Patients choose a GP, dentist or physio differently from the way they choose most services. They want someone nearby, someone they can trust, and an appointment that fits their week.
Health marketing also carries rules most businesses never deal with. This guide covers the practical side for Perth medical, dental and allied health practices.
For an overview of how SLINKY works with clinics, see our health and dental marketing page.
What patients search for and how they choose
Health searches are usually local and often urgent. “Emergency dentist Perth”, “GP open Sunday Joondalup” and “physio near me” are typical.
Other searches are planned and researched over weeks. Someone considering dental implants, Invisalign or a paediatric speech assessment will compare several practices before they book.
Patients weigh up location, availability, cost and the practitioner. Many also check whether a clinic bulk bills, takes their health fund, or offers HICAPS on the spot.
Parents choosing allied health for a child often look for experience with a specific need, and whether NDIS plans are accepted.
The website
Pages it needs
- A page for each main service or treatment, written in plain English
- Practitioner profiles with qualifications, registration type and areas of interest
- Fees, billing and health fund information, kept up to date
- Location, parking and accessibility details for each clinic
- New patient information, including what to bring and how long the first visit takes
Split broad services into their own pages where patients search for them separately. A dental site might have separate pages for implants, children’s dentistry and emergency care.
Trust signals
Real photos of the team and the clinic help more than stock images. Professional memberships, such as the Australian Dental Association or a relevant allied health association, can be shown where they apply.
Patient testimonials are a trust signal in other industries, but they are restricted for regulated health services. More on that below.
The enquiry path
Online booking is now expected by many patients. Integrations with platforms such as HotDoc, HealthEngine or Nookal let people book without calling.
Keep the phone number visible and tappable on mobile. Contact forms should be short and should not ask for detailed health information.
Be careful with tracking scripts on booking and contact pages. Health information is sensitive under the Privacy Act, so avoid sending form details or appointment types to advertising platforms.
Our web design team builds practice websites around this kind of booking path.
Google Business Profile and reviews
For most clinics, the Google Business Profile drives more calls than the website. Set one up for each location with the right primary category, such as “Dentist”, “Medical clinic” or “Physiotherapist”.
Keep hours accurate, including public holidays. Add services, photos of the clinic and the booking link.
Reviews need care. Under the National Law, you must not use testimonials about clinical aspects of care in your advertising. Reviews on Google are not removed just because they mention treatment, but you should not quote them on your website or in ads.
When replying, never confirm someone is a patient or discuss their care. A polite, general thank you is safest.
Content worth writing
Good health content answers the questions patients ask before booking. It must be accurate and must not create unreasonable expectations of results.
- What to expect at a first appointment for each service
- How a treatment works, how long it takes and what recovery involves
- Costs explained in general terms, including Medicare, health fund and NDIS information
- Guides for parents, such as when a child might need a speech or OT assessment
- Seasonal topics, such as flu vaccinations or end of year health fund reminders
Have a practitioner review every piece before it goes live. Content like this also supports your SEO for treatment and suburb searches.
Paid ads
Google Ads suits urgent needs, such as emergency dental, and high-value treatments that patients research carefully. Health ads come with their own policy limits on top of Ahpra’s rules.
Our page on Google Ads for health and dental practices in Perth covers targeting, wording and tracking.
Social media and email
Social media can help a clinic feel familiar before someone books. Introduce the team, show the clinic and share general health tips.
The advertising rules apply to social media too. That includes your own posts and the patient comments you choose to share. See our social media marketing page for how we approach this.
Email is useful for recall reminders, new services and practice news to existing patients. Our email marketing service can help, though recalls are often best handled inside your practice software.
Ahpra and the advertising rules
Registered health practitioners must follow the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, which applies in WA, and the Ahpra and National Board guidelines for advertising a regulated health service. In summary, advertising must not:
- Be false, misleading or deceptive
- Offer a gift, discount or inducement without stating the terms and conditions
- Use testimonials or purported testimonials about the service
- Create an unreasonable expectation of beneficial treatment
- Encourage the unnecessary or indiscriminate use of health services
The title “specialist” is protected for registered specialists. Cosmetic procedures have their own, stricter guidelines. The TGA’s rules on advertising therapeutic goods also apply.
We have written a separate Ahpra advertising checklist for Perth practices. Always check the current guidelines, as they are updated from time to time.
Measuring enquiries
Track phone calls, online bookings and form submissions by source. Booking platforms often have their own tracking options, so make sure they report back into your analytics.
Compare this with your practice software. New patient numbers by month and by service tell you more than website traffic alone.
Our digital marketing work includes setting up tracking that respects patient privacy.
A short checklist
- A page for each main service, with fees and billing details
- Practitioner profiles with qualifications and registration type
- Online booking that works on mobile
- No health details sent to advertising platforms
- Google Business Profile set up for each location
- No clinical testimonials on the website, in ads or on social media
- Content reviewed by a practitioner
- All advertising checked against current Ahpra guidelines
- New patients tracked by source and service
If you’d like help with your practice’s marketing, SLINKY has been working with Perth businesses since 1998. You’ll deal directly with senior people, and there are no lock-in contracts. Ask us for a free quote.
