What to Track in Google Ads for Clinics
Google Ads provides dozens of metrics. Here are the 8 metrics that actually matter for clinic marketing decisions.
The Problem with Too Many Metrics
Google Ads dashboards are overwhelming. Impressions, CTR, quality score, impression share, ROAS, search terms, auction insights, and dozens more. Most clinic managers look at everything and understand nothing. This guide cuts through the noise.
The Core Principle
Only track metrics that help you make decisions. If a metric is interesting but doesn't change what you do, ignore it. Focus on the numbers that tell you: "Spend more here" or "Cut this campaign."
The 8 Metrics That Matter
Conversions (Calls + Forms)
How many people contacted you. This is your raw enquiry volume.
Whether your campaigns are generating enough enquiries. If conversions drop, something is wrong.
Track week-over-week. If conversions suddenly drop, investigate: Did budget run out early? Did ads get disapproved? Did a competitor launch?
Conversions ≠ bookings. You need to track what percentage of conversions actually book. If you get 50 conversions but only 25 book, your real cost per acquisition is double what Google reports.
Cost Per Conversion
How much you're paying per enquiry (call or form).
Which campaigns are efficient and which are expensive. Compare across campaigns to find winners and losers.
If one campaign has $50 cost per conversion and another has $150, shift budget to the cheaper one (assuming quality is similar).
Conversion Rate
Percentage of clicks that turn into enquiries.
How well your landing page and offer convert visitors. Low conversion rate means either wrong audience or poor landing page.
If conversion rate is low, test landing page improvements: clearer phone number, simpler forms, better images, trust signals.
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Percentage of people who see your ad and click it.
How relevant and compelling your ads are. High CTR = your ad matches what people want.
Low CTR means your ad doesn't stand out or isn't relevant. Test new ad copy. Add location specifics. Include pricing if appropriate. Make the offer clearer.
Search Terms Report
The actual searches people typed before clicking your ad.
What people are really searching for. Often very different from your keywords.
Review weekly. Add good performing searches as new keywords. Add poor performing or irrelevant searches as negative keywords. This improves targeting over time.
Spend vs Budget
Are you spending your full budget each day?
Whether your budget is sufficient. If you're limited by budget (not showing all day), you're missing opportunities.
If campaigns are limited by budget and performing well, increase budget. If underspending, expand targeting or pause the campaign.
Geographic Performance
Which locations generate the best results.
Where your patients are coming from. Some suburbs convert better than others.
You might find clicks from 5km away convert at 8%, but clicks from 20km+ convert at 2%. Tighten your radius targeting.
Exclude locations with high spend and low conversions. Increase bids in high-performing areas. Consider running separate campaigns for different locations.
Device Performance
Mobile vs desktop vs tablet results.
Which devices convert best. Usually mobile is 70-80% of clinic traffic and converts better (people can immediately call).
Mobile has lower cost per conversion because people click-to-call. Desktop visitors browse more but book less. Make sure your mobile experience is perfect.
If mobile converts much better, increase mobile bid adjustments. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly. Ensure phone number is prominent.
Metrics to Ignore (For Now)
These metrics can be useful for advanced optimisation but distract most clinic managers from what matters:
Quality Score
Google's internal rating. Interesting but doesn't tell you what to do. Focus on conversion rate instead.
Impression Share
Shows if you're losing impressions to budget or rank. Only useful if you're already performing well and want to scale.
Bounce Rate
From Analytics. Can indicate landing page issues but conversion rate is more direct. Don't obsess over it.
Average Position
Google removed this metric. Being #1 doesn't matter if you're not converting. Focus on cost per conversion.
Time on Site
Longer isn't always better. Someone who calls after 30 seconds is more valuable than someone who browses for 5 minutes and leaves.
Your Weekly Review Checklist
Every Monday morning (or pick your day), review these metrics:
15-Minute Weekly Review
Setting Up Your Dashboard
Create a custom dashboard with just these 8 metrics. Here's how:
- 1. In Google Ads, click "Reports" then "Dashboards"
- 2. Click "+ New Dashboard"
- 3. Name it "Weekly Clinic Review"
- 4. Add a scorecard for each metric above
- 5. Set the date range to "Last 7 days" with comparison to previous period
- 6. Review this dashboard every Monday
Pro tip: Schedule a screenshot of this dashboard to be emailed to you every Monday morning. Forces you to review it.
Want Expert Help with Google Ads?
We track all these metrics for you, deliver weekly reports, and make optimisation decisions based on real data. No guesswork.
Next Steps:
- 1.Book a 30-minute strategy call
- 2.We audit your current marketing and discuss goals
- 3.Get a custom sprint plan with projected timeline
- 4.Start your sprint and begin tracking real results
No obligations. No pressure. Just honest advice on whether the sprint is right for your clinic.