Managing PPC campaigns for a healthcare organisation with multiple clinic locations comes with unique challenges. One of the most effective ways to optimise campaign performance across different sites is by implementing location-based bidding. This strategy allows your ads to appear more frequently—and more competitively—in areas where they are most likely to result in appointments, while conserving budget in lower-performing regions.
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In this guide, we’ll explore how location-based bidding for multi-clinic PPC works, why it’s important in healthcare advertising, and how to set it up to improve your ROI.
Understanding Location-Based Bidding
Location-based bidding is a feature in Google Ads (and other PPC platforms) that allows advertisers to adjust their bids based on the user’s geographic location. Instead of using a blanket bidding strategy across an entire campaign, you can bid more aggressively in areas where your clinic locations are performing well or where patient demand is highest.
For example, if your physiotherapy clinic in Birmingham generates high-quality leads at a low cost, you can increase your bid in that region. If your Glasgow branch isn’t converting as well, you can decrease your bid to avoid wasted ad spend.
Why Location-Based Bidding Matters for Multi-Clinic Campaigns
Healthcare services are inherently local. Patients typically choose a provider close to home, work, or school. When managing PPC campaigns across multiple locations—whether you run a network of GP practices, dental clinics, or physiotherapy centres—using the same bid strategy for all regions rarely makes sense.
Benefits of location-based bidding include:
- Increased visibility in high-performing postcodes or cities
- More efficient use of your PPC budget
- Better alignment with each clinic’s patient acquisition goals
- Higher quality leads from nearby users with stronger intent
It’s especially useful when different locations have different levels of competition, capacity, or profitability.
How to Set Up Location-Based Bidding in Google Ads
- Start by Segmenting Your Campaigns or Ad Groups
If each clinic has unique services, pricing, or landing pages, you should consider setting up separate campaigns or tightly themed ad groups per location. This provides more control over keyword targeting, messaging, and budgets. - Add Location Targets
In your campaign settings, use the “Locations” tab to target the geographic areas you serve. You can use cities, regions, postcodes, or even a radius around each clinic. For example:
- 10-mile radius around “Clinic A” in Cardiff
- “Leeds City Centre” for urban patients
- Postcode clusters around “Clinic B” in Kent
- Apply Location Bid Adjustments
Once you’ve gathered some campaign data, review performance by location. Go to the Locations tab in your campaign dashboard, and analyse key metrics such as:
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Conversion rate
- Cost per conversion
- Bounce rate
Increase your bid adjustment for locations that perform well (e.g. +20% for areas with high ROI) and decrease for those that underperform (e.g. –15% for low-converting regions).
- Use Advanced Location Options
Select “People in or regularly in your targeted locations” rather than “interested in” to focus on genuine local traffic. This prevents wasted spend on users researching an area they don’t live in.
Tips for Effective Multi-Clinic Location-Based PPC
Use Call and Location Extensions
Enhance your ads with local details like phone numbers and clinic addresses. This improves local relevance and increases conversions, especially on mobile.
Sync with Google Business Profiles
Link each clinic’s Google Business Profile to your Google Ads account to show accurate clinic info and reviews alongside your ads. This builds trust and improves CTR in location-specific campaigns.
Tailor Ad Copy by Region
Mention the clinic’s city or neighbourhood in your ad headlines or descriptions. Examples:
- “Private GP Appointments in Liverpool”
- “Open Late | Dental Surgery Leeds”
- “Walk-In Physio Clinic in Brighton”
Location-specific messaging boosts ad relevance and local engagement.
Monitor Budget Allocation
Use shared budgets strategically. For example, allocate more budget to higher-converting locations or services. If a particular clinic has a seasonal spike (e.g. flu jabs in winter), increase spend temporarily to match demand.
A/B Test Location Strategies
Experiment with different bid strategies per region. Try automated bidding in one area and manual in another. Or test performance of different radius targeting sizes (5 miles vs. 10 miles) to find the sweet spot.
Track Conversions by Location
Set up location-based conversion tracking using call tracking software or booking form integrations. This helps you understand which locations are generating real patients—not just clicks.
When to Scale Location-Based Bidding
As your multi-clinic PPC campaigns grow, consider integrating additional tools for even more granular targeting:
- Use geofencing to reach mobile users within a tight radius of each clinic
- Implement demographic layering (age, household income, device) by location
- Feed offline data (such as actual patient bookings) back into your PPC platform to improve targeting accuracy
You can also explore location-specific landing pages for each clinic to improve relevance and conversion rates.
Final Thoughts
Location-based bidding for multi-clinic PPC is one of the most impactful strategies for healthcare marketers aiming to scale efficiently. By aligning your advertising spend with regional performance and patient behaviour, you gain control, reduce waste, and drive more qualified leads into each clinic.
In a competitive healthcare market, being locally visible where it matters most can make all the difference in reaching new patients and growing your practice.
