Healthcare playbookMOFU
Google Ads for hospitals: be found when patients search
The short answer
When someone searches "orthopaedic surgeon near me" or "IVF centre in Mumbai", they're looking for care now. Google Search is where hospitals and clinics can meet those patients — with a clear ad, a relevant page and an easy way to book. Done carefully and compliantly, it's one of the most effective patient acquisition channels available.
Search themes for healthcare
- Speciality searches — "cardiologist in Andheri", "best dermatologist Mumbai"
- Treatment and procedure searches — "knee replacement surgery", "cataract surgery cost"
- Symptom-led searches — handled carefully, directing to appropriate information and consultation
- Diagnostics — "MRI scan near me", "full body checkup"
- Brand and doctor-name searches
How we structure healthcare campaigns
- Campaigns by speciality and location, with budgets reflecting capacity and priority.
- Landing pages per speciality or procedure — doctors, facilities, costs where appropriate, and booking options.
- Call-focused ads scheduled for when the appointment desk is staffed.
- Appointment booking tracked — calls, forms and WhatsApp — with booked and attended appointments imported where possible.
- Location extensions linked to Google Business Profiles.
- Compliance review for every ad and page.
Healthcare ad rules to respect
- No guaranteed outcomes or cure claims
- Accurate description of procedures and costs
- Platform healthcare policies, including restrictions on some treatments and medicines
- Patient privacy in tracking and remarketing — avoid sensitive-condition remarketing
A first 90 days for a hospital
- Weeks 1–2 — priority specialities agreed with management based on capacity and margin; call tracking and booking measurement set up.
- Weeks 3–4 — speciality landing pages with doctor profiles; search campaigns launched for two or three priority specialities.
- Month 2 — call quality and booking reviews with the appointment desk; negatives and ad schedules refined.
- Month 3 — expansion to further specialities and locations; reporting on booked and attended appointments by speciality.
What to measure
- Calls answered versus missed by hour
- Appointments booked and attended from paid search
- Cost per attended appointment by speciality
- Landing page conversion rate by device
- Share of searches for priority specialities where your ads appear
Speciality campaign planning
| Speciality type | Search behaviour | Campaign focus |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency and urgent care | Immediate, local | Call ads, location targeting, 24/7 messaging |
| Elective procedures | Research-heavy | Procedure pages, cost information, consultations |
| Diagnostics | Price and convenience | Package pages, online booking |
| Specialist consultations | Doctor-led | Doctor profiles, availability |
| International patients | Long research cycles | Country-specific campaigns, coordinators |
Healthcare landing page checklist
- Speciality or procedure explained in plain language
- Doctor profiles with qualifications and experience
- What to expect — preparation, recovery, costs where appropriate
- Booking options — call, WhatsApp, online form
- Location, parking, timings
- Accreditation and trust signals
- Clinically reviewed content with review date
Healthcare remarketing: what's allowed
Google's personalised advertising policies restrict targeting based on sensitive health conditions. Hospitals can generally run remarketing for general services and awareness, but should avoid lists or messages implying knowledge of a person's condition. We design audiences and copy to stay within policy.
Budget guide by hospital type
| Hospital | Search focus | Orientation for monthly budget |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-speciality, metro | Speciality and procedure terms | ₹3–10 lakh |
| Single-speciality | Procedure and condition terms | ₹1–4 lakh |
| Day-care and clinics | Local treatment terms | ₹50,000–₹2 lakh |
| International patients | Procedure terms in source countries | ₹1–5 lakh |
A worked example
A hospital ran one generic campaign for all specialities. We split campaigns by speciality, built procedure-specific landing pages with doctor profiles and cost guidance where appropriate, tracked calls and appointment bookings, and excluded job and education searches. Appointments per rupee rose.
What to expect, and when
| Phase | Timeline | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Weeks 1–2 | Speciality campaigns, landing pages, call tracking |
| Learning | Weeks 3–6 | Appointment data and search-term pruning |
| Optimising | Months 2–3 | Budget shifts to profitable specialities |
| Expansion | Month 3+ | New specialities, locations and international patients |
Launch checklist
- Healthcare ad-policy review for each speciality
- Doctor profiles and treatment pages ready
- Call tracking and appointment booking integration
- No sensitive health targeting in remarketing
Why teams choose PMG for Google Ads for Hospitals
- Measurement first. Unit economics and clean tracking come before any increase in spend.
- You own everything. Ad accounts, data and creative stay in your name; ad spend goes straight to the platforms.
- Senior hands on the account. The strategist you speak to is the person running it.
- Weekly transparency. Scorecard, change log and test board — every week.
- Short minimum terms. We keep clients with results, not contracts.
- India and international. One Mumbai team running campaigns across Indian cities and overseas markets, Mon–Sat, 7am–9pm IST.
Where we run Google Ads for Hospitals
We manage Google Ads for Hospitals for businesses across India — including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad — and for companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Germany. Campaigns are planned market by market, with language, currency, platform mix and privacy rules matched to each. See all Indian locations and international markets.
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- Tracking check
- Pixels, Conversions API, GA4 events and offline conversions — what is firing, what is double-counted, what is missing.
- Wasted spend
- Search terms, placements, audiences and overlap that cost money without producing qualified leads or sales.
- Conversion path
- Landing page speed, message match, form friction and follow-up time — where interested people drop off.
- 90-day priorities
- The three changes we would make first, with the metric each one should move.
Frequently asked questions
Can hospitals use remarketing?
Platforms restrict remarketing based on sensitive health information. Plan audiences carefully and avoid condition-based remarketing.
What should healthcare ads be measured on?
Booked and attended appointments, not clicks or form fills alone.
Do we need separate landing pages per speciality?
Yes — patients searching for a cardiologist want cardiology information, not the hospital homepage.
Can hospitals advertise specific treatments on Google?
Many treatments can be advertised, but some categories are restricted and prescription drugs generally can't be promoted. Claims must be accurate and compliant with Indian law.
How do we track appointments from Google Ads?
Call tracking with minimum durations, online booking conversions and offline imports from hospital appointment systems.
Should each hospital branch have its own campaigns?
Usually yes, with geo-targeting to each branch's catchment and location-specific landing pages.
Can hospitals advertise treatments on Google?
Yes, within Google's healthcare policies and Indian medical advertising rules; some treatments have restrictions.
Should hospitals advertise to international patients?
If they have international patient services, yes — with country-specific campaigns and clear information on travel and costs.
Can hospitals advertise surgery costs?
Indicative ranges can help patients, but must be accurate and compliant with applicable rules.
How long does Google Ads for Hospitals take to show results?
Tracking fixes and search campaigns often show improvement within two to four weeks; prospecting on Meta or YouTube usually needs three to six weeks of creative testing; SEO compounds over three to nine months. We agree leading indicators up front so progress is visible early.
Is there a long contract?
No. Minimum terms are short, because we would rather keep clients with results than with contracts.
What do you need from us to start?
Access to ad accounts and analytics, your margins and order values (or deal values), brand assets, and a decision-maker available for a weekly 30-minute call.
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