Google Ads for practices
Google Ads for practices, built inside the healthcare rules and tracked to the phone.
Search campaigns that reach patients who are looking for what you offer, near you, right now. We build them within Google’s healthcare policies, send clicks to pages made for each search, and track calls and forms in GA4.
Why search campaigns
A patient who types “emergency dentist”, “lip filler near me” or “sports chiropractor” has a need and is ready to act. Search ads let you show up for those exact searches, in your area, when you choose. That is why we lead with Search campaigns for practices, and add other campaign types only when there is a clear reason. For how this works in one specialty, see our guide to cardiology practice marketing.
Keywords by service
Campaigns organized around the services you want more of, not one large bucket. Each has its own budget and its own landing page. A free patient seminar gets the same treatment; see our guide to patient education seminar marketing.
Local targeting
Ads shown around your locations, with the radius patients actually travel, and schedules that match when you can answer. For patients who travel across borders for care, see medical tourism marketing.
Negative keywords
We exclude searches that waste money: jobs, schools, free, DIY, other specialties, and terms that do not fit your practice.
Ad copy within the rules
Clear, factual ads about services, location, insurance and availability. No claims about outcomes, no guarantees. For one specialty example, see our guide to LASIK marketing. If your ads show self-pay prices, read advertising cash prices for a medical practice. Wellness studios selling cold or light sessions face the same limit; see cryotherapy and red light marketing claims. Same-day visit ads for a condition that flares are covered in gout clinic marketing.
Healthcare ad policies we work within
Health is one of the most restricted areas in Google Ads. Ads that ignore the rules get limited or disapproved, and repeated problems can put an account at risk. We plan around the policies from the start. Some services, such as addiction treatment, need third-party certification before any ad can run; see addiction treatment marketing. Online pharmacies, including those that compound, need accreditation and Google certification to promote prescription drug services; see compounding pharmacy marketing.
- Restricted terms. Some health terms and products, such as prescription drugs and certain treatments, are limited, need certification, or are not allowed in some countries. We check before we write. Peptide therapy also runs into Google’s unapproved substances rules; see peptide therapy clinic marketing.
- Personalized ads limits. Google does not allow ads to be targeted based on a person’s health conditions. We target what people search for, not who they are assumed to be.
- No remarketing on sensitive health conditions. We do not build audiences of people who visited pages about sensitive health topics and follow them with ads.
- Landing pages that match. The page must offer what the ad says, with clear practice information and contact details.
- No misleading claims. No promises of results, no before and after claims that break policy, no invented urgency.
Policies change, so we check them when we plan each campaign. For a plain overview, read healthcare ad policy basics, or for a specialty example, Google Ads for chiropractors. Mental health practices have extra limits, covered in our guide to therapist marketing.
Privacy and tracking
Ad and analytics tags should not collect patient health information. We keep tracking on pages and forms that do not carry health details, keep form contents out of analytics, and review the tags you already have. Background in our guide to tracking pixels and Google Analytics on practice websites.
If a tool would handle patient information, we confirm in writing what a BAA covers before any patient information flows through a tool, and if it is not covered, we do not route patient information through it.
Calls and forms tracked in GA4
Many new patients pick up the phone instead of filling in a form. If you only count form fills, you miss a large part of what your ads do. We set up tracking before the first ad runs, so every report shows real inquiries.
- Call tracking numbers on ads and on the site, so calls can be tied to the campaign that drove them
- Calls from ads counted when they last long enough to be a real conversation
- Form submissions recorded as GA4 key events, without the content of the form
- Booking link clicks recorded, so you can see who went to schedule
- Conversions imported into Google Ads, so bidding learns from real inquiries, not clicks
If you want, we can match tracked calls to appointments booked, by date and source, with your front desk. That is the step most practices skip, and the one that shows whether ads are paying for themselves.
Landing pages built for each search
Sending every ad to your home page wastes the click. A patient searching for clear aligners should land on a page about clear aligners, with your location, insurance and financing info, a call button and a booking link. Where a service can be medical or cosmetic, separate pages keep coverage claims accurate; our guide to vein clinic marketing shows how.
We build landing pages on your WordPress site, so they also help with search and stay under your control. Each page is fast on a phone, meets the same accessibility standard as the rest of your site, and is checked against ad policy before launch. For ED and other sexual health services, that includes Google’s sexual health and sensitive category rules; see male health and ED clinic marketing.
Illustration
A chiropractic clinic runs one campaign for “chiropractor near me” and one for sports injuries. Each sends clicks to its own page, and each is reported separately so the owner can move budget between them.
Illustration of the approach, not client data.
Budget is your decision
Ad spend is paid directly by you to Google, from your own account. You set the budget, and you can change or pause it at any time. We recommend a starting budget based on your services, area and goals, explain what it can and cannot cover, and never raise it without your approval. If you plan a holiday or gift card promotion, our guide to gift cards, holiday promotions and package deals covers the federal rules to check before the ads go live.
- PlanServices to advertise, locations, schedule, budget range and what counts as a conversion.
- TrackCall tracking, GA4 key events and Google Ads conversions set up and tested.
- LaunchCampaigns, ads and landing pages go live, checked against policy.
- ReviewSearch terms, negative keywords, bids and pages adjusted on a regular schedule, with a plain report.
Paid search works best with a strong listing and site behind it. See local SEO for practices and the AI front desk for the calls ads bring in.
Google Ads questions
How much should a practice spend on Google Ads?
That is your decision. It depends on your services, your area and how many new patients you can take. We suggest a starting range after the review, explain what it can realistically cover and adjust from real tracked results.
Who owns the Google Ads account?
You do. The account is in your name and billed to your card. We work in it as a manager, and you keep full access to campaigns and data.
Why did Google limit or disapprove our health ads?
Usually because of restricted terms, a landing page that does not match the ad, or targeting that touches health conditions. We review the account, fix what we can and explain anything that needs certification or cannot run. Some treatments can only be promoted in narrow cases; our guide to advertising regenerative and stem cell treatments explains one common case. Medical cannabis and CBD fall under separate drug and unapproved substance rules; see medical cannabis and CBD clinic marketing.
Can you run ads for prescription treatments, like weight loss medication?
Prescription drug ads are tightly restricted and often need certification or are not allowed. We look at what you offer and tell you what can run before building anything. Read healthcare ad policy basics for an overview, or telehealth marketing for practices if you offer virtual visits. For how drug names work in ads and keywords, see dermatology practice marketing. For weight loss programs and compounded GLP-1 claims, read weight loss clinic marketing. Testosterone is a Schedule III controlled substance with its own labeling limits; see testosterone clinic marketing. Google does not allow ads for prescription opioid painkillers; pain management clinic marketing covers what pain practices can run. Psychiatric practices that prescribe by telehealth need certification too; see psychiatric practice marketing.
Do you run Facebook or Instagram ads?
Our focus is Google Search, because it reaches patients who are already looking. For most independent practices, that is where we start. Google also sells pay-per-lead listings in some specialties; see Google Local Services Ads for healthcare. If you also run billboards or radio, TV and streaming ads, see billboard advertising and radio, TV and streaming ads for the rules that apply there.
Client work
Creahive has built and run websites for health organizations, among them Integrative Endocrinology, Connective HS, Better Cancer Answers and Predict Your Risk. See our work for what we did for each, or the full partner list at creahive.com.
Want a second pair of eyes on your patient path?
Book a practice review. We look at how patients find you, what they see on your site, what happens when they call, and what you can measure today. You get a plain list of what we would fix first.