Common Google Ads Mistakes Healthcare Practices Make (and How to Fix Them)

Running Google Ads is one of the fastest ways to bring new patients into your clinic - but it can also become an expensive exercise if campaigns are not set up and managed correctly. At Practice Boost, we regularly audit accounts for medical, dental, and allied health practices, and we often see the same costly mistakes.

In this article, we break down the most common errors practices make with Google Ads - and how to fix them so you can attract the right patients without wasting your marketing budget.

Mistake 1 - Not Using Negative Keywords

One of the simplest - and most overlooked - aspects of running Google Ads is negative keywords.
Without them, your ads may show for irrelevant searches like “free dentist near me” or “GP jobs in [suburb],” leading to wasted clicks.

How to Fix It

Regularly review your search terms report and add irrelevant queries as negative keywords. This will ensure your ads only show for searches that are likely to convert into bookings.

Mistake 2 - Targeting Too Broadly

Some practices target entire states or even all of Australia, thinking this will bring more patients. The result? Paying for clicks from people who will never travel to your clinic.

How to Fix It

Use radius targeting or suburb-level targeting around your clinic’s location. You will reduce wasted spend and focus only on nearby potential patients.

Mistake 3 - Ignoring Conversion Tracking

If you are not tracking phone calls, online bookings, or contact form submissions, you will not know what is actually working - and you might keep funding ads that do not generate real results.

How to Fix It

Set up conversion tracking for all key patient actions:

• Phone calls from ads
• Online bookings
• Contact form submissions

This allows you to see your cost per lead and optimise for what truly drives new appointments.

Mistake 4 - Sending Traffic to the Home Page

Many clinics send ad clicks straight to their homepage, which often does not have a clear call-to-action.

How to Fix It

Create service-specific landing pages. For example, if you are running an ad for dental implants, send traffic to a page dedicated to dental implants with:

• Clear information about the procedure
• Patient-friendly benefits
• Prominent Book Now buttons

Mistake 5 - Not Testing Ad Copy

Running just one ad per service is a missed opportunity. Google rewards accounts that test multiple ad variations.

How to Fix It

Create at least 3 ad versions per ad group. Test different headlines, calls-to-action, and benefits. Over time, Google will prioritise the best-performing ads and lower your cost per click.

Mistake 6 - "Set and Forget" Campaigns

Google Ads campaigns need ongoing optimisation. Leaving them untouched for months often results in declining performance and wasted budget.

How to Fix It

Review campaigns at least once a week:

• Check which keywords are driving conversions
• Pause underperforming ads
• Adjust bids or budgets based on performance

Mistake 7 - Not Aligning Ads with Business Goals

Some practices run ads without a clear growth target - they just want “more patients.” Without alignment, you may end up with lots of low-value appointments that do not grow the practice profitably.

How to Fix It

Define clear goals before you launch:

• What services do you want to promote?
• What is your ideal cost per new patient?
• How many new patients per month are you aiming for?

Then optimise campaigns towards those outcomes.

Why Professional Management Matters

Even when practice owners understand these mistakes, implementing all the fixes can be time-consuming and technically complex.
Professional Google Ads management can make the difference between a campaign that simply spends money and one that reliably delivers new patients.

A dedicated marketing partner will:

• Continuously monitor performance to catch wasted spend early
• Set up advanced conversion tracking and dashboards so you see ROI clearly
• Test, refine, and optimise ad copy and targeting to improve cost per lead
• Align campaigns with your business goals so you attract the right type of patients, not just any patients

At Practice Boost, we handle all of this for you - so you can focus on delivering excellent care while we focus on filling your books.

Bringing It All Together

Avoiding these common mistakes can significantly improve the ROI of your Google Ads campaigns.

At Practice Boost, we specialise in helping healthcare practices get the most out of their marketing spend with:

• Professionally managed Google Ads campaigns
• Conversion-optimised landing pages
• Detailed reporting that tracks ROI

If you are ready to stop wasting money on clicks and start attracting high-value patients, book a free strategy session with our team today.

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