Google Ads for a physiotherapy practice: how to set it up

Google Ads makes sense for a physiotherapy practice when people near you are actively searching for what you offer, such as 'physiotherapist Zwolle', 'pelvic floor physiotherapist' or 'dry needling neck', and your schedule has room for new patients. It works best with a campaign per specialisation, a tightly defined area around your practice, negative keywords for searches about training and jobs, a landing page where people can book straight away, and tracking of sign-ups and calls. Without that foundation, you mostly pay for clicks.

Below, we go through how to set up each part, based on the Google Ads accounts we have audited.

When does Google Ads suit a physio practice?

In the Netherlands you don't need a GP referral for physiotherapy, except for fall prevention training. So many patients find a practice themselves, often through Google and often at the moment they are in pain. Someone typing 'physiotherapist [town]' usually wants an appointment soon. That is when you want to be at the top.

Google Ads charges per click. It pays off mainly when you have capacity, when you offer specialisations people search for specifically, or when you want to put a new location on the map. If your schedule is already full for weeks, put your effort into your Business Profile and website first.

1. One campaign per specialisation, one area per location

The mistake we see most: everything sits in a single campaign. General physiotherapy, sports physiotherapy and manual therapy share one budget, the same ads and the same landing page. You can't tell which specialisation brings in sign-ups.

Give every specialisation with its own search demand its own campaign, or at least its own ad group: general physiotherapy, sports physiotherapy, pelvic floor physiotherapy, manual therapy, dry needling. A new specialisation you want to grow deserves its own campaign rather than an ad group tucked in between the rest.

Set your location targeting deliberately too. Someone with a sore knee doesn't want to travel far. Use a radius around each location, and keep it smaller for general physiotherapy than for a specialisation people are willing to drive for. With several locations, give each its own area so your campaigns don't bid against each other.

2. Keywords and negative keywords

A keyword is not the same as the search that triggers your ad. Google also shows your ad for variations. In physiotherapy, that pulls in plenty of people who aren't looking to become patients: students, job seekers and people looking for exercises to do at home.

• Build an account-level negative keyword list with terms like 'opleiding' (training), 'studie', 'hbo', 'vacature' (vacancy), 'salaris' (salary), 'stage' (internship), 'cao', 'oefeningen' (exercises), 'zelf doen' (DIY) and 'gratis' (free).
• Exclude treatments and specialisations you don't offer, so you don't pay for searches you can't answer.
• Use phrase or exact match for your most important keywords to keep control.
• Add search terms that perform well, such as 'fysio in de buurt' (physio near me), as keywords in their own right instead of letting them come in as variations.
• Check the search terms report every week in the first month, then monthly.

In larger cities we often see English-language searches such as 'physiotherapist near me'. If you can treat those patients in English, make it a deliberate choice with an English ad and page. If not, exclude them.

3. Ad copy: specific and factual

Write separate copy for each ad group and run at least two ads so Google can test. Mention what people are searching for: the specialisation, the town, that no referral is needed and that they can book online.

Stay factual about reimbursement. For adults, basic Dutch health insurance covers physiotherapy only to a limited extent; what is reimbursed depends on age, the reason for treatment and supplementary insurance. If you have contracts with insurers, you can say so. Don't promise reimbursement, and point patients to their own policy terms. Avoid outcome claims such as 'rid of your pain fast' or 'guaranteed pain-free'. If in doubt, have your copy reviewed.

4. A landing page per specialisation, with direct online booking

Someone searching for pelvic floor physiotherapy who lands on your homepage has to keep looking. Often they give up. Send every campaign to its own page that matches the search: who the treatment is for, what a first appointment looks like, who the therapist is and what it costs.

Put the booking button at the top and link it straight to the right appointment type in your calendar, not to a general overview. Use sitelinks patients understand, such as 'Book an appointment', 'Fees and reimbursement' and 'Our physiotherapists', and add your phone number as a call asset.

5. Track sign-ups and phone calls

Google Ads optimises for whatever you set as a conversion. If you track nothing, or only page views, the system looks for people who click rather than people who sign up. Make sure you track at least these actions:

• A completed booking in your online calendar, ideally through a thank-you page after booking.
• A submitted sign-up form, tracked separately from a general contact form.
• Calls from your call asset, counted as a conversion only above a minimum call length you set yourself.
• Clicks on the phone number on your website, for patients who prefer calling to booking online.

If you have a page for referrers, such as GPs or sports doctors, track those requests separately. And be aware that Google treats health as a sensitive category: ads about health conditions can't be targeted at your own audience lists, such as site visitors or your patient database. Search campaigns built on keywords remain available.

6. An ad schedule that fits your practice

In accounts we audited, ads were sometimes switched off while the practice was actually open. Put your schedule next to your opening hours and when the phone is answered.

If people can book online, evenings and weekends are worth covering, since that is when many working people search. A call-focused campaign only makes sense when someone picks up, so run it during opening hours. If a time slot underperforms, lower the bid there rather than switching it off entirely.

7. Business Profile and reviews alongside your ads

For a search like 'physiotherapist [town]', Google shows the map with business profiles next to the ads. Many people choose there, based on reviews and distance. A complete Google Business Profile, with the right category, every specialisation listed as a service, current opening hours and a booking link, strengthens your ads.

Make asking for a review a fixed step, for example after the final treatment. Reply to reviews without confirming that someone is your patient; that is part of your duty of confidentiality.

Where to start?

Start with tracking: without reliable data you can't judge anything else. Then set up your negative keyword list, split your campaigns by specialisation and location, and give each campaign its own page with a booking button.

Want someone to take a look with you? In the free Clinic Scan, Clinic Agency carries out a full analysis of your practice across nine topics, including Google Ads. Thomas gives you a short call beforehand, and in a 30-minute meeting you get the analysis and a tailored proposal. You are also free to carry out the plan yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Can my ad say that physiotherapy is reimbursed?

Be careful, because reimbursement depends on the patient's age, the reason for treatment and their supplementary insurance. State factually which insurers you have contracts with and refer to the patient's policy terms for reimbursement.

Which negative keywords matter most for a physiotherapist?

Start with terms about training and work, such as 'opleiding', 'studie', 'vacature', 'salaris' and 'stage', plus 'oefeningen' and 'zelf doen'. Add to the list based on what shows up in your search terms report.

Can I use remarketing for my physio practice?

Only to a limited extent. Google treats health conditions as a sensitive category, so ads about them can't be targeted at your own audience lists, such as website visitors or your customer database. Keyword-based search campaigns are still fine.