Google Ads for Surgeons

Plastic and reconstructive surgery

Patients search by procedure: rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, breast reduction, breast lift, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), liposuction, facelift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), and combination procedures often marketed as a “mommy makeover.” Cost and financing searches are common and commercial (“tummy tuck cost near me,” “plastic surgery financing”).

Reconstructive procedures behave differently. Breast reconstruction and medically indicated breast reduction bring insurance questions that signal real intent. We build cosmetic and reconstructive procedures as separate campaigns, with separate budgets, ad copy, and landing pages.

Bariatric surgery

Bariatric searches split between procedures (sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass, revision surgery), qualification (“am I a candidate for weight loss surgery,” “BMI for gastric sleeve”), and insurance (“does my insurance cover bariatric surgery”). Many programs use an information seminar, in person or online, as the first step. We track seminar registrations as their own conversion and keep them separate from consult requests.

Many bariatric programs now also offer medical weight loss. Prescription drug names raise a separate policy issue (see below).

General, breast, and colorectal surgery

These searches are more often need-driven and local: “hernia surgeon near me,” “inguinal hernia repair,” “gallbladder removal surgeon,” “robotic hernia surgery near me,” “hemorrhoid treatment doctor.” Patients are often referred and then search the surgeon’s name to check credentials and availability. Searches related to breast surgery for cancer care call for especially careful, plain ad copy. These patients are facing a diagnosis, not shopping for an elective procedure.

Cosmetic surgery and surgical procedures are a sensitive category

Google’s Health in personalized advertising page defines the Health sensitive category to include “invasive medical procedures, including cosmetic surgery, surgical procedures, or injections.” Under the Restricted targeting in Personalized advertising policy, advertisers promoting sensitive-category services can’t use advertiser-curated audiences: remarketing lists (your data segments), Customer Match, lookalikes, or audience expansion. Predefined Google audiences and location targeting are still allowed.

In practice, a surgical practice should assume it can’t retarget past website visitors or upload its consult list to Google. Search keywords, location, ad scheduling, and strong landing pages carry the account instead.

GLP-1 and other prescription drug names

Google’s Restricted drug terms policy monitors prescription drug names. Google’s example list includes “semaglutide” and “botox.” For US campaigns, Google says you can use these terms in ads and landing pages without certification, but you need certification to target them as keywords. A bariatric or plastic surgery practice that offers medical weight loss or injectables should build keywords around the service (“medical weight loss program,” “non-surgical weight loss consultation”) unless it holds the right certification. If the program prescribes online or by telehealth, Google’s Healthcare and medicines policy has separate telemedicine requirements (LegitScript plus Google certification).

Claims, credentials, and before-and-after content

Ad copy and landing pages need to be accurate and supportable. Claim board certification only when it’s current and use the certifying board’s exact name. Avoid outcome guarantees. Make sure before-and-after photos and patient stories follow your state’s medical board rules and your patients’ written consent.