Most independent medical practices do well with a steady monthly budget for website, SEO and Google Business Profile work, then add paid ads only for services with clear value. The right number depends on how many new patients you need and what each one is worth to your practice.
Start with the math instead of a percentage someone quoted online. Figure out how many new patients you want each month and roughly what a new patient is worth over a year or more. A primary care patient who stays for years is worth far more than a single urgent care visit. That gives you a ceiling for what you can sensibly spend to get one. Also factor in how many new patients your providers can actually see. Spending to fill a schedule that is already full wastes money, while a new provider with open slots may justify a bigger push for a few months.
Then split the budget by job. Your website, local SEO and Google Business Profile are the foundation, because they keep bringing patients in month after month without paying per click. Paid search is useful for high value services or new locations that need a fast start. Directory listings like Zocdoc can fill gaps but get expensive if they become your only source of new patients. Social media can support your brand, but it rarely books many new patients on its own for a medical clinic. Keep it modest unless you see real appointments coming from it.
Review results every quarter. Track calls, booking requests and where patients say they found you. Cut what is not producing and put more into what is. Ask your front desk to log how each new patient heard about you, because call tracking alone misses word of mouth and referrals. A few months of that data makes budget decisions much easier. Heights Digital keeps the foundation simple at $750 to build and $399 a month with no contract, so your bigger decisions can go toward the channels that are actually working. Call or text (210) 729-4008 if you want help sorting the numbers.
Send the site over. We will tell you what is broken, what you could rank for, and whether AI search knows you exist. No charge and no pitch deck.
