By the Healthcare Marketing Team at Square Meters Digital
The Industry That Defines Care
Aged care is Australia’s largest — and most heavily regulated — caregiving sector.
Due in large part to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the expectations of families, regulators and staff have been permanently heightened.
Marketing has shifted from lead generation to legitimisation. Providers now need to demonstrate dignity, safety and respect in everything they say and do.
Square Meters Digital has partnered with retirement homes, in-home care agencies and a range of hybrid organisations throughout Australia. This sector now more than ever relies on trust.
“The best marketing strategy in aged care isn’t what you say about your service. It’s what you do.”
woman having discussions with nurse standing beside her bed woman
The Compliance Landscape
As with all healthcare-related services in Australia, very aged-care marketer’s content is governed by law:
There are dozens of compliance frameworks across all your channels, both digital and physical.
Let’s start with the big ones:
- Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) – Standards for advertising and consumer communication.
- AHPRA Guidelines – Governs references to registered nurses, allied health workers or doctors.
- Australian Consumer Law (ACCC) – Prohibits misleading or competitive statements.
- Privacy Act 1988 – Protects privacy of residents and their families.
- Spam Act 2003 – Covers electronic and digital subscription permission.
Dos:
- Include accreditation statuses, fees and conditions.
- Ensure images are respectful and diverse.
Don’ts:
- Use testimonials or ‘transformations’ of former residents.
- Claim to be “Australia’s best”, “family approved” or offer “peace of mind guaranteed”.
The bottom line is that we audit every piece of content for compliance and dignity. Let’s earn the trust of regulators…and families.
1. Communicating Care Beyond the Facility
Choosing an aged-care service used to require a drive, quick visit, and swift decision.
Nowadays families research values, ethos, team members and even generational histories.
We pride ourselves on giving providers a voice that displays their humanity:
- How caregivers empower residents.
- What measures ensure safety and comfort.
- How homes accommodate cultural and spiritual practices.
Shift negative connotations with proactive, educational content.
2. The Language of Dignity
Language is care.
Terms such as “children”, “patient” or even “seniors” negatively impact trust.
We use respectful, empowering terminology across all client websites:
- “Residents & Family Members”
- “Australian seniors”
- “Individuals receiving care”
We tested two versions of a homepage on the same webpage — one with dated, clinical terminology and the other gender-neutral, respectful terms.
The latter outsperformed original copy by 63% on average across all metrics. Your words matter.
3. Content That Builds Confidence
‘Looking for aged care in Australia?’ is searched over 27,000 times per month.
For families exploring aged-care options, many of their questions want clarified.
That’s why our best-performing content for aged-care agencies focuses on providing answers:
- “The Aged Care Quality Standards Explained.”
- “What Questions Should I Ask Before…”
- “How Do Home Care Packages Work?”
Content clusters built from these search terms attract leads and satisfy regulator demands.
Square Meters Digital has developed a proprietary SEO framework combining lead generation with legal compliance.
4. Local SEO: Serving the Community You’re In
Agency websites need local SEO, too.
Unlike B2C brands, aged-care providers shouldn’t prioritise nationwide ranking for broad terms.
Focus on location, service or famil-friendly content keywords such as:
- “Aged-care facility near me”
- “Home care services [SUBURB]”
- “Respite care [CITY]”
At Square Meters Digital, every client’s website is optimised with:
- Verified NAME.Address.PHONE consistency
- Google My Business page with accreditation featured
- Dedicated “About” pages for each service team
- Scoping reviews focused on facilities and service, NOT clinical results.
Online reputation management starts with local SEO.
5. Visual Storytelling With Sensitivity
No stock photos.
Seriously.
The aged-care sector should only ever use genuine photography of:
- Staff (and their jobs)
- Residents participating in activities.
Spread diversity. Always ask for permission first, though!
Photos must convey activity and energy. Units are facilities, full of staff who care.
6. Advertising That Stays Ethical
Paid advertising for aged care is difficult.
Google’s policies surrounding certain claims means most traditional ads aren’t approved.
