Australian practices compete in some of the most concentrated healthcare markets in the world — a Sydney suburb can have eight dentists within a ten-minute drive — under advertising rules stricter than almost anywhere else. The practices that grow do two things well: they dominate the local map pack, and they run Google Ads to pages that convert. This is how our Australian team runs local SEO and Google Ads for dentists, clinics and allied health.
What a new patient costs in Australia
From the practices we manage, a booked new patient from Google Ads lands between A$60 and A$180 for general dentistry and allied health, and A$180–A$450 for implants, orthodontics and cosmetic work where case values justify it. Local SEO, once it has compounded over three to six months, delivers patients at a fraction of that. Run ads now; build SEO for next year; watch the blended cost fall.
Local SEO that wins the map pack
- Google Business Profile done completely. Correct primary category, every treatment as a listed service, fresh photos monthly, accurate hours including public holidays, and the booking link straight to HotDoc, HealthEngine or your own scheduler. The map pack is where most Australian "near me" bookings happen.
- Reviews on Google, not on your site. Ahpra prohibits testimonials in your advertising, but it does not stop patients reviewing you on Google, and it does not stop you asking (without incentives). Ask after every visit by SMS. Do not embed or quote those reviews on the website — see the Australian practice website guide.
- One page per treatment and per clinic, each with the questions patients search — "wisdom teeth removal cost Melbourne", "emergency dentist Brisbane open Sunday" — and the fee range where you publish it.
- Consistent listings on HealthEngine, HotDoc, health-fund directories, Whitecoat and local directories; same name, address and phone everywhere.
Run your practice through the free local SEO checklist before spending a dollar on ads.
Google Ads for Australian healthcare
Target by drive time rather than postcode lists; phrase and exact match with a negative list from day one ("bulk billed" if you don't, "dental assistant", "free", "public dental"); one ad group per treatment landing on that treatment's page; call tracking with calls imported as conversions; ad schedules that match when reception answers; and a separate campaign for emergency and after-hours if you offer them. Google's healthcare policies apply; some cosmetic and prescription-related services need certification or cannot run.
The rules Ahpra and the TGA actually enforce
- No testimonials in any advertising — ads, website, social captions, brochures. This is the breach most often actioned.
- No claims that mislead or create unreasonable expectations: "pain-free", "guaranteed", "permanent", "best".
- Discounts and gifts must state their terms on the same ad or page.
- No advertising of prescription-only therapeutic goods to the public — anti-wrinkle injectables cannot be named by brand, and since 2023 Ahpra's cosmetic guidelines restrict before-and-after images and require a cooling-off approach for certain procedures.
- Protected titles. "Specialist" only if registered as one.
- Privacy. Health data is sensitive information under the Privacy Act; ad pixels must not receive it from booking flows, and your privacy policy must explain the tracking you use.
"Australian healthcare marketing is a game of who ranks first in the map pack and whose treatment page answers the question — because nobody is allowed to shout."
How we run it
Fixed monthly management with campaign structure, negatives and call tracking built in the first fortnight, GBP and review process set up alongside, and the same monthly performance report every client sees — spend, calls, bookings, cost per booked patient. Start with the growth planner for a budget from your treatment values, or talk to the team in Sydney and Melbourne hours.