To know whether Google Ads is working for a clinic, you need to count enquiries and bookings, not clicks. That means setting up conversion tracking for the ways patients actually get in touch: calls, forms, online bookings and messaging. Once Google can see those, its bidding can aim for people who book rather than people who browse.
This post explains what to track, how each one is usually set up, and the mistakes we see most often.
Why clicks are the wrong measure
A click tells you someone landed on your site. It does not tell you whether they called, booked or left after three seconds. If clicks are all you measure, a campaign that brings lots of curious visitors looks better than one that brings fewer, ready-to-book patients.
It matters even more if you use automated bidding. Strategies that aim for conversions learn from whatever you tell Google a conversion is. Feed it the wrong signal, and it gets very good at finding the wrong people.
Step 1: List every way a patient can reach you
Before touching any settings, write down every route from your website or ad to a real person on your team. For most clinics that list looks something like this:
Want a second pair of eyes on your own setup?
- A phone call from the ad itself
- A tap on the phone number on your website
- A contact or enquiry form
- An online booking system
- A tap on a WhatsApp or other messaging button
- An email link
Each of these needs its own conversion action, so you can see which ones patients use.
Step 2: Set up each conversion action
Here is how each route is usually tracked. The exact screens change from time to time, so treat this as a guide to what to set up rather than a click-by-click manual.
Calls from the ad. Google Ads can show a call button on your ad. You can count calls from that button as conversions, and in many countries Google can use a forwarding number to report call length. Set a minimum call length so a three-second wrong number does not count as a booking.
Taps on the phone number on your site. These are tracked as clicks on the "tel:" link, usually through Google Tag Manager or the Google tag. This counts the tap, not the conversation, so treat it as an intent to call.
Forms. The cleanest method is to count a visit to a thank-you page that only appears after a successful submission. If your form shows a message on the same page instead, it can still be tracked, but it needs more care to set up.
Online bookings. If your booking system has a confirmation page on your own domain, count that. If the booking happens on another company's site, check whether that system supports Google Ads tracking. Some do, some do not.
WhatsApp and messaging taps. These are tracked as clicks on the WhatsApp link. Like phone taps, they show intent, not a confirmed booking.
Step 3: Decide what counts as a main goal
Google Ads lets you mark each conversion action as primary or secondary. Primary actions are what bidding aims for. Secondary actions are reported but do not steer the bidding.
A sensible starting point for most clinics:
- Primary: calls from ads above a minimum length, form submissions, confirmed online bookings
- Primary or secondary, depending on your clinic: phone and WhatsApp taps on the site
- Secondary or removed: page views, time on site, scroll depth, newsletter sign-ups
Whatever you choose, write it down and keep it. Changing your main goals every few weeks makes it hard for the bidding, and for you, to learn anything.
Step 4: Check it works before you trust it
Tracking that has never been tested is a guess. Before relying on the numbers:
- Submit your own form and check that a conversion appears (allow a few hours).
- Tap your phone and WhatsApp buttons on a phone and check they register.
- Make sure each action is counted once, not twice through two different tags.
- Look for actions that show far more conversions than you have real enquiries. That usually means something is firing on page load.
Step 5: Close the gap between enquiry and booking
An enquiry is not an appointment. Some callers book, some do not. If your clinic keeps a record of where each new patient came from, you can compare ad enquiries with real bookings each month. Google Ads also supports importing offline conversions from your own records, which lets bidding learn from real appointments. That takes more setup and careful handling of personal data, so it is usually a second-stage job.
Keep health details out of tracking
Tracking should record that an enquiry happened, not why. Do not pass a patient's condition, treatment or anything from the form fields into Google Ads or analytics. Google's ad policies limit how health-related information can be used, and data protection laws in many countries treat health data with extra care. Keep conversion names neutral, such as "Form submitted" or "Booking confirmed", rather than naming a condition.
A short checklist
- ☐ Every contact route listed
- ☐ One conversion action for each route
- ☐ Minimum call length set for call conversions
- ☐ Thank-you or confirmation page used for forms and bookings
- ☐ Primary and secondary goals chosen and written down
- ☐ Every action tested on a phone
- ☐ No health details in tracking or conversion names
- ☐ Monthly comparison of ad enquiries with real bookings
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Analytics enough, or do I need Google Ads conversion tracking too?
You can import goals from Google Analytics into Google Ads, or use the Google Ads tag directly. Either can work. What matters is that each action is counted once, is tested, and reflects a real enquiry.
My agency says the account has lots of conversions, but the phone is quiet. Why?
Often the account is counting something that is not an enquiry, such as page views, or counting the same action twice. Ask to see the list of conversion actions and which ones are primary.
Do WhatsApp taps really count as conversions?
They are a sign of intent, not a booking. Many clinics count them because messaging is a main route for patients. If you do, compare them with the messages you actually receive.
Not sure what your account is counting?
SeenSilver's free website review is a one-page review of your website and how you show up on Google, including whether your site looks set up to track enquiries. It lists the problems in plain words, with no obligation. You can get your free review here.
Want a second pair of eyes on your own setup?