Maximizing ROI in Telehealth: How a Location-Targeted PPC Strategy Delivered 58% Lower Cost Per Conversion for Salty Peaks
Salty Peaks Telehealth is a U.S.-based provider specializing in holistic mental health therapy for adults, offering virtual therapy sessions that combine Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), psychodynamic therapy, and lifestyle guidance on nutrition and exercise. Founded by Paige, a seasoned mental health professional, Salty Peaks aims to provide accessible, effective care, enabling patients to improve their mental wellness through evidence-based, personalized therapy.
The telehealth space has seen rapid growth, particularly after the pandemic, which created both opportunity and fierce competition. As more providers entered the market, the challenge for Salty Peaks was standing out among a sea of similar offerings. While the company had a strong, personalized approach to care, their digital marketing strategy was underperforming, with a significant portion of their PPC budget spent on irrelevant leads, such as those seeking insurance-covered services, which didn’t align with their business model of self-funded, out-of-pocket payments.
Breaking Through in a Competitive Market: Targeted Google Ads Drive High-Quality Leads for Salty Peaks Telehealth
Furthermore, navigating the strict advertising policies set by Google for healthcare providers posed an additional challenge. The company needed a solution that complied with these regulations while effectively reaching adults in Iowa and North Dakota, with a focus on high-intent, self-paying individuals. The existing setup was not converting leads into real patient inquiries, and the lack of a clear, targeted approach to ad spend had led to inefficient use of the budget. To address these issues, Salty Peaks partnered with PPC Rockers to craft a precision-targeted Google Ads strategy that would filter out irrelevant clicks, increase conversions, and scale their telehealth services efficiently.
The Goals
- Generate high-quality, self-pay leads from adults in Iowa and North Dakota.
- Reduce cost per conversion by targeting high-intent, non-insurance-seeking prospects.
- Increase phone-call bookings from qualified patients who are ready to invest in mental wellness.
- Achieve full compliance with Google’s healthcare advertising policies, ensuring no disruptions to the campaign.
- Optimize ad spend efficiency while maintaining strong, relevant traffic and improving conversion rates.
Approach
- Audited the existing conversion funnel, identifying points of waste, including insurance-seeking traffic.
- Launched location-focused Google Ads campaigns targeting Iowa and North Dakota with specific geographic and demographic adjustments.
- Crafted conversion-optimized landing pages with clear calls-to-action and prominent phone call extensions to drive direct inquiries.
- Developed granular keyword groups focused on therapy-related search terms while excluding insurance-based queries.
- Integrated a WhatsApp Click-to-Message extension for immediate, direct communication, allowing potential patients to engage in real-time.
- Implemented manual CPC bidding initially, transitioning to Target CPA bidding once high-performing keywords were identified.
- Ran A/B tests on ad copy, headlines, and creative to identify the most effective messaging for the target audience.
- Monitored search term reports daily, pausing underperforming keywords and reallocating the budget toward top converters.
- Maintained close collaboration with the client, adjusting targeting and messaging based on feedback and performance metrics.
The Results
- Generated 3,200 high-intent phone-call leads, exceeding the client’s original expectations.
- Achieved a 12.98% conversion rate, nearly 4× higher than typical B2B benchmarks for the healthcare sector.
- Reduced cost per conversion by 58%, optimizing ad spend and improving overall campaign efficiency.
- Maintained compliance with Google’s health advertising policies, ensuring uninterrupted ad delivery and long-term account stability.
- WhatsApp extension drove 60%+ of all phone leads, confirming the effectiveness of real-time messaging.