How do I start Google Ads for my clinic?

Before you open an account

Most failed clinic accounts fail before launch. Have these ready:

• A clinic Google account (not a staff member's personal Gmail) that you will always control.
• Trade licence details matching the legal name you will verify with Google.
• A landing page per treatment you will advertise, with phone, WhatsApp and booking visible on mobile.
• A verified Google Business Profile for each branch.
• A list of 3 to 5 treatments you want more of, with what a new patient is worth to you.
• Someone to answer calls and WhatsApp during the hours ads run.

Step-by-step setup

1. Create the account. Go to ads.google.com and sign in with the clinic Google account. Add the business name and website. Google's account setup guide lets you skip the guided campaign and create the account without one. Do that. Guided setups tend to choose broad defaults that suit a shop, not a clinic. If you land in a simplified view, switch to Expert mode before building anything.
2. Add billing. Choose the clinic's business details and a company card. Google Ads in the UAE is for business use only. With automatic payments you are charged when spend reaches your threshold and on the first of each month. Ask your accountant about the tax settings.
3. Complete advertiser verification when asked. Google is rolling advertiser verification out to all advertisers. The notice gives a deadline. Missing it can restrict ads or pause the account. Use the exact legal name on your trade licence.
4. Set up conversion tracking before spending. Track calls from ads (count calls over 60 seconds), calls from the website, form submissions and WhatsApp clicks. Later, import booked appointments. Name conversions neutrally, such as "Booking", never by condition. Full guide: Google Ads conversion tracking.
5. Link Google Business Profile. This feeds location assets, so your ads show your address and can appear on Google Maps.
6. Build your first Search campaign. One campaign per treatment, or one campaign with an ad group per treatment if the budget is small. Settings:
   • Networks: Search only. Untick Display Network and Search Partners.
   • Location: a radius around the clinic, with "Presence: people in or regularly in your targeted locations".
   • Languages: English and Arabic, plus any other language your team speaks.
   • Ad schedule: staffed hours only.
   • Bidding: Maximise Clicks with a CPC cap, or Maximise Conversions once tracking works. Move to Target CPA after steady conversions. See Smart Bidding.
7. Choose keywords and negatives. Start with exact and phrase match: [dental implants dubai], "physiotherapy al barsha", "home nurse dubai". Add negatives on day one: jobs, vacancy, salary, course, training, DHA exam, free, how to, symptoms, pdf. Estimate prices in Keyword Planner, explained in Google Ads cost per click.
8. Write compliant ads. State facts: DHA-licensed team, area, insurance accepted, parking, hours. Avoid "best", "guaranteed", "painless", "100%" and "no side effects", which the DHA advertising standard bans. No prescription drug brand names: Google's healthcare policy allows them only in the US, Canada and New Zealand. Have the medical director approve the copy. Add call, location, sitelink and callout assets. Strong ads also help your Quality Score.
9. Set the budget. Work backwards. Say you want 20 bookings a month, 40% of enquiries book, 10% of clicks enquire and clicks cost AED 12: that is 500 clicks, about AED 6,000 a month, or roughly AED 200 a day. Google can spend up to twice the average daily budget on a busy day but stays within 30.4 times it over a month.
10. Launch and run a 30-day routine. Daily: check ads are running and calls are answered. Twice a week for the first month: read the search terms report and add negatives. Weekly: pause keywords with spend and no enquiries. Day 30: compare cost per booking by treatment and move budget to what books.

Five launch mistakes we see in Dubai clinics

• Display and Search Partners left on, wasting budget on low-intent placements.
• Location set to "interest in" the UAE, so people abroad click.
• Ads running at 2am with a call button and no one at reception.
• Remarketing set up for a health service. Google's personalised ads policy blocks it.
• Counting page views as conversions, so automated bidding chases junk.

Not sure Google Ads fits yet? Read what Google Ads can do for your clinic. Deciding who should run it? See agency or do it yourself. The full structure is in Google Ads for dentists and clinics.

Want this done for you?

Access One is the UAE's first Healthcare Google Partner and Dubai's #1 Google Ads agency for healthcare. We set up clinic accounts with tracking, compliant ads and landing pages from day one, in an account you own. Book a free Google Ads audit.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum budget for Google Ads in Dubai?

Google sets no minimum. The useful minimum is enough clicks to learn: for one treatment, that often means a few thousand dirhams a month, depending on your keyword prices.

How long does Google take to approve clinic ads?

Google says most ads are reviewed within one business day. Healthcare ads can take longer or show as "Eligible (limited)". Advertiser verification can be requested at any time and has its own deadline.

Should I use Performance Max for my clinic?

Not first. It needs reliable conversion data to work. Start with Search, get tracking and bookings steady, then test Performance Max.

Do I need DHA approval for Google ads?

The DHA standard requires the facility's medical director to approve advertising content and bans misleading wording. Check the latest DHA guidance for any permit your facility type needs.

Can I start with a Smart campaign?

You can, but you get little control over keywords and placements. For clinics, a standard Search campaign gives better control over cost per booking.

Sources

• Google Ads Help: Create a Google Ads account
• Google Ads Help: VAT setting and business use
• Google Ads Help: Automatic payments
• Google Ads Policy: Advertiser verification
• Google Ads Policy: About the ad review process
• Google Ads Help: About location assets
• Google Ads Help: About average daily budgets
• Google Ads Policy: Healthcare and medicines
• Google Ads Policy: Health in personalised advertising
• DHA: Standards for Medical Advertisement Content on Social Media

Published 18 Oct 2026 · Access One