Solved: Finding a good ad agency for healthcare startup?

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out. I've had a look at your situation and I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance. It's a very common position to be in for a startup, especially in a specialised field like healthcare – you've got something that works with Google Ads but you know it could be doing better, and you're wondering what the next step is to really scale things up.

You're right to be cautious and to think carefully about whether an agency or a freelancer is the best path forward. Let's break down some of the things you should be considering.

I'd say you need to weigh up an agency vs a freelancer...

First off, your question about agency vs. freelancer. Tbh, with a spend of around $2k a month, a lot of larger agencies might not give you the attention you deserve. They often have bigger clients that take up most of their time and resources, and your account could end up being managed by a junior member of staff. A good freelancer, on the other hand, might offer a more dedicated, hands-on service which could be exactly what you need at this stage. They live and die by their results and reputation, so they're often very motivated.

That's not to say all agencies are bad for smaller accounts, but you have to be selective. The most important thing, wether you go for an agency or a freelancer, is to do your homework. Don't just be swayed by a slick website or a confident sales pitch. The proof is in the results.

Ask for case studies. And I mean proper, detailed case studies, not just a few logos on a page. You want to see the challenges, the strategy they implemented, and the actual numbers – conversions, cost per conversion, return on ad spend. You're in healthcare, which is a tricky and sensitive niche. Ask them specifically if they have experience with healthcare or similarly regulated industries. It’s a completly different ball game to, say, selling t-shirts online. I remember we worked with a medical job matching SaaS platform and managed to reduce their Cost Per User Acquisition from £100 to £7 using Meta Ads and Google Ads. That's the kind of specific, relevant experience you should be looking for.

Beyond case studies, ask to speak to one or two of their current clients. A reputable agency or freelancer shouldn't have a problem with this. It's the best way to get a real, unfiltered opinion on what they're like to work with day-to-day. If they get defensive or make excuses, that's a bit of a red flag for me. It might signal a lack of confidence in their own client relationships, which definitly isn't a good sign.

Finally, book in an initial call or consultation. Most good outfits will offer this for free. Use that time to really grill them. See what initial advice they offer. Do they sound like they genuinely understand your buisness and your goals, or are they just giving you generic advice? This initial chat is a fantastic way to gauge their expertise. If you walk away from the call feeling like you've already learned something valuable, you're probably on the right track.

We'll need to look at your website and funnel...

Before you even think about increasing your ad spend, you need to be absolutly certain that your website and the user journey are as optimised as they can be. Pouring more money into ads that point to a leaky bucket is just a fast way to waste cash. The ads could be perfect, but if the landing page doesn't convince people to submit that form, you'll always struggle.

Think about your sales process from the user's perspective. They click an ad, they land on your page. What do they see? Is it immediately clear what you want them to do? Is the form easy to find and simple to fill out? For a healtchare startup, trust is everything. Your website has to scream professionalism and credibility. This means:

-> Clear Value Proposition: What problem are you solving for them? Why should they choose you over anyone else? This needs to be front and centre.

-> Social Proof: Do you have testimonials from happy users or patients? Any professional accreditations, certifications, or partnerships with known healthcare institutions? These are massively important for building trust.

-> Professional Design and Copy: The site needs to look the part. No blurry images, no typos, no clunky design. The copy needs to be persuasive and professional. It might be worth investing in a professional copywriter who has experience in the medical field. It can make a huge difference to your conversion rates.

Look at your analytics. Where are people dropping off? Are they hitting the landing page and leaving straight away? That suggests the page isn't meeting the expectation set by the ad. Are they getting to the form but not completing it? Maybe the form is too long or asking for information people aren't comfortable giving online. Analysing this data is key to plugging the leaks in your funnel.

You'll need realistic cost expectations...

So, what should you expect to pay per conversion? This is the million-dollar question, and the honest answer is: it varies massively. For service-based businesses, which is what you sound like, we often see leads coming from Google Search Ads costing anywhere from $10 to over $60.

For example, we're currently running a campaign for an HVAC company in a competitive area, and their leads are costing around $60 each. But we've also run campaigns for childcare services where signups were only about $10. The healthcare space can be competitive, so you need to be prepared for a potentially higher cost per lead (CPL). The key is that the value of that lead has to be significantly higher than the cost to acquire it.

Your main channel is Google Ads, which is smart. You're catching people who are actively searching for a solution, which means their intent is high. Your keyword strategy is going to be vital here. You should be targeting keywords that signal a clear need for what you offer, things like "specialist healthcare provider in [your city]", "book online health consultation", or specific terms related to the conditions you treat. You'll also want to make heavy use of negative keywords to filter out irrelevant searches and avoid wasting your budget.

Once you have a better idea of your average CPL, you can work backwards to set a realistic budget. If you know you need, say, 50 form submissions a month to hit your growth targets, and your average CPL is $40, then you know you need an ad spend of at least $2,000 per month just to stand still. This is why optimising your conversion rate is so important – if you can halve your CPL, you can double your leads for the same budget.

This all goes to say that there isn't a magic number, but by focusing on the right keywords and optimising your landing page, you can get to a CPL that makes sense for your buisness model.

This is the main advice I have for you:

Ultimately, getting paid advertising right isn't just about flicking a few switches in Google Ads. It’s about understanding the entire customer journey, from the ad they see, to the page they land on, to the form they fill out. Each step needs to be optimised.

This is where bringing in an expert can really pay off. It's not just about saving you time; it's about applying years of experience from hundreds of other campaigns to avoid the common mistakes and find the fastest path to profitable growth. An expert can help you analyse your data, structure your campaigns correctly, write compelling ads, and advise on how to improve your landing page – all the things we've talked about.

I hope this initial breakdown has been helpful for you. If you'd like to go through your account and strategy in more detail, we'd be happy to set up a free, no-obligation consultation to give you some more specific pointers.

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh