Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Why Google Ads Still Matter in 2024
2. What Makes a Google Ads Strategy Work for Clinics and Medspas?
3. Lessons From Real Case Studies & Results
4. The Big Picture: Your Holistic Lead Generation Funnel
5. Budgeting for Success: How Much Should You Spend?
6. The Right Keyword Research and Planning
7. Structuring Your Campaigns: What Works Now
8. Building Effective Ad Groups for clinics
9. Bidding Strategy Progression: Manual to Automated
10. Tracking Leads, Not Just Clicks
11. Pitfalls to Avoid (and Our Own Hard-Learned Lessons)
12. Pro Tips and Recommendations
13. Your Next Steps: Bringing It All Together
14. FAQ (for Clinics & Medspas)
15. Conclusion

Why Google Ads Still Matter in 2025

If you manage or market for a clinic or medspa, you know competition is fierce.

Everyone’s online, and “how do I get more leads for my practice?” is a question that never goes away.

Google Ads remains one of the fastest, most direct ways to get real, ready-to-book clients walking through your door—especially when organic rankings take time, and Instagram or TikTok is a pay-to-play world now too.

But here’s the honest truth: what worked for Google Ads even just two years ago? It doesn’t cut it anymore.

We’ve run and managed 30+ Cosmeticv lead gen campaigns. The same principles and mistakes come up again and again.

I want to share what’s working right now, based on real numbers and what we are seeing at our aesthetics marketing agency, not theory.

What Makes a Google Ads Strategy Work for Clinics and Medspas?

There’s no single right way to build a Google Ads campaign—but there is a right mindset and proven framework.

Let’s break it down:

• Think like your clients. They want convenience, trust, and quick answers.
• Use common sense and logic.
• Diagnose and solve problems, don’t just “optimize.”
• Rely on experience, but adapt to the data.

For medspas and clinics, you’re not just selling treatments; you’re selling trust and safety. People want results, but they’re nervous about procedures. Your ads and landing pages need to reflect this.

Lessons From Real Case Studies & Results

Let’s get specific.

Across our campaigns, we’ve run Google Ads for clients spending from $1,000 to $10,000/month. Here are the types of numbers you can expect if you do it right:

• Conversion rates:
  With strong campaign structure and landing pages, 10%–20% is achievable (yes, even for clinics!).
• Cost per lead (CPL):
  We’ve seen leads at $20–$60 for high-ticket services.
• Lead-to-sale rate:
  When we switched a campaign’s structure to focus on location-based keywords, lead-to-quote rate doubled from 8% to 16%.
• Automated follow-up:
  Using instant SMS and attribution platforms increased booking rates and transparency.

These are not pie-in-the-sky numbers. These are real, repeatable results from structured Google Ads lead gen campaigns.

The Big Picture: Your Holistic Lead Generation Funnel

Here’s the truth: Google Ads can only get you so far alone.

Here’s the winning process we use for beauty clinic clients:

1. Attract: Use targeted Google Ads to bring the right traffic (not just anyone searching “facial treatment,” but people looking for your treatments, in your area).
2. Convert: Take them to a dedicated landing page, not your homepage. This page’s only job is to turn a visitor into a lead (appointment request, call, or form fill).
3. Automate: Trigger instant SMS/email automation to reassure your leads (“Thanks for your inquiry! Our team will call you to confirm your free consultation.”)
4. Book: Use a simple booking or calendar link to let people choose a time—or prompt them to reply to your SMS to set up a call.
5. Track: Use an attribution platform (like WhatConverts or your CRM) to track which ads and keywords lead to actual consultations and sales.

If you only use Google Ads and track form fills, you’ll miss the big picture. Always close the loop to see which leads become real patients!

Budgeting for Success: How Much Should You Spend?

Your budget dictates your campaign’s structure. Not the other way around.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

• Lower budget ($500–$1,000/month):
  Focus on one service (e.g., laser hair removal) in one main location. Don’t try to advertise everything.
• Mid-budget ($1,000–$4,000/month):
  You can expand to 2– 5 high-value treatments, or split by location if you have multiple clinics.
• High budget ($4,000–$10,000+):
  Run segmented campaigns for each core treatment and area, plus experiment with new strategies (Performance Max, display retargeting, etc.)

