How to Use Google Ads to Fill Appointment Slots

In the health and wellness industry—whether you're a physiotherapist in Milton or a psychologist in Sunnybank—an empty appointment slot is lost revenue that you can never recover. Google Ads is the most effective way to put your services in front of Brisbane locals the exact moment they are searching for help.

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a 'Search' campaign specifically designed to drive bookings, not just 'clicks'.

Prerequisites: What You’ll Need Before Starting

• A Google Ads Account: Linked to your business email.
• Your ABN: Google requires identity verification for Australian advertisers.
• A Landing Page: A specific page on your website that has an online booking button (e.g., Halaxy, HotDoc, or Cliniko).
• Conversion Tracking: Ideally, you should have Google Analytics 4 (GA4) set up so you can track when someone actually finishes a booking.

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Step 1: Define Your "High-Value" Services

Step 2: Create a New Campaign

• Click the blue + button or Create.
• Select New Campaign.
• Choose your objective: Select Create a campaign without a goal's guidance (this gives us more control) or Leads.
• Select a campaign type: Choose Search. This ensures your ad appears when people type specific terms into Google.

Step 3: Set Your Bidding Strategy

• If you are brand new: Start with Maximise Clicks. Why? Because Google’s AI doesn't have any data on your clinic yet. Once you get 15-30 bookings through the ads, you can switch to Maximise Conversions.
• The "Customer Acquisition" checkbox: You might see a box asking if you only want to bid for new customers. If you're in a suburb like Indooroopilly with lots of transient students or new residents, this is great. If you're in a stable area, leave it unchecked for now.

Step 4: Campaign Settings (The "Money Savers")

• Networks: Uncheck "Include Google Display Network". You want people searching on Google, not seeing your banner while playing Candy Crush.
• Locations: Click "Enter another location". Don't just put "Australia". Type in your specific Brisbane suburbs or set a 10km radius around your clinic address.
• Location Options: Click the small blue text that says "Location options". Change it from "Presence or interest" to "Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations". This stops your ads from showing to someone in Sydney who is just researching Brisbane clinics for a friend.

Step 5: Keywords - Thinking Like a Patient

• Avoid Broad Match: If you put in Physiotherapy, Google might show your ad for "Physiotherapy degrees" or "Physiotherapy jobs".
• Use Phrase Match: Put quotes around your terms, like "Physiotherapist near me" or "Remedial massage Brisbane CBD".

Step 6: Writing Ads That Get Clicks

• Headline 1: Include the keyword (e.g., "Expert Physio in Chermside").
• Headline 2: Offer a solution (e.g., "Get Back to Pain-Free Living").
• Headline 3: A Call to Action (e.g., "Book Online - Open Until 7pm").

Step 7: The "Secret Sauce" - Ad Assets

• Sitelinks: Add links to your "Meet the Team" page or "Pricing" page.
• Callout Assets: Add snippets like "HICAPS On-the-Spot", "Free Parking", or "NDIS Provider".
• Call Assets: Add your clinic's phone number. On mobile, this allows patients to call you with one tap.

Step 8: Setting Your Budget

Start with $20 - $50 per day. You can always scale up once you see the bookings rolling in.

Step 9: Billing and Identity Verification

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Sending ads to a broken link: Always test your booking button on a mobile phone before launching.
• Forgetting about weekends: If your clinic is closed on Sundays and you don't have online booking, use the "Ad Schedule" setting to turn your ads off when no one is there to answer the phone.
• Ignoring the "Search Terms" report: Once your ads have been running for a week, look at this report. It shows you exactly what people typed. If you see weird stuff, add those words to your Negative Keyword list.

Troubleshooting

• "My ads aren't showing!": Check your "Auction Insights". It might be that your budget is too low or your keywords are too niche. Also, check if your Identity Verification is pending.
• "I'm getting clicks but no bookings": This is usually a website problem. Is your booking button easy to find? Does the page load slowly? (Brisbane's NBN can be spotty, so make sure your images aren't huge!).
• "The cost per click is too high": Try targeting more specific long-tail keywords like "emergency dentist for toothache" rather than just "dentist".

Next Steps

If this all feels a bit overwhelming while you're trying to run a busy clinic, we're here to help. At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane health professionals fill their calendars without the headache of DIY tech setups.