “best family doctor in Texas” or “affordable dentist in Kansas City.” Google AdWords for doctors essentially revolves around combinations of exact and phrase match keywords that will bring ready-to-convert customers seeking an appointment.

Step 2: Include Compelling Ad Copies and Extensions

After sorting out keywords, the next stage is to draft compelling ad copies for the Google ads. Your Google ads should communicate what makes your practice stand out clearly. Concentrate on what resonates with your audience well-for example, experienced staff, state-of-the-art facilities, or convenient appointment scheduling.

An example might look like this: “Looking for a trusted paediatrician? Experienced doctors and caring staff. Book an appointment today!” Simple, right? But it speaks directly to what potential patients are looking for.

Ad extensions are another game-changer. These little add-ons that appear beneath your ad give you extra space to provide helpful information. For example, using location extensions is a great way to show your practice’s address, which is super helpful for patients who are looking for someone nearby. For local search ads, location extensions can even get you into the Google Maps section, which is a prime spot.

Place a call extension in addition to your ad to encourage patients who are interested to call you directly from your ad. The greater the information you provide, the more likely someone is to click through to your ad.

Step 3: Target the Right Location

Medical practices operate location-based, using Google Ads helps to benefit from that. So, make sure that your ads are reaching the people in your service area. You want them to see it if you are a dentist in a small town, or a specialist in a big city. Location targeting helps ensure that your ad appears in front of those people who are very likely to book an appointment.

For example, if you are a dermatologist in Miami, you want your ads to be seen by people living in or around Miami. Either implement geographical targeting for your advertisement or focus on a certain radius. This is crucial if you offer specialized treatments, ensuring that patients actively seeking such care in your area can find you.

Step 4: Schedule Ads and Track Conversions

It is one thing to show up in the search results. But you also want to ensure that your ad shows up at the right time. The key to this is ad scheduling or dayparting. For instance, if you are open from 9 AM to 5 PM, you want to make sure that your ad doesn’t run during the midnight hours when no one is available to take phone calls or book appointments. Scheduling your ads in tandem with your operational hours helps make your ad dollars more efficient and better aligned with maximized relevance.

Besides scheduling, conversion tracking is immensely important. You want to know what is working, and Google has made it quite simpler for you to identify all kinds of useful metrics—such as phone calls, form submissions, and appointment bookings. You’ll gain more understanding about which ads and keywords are attracting the most patients, and which ones require adjustments.

Step 5: Optimise Landing Pages

Your ad might be perfect, but if your landing pages don’t match the ad or are slow to load, you’ll lose potential clients. Make sure your landing pages provide a seamless, patient-friendly experience.

Ensure your landing page loads quickly—Google says sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load lose nearly 40% of visitors.
Make your landing page mobile-friendly. Over 60% of healthcare-related searches happen on mobile, so you need a responsive design.
Match your ad copy to the landing page. If your ad talks about “Affordable Botox treatments,” your landing page should highlight that service and have a clear call to action.

Pro Tip💡: Test your landing pages regularly to see what’s working. A/B testing different versions of your page can help improve your conversion rates.

Step 6: Target Competitors

Don’t shy away from targeting your competitors with Google Ads. People looking for a doctor are often seeking alternatives to their current provider, whether it’s due to long waiting times, unavailable services, or a poor experience. This is where competitor targeting comes in.

If you’re a specialist, like a chiropractor or an orthodontist, look for competitors offering similar services and create ads that position you as a better alternative. Perhaps their reviews mention long wait times or lack of specialised treatments—these are the gaps you can fill. Focus on what makes your practice unique, and target ads specifically to people searching for those competitors. This kind of AdWords for doctors strategy can help you capture attention from patients who are ready for a change.

Step 7: Use the Google Display Network

Now, considering you’ve covered the basics, think about amplifying your reach through the Google Display Network, or GDN. These are visually appealing banner ads capable of driving significant brand awareness. Not necessarily a hard sell, but they’re able to establish the necessary exposure to your practice. Perfect for reminding them you’re ready when they are.

The beauty of the GDN is that you could tailor your ads depending on what kind of device or even screen size someone might be coming from. You can even customise a campaign for first-time visitors and instead of those who have previously interacted with your website.

Pro Tip💡: Retarget users who have previously visited your site. For instance, if a user visited your dental service but hasn’t scheduled an appointment, a follow-up advertisement may bring them to your doorstep for conversion.

Best Practices for Google Ads in Health Care

To get the most from Google Ads for doctors, best practices in digital marketing should be adopted. Proper campaign structure, keyword techniques, and HIPAA-compliant approaches can contribute to success.

Campaign Structuring for Maximum Impact

Campaign structuring improves quality score and brackets down the ad budget while increasing visibility on Google search results.

Develop Service-based ad groups: Don’t use an ad copy targeted at one group in a totally different specialty, e.g., “Orthopedic Surgery” vs. “General Checkups,” to improve relevance within ad copy militantly.
Use Google Keyword Planner: Find the best keywords that will attract new patients from your advertising budget.
Set Up Different Ad Groups: Use different Ad Groups to better control targeting specific ads and how you distribute your ad spend resources.

Create High Conversion Copy and Landing Pages

Write Attention-Grabbing Ads: Sell benefits like “Same-Day Appointments Available” or “Experience Board-Certified Doctors.”
Ad Use Extensions: Call, sitelink, and structured snippets help increase user engagement.
Make HIPAA-Compliant Landing Pages: These landing pages must not collect sensitive patient data using unencrypted forms but must use a HIPAA-secure means for appointment scheduling.