Pro Tip:

Don’t “spread the butter too thin.” More campaigns/ad groups with less budget means each gets less data and you get mediocre results.

Put your budget into the best-converting treatment or audience first, get data, then expand.

Case Example

One client split $1,000/month between Botox and fillers, across two cities. Each campaign struggled to get enough impressions. We paused one, focused on the other, and cost per lead dropped by 40% in two weeks.

The Right Keyword Research and Planning

Keyword research for medspas is less about guessing and more about planning smartly.

Tools We Use:

• Google Keyword Planner:
  Start here to find estimated search volumes for treatments in your area.
• Mangools KWFinder:
  Cross-check volumes, cost per click (CPC), and competitiveness.

How We Do It:

• Add all potential keywords to a Google Sheet as you research.
• Look for search volumes of 100+ per month for main treatments.
  (Example: “Botox near me”—1,200 searches/month in most big cities.)
• Mix in lower volume, high-intent terms (e.g., “best acne scar treatment clinic”).

Organize by Intent:

• Location: “Botox clinic London”
• Intent: “Best filler clinic,” “medspa for lip filler”, “laser hair removal near me”
• Cost/price: “Botox cost London”
• Awareness stage: More seasoned and experienced accounts can experiment with top funnel queries “skin tightening for arms”

Pro Tip:

Add all your keywords into a planning sheet, grouped by ad group (see section below). This makes campaign setup fast and organized.

Structuring Your Campaigns: What Works Now

Forget old “one keyword per ad group” (SKAG) methods.

In 2025, structure your campaigns by:

• Location
• User intent

Best Practices for Small Account Medspas (under 1k per month):

• Single campaign per main treatment/service.
• Multiple ad groups by location or intent (see below).
• Keep it manageable—less is more, especially with smaller budgets.

Example Structure Table:

Campaign	Ad Group 1	Ad Group 2	Ad Group 3	Ad Group 4
Botox London	“Botox clinic London”	“Botox near me”	“Botox cost London”	“Best Botox clinic”
Laser Hair Removal London	“Laser hair removal London”	“Laser hair removal near me”	“Laser hair removal prices”	“Best laser hair removal”

This approach makes it easy to see what’s working, avoid overlap, and control spend.

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Building Effective Ad Groups for clinics

From hundreds of campaigns, we’ve found five ad group types deliver the best results for clinics and medspas:

1. General:
   Broad service terms (e.g., “medspa,” “skin clinic”). Use exact match to avoid irrelevant clicks.
2. Intent-Based:
   High-intent phrases (e.g., “Botox clinic near me,” “best laser hair removal”). Use phrase match.
3. Location-Based:
   City or area included (e.g., “lip filler Chelsea,” “Botox Harley Street”).
4. Near Me/Local:
   “Botox near me,” “facial near me.” These often convert well, but watch for out-of-area leads.
5. Cost/Price:
   “Botox cost,” “laser hair removal prices.” These are lower intent but can be good for retargeting.

Match Types:

• Start with exact match for broad keywords to avoid wasted spend.
• Use phrase match for high-intent or location-based keywords.

Why this matters:

We found when campaigns used too many broad matches, cost per lead skyrocketed and irrelevant leads came in (like people looking for job openings or unrelated treatments).

Bidding Strategy Progression: Manual to Automated

One of the biggest mistakes in Google Ads for clinics is “set and forget” bidding.

Here’s the progression we use for campaigns:

1. Phase 1: Manual CPC
   • Start with manual CPC to control costs and learn what the market will pay.
   • Monitor daily for first 2 weeks.
2. Phase 2: Maximize Conversions (Experiment)
   • Once you have data (usually 30+ conversions), run a 50/50 experiment:
     50% of budget on manual CPC, 50% on Maximize Conversions bidding.
   • Compare results. Our campaigns often see a jump in conversion rate from 8% to 15%
3. Phase 3: Target CPA
   • If Maximize Conversions wins, switch fully and introduce a target CPA (cost per acquisition/lead) to control costs.
   • Adjust target up/down monthly based on results.
4. Phase 4: Broad Match Experiment
   • Run an experiment campaign with broad match keywords (with target CPA bidding).
   • Pause broad match keywords that pull in junk traffic.
   • In our campaigns, broad match plus target CPA produced 2–4x higher conversion value for the same spend.
5. Phase 5: Test Performance Max
   • Launch a Performance Max campaign to reach YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Display—especially if search volume is maxed out.
   • Watch lead quality closely; not all PMax leads are created equal.

