Clicks aren't patients. Is your ad spend turning into bookings?
Many consultants pay for ads without knowing what they get back. Here is how to find out, and what to change.
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- steps
- 8
- steps
- to start
- 2 to 4 hours
- to start
- scorecard
- Free
- scorecard
The short answer
If you cannot state your cost per booked patient, you do not yet know whether your ads work. Track enquiries and bookings, send each ad to a page about that condition, cut irrelevant searches every month, and hold your supplier to patients booked, not clicks. Within 90 days you will usually see either a clear return or a clear reason to stop.
What good looks like
Your numbers, before and after
Google Ads report
Illustrative sample, not a real person or result. Your own audit uses your real details.
8 steps
Do it yourself: step by step
0 of 8 done
Set up Google Ads conversion tracking for form submissions, calls from ads and clicks on your phone number. Ask every new patient how they found you and record it in your PMS
- Time
- 2 to 4 hours
- Typical cost
- £0
- Who does it
- Your supplier, or you
Done when: Google Ads shows conversions, and your PMS shows source for every new patient
This problem is Solvable.
Copy this checklist
Google Ads monthly check and supplier questions
Free to copy, adapt and use. No sign-up.
Monthly Google Ads check
| Measure | This month | Last month |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | £[ ] | £[ ] |
| Clicks | [ ] | [ ] |
| Enquiries (forms + calls) | [ ] | [ ] |
| Cost per enquiry | £[ ] | £[ ] |
| Patients booked from ads | [ ] | [ ] |
| Cost per booked patient | £[ ] | £[ ] |
| Value of those patients | £[ ] | £[ ] |
Rule of thumb (Solvable estimate): if cost per booked patient is more than a third of what a new patient is worth to you over their first episode, look hard at the account.
Set-up checklist
- Conversion tracking on forms, calls from ads and phone-number clicks
- Source recorded for every new patient in your PMS
- Each ad group lands on its own condition or procedure page
- Location radius set to where your patients come from
- Ad schedule matches when the phone is answered
- You have admin access to the Google Ads account in your own name
Negative keyword starter list
NHS, jobs, job, salary, career, vacancy, training, course, degree, university, free, cheap, pictures, images, symptoms, definition, what is, wiki, reddit, DIY, home remedy, [towns outside your area], [conditions you do not treat]
Review against your own search terms report before adding. Some searches containing 'symptoms' do convert in some specialties.
Advertising rules check
- No guarantees of outcome
- No claims you cannot evidence (for example 'best' or 'leading')
- No prescription-only medicines promoted
- Fees stated accurately if mentioned
- Ad matches the landing page
Questions to ask your supplier
- What was our cost per enquiry and cost per booked patient last month?
- What did you change this month and why?
- Which search terms did you exclude?
- What share of spend went on searches that produced no enquiry?
- Do I own the account if we stop working together?
- What is your fee, separate from the ad spend?
If your supplier cannot answer 1 to 4, that is your answer.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
- Judging ads on clicks and impressions rather than booked patients.
- Sending every ad to the homepage.
- Never looking at the search terms report.
- Running ads at times nobody answers the phone.
- Letting a supplier own the Google Ads account, so the history is lost when you leave.
Free personal check
Done by Paul Robinson, not software
I'll sense-check your Google Ads numbers and tell you whether they are worth keeping
What I need from you
- Your calculator inputs
- Monthly ad spend and management fee
- Roughly how many patients booked from ads last quarter
What you get
- Your cost per booked patient against what a patient is worth
- The three changes that matter most
- Whether to keep, change or stop
Within 2 working days
No sign-in, no sales call. I read every request myself and reply on WhatsApp.
Free tools
Check where you stand
Benchmarks
Non-broadcast advertising, including paid search, must comply with the CAP Code
ASA rules apply to ads and consultant websites
Source: ASA
Prescription-only medicines cannot be advertised to the public, including in Google sponsored search ads (CAP Code rule 12.12)
ASA advice on prescription-only medicines
Source: ASA
Google restricts healthcare and medicines advertising, including prescription drug terms in ads, landing pages and keywords
Google Ads healthcare and medicines policy
Source: Google
20 to 40% of spend in an unmanaged consultant account often goes on searches that never produce an enquiry
Solvable estimate from search term reviews of consultant accounts. Not a published benchmark
Solvable estimate
Paul Robinson
14 years in UK private healthcare
I'll introduce you to someone who solves this for consultants
Want a hand? I'll look at your situation and tell you the three things I'd tackle first.
A few quick questions, about two minutes. I read every one myself and usually reply the same day.
No sales call unless you ask for one. Just a straight answer and what I'd do first.
I reply personally, usually the same day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much should I spend?
Start with enough to get meaningful data, often £500 to £1,500 a month depending on specialty and area (Solvable estimate), for 90 days. Then decide on cost per booked patient.
Can I run the ads myself?
Yes, if you have the time to review search terms monthly. Many consultants pay a supplier to manage it and keep ownership of the account.
Why are clicks high but enquiries low?
Usually the wrong searches, the wrong landing page, or a phone nobody answers.
Can I advertise a specific treatment?
Yes, within the CAP Code and Google's healthcare policy. Prescription-only medicines cannot be advertised to the public.
Should I stop if it is not working?
After 90 days with tracking in place, yes, if cost per booked patient is above what a patient is worth. Do not stop before tracking is in place.
Last reviewed:
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