Physical therapy clicks cost $8.75 average, but most searches are people looking for exercises to do at home: 'shoulder stretches', 'back pain exercises.' At that price, paying for YouTube video watchers instead of patients ready to book appointments kills your marketing ROI.
5 min
Audit time
6
Areas analyzed
Read-only
Account access
We've audited hundreds of physical therapist accounts. Here are the most common budget leaks we find:
'Physical therapy exercises for [condition]' searches are people wanting to self-treat at home. They're looking for YouTube videos and exercise lists, not appointments. Without filtering, 35-45% of clicks are DIY exercise researchers.
A patient searching 'knee physical therapy' has a different concern than 'stroke rehab' or 'sports injury PT.' Generic physical therapy messaging doesn't address specific conditions. Condition-specific ads have 40-60% higher click-through rates.
Many PT searchers need their insurance verified before booking. 'Physical therapy that takes [insurance]' is high-intent, but if your landing page doesn't address insurance, these patients bounce to competitors who clearly list accepted plans.
Real data from WordStream 2025 (Healthcare Services). See how your metrics compare to average physical therapist advertisers.
$8.75
Average CPC
+66% vs $5.26 average
4.92%
Click-Through Rate
Clicks per impression
8.15%
Conversion Rate
Clicks to leads
$92.45
Cost Per Lead
+32% vs $70.11 average
Not all keywords are created equal. Here's which ones to target and which to avoid for physical therapist Google Ads.
'Near me' signals ready-to-book intent for local treatment, not exercise research.
Local therapist search indicates appointment intent, not home exercise research.
Condition-specific search with intent to get professional treatment.
Specialty niche with dedicated patient base. Athletes expect professional care.
Insurance verification search indicates ready to schedule pending coverage.
Home exercise seekers wanting free YouTube content.
DIY treatment at home, avoiding professional help.
Career/education search, not patients.
Career researchers, not potential patients.
Education search, not treatment search.
Timing matters. Here's when physical therapist demand peaks and how to allocate your budget throughout the year.
January, February, September, October
Increase budget 40-50% during peak demand
June, July, August, December
Reduce spend or focus on maintenance services
Early morning (7-9am) before work. Lunch hours (12-1pm). After work (4-7pm). Reflects patient availability for appointments.
New Year resolutions drive January surge in injury recovery commitment. Fall sports season (September-October) brings sports injuries. Summer sees vacation slowdown. Post-surgery rehab is consistent year-round.
Budget recommendations based on real WordStream 2025 (Healthcare Services) data and typical physical therapist ROI.
Minimum Monthly Budget
$2,500
~27 leads/month
Recommended Range
$3,000-$7,000/month
Best ROI for most physical therapist businesses
Cost Per Customer
$231
At 40% close rate
At $92.45 CPL and 40% close rate, each new patient costs $231 to acquire. Average PT case: 8-12 visits at $100-150/visit = $800-1,800 per patient. Acquisition cost is 15-25% of case value. Good patients refer friends and return for future injuries.
Our AI audit checks every aspect of your Google Ads account against physical therapist-specific best practices.
We check if you're separating by specialty: sports PT, orthopedic, post-surgical, neurological—each attracts different patients.
We identify if you're paying for 'PT exercises' and 'stretches for pain' searches from home exercisers.
We audit whether insurance acceptance is clear—PT patients need coverage verified before booking.
We verify both online scheduling and phone calls are tracked—many patients prefer calling.
We analyze if specialty campaigns (sports, post-op) have appropriate messaging and landing pages.
We score pages for PT trust signals: credentials (DPT, certifications), insurance list, specialties, and easy scheduling.
Understanding your competition helps you find your edge. Here's what physical therapist advertisers are up against.
Competition Level
high
92,000+ monthly searches for 'physical therapy near me' in the US
Main competitors: Hospital-based PT, large outpatient chains (ATI, Select Medical), specialty sports PT clinics, independent PT practices, and chiropractors offering PT-adjacent services
How to Win
Your Differentiator
Win with specialty focus (sports, orthopedic, neurological), direct access marketing (no referral needed), flexible scheduling (early morning, evening, Saturday), or cash-pay/concierge PT positioning.
"Half our budget was going to people Googling 'back stretches' who never intended to see a PT. The audit added negative keywords for 'exercises' and 'stretches' and created condition-specific campaigns. Our appointment bookings increased 55% with the same spend."
— Physical Therapy Practice Owner
Pay per audit. Use when you need it.
“$19.99 to find $1,400/mo in waste? Best ROI I've ever gotten.” — Elite Electric, San Diego CA
$19.99 per audit
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$17.00 per audit
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$15.00 per audit
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$10.00 per audit
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— M.L., Agency
Common questions about Google Ads for physical therapist businesses
Physical therapy practices typically invest $3,000-$7,000 monthly. This is a moderate-cost healthcare category ($92.45 average CPL). The key challenge is filtering home exercisers from appointment-ready patients—'PT exercises' searchers represent 35-45% of volume. Start with $2,500/month minimum. Increase in January (New Year resolutions) and fall (sports season). Specialty practices (sports PT, neuro PT) may invest more due to higher case values.