If you are doing your own medical marketing, it can be hard to know whether your time is actually paying off. This article is written for doctors who want to measure their own marketing first, before bringing in a medical marketing agency.
The good news is that you do not need to check everything every day. In most cases, spending one day a month reviewing your marketing is already a solid effort. The main thing is to track the same things consistently, so you can see what is improving and what needs more work.
Els Van de Veire
June 21, 2026
Medical marketing success best practices
Start with your keywords
The first thing to measure is how your website ranks for the keywords you have optimised each page for.
For example, if your homepage has been written around the keyword “neurologist Parramatta”, you need to check where that page appears when someone searches that phrase.
You can do this in a very simple way:
Make a list of all the pages on your website
Write down the main keyword for each page
Search each keyword in Google
Record where your page appears
Repeat this every month
You can keep this in a spreadsheet. It does not need to be complicated.
For example:
Homepage: neurologist Parramatta
Service page: migraine specialist Parramatta
Blog article: when to see a neurologist for headaches
Contact page: neurologist near me
Each month, you can manually search these terms and add the ranking position to your spreadsheet. Are you on page one? Page two? Not showing at all?
Manual searches are not perfect, because Google results can vary depending on your location, search history and device. But they still give you a useful starting point, especially if you are doing your own healthcare marketing.
The aim is not to obsess over every movement. The aim is to notice patterns. If a page is slowly moving up, your content may be working. If a page is not improving at all, it may need stronger wording, better structure, more useful information, or another supporting blog article.
Check your Google Analytics
The next thing you need is Google Analytics.
Google Analytics records visits to your website. When you log in, you can see how many people visited your website, where they came from, and which pages they looked at.
This helps you understand whether people are finding you through:
Google search
Direct visits
Social media
Paid ads
Referral links from other websites
This is valuable information because it shows you which parts of your marketing are bringing people to your site.
Again, checking once a month is realistic. You are a doctor, not a full-time marketing analyst. A monthly check gives you enough information without making the process overwhelming. If you are not advertising, a good sign is that around 75% of your website visitors are finding you through online search, while about 25% come directly to your website. It does not need to be exact, but it gives you something useful to aim for.
One of the most useful things to look at is which pages are viewed most often. Your most visited pages may be the pages that rank best in Google. They may also show you what patients are most interested in.
For example, you may notice that your headache page gets far more visits than your general neurology page. That tells you there is strong interest in that topic. You could then create more related content, such as:
When should I see a neurologist for headaches?
What is the difference between a migraine and a headache?
What happens at a neurology appointment for headaches?
Google Analytics can also show you what is not working. If an important service page receives very few visits, it may mean the page does not rank well, the keyword is too competitive, or the content does not match what people are searching for.
“This information helps you decide what content to improve or create next.”
Els Van de Veire | Co-founder Digital Practice
Ask your patients directly
Website data is useful, but it does not tell you everything. You also need to understand how patients experience your service.
A simple patient survey can help with this.
This does not need to be a big, formal process. You can send a short survey after an appointment or procedure. Your receptionist or secretary may be able to help with this, although it is worth explaining clearly why it matters. Some staff may see it as extra admin, so it helps to make it part of the normal process.
Your survey could ask:
How did you find us?
Was it easy to book an appointment?
Was the information on our website helpful?
Did you feel welcomed by our team?
Was anything unclear before your appointment?
Is there anything we could improve?
This kind of feedback can help you improve both your marketing and your service.
For example, if several patients say the website helped them understand what to expect, that is a sign your content is doing its job. If patients say they could not find fees, referral information or parking details, you may need to add clearer practical information to your website.
If the same complaint keeps coming back, such as patients feeling rushed on the phone or having trouble with booking, that may need a management conversation. Marketing success is not just about getting more enquiries. It is also about making sure patients have a good experience once they contact you.
Keep it simple and consistent
Measuring medical marketing success does not need to be complicated.
Once a month, check:
Where your key pages rank in Google
How many people visited your website
Which pages were viewed most
Where your website visitors came from
What patients are telling you through surveys
Over time, these simple checks will show you what is working, what needs attention, and where to focus your next effort.
The key is consistency. You do not need to become a healthcare marketing expert overnight. You just need to build a habit of reviewing the right information and making small improvements based on what you find.
And if it all feels like too much, or you think it may be time to outsource to a healthcare digital agency that understands medical marketing inside out, please get in touch.
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