Our Advice:

• Don’t stick with manual CPC forever—cost per click creeps up and performance drops.
• Don’t rush to full automation if you don’t have enough conversion data.
• Always run experiments side-by-side (not replacing the base campaign) to avoid “punch in the mouth” surprises.

Tracking Leads, Not Just Clicks

If you only track form fills or phone calls, you’re missing the point.

Why You Need True Lead Attribution:

• Google Ads will show 100 conversions… but are they real clients?
• Use a lead tracking platform (WhatConverts, CallRail, or your CRM) to connect each conversion to:
  • Name, phone, treatment requested
  • Whether they became a booked consult
  • Sales and revenue generated

Case Example:

One campaign reported 100 conversions in Google Ads.

When tracked through WhatConverts, only 33 turned into real consults, and only 15 became paying clients.

We refined our targeting based on which keywords and ads brought in the best clients—not just the most form fills.

Pitfalls to Avoid (and Our Own Hard-Learned Lessons)

Here are common mistakes we see (and have made ourselves):

• Over-segmenting ad groups
  Too many ad groups = not enough data in each. Simpler is better for small to mid budgets.
• Chasing low CPCs over lead quality
  Cheap leads are meaningless if they don’t book or buy.
• Not checking search terms reports
  Phrase match is not as “tight” as it used to be. Always review what you’re actually showing up for.
• Ignoring mobile experience
  70%+ of your traffic is on mobile. If your landing page isn’t mobile-optimized, you’re burning money.
• Failing to follow up instantly
  Leads expect a reply in minutes. Automation is your friend.

Pro Tips and Recommendations

From our company to your clinic—here’s what works:

• Use real client photos/testimonials in ads and landing pages.
  Nothing builds trust faster & increases conversion rates.
• Always set up instant SMS or email follow-up.
  “Thanks for your interest in [Clinic Name]! Our team will call you within 10 minutes to confirm your free consult.”
• Schedule regular reviews.
  Weekly at first, then bi-weekly or monthly. Don’t “set and forget.”
• Test new ad copy angles & headlines.
  Highlight safety, credentials, awards, or unique value (e.g., “Free consultation with nurse injector”).
• Track every step.
  Map out:
  • Click → Landing Page → Form/Call → SMS follow-up → Consultation → Sale
• Use heat map tools to see what is actually going on when users visit you site

• Don’t be afraid to pause and refocus.
  If a campaign isn’t delivering booked consults, shift budget to what is.

Your Next Steps: Bringing It All Together

1. Choose your #1 treatment and location.
   Don’t try to run everything at once.
2. Build your keyword list and organize by intent and area.
3. Create a dedicated landing page for each core service.
4. Start your campaign with manual CPC, then follow the bidding strategy progression.
5. Set up real lead tracking—don’t just trust Google’s conversion numbers.
6. Automate follow-up for leads (SMS or email).
7. Review results every week. Refine, expand, or pause based on what’s working.

Remember: you don’t have to be perfect to get started. The clinics winning today are the ones taking action and adapting as they go.

FAQ (for Clinics & Medspas)

Q: Should I run Google Ads or social media ads for my clinic?

A: Both have a place, but Google Ads targets people actively searching for your services right now. It’s the fastest way to reach people with intent to book.

Q: What’s a good cost per lead for cosmetic clinics?

A: It varies by city and service, but $10–$50 per lead is common for Botox, fillers, laser, etc. Surgical services may cost more.

Q: Do I need a landing page, or can I send traffic to my homepage?

A: Always use a dedicated landing page per service for best results and tracking.

Q: How long should I give a new campaign before judging results?

A: Minimum 30 days or 30 conversions (whichever comes first) before making big changes.

Conclusion

Running Google Ads for your clinic or medspa in 2024 is about more than just setting up a few keywords and hoping for the best.

It’s about having a structured process—attract, convert, automate, book, track—and always looking for ways to improve lead quality, not just quantity.

If you follow the blueprint we’ve outlined here—based on real experience, not theory—you’ll not only see more leads, but you’ll see better leads that turn into long-term clients for your business.

