Clinic owners often ask whether to put an ad budget into Google or into Facebook and Instagram. The question is easier once you see what each platform is built to do. Google shows your ad to a person who has just typed what they want. Facebook and Instagram, run by Meta, show your ad to a person who was looking at photos from friends. One catches intent. The other creates attention.
Neither is better in general. This guide sets out what each does well, where each struggles, and which goals suit which. It also covers the health-advertising and privacy limits that apply to both, since clinics meet them early.
The core difference in one minute
| Google Ads (search) | Facebook and Instagram ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | A person who searched for something | A person scrolling, chosen by location, age and broad interests |
| Their state of mind | Looking for help now | Not looking, may be interested |
| What the ad must do | Match the search and make booking easy | Earn attention, then explain why it matters |
| Strength | Catching demand that already exists | Putting you in front of people who would not have searched |
| Weakness | Only as many people as are searching | Many viewers, fewer ready to book |
Google Ads: the strengths
Intent. Someone who searches “physio near me” or “emergency dentist” has a need, a place in mind and often a short window to act. An ad that appears then, with a clear booking path, meets them at the right moment. This is why search ads suit a clinic that wants booked appointments.
Control over the topic. You choose the searches that trigger your ad and the searches that should not. You can see which search terms people typed.
Clear measurement. A booking or call can be linked back to the ad, if tracking is set up.
Google Ads: the limits
- A ceiling. The number of people searching for your service in your area is finite. If few people search for a service, ads for it will not make up the gap.
- Competition. In busy cities, several clinics bid on the same searches, which can push up what you pay.
- No awareness effect. Someone who does not know they need your service will never search for it.
Our simple six-week test is in Physical therapy Google Ads: should you run them?. For how ads compare with unpaid search work, see local SEO vs Google Ads for clinics.
Facebook and Instagram ads: the strengths
Reach. You can show an ad to people in a defined area, at a defined age range, who were never going to search for you. For an event, a new location or a service people do not know exists, that matters.
Visual storytelling. A short video of your space or team suits a feed better than a text ad.
Reminding people who already know you. You can reach people who follow your page or have seen your ads before, with a message such as a reminder that you are open Saturdays. Do not upload patient lists; see the privacy points below.
Facebook and Instagram ads: the limits
- Lower intent. A person who tapped your ad was probably not planning to book. Many clicks will not become appointments, which makes it more important to count patients, not clicks.
- Creative effort. The ad is only as good as the picture or video. This takes time and regular refreshing.
- A sensitive category. Meta’s limits on health advertising are stricter than many owners expect.
The health-advertising limits on Meta
Meta’s ad policies do not allow ads that assert or imply a viewer’s personal attributes, and physical or mental health, including medical conditions, is on that list. In practice, this means your ad text should not address the viewer’s condition as though you know it.
The classic problem is wording like “Struggling with your back pain?” It speaks to the reader as a person with back pain, so Meta can reject it. Compare:
- Likely to be flagged: “Struggling with your back pain? Book today.”
- Safer: “Back pain physiotherapy now available in [your city].”
The second describes your service and does not claim anything about the viewer. The rules cover images and landing pages too, and Meta reviews the whole ad. Meta has also, since 2022, removed some targeting options based on interest in health topics. Which options exist changes over time, so check the current tools instead of relying on our summary.
Google has its own restrictions on health-related personalised advertising and remarketing. We cover them in what the Google Ads rules are for health clinics and, for the claims in your wording, in advertising rules for physio and chiro clinics. Always read the platform’s current policy before you launch. They change, and so do approvals.
Patient privacy: pixels and tracking
Both platforms offer a small piece of tracking code, often called a pixel or tag, that you can place on your website. It tells the platform who visited which page so you can measure results or show ads later. For a clinic, this deserves care.
A page where someone enters health information, such as an intake form, a booking form that asks about a condition or a patient portal login, should not carry advertising pixels. Information about a person’s health, and the fact that they became a patient, is sensitive. Sending it to an ad platform can raise privacy concerns under the rules where you practise, which differ by country, province and state.
General practice points:
- Keep ad tracking off pages that capture health information. Use it, if at all, on general pages like your homepage.
- Ask your web developer and booking provider exactly what scripts run on each page.
- Do not upload patient lists to an ad platform without checking your obligations first.
- Talk to your regulator or a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which goal suits which channel
Booking intent: new patients now
Google Ads usually fits better. The searcher is ready. Send each ad to the page for that service, with the booking link clear. If you have no spare appointments, though, pause spending first.
Awareness: people do not know you exist
Meta usually fits better. A new clinic, or an area where people do not search for the service you offer, benefits from showing up in the feed. Expect slower and less direct results. A modest budget and a clear local audience are better than a wide, unfocused one. Treat the first campaigns as a test, and give them time before judging.
An event: an open house, a workshop or a clinic day
Meta usually fits better. People rarely search for events, and ads with a picture, date and place work well. Keep the health-attribute rule in mind: promote the event, not the condition.
A new location
Both can help, at different stages. Meta can announce the new address to people in the surrounding area. Google Ads can capture those who search for your service nearby once they need it. Make sure your Google profile and website show the new address correctly. See our post on referral marketing for a non-advertising route that suits a new location.
Recall: bringing back past patients
Neither is the first choice. Messages sent directly to people who already know you, such as email or text with their consent, are usually more private and more precise than ads. See patient reactivation and the clinic newsletter. Meta ads aimed at a list of past patients raise the privacy questions above, so think twice before using them.
What to measure on each
For both, measure outcomes that matter to the clinic:
- Booking requests and calls that came from the ad.
- New patients who attended, and where they said they heard of you.
- Cost per new patient over a fixed test period, compared with what a patient is worth to you.
For Google, search terms and call tracking give you a fairly clear line from ad to booking. For Meta, the line is hazier, since many people see an ad and book later through a search. Ask new patients how they found you. If several say “I saw you on Instagram, then looked you up on Google”, then both channels helped, and tracking by last click alone will undercount Meta.
A simple way to choose
- Do people already search for what you offer? If yes, start with Google.
- Do you need people to learn about something new? If yes, consider Meta for that purpose, with a small test.
- Can your website take a booking in a minute or two on a phone? If not, fix it before spending on either.
- Can you keep your wording and tracking within each platform’s health rules? If you are unsure, ask before you launch.
- Do you have time for the pictures, replies and checks each channel needs?
If you would like a person to look at where your enquiries really come from, claim my audit. We look at your profile, website and booking path as a patient sees them, and we send you what we find. The button reads “Claim my audit”. When you are ready for help with the ads themselves, see our Google Ads and social media services.