Med Spa Success Strategies: Maximizing Google Ads ROI & Eliminating Waste (2025 Series: Part 5)
Hosted by Ricky Shockley
Release Date: March 17, 2025

In the fifth installment of the 2025 Marketing Series on the Med Spa Success Strategies podcast, host Ricky Shockley delves deep into optimizing Google Ads for med spas. Aimed at both newcomers and seasoned advertisers in the med spa industry, Ricky provides actionable insights to enhance campaign performance, increase return on investment (ROI), and minimize budget waste.

1. Google Ads vs. Meta Ads: Choosing the Right Platform

[Timestamp: 00:04:30]

Ricky begins by contrasting Google Ads with Meta Ads (Facebook and Instagram), emphasizing the importance of selecting the appropriate platform based on service demand and search behavior.

• Google Ads: Ideal for demand capture—targeting users actively searching for specific med spa services. Suitable for well-known treatments like Botox and fillers, where potential clients have already made purchase decisions.

  “Google Ads is going to be a good fit if any of the following criteria are met. First, it's a service people are actively searching for.”
  – Ricky Shockley, [00:05:15]

• Meta Ads: Best for services with broad appeal and high engagement potential, such as general aesthetic treatments targeting specific demographics. However, niche services like hair transplants or spider vein treatments may yield lower ROI due to limited audience interest.

Ricky underscores the strategic allocation of advertising budgets by leveraging Google Ads for high-intent services and Meta Ads for broader audience outreach.

2. Strategic Approach to Google Ads

[Timestamp: 00:10:45]

Ricky emphasizes the necessity of understanding the context in which Google Ads appear and their impact on consumer purchase decisions. He introduces the Purchase Matrix, focusing on three critical factors:

• Reputation: Building trust through credible ad content.
• Price: Offering competitive pricing or attractive promotions.
• Convenience: Ensuring ease of access and location relevance.

“People are making a purchase decision based on reputation factors, price, and convenience.”
– Ricky Shockley, [00:11:30]

By aligning ads with these factors, med spas can create compelling reasons for potential clients to choose their services over competitors.

3. Best Practices for Ad Creation

[Timestamp: 00:15:00]

Ricky dives into the intricacies of crafting effective Google Ads, highlighting the pitfalls of responsive search ads due to potential redundancies and lack of control. He advocates for:

• Pinned Headlines: Ensuring key messages remain prominent.

  “I try to maintain some control by pinning headlines.”
  – Ricky Shockley, [00:18:20]

• Ad Strength Grade: Aiming for an excellent rating while avoiding repetitive content.

• Dynamic Keyword Insertion: Enhancing quality scores by automatically inserting user search terms into ads, thereby increasing relevance without redundancy.

4. Keyword Management and the Power of Negative Keywords

[Timestamp: 00:22:40]

Ricky stresses the importance of a well-structured keyword list, focusing on combinations like Service + City Name or Service + Near Me (e.g., "Botox Nashville").

• Match Types: Utilizing both phrase match and exact match to balance control and reach. He advises against using broad match due to its potential to attract irrelevant traffic.

• Negative Keywords: Critical for filtering out unwanted searches that could drain the budget, such as users searching for "Groupon Botox deals" or informational queries like "Does Botox help with migraines?"

  “A negative keyword list is really important. There's a lot that goes into that.”
  – Ricky Shockley, [00:26:10]

Ricky offers a free master negative keyword list to listeners, encouraging them to comment on the video for access, thereby enhancing their campaign efficiency.

5. Optimizing Landing Page Experience

[Timestamp: 00:31:00]

The podcast underscores the significance of a dedicated landing page for Google Ads traffic, separate from the main website. Key elements include:

• Clear Offer Highlight: Promoting new patient specials to lower acquisition costs.
• Authentic Imagery: Featuring provider or practice photos to build trust.
• Crystal Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Explicit instructions on the desired user action, whether booking a consultation or claiming an offer.
• Social Proof: Displaying ratings, reviews, and testimonials to reinforce credibility.
• Marketing Automation Integration: Streamlining lead capture and follow-up processes.

Ricky showcases an exemplary landing page structure, demonstrating how these elements coalesce to drive conversions effectively.

6. Campaign Setup and Management Tips

[Timestamp: 00:40:50]

Ricky provides a comprehensive checklist for setting up Google Ads campaigns:

• Expert Mode: Ensuring full customization and control over campaign settings.

• Network Selection: Disabling search partners and display networks to focus on high-quality traffic.

• Location Targeting: Strategically defining geographic parameters based on service type and client willingness to travel.

  “Be really, really strategic with your geographic targeting.”
  – Ricky Shockley, [00:43:30]

• Budget Allocation: Recognizing the direct correlation between budget size and lead volume.

He also highlights the importance of conversion tracking—monitoring key metrics like customer acquisition cost, initial visits, net revenue, and retention rates to validate marketing investments.

7. Ongoing Optimization and Maintenance

[Timestamp: 00:48:25]

Sustaining campaign performance requires continuous testing and refinement:

• A/B Testing: Experimenting with different headlines, descriptions, and CTA verbiage.
• Offer Variations: Adjusting promotional offers to find the most effective incentives.
• Search Terms Report Review: Vigilantly analyzing search queries that trigger ads to identify and exclude irrelevant or costly terms.

“The Search Terms report is your best friend when it comes to ongoing maintenance and optimization.”
– Ricky Shockley, [00:51:10]

Ricky advocates for regular audits of campaign data to ensure alignment with business goals and to eliminate inefficiencies promptly.

8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

[Timestamp: 00:55:00]

Ricky wraps up the episode by reaffirming the value of a strategic and disciplined approach to Google Ads. He offers listeners the opportunity to engage in a free one-hour strategy session through his agency, MedSpa Magic Marketing, providing a personalized marketing plan and actionable blueprints for success.

“If you're a practice interested in help with Google Ads or any other marketing initiative for your practice, go to MedSpaMagicMarketing.com.”
– Ricky Shockley, [00:58:45]

Ricky concludes by encouraging listeners to leave reviews and subscribe to the podcast to continue benefiting from his expert insights.

Key Takeaways:

• Platform Selection: Use Google Ads for high-intent, actively searched services and Meta Ads for broader audience engagement.
• Strategic Ad Creation: Focus on reputation, price, and convenience to craft compelling ads.
• Effective Keyword Management: Implement both phrase and exact match types, and maintain a robust negative keyword list.
• Optimized Landing Pages: Design dedicated, conversion-focused landing pages with clear offers and social proof.
• Continuous Optimization: Regularly test ad elements and monitor search term reports to refine campaigns.
• Expert Support: Consider professional consultations to tailor strategies to your med spa's unique needs.

By following Ricky Shockley’s comprehensive guidelines, med spa and aesthetics practice owners can harness the full potential of Google Ads, achieving greater ROI and streamlined marketing expenditures in 2025 and beyond.