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Hello fellow clinic directors!
If you’re running Google Ads for your healthcare practice, you’ve likely invested months (or even years) building up campaigns that consistently bring in new patients. Perhaps you’re finally seeing that sweet spot where your ads for physiotherapy services or private consultations are generating steady bookings at a profitable cost.
But then it happens – your web developer suggests a platform migration, or you decide it’s time for that website redesign you’ve been putting off. Suddenly, you’re faced with changing your landing page URLs, and you’re wondering: “Will this affect my ad performance?”
The short answer? Absolutely, and more than you might expect. 📉
As someone who’s witnessed countless healthcare practices accidentally sabotage their Google Ads performance with seemingly innocent URL changes, I want to share why this happens and, more importantly, how you can navigate these changes without losing patients.
Why Google Treats URL Changes Like Starting Over 🔄
Google’s advertising system operates on machine learning algorithms that have been studying your audience for months. They’ve learned that Mrs. Johnson from Kensington responds well to your osteopathy ads on Tuesday afternoons, while young professionals in Canary Wharf are more likely to book dental cleanings after seeing your ads during their morning commute.
When you change your landing page URL – even if the page looks identical – you’re essentially telling Google: “Forget everything you learned about who converts on this page. Start over.”
Here’s a real-world example: Dr. Sarah Chen, who runs a private GP practice in Chelsea, decided to switch from WordPress to a new booking platform. Her landing page looked the same, offered the same services, but the URL changed from /book-appointment to /schedule-consultation. Within two weeks, her cost per patient acquisition increased by 35%, and her overall bookings dropped by 28%.
The Hidden Costs: More Than Just Numbers 💰
For healthcare practices, the impact goes beyond metrics:
- Patient acquisition costs skyrocket while Google re-learns your audience
- Appointment bookings may drop 20-60% during the transition period
- Competitors may capture your displaced traffic while your campaigns struggle
- Staff scheduling becomes unpredictable due to fluctuating patient volume
The recovery period isn’t quick either. Depending on the extent of your changes, it can take 30-90 days for your campaigns to return to their previous performance levels.
Three Smart Strategies for Healthcare Clinics 🎯
Strategy 1: The Controlled A/B Test Method (Separate Ad Groups with Ad Scheduling)
To test a new landing page, create separate ad groups (not different URLs in the same ad group), and optionally use ad scheduling to control when each runs.
How to implement:
- Keep your current ad group and landing page live.
- Duplicate the ad group, updating only the final URL to the new landing page.
- Set ad schedules so:
- The original ad group runs during specific hours/days (e.g., 8 AM–2 PM, Mon–Wed).
- The test ad group runs during other windows (e.g., 2 PM–8 PM, Thu–Sat).
- Alternatively, use campaign experiments for a cleaner split.
Why this matters:
Ad scheduling reduces overlap, letting you compare user behavior during similar time slots on different days, helping avoid machine learning interference between variants.
Prompt for your developer:
“Can you clone our current booking page at /new-book-appointment? We’ll split traffic via separate ad groups with daypart targeting to validate which page performs better.”
Strategy 2: The Incremental Update Approach
Make gradual, non-disruptive improvements to the existing landing page without changing the URL. This retains Google’s learned conversion behavior.
Perfect for:
- Adding trust elements (CQC badge, reviews)
- Minor design tweaks or messaging updates
Implementation tip:
Roll out one change per week, and measure key metrics like bounce rate and conversion rate after each iteration.
Prompt for your team:
“Let’s update our current page with verified patient testimonials this week, then enhance it with awards and video next. No URL changes for now.”
Strategy 3: The Risk-Minimized Redesign Plan
Test any major page redesign before going live sitewide, by isolating it via separate ad groups or a Google Ads experiment with traffic split.
How to implement:
- Host your new design on a distinct URL.
- Create a duplicate ad group or use a campaign experiment.
- Use ad scheduling or campaign-level rotation to direct traffic without overlap.
- Compare cost per conversion, bounce rate, and booking volume over 4–6 weeks.
Only migrate to the new page if results are better.
Prompt for your team:
“Let’s test our new landing page design on off-peak hours or weekends. We’ll analyze results before making a full switch.”
⚠️ Warning: High-Risk Scenarios for Healthcare Practices
Avoid these changes unless absolutely necessary:
- Platform migrations (Squarespace to WordPress, etc.) – Can cause 30-50% performance drops
- URL changes (moving from yourpractice.co.uk/urology-services to yourpractice.co.uk/urology) – Expect 50-70% traffic loss initially
- Domain changes (moving from yourpractice.co.uk to newpracticename.com) – Expect 60-90% traffic loss initially
- Complete page redesigns without testing – Often leads to 40-70% booking decreases
- Multiple simultaneous changes – Changing URL, design, and content together compounds the negative impact
Red flag scenario: One London dental practice changed their domain, redesigned their booking page, and switched to a new appointment system all in the same week. Their Google Ads practically stopped generating patients for two months, and they nearly had to close their practice.
Real-World Success Story 🌟
Dr. Michael Roberts runs a physiotherapy clinic in Hammersmith. When he needed to add online payment functionality to his booking page, instead of rebuilding everything, he:
- Added the payment feature to his existing URL
- Made small design tweaks over six weeks
- Monitored his cost-per-booking carefully
- Saw only a 12% temporary dip in performance, which recovered within three weeks
The key? He resisted the urge to “fix everything at once” and focused on one improvement that would genuinely help patients book more easily.
Quick FAQ for Busy Clinic Directors 🤔
Q: My web developer says our new site will definitely convert better. Should I trust them? A: Always test first. Even expert developers get it wrong 20-30% of the time. Your current page already has proven patient conversion data.
Q: How long should I expect reduced performance after a URL change? A: Minor changes: 2-4 weeks. Major changes: 6-12 weeks. Complete redesigns with new URLs: 8-16 weeks.
Q: Can I speed up the recovery process? A: Not really. Google’s algorithms need time to re-learn your audience. The gradual transition method is your best bet for minimizing disruption.
Q: What if I absolutely must change my domain? A: Budget for 60-90% reduced bookings for 2-3 months. Consider increasing your ad spend temporarily to maintain patient volume, and have a cash flow plan ready.
Q: Should I pause my ads during a major website change? A: Generally no. Keep ads running but monitor closely. Pausing adds another variable that can further confuse Google’s algorithms.
The Bottom Line for 2025 📈
In today’s competitive healthcare landscape, your Google Ads performance can make or break your practice’s growth. While change is sometimes necessary, understanding the true cost of URL changes helps you make informed decisions.
Remember: Google’s machine learning has spent months learning exactly which Londoners are most likely to become your patients. Treat that data with the respect it deserves, and your practice will continue thriving through any necessary changes.
Have you experienced unexpected drops in patient bookings after website changes? Let us know!
