How to Track the Effectiveness of SEO, Google Ads, and Your True ROI

Many marketing agencies promise they can report every dollar of ROI with perfect accuracy. In reality, that level of precision is impossible—and sometimes borderline misleading. A patient may be referred by a friend or family member, then Google your practice before calling. The agency sees the Google search and claims credit for the lead, even though the true referral source was personal influence.

To get an honest picture of performance, you need to look beyond “lead claims” and focus on objective metrics.

What to Track


1. Google Analytics Trends
Monitor overall website traffic, the keywords that drove clicks, and the actions taken on your site. These include:


  • Calls

  • Contact form submissions

  • Online scheduling clicks

  • Page visits from ad campaigns

This shows you the exposure and engagement generated—without guessing.


2. Organic Rankings & Organic Traffic
For SEO, watch changes in your organic keyword rankings and compare them to your organic traffic growth. Improving visibility naturally boosts website visits, but it doesn’t always translate into immediate appointments.


Why Attribution Isn’t Perfect

If you're investing in both SEO and Google Ads, expect overlap. Patients rarely book the moment they discover you. Instead, they:

  • See an ad

  • Visit your site

  • Leave

  • Read reviews

  • Ask a friend

  • Come back weeks later when they’re ready

Trying to assign that appointment to one single marketing channel is unrealistic. It's better to look at the overall momentum rather than obsess over perfect attribution.

What an Ideal Marketing Mix Looks Like

A strong digital strategy typically includes:

  • SEO for long-term organic rankings

  • Google Search Ads for immediate visibility

  • Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Ads for retargeting and staying top-of-mind

These channels work together, not in isolation.

Your Role in Accurate Tracking

A marketing agency can track digital actions, but only your team can ask every patient their true referral source. Without that question, agencies tend to claim all new patients as theirs, which inflates results and gives you a false sense of ROI.

One More Reality Check: Google Ads Take Time

New Google Ads campaigns require a learning period. Although you may get early leads, it usually takes about three months before the campaign stabilizes and produces consistent, measurable ROI.