Distinguish domestic activity from authorised medical tourism
The first question in a performance marketing scope discussion is the campaign’s legal basis. The Ministry of Health’s November 2025 FAQ explains the ban on explicit or covert healthcare advertising and search registration without paid prominence. Do not assume continuous sponsored domestic patient acquisition is generally available.
The 12 November 2025 regulation contains conditional provisions for the first month after opening and separate rules for authorised international health tourism. These are not blanket advertising permissions. Assess the institution, authorisation, market, language, channel, content and dates for the actual activity.
Calling something an “informational advertisement” or receiving Google approval does not complete that assessment. The preparation topics below apply only after a permitted scenario is established. When paid activity is not verified as suitable, review the accuracy of institutional information and the contact process instead of launching it.
| Scenario | Question to resolve first |
|---|---|
| Existing domestic clinic | What valid basis permits the proposed paid activity? |
| Newly opened facility | Have opening date, duration and content conditions been verified? |
| International health tourism | Have authorisation and market scope been assessed for this channel? |
| Platform eligibility | Has the Google policy review been completed separately? |
Do not confuse search intent with treatment suitability
Search visibility work can help explain the information people seek. Clinic-name, directions and opening-hours queries differ from general treatment questions. Searching for implants, orthodontics or another procedure does not establish that a person is clinically suitable for it.
Within a legally available campaign scenario, review actual search terms, page subjects and the services genuinely provided. Do not group keywords only by procedure price or expected revenue. Unsupported services, closed hours or an unverified “emergency clinic” description can bring incorrect expectations to reception staff.
Consider accessibility, working hours and market scope together. There is no universal 10–15 kilometre prescription. Google’s location options distinguish physical presence from interest in a place, and location estimation is imperfect. Mobile use alone does not justify higher bids, while broad match is not automatically an error in every account. Evaluate the specific settings and terms before changing them.
FROM READING TO A NEXT STEP
Review the information page and data flow
Evaluate page, contact and measurement needs within the scope your institution has established as legally available.
Review the content and targeting method separately
Advertising copy and creative preparation should begin with verified clinic information. Check opening hours, address and professional titles. Avoid promising painless care, superiority, certain success or suitability for everyone. A retail promotional-offer model cannot simply be transferred into healthcare communication.
Retargeting everyone who visited a treatment page is not a general recommendation. Google’s health personalisation policy restricts advertiser-curated audiences for sensitive health categories such as invasive procedures. Do not assume that an implant-page visitor list or a patient Customer Match list is permitted, including under a differently named campaign.
Nor should every dental service be assumed to have identical policy classification. Assess the content, procedure, destination and targeting together. Record the reason for a rejection, correct the actual issue and use the official review process. Concealing sensitive content or opening another account to bypass a restriction does not resolve it.
Make information and appointment requests understandable
A usability review can examine whether a visitor finds the address, understands working hours and reaches an appropriate contact route. It does not decide whether healthcare content may be published. Assign the clinical information owner, technical page owner and update responsibility.
Telephone, form and messaging options should be accessible. Explain that requesting an appointment is different from receiving confirmation. Show field errors, failed submissions and response expectations clearly. Avoid placing detailed medical-history questions or file uploads in an initial contact form without an actual clinical need. Required clinical information can be collected through the appropriate secure process.
Do not automatically treat patient testimonials, before-and-after photographs or free procedures as destination-page trust elements. Assess the specific material and activity against current rules. An attractive design or a checkbox cannot establish that every content choice and data use is suitable.
Plan telephone functions around real response capacity
Contact workflow planning can identify who answers the clinic’s telephone and when. The person recording an appointment request should be able to route clinical questions to authorised staff. An automatic acknowledgement or chatbot should not replace clinical assessment.
Do not present legacy call-only ad creation as the current method. Google’s transition guide states that new call-only creation options were removed in February 2026 and existing ads stop receiving impressions in February 2027. Its replacement is responsive search ads with call assets. That technical option still requires a separately permitted campaign scenario.
A telephone-link click does not prove a connected conversation; a messaging-link click does not prove a sent message. Verify reporting availability for the country and account. Audio recording has separate data and permission implications. Review missed calls, successful contact and appointment requests without placing clinical details into a general advertising report.
Keep health information out of advertising data flows
Start measurement implementation by documenting each event, its recording system and the information transmitted. A server-side method does not create permission to share health information. Distinguish a successfully received form from a click on its submit button.
Google’s customer data policy prohibits sensitive health or medical conversion information in enhanced conversions and related uploads. Do not send a patient’s treatment start, medical-service purchase or health information tied to a person through those flows. Hashing email or telephone information does not remove the category restriction.
Identity and clinical details belong in access-controlled clinical systems. Names, telephone numbers, message text or diagnoses should not be placed in analytics parameters or URLs. Management can examine necessary source and appointment-stage totals in aggregate. Advertising, analytics and clinic records may use different definitions; sending more personal information is not a suitable way to force their totals to match.
Create a review record for the permitted activity
A campaign assessment should cover more than click costs. Review the permitted scope, current content, contact capacity and data boundaries together. More enquiries do not establish appropriate treatment or successful clinical outcomes.
Scope
Document the market, channel, institutional status and basis for the activity.
Content
Verify clinician, service, address and hours information, and assign a content owner.
Technical checks
Review successful submission, duplicate counting, telephone links and data transmission in a controlled test environment.
Operations
Keep appointment requests, confirmation, attendance and cancellation separate in the clinic’s system.
Next decision
Reassess the scope when a permission, time condition, market, content or data flow changes.
BEFORE YOU DECIDE
Frequently asked questions
Can every dental clinic in Türkiye run Google Ads?
General permission cannot be assumed. Domestic activity, narrow opening-period conditions and authorised international health tourism require separate assessment. Review the current rules for the specific institution and activity.
Does Google approval establish legal compliance?
No. Platform policies and Turkish healthcare promotion rules are separate. The ability to serve an ad does not prove that particular content is legally permitted.
Should treatment-page visitors be retargeted?
That is not an automatic recommendation. Google restricts advertiser-curated audiences for sensitive health content. Review the content and method before using visitor or patient lists.
Can new call-only ads still be created?
Google’s current transition guide says new creation options have been removed. Responsive search ads with call assets are the technical alternative, subject to a separately permissible campaign.
Are telephone and WhatsApp clicks appointments?
No. A click indicates a link interaction, rather than successful contact or appointment confirmation. Review these stages separately in clinic systems and appropriate aggregate reports.
Can patient outcomes be uploaded as enhanced conversions?
Google’s customer data policy restricts health and medical conversion information. Keep sensitive outcomes in clinical records and necessary aggregate management reporting instead of uploading them through those flows.
LET’S DEFINE THE SCOPE
Review the information page and data flow
Evaluate page, contact and measurement needs within the scope your institution has established as legally available.
Discuss the technical scope