Most Clinics Ask the Wrong Question

A lot of clinics want to know: “Which one should I run — Google Ads or Meta Ads?”

But it’s not about choosing one. You need both. They serve different purposes.

Google captures demand that already exists.
Meta helps you reach people who didn’t know they needed you yet.

If you only run Google Ads, you’ll hit a ceiling. If you only run Meta, you might get a lot of leads but not enough bookings. The real question is: how do you split the budget between the two to scale properly?

Google Ads: For People Already Searching

When someone types “pigmentation facial Singapore” or “best clinic near me,” they’ve already made up their mind to look for a solution. That’s where Google works best. For people who are already warm.

What Google Does Well:

• Reaches people who are actively looking for your service

• High booking intent

• Easier to measure results since keywords and intent are clear

• Strong for local intent, especially on mobile and Google Maps
  
  

Where It Slows Down:

• Search volume is limited. Once you’re covering the top keywords, there's not much room to scale

• Competition drives cost up. You’re bidding against other clinics chasing the same pool

Meta Ads: For People You Need to Convert

Meta (Instagram and Facebook) helps you reach people who haven’t searched yet — but are the right profile. Maybe they’ve been dealing with acne or ageing but never considered booking a treatment.

This is where you create demand.

What Meta Does Well:

• Great for educating and positioning your clinic

• Can showcase before/after visuals, testimonials, or limited-time offers

• Targeting is flexible with interests, job titles, life stage

• Perfect for retargeting site visitors or video viewers
  
  

What to Watch Out For:

• Lower intent hence the leads need more follow-up

• If your landing page or offer isn’t solid, the leads won’t convert
  
  

Same People. Different Mindset.

The woman searching for “anti-ageing facial” on Google in the morning is the same one scrolling through Instagram at night.

But when she’s on Google, she’s closer to buying.
When she’s on Meta, she’s in browsing mode.

That’s why your message, creative, and even your offer need to change depending on the platform.

When Google Hits the Limit, Meta Takes Over

Let’s say your clinic is already getting 20–30 Google leads per week. At some point, no matter how much more you spend, the cost-per-lead gets worse. That’s the cap.

If you want to keep growing, you can’t just pump more into Google.
You need to build a new pool of people — and that’s what Meta does well.

Budget Allocation: Google Ads vs Meta Ads

If you’re running ads and want a basic framework:

If you’re just starting out and need to see cashflow fast, lean more on Google. As you stabilise, scale Meta to keep growing your reach.

Final Word

You don’t have to pick sides. Both platforms are useful. They just serve different stages of the buyer journey. The real work is in matching the offer, creative, and landing page to where the customer is in the decision process. If you're not sure how to split your budget or where you're losing quality leads, fill in the form below. We’ll take a look at your current setup and share what we’d improve.