Running Google Ads for your chiropractic clinic sounds simple—you set a budget, target local patients, and wait for the bookings to roll in. But if you’ve been pouring money into ads and not seeing enough new patients, something is broken.
The frustrating part? You might not even know why.
Most chiropractors aren’t digital marketing experts, which means they rely on agencies or freelancers to manage their ads. But how do you know if your campaign is actually set up for success?
If you’re running Google Ads (or paying someone else to do it), here’s what you should check, what questions to ask, and what red flags to watch for—so you can stop wasting money and start seeing real results.
1. Are You Paying for the Right Clicks?
A common mistake in chiropractic advertising is broad targeting—where your ads show up for the wrong searches. If someone clicks your ad but isn’t actually looking for a chiropractor, you’re paying for a worthless visit.
🔍 What to Check:
✅ Search Terms Report – This tells you what people actually typed into Google before clicking on your ad. If you see searches like “DIY back pain relief” or “chiropractic courses”, you’re wasting ad spend.
✅ Negative Keywords – You should actively block searches that aren’t relevant, such as “cheap chiropractor” or “chiropractic salary”.
✅ Location Targeting – Are your ads reaching people in your city or showing up statewide? Many campaigns mistakenly target an entire region when you only need a 5–10 mile radius around your clinic.
🛑 Red Flag: If your ad agency can’t show you which search terms and locations are bringing in traffic, ask them why.
2. Is Your Ad Quality Score Keeping Costs High?
Google assigns every ad a Quality Score—a ranking from 1 to 10 that determines how much you pay per click. A low Quality Score means you’re overpaying for traffic that may not even convert.
🔍 What to Check:
✅ Ad Relevance – Does your ad match what people are searching for? If someone searches “chiropractor for back pain”, your ad should mention back pain relief—not just generic “chiropractic services.”
✅ Click-Through Rate (CTR) – If fewer than 3-5% of people click your ad, Google assumes it’s not helpful and penalizes your score.
✅ Landing Page Experience – Google rewards websites that provide a seamless experience. If your landing page is slow, confusing, or lacks clear booking options, your Quality Score drops.
🛑 Red Flag: If your Quality Score is below 6, you’re probably paying too much per click. Ask your marketer to optimize ad relevance and landing page experience.
3. Is Your Landing Page Driving Conversions—or Driving Patients Away?
A great ad gets clicks, but a great landing page gets bookings. If potential patients land on your website and leave without taking action, your money is going to waste.
🔍 What to Check:
✅ Does the landing page match the ad? If your ad says “$49 New Patient Special,” but your page doesn’t mention it, patients will feel misled and leave.
✅ Is there a clear call-to-action (CTA)? Your page should have one obvious next step: Call Now or Book an Appointment Online.
✅ Mobile Speed & Usability – More than 70% of patients will visit your site from a mobile device. If your page takes longer than 3 seconds to load, you’re losing leads.
🛑 Red Flag: If your landing page has too many links, distractions, or no clear way to book, it needs fixing ASAP.
4. Are You Using the Right Ad Rotation Strategy?
Google allows you to rotate multiple ad versions and test different headlines and descriptions. But if your ad rotation is set up incorrectly, Google might be showing the wrong version too often.
🔍 What to Check:
✅ Are multiple ad variations running? You should have at least 3-4 different ad copies to see which one performs best.
✅ Is ad rotation set to ‘Optimize’? This setting tells Google to prioritize high-performing ads instead of running all versions evenly.
🛑 Red Flag: If you’ve been running the same ad copy for months with no testing, your campaign is underperforming.
5. Are You Tracking Actual Conversions?
One of the biggest mistakes chiropractors make is not tracking what happens after someone clicks an ad. If you don’t track appointments, phone calls, and form submissions, you’re making decisions blindly.
🔍 What to Check:
✅ Call Tracking – Are calls from your ads being recorded and counted as conversions? If not, you have no idea how many patients actually called your clinic.
✅ Form Submissions & Online Bookings – If patients fill out a form to request an appointment, are these leads being tracked?
✅ Google Analytics & Google Tag Manager – Is your marketer using these tools to measure which ads actually bring in new patients?
🛑 Red Flag: If your marketer can’t tell you exactly how many patients booked from Google Ads, they’re not tracking properly.
6. Is Your Budget Being Spent Efficiently?
Many chiropractors think a bigger budget means better results. But throwing more money at bad ads won’t fix a broken campaign.
🔍 What to Check:
✅ Cost Per Click (CPC) – If you’re paying more than $10 per click, something is off. The goal is to pay less while getting better conversions.
✅ Daily Budget Allocation – Are most of your ad dollars going to high-converting keywords, or are they being wasted on broad terms?
✅ Bid Adjustments – Are you increasing bids for searches happening during peak patient booking hours (e.g., 8 AM–6 PM)?
🛑 Red Flag: If your ad budget runs out by noon, it’s time to adjust bid strategy.
Final Thoughts: Take Back Control of Your Google Ads
You don’t need to be a digital marketing expert to ensure your ads are working. But you do need to ask the right questions.
Here’s your Google Ads Checklist to share with your ad manager:
✅ Are my ads targeting the right locations and devices?
✅ Am I paying for quality clicks or wasting money on junk traffic?
✅ Is my Quality Score above 6?
✅ Does my landing page match my ad and load fast on mobile?
✅ Is ad rotation optimized for the best-performing ads?
✅ Am I tracking actual patient bookings from my ads?
✅ Is my budget being spent efficiently?
If your current Google Ads campaign isn’t bringing in a steady stream of new patients, it’s time for a serious audit.
Don’t just spend—spend wisely.
Want a free audit of your Google Ads campaign? Drop a comment below or send a message, and let’s find out where your budget is really going. 🚀
