Google Ads for dermatologists
Dermatology had the lowest cost per lead of the 16 specialties in LocaliQ's 2025 healthcare benchmarks: $18.54, with clicks at $4.90 and 25.33% of clicks becoming leads (US campaigns, October 2024 to September 2025). Cheap leads make it easy to fill the schedule with low-value visits, so split medical and cosmetic work and budget toward the appointments you most want.
Dermatology cost per click and per lead
| Category | Data period | Cost per click | Click-through rate | Conversion rate | Cost per lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dermatology[1] | Oct 2024 to Sep 2025 | $4.90 | 5.91% | 25.33% | $18.54 |
| Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery[1] | Oct 2024 to Sep 2025 | $5.75 | 5.81% | 8.52% | $102.51 |
| All healthcare[1] | Oct 2024 to Sep 2025 | $5.64 | 6.07% | 8.09% | $66.02 |
LocaliQ doesn't split dermatology into medical and cosmetic work.[1] If your practice leans cosmetic, expect your cost per lead to sit somewhere between the dermatology and plastic surgery rows.
Across industries, the RunAds Google Ads Benchmark 2026 found a median cost per click of $1.36 and a median cost per conversion of $41.53, based on 224 live Google Ads accounts.
Cost drivers for dermatology practices
- Medical vs cosmetic. A skin check booked through insurance is worth less to most practices than a laser package, and bids should reflect the difference.
- Wait times. If the next opening is six weeks out, many people who click will book elsewhere, and the cost per lead rises.
- Insurance. Searches that include an insurer's name convert well if you take that plan and waste money if you don't.
- Product searches. Skincare brands and retailers bid on terms such as acne treatment and retinol, which draws clicks from shoppers.
A budget for 60 appointment requests a month
A three-provider practice wants 60 new-patient requests a month and has no account history yet.
60 dermatology leads a month
Google can spend up to twice the daily budget on a single day and up to 30.4 times it in a month.[4] Set the budget from the number of new patients the schedule can take, not from the benchmark alone.
The two budgets differ because the benchmark cost per lead, cost per click and conversion rate are each calculated separately across thousands of campaigns, not taken from one account. Plan for the higher one, then use your own numbers after 30 days.
RunAds plans the campaign at your budget and writes the ads.
Campaign structure for a dermatology practice
Split medical, surgical and cosmetic work so you can open and close each one as the schedule fills.
| Campaign | Ad groups | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Medical dermatology | Dermatologist near me, acne treatment, eczema, psoriasis, rash | The main volume. A page that lists insurance plans you accept. |
| Skin checks and skin cancer | Skin cancer screening, mole removal, Mohs surgery | High intent. Higher bids if you have Mohs capacity. |
| Cosmetic | Laser treatments, chemical peels, injectables, hair removal | Separate budget and pages with prices or ranges. |
| Pediatric | Pediatric dermatologist, child eczema doctor, birthmark treatment | Only if you see children. Written for parents. |
| Brand | Practice and provider names | Cheap clicks that keep your name yours. |
Keywords to start with
Condition plus "dermatologist" or "doctor" screens out most product searches. Start in phrase and exact match.
General
dermatologist near meskin doctor near medermatologist accepting new patientsboard certified dermatologist
Conditions
acne dermatologisteczema doctorpsoriasis treatment dermatologisthair loss dermatologist
Skin checks
skin cancer screeningmole check near memole removal dermatologistmohs surgeon
Cosmetic
laser skin resurfacingchemical peel near melaser hair removal dermatologist
Negative keywords for dermatologists
These remove product, home-remedy and career searches. Add plural forms as well, since negatives don't match close variants.[3]
creamserumproductsamazonwalmarthome remedynatural remedydiypicturesimagesjobssalaryresidencyschoolestheticianreddit
Ad copy examples
Two sets of responsive search ad assets. Use your real wait times, insurance plans and credentials.