If you’d like to chat about how we can help you implement this for your clinic, just reach out. We’re always happy to offer a free consult, a landing page review, or a campaign audit.

Let’s make 2024 the year your clinic’s marketing finally clicks!

Thanks for reading. If you have questions, want feedback on your current campaigns, or just want a second opinion, let’s connect.

We’re in this together—let’s get you more bookings!

Tom

Ps here is a check list you can use to help with your google ad campaigns 👇

Google Ads Launch & Management Checklist

1. Pre-Launch Preparation

• Define your primary treatment/service focus (e.g., Botox, fillers, laser, skin rejuvenation)
• Identify your main target location(s) (city, neighbourhood, radius)
• Research your competitors’ ads and landing pages
• Set a realistic monthly budget based on service value and demand
• Gather high-quality images, testimonials, and unique selling points

2. Keyword Research & Planning

• Use Google Keyword Planner and/or Mangools KWFinder to build your keyword list
• Group keywords by:
  • Service/Treatment (e.g., “Botox,” “lip filler”)
  • Location (e.g., “Botox London”)
  • Intent (“best medspa,” “clinic near me”)
  • Price/Cost (“Botox cost”)
• Add all keywords to a Google Sheet for planning
• Filter for high-intent and high-volume keywords (aim for 100+ searches/month for core terms)

3. Campaign Structure

• Create separate campaigns for each primary service (if budget allows)
• Build focused ad groups for each:
  • Location
  • Near me/local searches
  • Price/cost
  • General/intent keywords
• Use phrase match for high-intent keywords, exact match for broad/general terms

4. Ad Creation

• Write at least 2–3 responsive search ads per ad group
• Include keywords in headlines (e.g., “Botox in London,” “Award-winning Medspa”)
• Add proof: reviews, testimonials, credentials, awards
• Use strong calls-to-action (“Book Your Free Consultation,” “See Before & After Photos”)
• Add site links, call, and location extensions

5. Landing Page Optimization

• Build a dedicated landing page for each core service (not just your homepage)
• Mobile-friendly, fast loading (under 3 seconds)
• Display your offer/unique value at the top (“Free Skin Analysis”)
• Prominent contact form and/or click-to-call button
• Showcase real photos, testimonials, and “Meet the Team”
• Add privacy/reassurance: “Your information is secure. No spam.”

6. Bidding & Settings

• Start with Manual CPC bidding (or Enhanced CPC for experienced accounts)
• Set daily budget and adjust based on results
• Select only your service area in location settings
• Turn off auto-applied recommendations and autocreated assets (for control)
• Use “Observation” audiences for insights, not “Targeting” (initially)
• Schedule ads during business hours or based on when you can follow up leads quickly

7. Tracking & Automation

• Set up Google conversion tracking for forms, calls, and booking requests
• Integrate with a CRM or platform like WhatConverts/CallRail for real lead attribution
• Set up instant SMS/email automation: “Thanks for your inquiry, we’ll contact you soon!”
• Test all forms and phone numbers before launching

8. Launch & First 30 Days

• Launch with manual CPC, monitor daily for clicks and impressions
• Review search terms daily, add negatives for irrelevant queries
• Optimize bids based on performance (increase for top ad groups, decrease for poor ones)
• A/B test ad copy and headlines
• Review conversion data weekly (not just clicks!)

9. Scaling & Optimization

• Once you reach 30+ conversions, test Maximize Conversions bidding
• Introduce Target CPA once automated bidding is stable
• Experiment with broad match keywords in a controlled split-test
• Test Performance Max campaign for incremental leads (monitor quality)
• Regularly check lead quality, not just volume

10. Monthly Review & Next Steps

• Assess CPL (cost per lead) and lead-to-booking rate
• Shift budget to best-performing campaigns/ad groups
• Pause underperformers
• Update landing pages and ads with new offers, reviews, or photos
• Continue keyword and competitor research monthly

Pro Tip:

“Focus on the ads and landing pages that actually bring in booked consultations, not just clicks or form fills. Quality beats quantity every time!”

Download this checklist or copy it to your project management tool to keep your campaigns on track.
If you need help setting up any step, reach out to us—we’re always happy to help clinics and medspas succeed!