Google Ads account structure for a healthcare practice is a practice-owned account split into campaigns by intent and geography, with ad groups kept to one service theme so ads and landing pages match. Conversion events should measure booked inquiries the front desk can confirm, not diagnosis-level values in pixels or URLs. Catalyze Care publishes paid ads management at $2,500/month (media spend separate). Reports show spend and booked-inquiry fields from your intake. Channel guide: paid ads for healthcare practices, explained. Tracking: HIPAA-aware Google Ads conversion tracking. Service: paid ads.
In one sentenceOwn the account, split campaigns by intent and geo, keep ad groups to one service, and measure appointments without PHI. Reports show spend and booked-inquiry fields from your intake.
Six setup steps
- Put the account under the practice. Create or reclaim a Google Ads account the practice owns. The agency is a user, not the account holder. If they “bring their MCC and you never get admin,” you are renting. Contract questions: questions before signing a healthcare marketing contract.
- Split campaigns by intent and geography. Keep brand separate from specialty-plus-location search. Give any category that needs its own certification or policy review its own campaign so a disapproval does not pause the whole account. Multi-location practices should not run one catch-all campaign for every office.
- Keep ad groups to one service theme. One theme per ad group so headlines and the landing page describe the same service. Do not mix unrelated specialties in one ad group. Tight themes also make negative keywords easier to maintain.
- Match the landing page to the ad. Describe the service, avoid personalized health language (“your anxiety”), and carry a privacy policy. Destination mismatches are a common disapproval. Policy and certification: Google Ads, LegitScript, and healthcare disapprovals.
- Set conversion events without PHI. Measure booked inquiries the front desk can confirm. No diagnosis-level values in pixels or URL parameters. HHS OCR has published tracking-technology guidance for covered entities. None of this is legal advice. How-to: HIPAA-aware Google Ads conversion tracking.
- Launch small and watch the policy tab. Finish advertiser verification, and any LegitScript or category certification, before you scale. Watch the policy tab daily in the first two weeks. Catalyze Care’s published management fee is $2,500/month; media is billed separately.
Source: Google Ads, Healthcare and medicines policy. Source: HHS OCR, Use of Online Tracking Technologies.
A structure that stays readable
| Layer | What it holds | Healthcare note |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Practice-owned login; agency as user | You keep history if the retainer ends |
| Campaign | Intent + geo + budget + (if needed) certification box | Do not mix a certified category with general services |
| Ad group | One service theme + matching ads | Copy describes the service, not the reader’s condition |
| Keywords / assets | Queries that match that theme | Restricted drug or condition terms can require certification |
| Landing page | Same service, privacy policy, working form | Thank-you URL stays generic, no PHI in the query string |
This table is a filing system, not a bid strategy. Set CPC, CPA, or ROAS targets from your own account history, not a vendor average.
HIPAA-aware notes that change structure
- Do not build remarketing lists from clinical page visits. Condition-based pools are restricted. Prefer first-party booked-inquiry events on public, generic thank-you pages.
- Inventory every tag (Ads, Analytics, call tracking, chat) before assuming “the agency handled HIPAA.”
- If you run a health app outside classic covered-entity rules, the FTC Health Breach Notification Rule may still apply. Do not assume “we’re not a covered entity” means tracking is unconstrained.
Source: HHS, HIPAA and marketing. Source: FTC, Complying with the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule.
Service overview: paid ads for healthcare practices. Before launch, run the healthcare paid ads compliance checklist. Buyer FAQ: how to choose a healthcare marketing agency.
FAQ
How should a healthcare practice structure Google Ads?
One practice-owned account. Split campaigns by intent and geography (brand, specialty + location, and any certified category that needs its own policy box). Keep ad groups tight to one service theme so landing pages match. Reports show spend and booked-inquiry fields from your intake.
What does Catalyze Care charge for paid ads?
Published management fee is $2,500/month. Media spend is separate. The practice should own the Google Ads account. Service: paid ads.
What must conversion tracking never send?
Diagnoses, medications, member IDs, or other identifiers that could make the click or page view PHI. Prefer generic appointment-request thank-you pages. See HIPAA-aware Google Ads conversion tracking.
Who owns the Google Ads account?
The practice. The agency should work as a user. If they bring only their MCC and you never get admin, you are renting, not building.