Google Ads for Private Clinics and Diagnostic Centres
10+ years running Google Ads accounts, 50+ brands, 3x UK Search Awards. I've worked with several diagnostic centres in Serbia and now manage a private diagnostic clinic's account in London.
Healthcare isn't like other sectors
Patient acquisition is rarely done well, and healthcare advertising comes with policies most people underestimate.
Health is one of Google's "sensitive interest categories". That restricts targeting: remarketing, customer match, and lookalike audiences aren't allowed for healthcare ads.
Conversion tracking itself isn't affected - that's a separate issue.
Individual keywords can get rejected under the same policy, even for a routine, legal service like ultrasound scans. The fix is a formal exception request per keyword; not guaranteed, but in my case they were approved.
Diagnostics don't require special certification, unlike prescription drugs or insurance. The audience restriction applies in every market; certification and some services vary by country.
I know claims rules from the product side too: I've managed a UK premium skincare brand for over two years, where product claims need proof.
Where the money leaks
Three places I check first, on every account.
- 1
The website. I check where the "Book Now" button leads: to a slot for that specific service, or to a general price list.
- 2
The path from click to booking. I check whether a cheaper, entry-level service sends cold traffic straight to a calendar, before the visitor understands what they're booking.
- 3
Health policy knowledge. Campaigns set up without knowing health policy: rejected keywords, rejected ads, lost days.
How measurement works when audiences are restricted
The goal is the same on every account: results and patient lifetime value over time.
The healthcare restriction is on targeting, not on measurement: remarketing, customer match, and similar audiences aren't allowed. In-market segments, affinity audiences, demographics, and location still work.
When the main conversion has no reliable signal, I look for an event analytics already records - for example, a form submission on the booking page - and use it as a proxy for intent, per service, until the tracking gets fixed.
What I check first in a clinic's account
The order is the same, regardless of the clinic.
- 1
First, an account and policy audit before a single ad gets written: what's allowed, what isn't, and where budget already leaks.
- 2
Second, how many keywords Google is rejecting under health policy, with a formal exception request for each one.
- 3
Third, the path from ad to booking: does the button go where it promises.
- 4
Fourth, a measurement signal for when the main conversion has no reliable tracking: an event analytics already records, per service.
What you get
I manage Google Ads accounts for clinics and diagnostic centres. The first step is a review of the account and policy; whether that's a full audit or a shorter review depends on budget, decided on the call.
Pricing depends on budget and number of services, worked out on a short call. See what a Google Ads audit covers first.
I don't promise patient numbers or a lower cost per booking. I report what's in the account and what it means for your budget.
Questions clinics ask
Can I advertise diagnostic scans and private check-ups on Google?▼
Can I retarget people who already visited my website?▼
What happens if Google rejects some of my keywords?▼
Does health policy mean I can't measure my results?▼
Do you work with smaller clinics, or only larger diagnostic centres?▼
Will you promise a specific number of new patients?▼
Let's talk about your account
Schedule a call and find out what I see in your Google Ads account and what it means for your budget.