Medical dermatology
Headlines (up to 30 characters)
- Dermatologist Near You22
- New Patients Welcome20
- Most Insurance Accepted23
- Book an Appointment19
- Acne, Eczema and Rashes23
Descriptions (up to 90 characters)
- See a board certified dermatologist for acne, eczema, psoriasis and other skin problems.88
- Check your insurance and book online. Morning and late appointments most weekdays.82
Skin checks
Headlines (up to 30 characters)
- Skin Cancer Screening21
- Full Body Skin Exams20
- Mole Checks This Month22
- Board Certified Doctors23
Descriptions (up to 90 characters)
- Worried about a mole or spot? Book a full skin exam with a dermatologist.73
- Skin checks, biopsies and mole removal in one practice. Request an appointment today.85
Add call assets for office hours and count calls with call reporting.[5] Change "Most Insurance Accepted" to the plans you actually take.
Health audience limits for dermatology
Google's health in personalized advertising policy counts physical health conditions, chronic conditions and invasive procedures such as injections as sensitive health content. Ads that promote them can't use advertiser-curated audiences: Customer Match, your data segments, audience expansion and lookalike segments.[2] Predefined Google audiences are still allowed. For most practices the answer is to lean on Search keywords and location targeting, which is where dermatology's high conversion rate comes from anyway.
How RunAds runs Google Ads for dermatologists
What the agent does for you
- Reads your site and builds separate medical, skin check and cosmetic campaigns for the area you serve.
- Writes ads around your insurance plans, providers and openings, and shows you the full launch before anything goes live.
- Keeps advertiser-curated audiences off health campaigns, in line with Google's health audience policy.
- Watches search terms daily, flags spend on product and remedy searches, and tracks bookings server-side with Smart Pixel.
See everything the agent does, how a campaign gets built, or the pricing section.
Credit packs from $25, 5 credits per $1 of ad spend.
Common questions
How much do Google Ads cost for dermatologists?
LocaliQ's 2025 healthcare data has dermatology at $4.90 per click, 25.33% conversion rate and $18.54 per lead. All healthcare specialties averaged $5.64 per click and $66.02 per lead.
Why are dermatology leads so cheap?
More clicks turn into appointment requests: 25.33% in dermatology against 8.09% across healthcare in LocaliQ's data, the highest rate of the 16 specialties. People searching for a rash, a mole check or acne treatment usually want an appointment soon.
Can dermatology practices use remarketing in Google Ads?
Often not. Google's health in personalized advertising policy treats physical health conditions and invasive procedures such as injections as sensitive. Ads promoting them can't use advertiser-curated audiences like Customer Match, your data segments, audience expansion or lookalike segments.
How much should a dermatology practice spend on Google Ads?
60 appointment requests a month at $18.54 each is $1,112. Sized by clicks it comes to $1,161. Cosmetic procedures usually cost more per lead, so give them their own budget.
Can RunAds run Google Ads for a dermatology practice?
Yes. RunAds builds medical and cosmetic campaigns from your site, writes the ads and asks for your approval before anything goes live. Signing up is free and credit packs start at $25.
Sources
- Healthcare Search Ads Benchmarks for 16 Specialties, LocaliQ, by Susie Marino. Last updated January 13, 2026; data from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.3,542 US search campaigns, at least 43 per specialty. The page says its averages are medians.
- Health in personalized advertising, Google Advertising Policies Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Customer Match, your data segments, audience expansion and lookalike segments can't be used when promoting in sensitive health categories, which include cosmetic surgery and injections.
- About negative keywords, Google Ads Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Negative keywords don't match close variants, so synonyms and singular or plural forms have to be added separately. Casing and misspellings are covered automatically.
- About average daily budgets, Google Ads Help. Checked Oct 30, 2026.A campaign can spend up to 2x its average daily budget on a given day, and up to 30.4x it in a month.
- About call assets, Google Ads Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Numbers can be set to show only when the business can take calls, and call reporting counts calls as conversions.
Every outside number on this page links to its source above, with the date we checked it.
Related pages
A fuller schedule with the appointments you want.
RunAds builds your practice's campaigns, writes the ads and watches the account every day. 1,500+ businesses have signed up.
Create your free account Credit packs from $25, 5 credits per $1 of ad spend. No contracts.