Essential Marketing Tips for Wellness Center Owners
May 15, 2026Your Google Ads dashboard shows thousands of clicks. Your credit card statement confirms thousands spent. But when you look at actual new patient bookings, the math doesn't add up. You're paying for traffic that never converts. But where exactly is the money leaking?
In this episode from the Thriving Wellness Series, Kendall interviews Scott Fish, a digital marketing strategist who's helped health and wellness companies grow for over 20 years. Scott works with Vancouver Wellness Studio and many Wellness Center Creators community members, specializing in Google Ads, SEO, and increasingly, AI optimization. His workshop "Booked Solid in 90 Days" at the 2026 retreat promises a practical 3-month roadmap, and this interview preview reveals critical insights most wellness centers are missing.
The waste assessment is sobering: "We typically find somewhere between 25 and 50% of ad spend in accounts that exist are actually not driving qualified clicks that really just never had a chance to convert." Scott shares an example of auditing a wellness account spending thousands monthly—cutting the budget in half without reducing conversions, then redeploying saved money to drive actual growth.
The biggest leaks? Overly broad match types that show ads for irrelevant searches. Missing negative keywords—if you're not hiring, exclude "careers," "jobs," "certification," and "school" so you don't pay for clicks from job seekers and students. Poor conversion tracking that leaves you blind about what's actually working. And unrealistic geographic targeting—are people really driving 20 miles across state lines through traffic to reach your clinic?
Scott's recommendation: "An underperforming Google Ads account doesn't need more budget. You just need to shore up some of those things." It needs refinement, not more money thrown at broken systems.
But the conversation shifts to an even bigger challenge: AI's disruption of search behavior. Scott introduces "zero click behavior"—when people get their answer from AI summaries at the top of search results and never click through to any website. "If you rank number one, you're maybe getting 10 or 15% of clicks today" compared to 45% previously.
The implications are profound. Even if you rank #1 organically, you're now competing with AI overviews, map listings, and paid ads for visibility. Your traditional SEO success matters less when AI filters everything first.
So what do wellness centers need to do? Focus on trust signals more than ever. Your Google Business Profile matters enormously. Reviews are critical—not just having them, but having them mention your business name and location specifically. As Scott explains: "Vancouver Wellness Studio, the best place to get a massage in Vancouver, that right there is something that AI will grab and reference on a search for best massage in Vancouver."
When responding to reviews, mention your business name, location, and services. This gives AI more data points to reference when summarizing results. Having "more human stories about working with people in your business, clients talking about working with specific people even, that's really important."
Scott reframes the entire game: "We are moving into a place where clicks don't matter. It's the next action that matters... building content around driving bookings, calls, consult requests, that's the thing that really matters."
At the retreat, Scott's workshop will differ by track. The Bloom track (businesses under 5 people) focuses on building strong marketing foundations that can be replicated and handed off as you grow. The Grow track addresses existing established practices: "Let's find the best [channel] that performs and let's go hard on it as much as possible" while developing backup strategies when primary channels become expensive or less effective.
If your marketing budget feels wasted, or if you're confused about how AI changes visibility strategy, this episode provides both immediate tactical fixes and strategic direction for the AI-driven search future already here.
For information regarding the upcoming retreat, go to: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/retreats
Sponsored by Jane App, Jane offers online booking, charting, scheduling, secure video and invoicing on one secure, beautifully designed system: https://jane.app/ Use code wellness1mo for a one-month grace period on your new Jane account.
About Anna Rudel
Anna Rudel, L. Ac is the owner and founder of Lokahi Acupuncture Clinic in San Jose California, founded in 2003. Anna is a master organizer and clinician, and as a Coach she specializes in working with Clinic Owners in the state of California, and Acupuncturists and Acupuncture Clinic Owners, or groups wanting to add Acupuncture worldwide, as well as teams that need support with employee retention and satisfaction. Born in the UK, Anna has traveled extensively in Asia and now has a thriving multi-practitioner clinic in the US!
Anna's Website and Links
- Website: https://lokahiacupuncture.com/
- Learn Group Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/group-coaching
- For info about Individual Coaching: https://www.wellnesscentercreators.com/individual-coaching
About Kendall Hagensen
Kendall is a Somatic Mental Health Therapist, Multidisciplinary Clinic Owner and Business Coach. She specializes in, and is passionate about, working with healthcare professionals to create the businesses of their dreams. Big goals always have a psychological component beneath the surface, so Kendall uses her background in Somatic Psychotherapy and EMDR Therapy mixed with Business Coaching tools to help clients develop a healthy relationship with their business and their strength as a leader.
As someone who lives with a chronic illness herself, Kendall feels that health happens best within community, which is why she takes a holistic, integrative, and collaborative wellness approach to her personal and professional life.
Kendall’s Web/Social Links