Blog & News
September 2, 2025
Healthcare Marketing
Most doctors think competition means having better equipment, more experienced staff, or a nicer clinic. But in reality, your biggest competitor might have already stolen your patients last night while you were asleep—and you didn’t even notice.
Here’s the shocking truth:
Your competitor doesn’t need to open a new clinic near you, or even advertise city-wide. Instead, they’re running geo-targeted Google Ads—and every time a patient searches your clinic’s name on Google, they see your competitor’s ad at the top of the page.
Think about it.
A patient types:
“Dr. Smith Pediatrics Chicago”
They don’t see you first. They see your competitor with a headline like:
“Top Pediatric Care – Same Day Appointments Available.”
That patient—who was already looking for YOU—clicks their ad instead. You lose the lead, they gain a lifetime patient.
Google Ads allows competitors to bid on your brand name as a keyword. If you’re not protecting your name with ads, your competitor can literally hijack your patient flow.
It’s like renting a billboard right in front of your clinic that points patients somewhere else.
Most practices never monitor this, and that’s exactly why it’s such a deadly marketing tactic.
One lost patient isn’t just a $150 consultation. It’s potentially:
Your competitor knows this math. Do you?
When a competitor bids on your brand name, their ad appears at the top of search results when someone searches your clinic’s name. This tactic allows them to “steal” patients who were originally looking for you.
Because patients searching for your name are high-intent leads—they’re ready to book. By hijacking your search traffic, competitors can convert those patients into lifelong clients without targeting broad, expensive keywords.
Simply search your clinic or doctor’s name on Google (in incognito mode). If you see competitor ads above your organic listing or Google Business Profile, it means your brand is already being targeted.
Not at all. Bidding on your brand name usually costs much less than generic healthcare keywords like “pediatrician near me.” It’s a high-ROI strategy because you’re protecting leads that are already searching for you.
Yes. Patients compare credibility. If your competitor has better reviews (and you leave yours unanswered), patients are more likely to trust them. Active review management boosts trust and reduces the risk of losing patients.
Marketing Batch LLC specializes in:
We ensure patients searching for you actually find and book with YOU, not your competitors.
At Marketing Batch LLC, we’ve seen this strategy destroy practices that never knew it was happening. But we’ve also helped clinics fight back and win—by setting up brand defense campaigns that stop competitors from hijacking patients online.
Marketing Batch is a full-service digital marketing agency helping healthcare practices, real estate companies, and startups grow online. From SEO and social media to web design and paid ads — we deliver strategies that boost visibility, build trust, and drive real results.