Conversion Tracking and Budget Management

Track Conversion: Track and measure how many new patients have scheduled their appointments through the ads you are running to put extra focus on optimizing ad spend.
Quality Matters: Better quality means higher ad ranking and lower PPC rates.
Keep a Strict Eye on Your Advertising Budget: Make sure that your money is doing the most for you and is directed to ads with the most success.

Following these best practices allow doctors to attract the most relevant audience, increase traffic to their sites, and book more patients while observing HIPAA regulations.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Google Ads for Doctors

Although Google Ads for doctors can prove very beneficial, many medical practitioners have been making avoidable mistakes that lead to poor results with an undesirable wastage of ad spends.

Poor Keyword Strategy

Paying No Attention to Keyword Relevance: Broad-scoping search terms can attract the wrong target audience, thus wasting your ad spends.
Failing to Use Negative Keywords: Unrelated searches might be responsible for your ads triggering negative keywords that would lower quality scores and increase costs.
Failure to Leverage Google Keyword Planner: This free tool is an indispensable instrument that helps you narrow in on relevant keywords to compose engaging PPC ads.

Ineffective Ad Copy & Landing Pages

Plain Vanilla Ad Copy: Without good ad copy, you will hardly urge someone to act; ads must flaunt what you offer, “Board-Certified Specialists,” or “Urgent Care Available.”
Non Optimised Landing Pages: Though there are probably many, the worst culprits contain slow-loading times and difficulty in navigation-ones that one would believe visitors should have an interest in. Be sure to do things for speed, clarity of CTAs, and ease of navigation.
Not Investing in Ad Extensions: These ad extensions include calls and location, which improve click-through rates, and hopefully the retention of elderly patients.

Badly Outlined Campaign Structure and Lack of Cost Allocation

No Separate Ad Groups: Unless ad groups are created based on the treatments being targeted, ads that target treatments can get inefficient.

Overspending Without Conversion Monitoring: Track any good metrics of new patients generated to ensure that ads aren’t paid out for nothing.
Not Checking the Quality Score: Poor quality scores simply mean increasing cost and declining visibility within Google’s search results.

Case Study: How Embark Behavioural Health Achieved Rapid Growth with an Efficient Google Ads Strategy

Embark Behavioral Health, one of the fastest-growing behavioural healthcare for teens and young adults has been recorded when their digital marketing strategy was optimised to use Google Ads. This case study describes how Embark has progressed from five markets to 14-a move that saw a significant rise in lead volume and conversion from them, never forgetting cost-effectiveness as it operated.

rates and acquisition of new patients.

The Challenge

Embark faced the challenge of expanding into new markets without a scalable and efficient marketing strategy. The company needed to quickly establish brand awareness and generate leads for newly opened locations while maintaining high conversion rates and controlling costs. Their previous Google Ads account was over-segmented, making it difficult to optimise campaigns, resulting in inefficient ad spend and cumbersome management.

The Solution

Embark partnered with Cardinal Digital Marketing to restructure their Google Ad strategy, focusing on scalability and efficiency. The approach was built around two core strategies:

Restructuring the Google Ads Account: The first step was consolidating the multiple, fragmented campaigns into fewer, more focused campaigns. By grouping non-brand search campaigns by location and creating targeted brand and wilderness campaigns for each market, Embark’s ads became more streamlined and easier to manage. This restructuring improved campaign performance and reduced inefficiencies, resulting in higher conversion rates and a lower cost per lead.
Developing a Full-Funnel Keyword Strategy: Embark’s marketing team refined their keyword strategy by aligning search intent with the appropriate ads. The strategy targeted users at various stages of their journey:
- Upper-Funnel: Educational keywords that addressed the mental health challenges parents face when seeking help for their children.
- Mid-Funnel: Service-based keywords that focused on Embark’s specific offerings, such as teen mental health care.
- Bottom-Funnel: High-intent keywords, including branded and location-specific searches, that targeted users ready to seek treatment.

This strategy allowed Embark to capture demand at each stage of the funnel, from initial awareness to final decision-making, which significantly boosted lead quality and efficiency.

The Result

Following implementation of the optimized Google Ads strategy, Embark experienced fantastic success:

272% Increase in Lead Volume: The lead volume in the month had transformed from 62 to 232.
74% Increase in Conversion Rates: Conversion rates began their rise, starting at 3.64% to 6.34%, indicating better ad relevance and targeting.
57% Decrease in Cost per Lead: This meant a decrease in the cost per lead, allowing Embark’s spend to become more effective.

In addition, Embark expanded from five to fourteen markets with the opening of two new centers in Q4 of 2022, all benefiting from a scalable efficient media strategy.

Wrapping Up

Healthcare, digital ad spending is expected to reach $19.6 billion by the end of 2024; thus, one might see that healthcare marketing has already reached booming levels. However, the need to utilise a platform such as Google Ads to get a piece of the action is not enough, because campaigning effectively does require time, expertise, and continued optimization for the best outcome. If you’re running a health care practice and want to maximise your ROI without having to do everything yourself, hiring a google ads agency may be the way to go. They can guide you through the complexities related to Google Ads for doctors and give your practice the visibility it deserves while you continue to do what you do best: cater to your patients.

Take it slow, keep trying different approaches, channel your efforts according to the data—and then, sure enough, you will soon notice the effect on your online presence and on your patient numbers.

Additional Resources:

Google Ads for Doctors: How to Target the Right Patients Online

Why Invest in Google Ads for Doctors?