Scaling a Multi-Location Mental Health & Functional Medicine Practice with Intent-Driven Advertising
Client Profile:
A multi-location medical practice specializing in mental health and functional medicine, operating across several metropolitan markets. The clinic offers high-intent services including psychiatry, therapy, and advanced functional medicine programs, with patient acquisition as the primary growth lever.
Annual Revenue (2025): <$5 million
Total Ad Spend (2025): $150,000
The Challenge
The practice needed a predictable, scalable way to attract qualified patients actively seeking care, without over-reliance on brand awareness or low-intent social traffic. With multiple locations and high-value services, the margin for inefficient spend was slim — every dollar needed to work hard.
The Strategy: Lead with Intent
Google Ads as the Primary Growth Engine
With annual revenue approaching $5M on just $150K in ad spend, the practice maintained an ad-to-revenue ratio of roughly 3% — well below industry benchmarks for healthcare marketing.
To support this efficiency, 65–75% of total ad spend was allocated to Google Ads, prioritizing:
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High-intent search campaigns (service + location queries)
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Branded search protection
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Conversion-optimized landing pages tied to appointment and discovery-call goals
This allocation reflects a deliberate focus on intent-based demand, capturing patients already searching for solutions rather than trying to create demand from cold audiences.
Supporting Channels (Lean but Strategic)
Local SEO & Organic Search
Organic search played a critical supporting role, particularly at the local level:
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Optimized Google Business Profiles for each location
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Service-specific landing pages aligned with paid search keywords
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Ongoing technical and on-page SEO to reinforce authority and relevance
This ensured paid and organic worked together — improving conversion rates and lowering overall cost per lead.
Social Media Marketing (Minimal, Purpose-Driven)
Social media was used selectively, not as a primary acquisition channel. Efforts focused on:
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Credibility and trust-building content
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Retargeting warm audiences already exposed to search
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Reinforcing brand presence across locations
No attempt was made to force social into a direct-response role it wasn’t suited for.
The Outcome
By anchoring the strategy around high-intent Google Ads, and supporting it with strong local SEO and disciplined organic optimization, the practice achieved:
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Sustainable multi-location growth
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Efficient patient acquisition at scale
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Revenue growth without inflated marketing spend
Key Takeaway
For medical practices operating at scale, intent beats attention. When the majority of budget is allocated to platforms where patients are actively searching for care — and supported by strong local SEO — it’s possible to drive millions in revenue without excessive ad spend.
If you want a more anonymized version, a numbers-heavier version, or one tailored specifically for mental health vs functional medicine, I can spin those up quickly.