We create supportive ad copy like:
“Our friendly team of nurses and carers provide quality aged care support at [YOUR SERVICE], an [Accredited | Doctor Approved | Award Winning] aged-care provider…”
Leading to landing pages with specific:
- Accreditation status and details.
- Breakdowns of services.
- Privacy policy links and clear contact forms.
Social media serves a completely different purpose for aged care.
- “We Celebrated National Care Giving Day with…”
- “Are You Our New Lifestyle Coordinator?”
Content calendars for aged care aren’t about promotions. They’re about enriching community, celebrating diversity and positioning your brand as expert contributors.
Internal review guidelines include 3 rounds of checks. First for compliance, then spelling and emotional tone.
7. Reputation and Review Management
Because of AHPRA, marketers can no longer include “former patients” or clinical testimonials.
But we can request reviews that speak to experience with facilities and staff.
We’ve developed templates and processes that encourage clients to gather reviews like:
“The rooms were very clean and staff were always smiling and helpful.”
With proper systems in place, your team can respond to each with gratitude and empathy while carefully avoiding any clinical language.
Over time, these testimonials become social proof of your reliability.
8. Privacy and Data Governance
Privacy. Compliance. Reputation.
Your marketing strategy will inevitably involve handling other peoples’ data.
As caretakers of this information, aged-care marketers must abide by:
- Australian Privacy Principles (APP)
- Aged Care Records Management Standards
Square Meters Digital uses Schedule 1 (PDF) — Australia’s data security standards for small businesses — as a baseline for every website and form we build.
Encryption, unique passwords, and clear privacy statements are just the start.
Patients and family members care about who can see their information. Make sure they can easily find out.
9. The Role of Recruitment in Brand Identity
Your website is read by families and nursing professionals.
This means branding and marketing also plays a large role in recruitment.
We incorporate employment branding within every aged-care website.
Callouts for training opportunities, job openings, retirement planning assistance. We’ve even helped clients design “Stay or Leave” surveys to better understand their caregiving teams.
When you market your org as a great place to work, teams work harder.
10. Email and CRM Nurture Programs
“How do I find a good aged care provider?” clocks over 5,000 monthly searches.
When facing big life decisions like elderly care, families need details.
Long-form, educational content nourished over weeks or months allows you to build familiarity and trust.
Email subject lines include:
- Welcome to our philosophy of care.
- Learn how to find financial assistance for aged care.
- Introducing Mike, one of our daily wellness visitors.
Weekly or monthly newsletters keep you top-of-mind for families needing more time. Every sequence is double opt-in, informative and compliant.
11. Accessibility and Design Excellence
The target demographic for aged care spans families, caregivers and aged care workers.
Simplify your site with:
- Website text that passes AA web accessibility criteria.
- Forms that are easy to read and submit.
- Large call-to-actions and buttons.
Your site should be easily navigable for older Australians on desktop… and busy caretakers on mobile.
12. How Square Meters Digital Leads This Sector
Unlike other agencies, our aged care services are built from the ground up with compliance in mind.
While competitors battle regulators over misinterpretation and missed keywords, we study their laws.
Period.
We ensure every website and campaign is:
- Audited against current AHPRA, ACCSC and Privacy Guidelines.
- Designed with our clients’ target demographics in mind.
- Targeting real search terms families use. Not ads with cute headlines.
- Providing unprecedented transparency around lead data and privacy.
Square Meters Digital knows aged care marketing is different. That’s why we designed services tailored to your needs — and regulations.
13. Future Trends in Aged-Care Marketing
- Regulated Families Associations – sort of like insurance providers, but for families.
- Predictive Ethics Matching – AI enabled scheduling minus the privacy concerns.
- National Care Agency Networks – advertising groups forming alliances with aged care providers for specialist training.
- Demand for Transparency – citizens demanding live staffing counts and AHPRA/APRA ratings on facilities.
Final Word: Compassion Is Your Brand
There are no shortcuts in aged-care marketing.
Every channel, broadcast or ad represents your facility to prospective residents and families.
As nurses and caregivers dedicate their lives to these individuals, so should your brand.
