Google Ads for Healthcare: What Works in 2025

Why Google Ads Makes Sense for Healthcare

Organic search takes time. Building SEO authority can take 6-12 months or longer. But patients are searching for healthcare providers right now—and Google Ads puts you in front of them immediately.

When done right, healthcare Google Ads campaigns deliver:

• Immediate visibility for competitive keywords
• Precise targeting by location, demographics, and search intent
• Measurable results (you know exactly what you're paying per new patient)
• Scalability (increase budget to increase patients)

But healthcare advertising also comes with unique challenges and restrictions that other industries don't face.

Healthcare-Specific Google Ads Policies

Before you start, know the rules. Google has strict policies for healthcare advertising:

What's Restricted

• Prescription drugs: Can't advertise prescription medications without Google certification
• Medical claims: Can't make unsubstantiated claims about treatments
• Before/after imagery: Heavily restricted in many healthcare categories
• Targeting by condition: Can't target people based on health conditions in many cases

What Requires Certification

• Online pharmacies
• Addiction services
• Clinical trial recruitment

What's Generally Allowed

• Practice promotion (general services)
• Appointment scheduling
• Location-based searches ("dentist near me")
• Information about procedures and specialties

Choosing the Right Campaign Type

Search Campaigns (Start Here)

Search ads appear when patients actively search for healthcare services. This is typically the highest-ROI channel because you're reaching people with immediate intent.

Best for:

• "Dentist near me"
• "Orthopedic surgeon [city]"
• "Urgent care open now"
• Specific procedure searches

Pro tip: Start with exact match and phrase match keywords. Broad match can burn through budget quickly on irrelevant searches.

Local Services Ads (LSAs)

For healthcare, Local Services Ads deserve special attention. These appear above traditional search ads and feature:

• Your Google review rating
• Business hours
• "Google Screened" badge (after verification)

Why they work: LSAs operate on a pay-per-lead model (not pay-per-click), so you only pay when someone contacts you. They're particularly effective for urgent, local searches.

Performance Max

Google's AI-driven campaign type that spans all Google properties. Use cautiously in healthcare—less control means more risk of showing ads in inappropriate contexts.

Better for: Retargeting and brand awareness after you've mastered Search campaigns.

Building High-Converting Healthcare Ads

Headline Best Practices

You get three headlines (30 characters each). Make them count:

Headline 1: Primary keyword / service

• "Accepting New Dental Patients"
• "Same-Day Orthopedic Care"

Headline 2: Differentiator / benefit

• "Top-Rated Doctors in [City]"
• "Most Insurances Accepted"

Headline 3: Call to action

• "Book Online 24/7"
• "Call for Appointment"

Description Best Practices

Two descriptions (90 characters each):

Focus on:

• Convenience factors (hours, locations, online booking)
• Trust signals (years in practice, certifications)
• Clear next steps

Example: "Experienced team providing comprehensive family dental care. Same-day appointments available. New patients welcome. Book online today."

Ad Extensions You Must Use

Extensions make your ads larger and more informative:

• Location extension: Shows your address and map pin
• Call extension: Adds a clickable phone number
• Sitelink extensions: Links to specific pages (About Us, Services, Book Online)
• Callout extensions: Short benefit phrases ("Free Parking," "Same-Day Appointments")

Keyword Strategy for Healthcare

High-Intent Keywords (Priority)

These indicate someone ready to book:

• "[Specialty] near me" (e.g., "dentist near me")
• "[Specialty] accepting new patients"
• "[Specialty] [city name]"
• "Best [specialty] in [city]"

Procedure-Specific Keywords

Target patients looking for specific treatments:

• "Root canal specialist"
• "Knee replacement surgeon"
• "Botox treatment [city]"

Problem-Based Keywords

Sometimes patients search for symptoms:

• "Tooth pain emergency dentist"
• "Back pain doctor"

Caution: Problem-based keywords can have lower conversion rates—the patient may not be ready to book yet.

Negative Keywords (Critical)

Prevent your ads from showing for irrelevant searches:

• Job-related: "healthcare jobs," "nursing careers"
• DIY: "home remedies," "self treatment"
• Other locations: Nearby cities you don't serve
• Competitors: Other practice names (usually)

Budget and Bidding

Starting Budget

For most practices, start with $1,500-3,000/month to gather meaningful data. Healthcare clicks can cost $5-50+ depending on specialty and location.

Bidding Strategy

For new campaigns: Start with Maximize Clicks to gather data After 30+ conversions: Switch to Target CPA (cost per acquisition)

Calculating Your Target CPA

Work backwards from patient value:

• Average revenue per new patient: $500
• Acceptable marketing cost: 20% = $100
• Target CPA: $100 or less

Tracking What Matters

Conversion Actions to Track

• Phone calls (use call tracking)
• Form submissions
• Online appointment bookings
• Click-to-call from ads

Key Metrics to Monitor

• Cost per lead: How much are you paying per inquiry?
• Lead quality: Are the leads becoming patients?
• Cost per acquired patient: The ultimate metric

Call Tracking

Since most healthcare conversions happen by phone, proper call tracking is non-negotiable. Use a platform that:

• Assigns unique numbers to ad campaigns
• Records calls (where legal) for quality review
• Integrates with Google Ads for conversion tracking

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Targeting Too Broad an Area

Healthcare is local. A 50-mile radius might sound good but wastes budget on patients who won't travel that far.

Better: Start with 10-15 mile radius and expand if needed.

2. Not Using Ad Scheduling

If your office closes at 5pm and no one answers after-hours calls, don't run ads at 10pm.

Better: Match ad scheduling to your phone coverage.

3. Sending Traffic to Your Homepage

Your homepage isn't optimized for every service. If someone searches "dental implants," send them to your implants page.

Better: Create dedicated landing pages for major services.

4. Ignoring Mobile Experience

60%+ of healthcare searches happen on mobile. If your mobile website is slow or hard to navigate, you're wasting ad spend.

5. Set-It-and-Forget-It Mentality

Google Ads requires ongoing optimization:

• Review search terms weekly
• Add negative keywords regularly
• Test new ad copy monthly
• Adjust bids based on performance

The First 90 Days

Month 1: Launch, gather data, identify wasted spend Month 2: Optimize keywords, test ad copy, refine targeting Month 3: Scale what's working, cut what isn't

Expect to lose some money while learning. The goal is to reach profitability by month 2-3 and scale from there.

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Looking for expert management of your healthcare Google Ads campaigns? Our team specializes in compliant, high-performance advertising that delivers measurable patient growth.