Marketing reports can be overwhelming. Impressions, clicks, reach, sessions, bounce rates, engagement. Plenty of numbers, very few answers. If you’ve ever looked at a report and wondered whether any of it actually meant more patients, you’re not alone.
The end of the year is a good moment to step back and look at the handful of numbers that really tell you how your marketing is performing. Here’s what to review, and what each one should make you ask.
1. New patient enquiries, by source
Start with the most important number: how many new patients enquired this year, and where did they come from? Break it down by channel: Google search, Google Maps, ads, social media, referrals, word of mouth and returning patients recommending you.
Ask: Which channels are growing? Which are we paying for that aren’t delivering? Do we actually know where our patients come from, or are we guessing?
2. Enquiry to booking rate
Enquiries are only half the story. What share of people who called, filled in a form or started an online booking actually became patients? A low rate often points to problems in the booking journey: unanswered calls, slow responses or a confusing booking process.
Ask: Where are we losing people between first contact and first appointment?
3. Cost per new patient
For any paid marketing, divide what you spent (including management fees) by the number of new patients it brought in. That’s your cost per new patient. Compare it with what a new patient is worth to your practice over time.
Ask: Is each channel paying for itself? Where would an extra dollar do the most good?
4. Google Business Profile activity
Your profile shows how many people called, requested directions or clicked through to your website. These are strong signals of local patients ready to book.
Ask: Are calls and direction requests growing year on year? How does our profile compare with the practices around us?
5. Website conversion rate
Of the people who visit your website, how many call, enquire or book? This tells you whether your website is doing its job once people arrive.
Ask: Which pages bring in enquiries, and which ones lose people? Is the mobile experience as good as the desktop one?
6. Organic search traffic to service pages
Look at how many people found your service and condition pages through Google, rather than your home page. Growth here is a sign your content is ranking for the searches patients make.
Ask: Which services are we visible for, and which ones are we missing?
7. Recall and return rates
Of the patients who were due to come back this year, how many did? Your recall rate is one of the clearest measures of how well your practice keeps patients, and improving it is often cheaper than finding new ones.
Ask: Are our recall reminders working? Where do patients drop off?
8. Reviews over time
Track the number of new Google reviews this year and your average rating. A steady flow of genuine reviews helps your local rankings and reassures new patients.
Ask: Are we asking every patient consistently? Are we responding carefully and compliantly?
Numbers to treat with caution
Some metrics look impressive without telling you much on their own. Social media reach, impressions, follower counts and keyword rankings all have their place, but they’re not the goal. If a report leads with these and never mentions enquiries or bookings, ask why.
If you can’t find these numbers
Many practices can’t answer half of these questions, usually because tracking was never set up properly. That’s not a failure, it’s a starting point. Make it a goal for the new year: track calls, forms and online bookings from every channel, so next year’s review is built on evidence rather than gut feel.
Turn the review into a plan
Once you’ve looked at the numbers, pick two or three priorities for the year ahead. Fix the biggest leak in your booking journey. Double down on the channel with the best cost per patient. Cut what isn’t working. Simple, focused plans tend to beat long wish lists.
If you’d like help making sense of your numbers, our free practice growth audit reviews your channels, tracking and results, and gives you a clear list of priorities for the year ahead.