A useful healthcare PPC benchmark compares the same outcome, campaign type and reporting period. Cost per click, cost per enquiry and cost per booked consultation answer different questions. A cheap lead is only useful if it is relevant and can progress to an appropriate appointment.
Evidence note: this is a measurement guide, not a verified UK market dataset. The specialty ranges previously displayed here have been withdrawn because their supporting sample and calculations have not been established. They should not be used as evidence of typical costs or MediWorks client results.
Which PPC metrics should a clinic compare?
| Metric | Calculation | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Average CPC | Ad spend ÷ clicks | Same currency, network and reporting period. |
| Click-through rate | Clicks ÷ impressions × 100 | Separate brand and non-brand campaigns. |
| Cost per valid enquiry | Ad spend ÷ deduplicated valid enquiries | Exclude spam, tests and repeat contacts for the same enquiry. |
| Cost per booked consultation | Ad spend ÷ attributable confirmed bookings | Requires booking records and a stated attribution method. |
| Enquiry-to-booking rate | Confirmed bookings from a defined enquiry cohort ÷ that cohort’s valid enquiries × 100 | Allow time for enquiries to become bookings. |
These are reporting definitions for your business, not a claim that each number equals a Google Ads column. Google Ads defines conversion rate using tracked conversions and eligible ad interactions. If several actions count as conversions, the platform total need not equal unique enquiries or patients.
What counts as a valid enquiry?
Agree the definition before judging performance. For example, a relevant new-service enquiry with usable contact details can count; a form test, recruitment message or duplicate follow-up should not. Decide how to classify existing patients and record that rule consistently.
A click on a telephone number is not proof that a call connected. A connected call is not automatically a qualified enquiry. A booking request is not a confirmed appointment. Keep those stages separate rather than adding them together as patient acquisitions.
What would a transparent benchmark dataset disclose?
A publishable dataset needs the number of independent clinic accounts, exact date range, data cutoff, locations, specialties, spend coverage and campaign types. It should state whether brand searches, Search Partners and Performance Max are included, and identify tracking gaps and exclusions.
Calculate account-level results before presenting a cross-account median. If reporting a pooled cost per enquiry, divide total spend by total valid enquiries and label it as pooled. Do not describe a lowest-to-highest range as an average. Show the account count beside each specialty and withhold comparisons where the sample is too small or could identify a client.
For booking-based measures, join campaign reporting to a defined enquiry cohort and allow a consistent follow-up window. Publish the attribution rule and distinguish observed bookings from modelled outcomes. The research can use anonymised aggregate data; public reporting does not need patient records.
How can you use a benchmark to set a budget?
Start with your own comparable history. Segment the services you can actually deliver, then consider appointment capacity and the proportion of valid enquiries that book. Use a planning scenario when historical data is missing, and label assumptions visibly.
Worked example: calculating enquiry and booking costs
Hypothetical illustration only: the figures below are invented to demonstrate the calculations. They are not MediWorks client results, industry benchmarks or recommended targets.
Imagine a fictional clinic with these totals over one three-month period. The 10 confirmed bookings come from the same 40 enquiries, after allowing time for those enquiries to become bookings.
| Item | Hypothetical figure |
|---|---|
| Advertising spend | £2,000 |
| Ad clicks | 500 |
| Genuine enquiries, excluding spam and duplicates | 40 |
| Confirmed bookings from those enquiries | 10 |
- Cost per click: £2,000 ÷ 500 = £4.
- Cost per genuine enquiry: £2,000 ÷ 40 = £50.
- Cost per confirmed booking: £2,000 ÷ 10 = £200.
- Enquiry-to-booking rate: 10 ÷ 40 × 100 = 25%.
Advertising spend in this example excludes management fees and other costs. A confirmed booking does not establish attendance, treatment, revenue or profit. The calculations explain the method; they do not demonstrate actual campaign performance.
What should a clinic check before increasing spend?
Review search relevance, landing-page clarity, tracking and reception follow-up together. Avoid a blanket recommendation to remarket to treatment-page visitors: Google restricts personalised targeting involving sensitive interests, including health. Check the applicable campaign and data rules.
Use our clinic website enquiry checklist alongside your reporting. MediWorks healthcare PPC services can help you assess the campaign and enquiry process together. Request a PPC review based on your clinic’s actual data.
