By the Healthcare Marketing Team at Square Meters Digital
Hearing the Market Clearly
Word-of-mouth referrals and GP bulkbilling have kept audiologists busy for years.
But today’s audiology marketing landscape sounds a little different.
Australia’s ageing population is entering help-care aged faster than ever. Technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed, offering audiologists more marketing channels than they know what to do with.
The challenge? Increasing demand doesn’t equal simplifying.
Google and Microsoft dominate paid traffic. Review sites shape public perception. Regulations about what you can say — and how you say it — haven’t kept pace with consumer trends.
Since 2017, Square Meters Digital has worked with audiologists around Australia to upgrade their marketing presence without sacrificing the professionalism their industry demands.
Here’s what we’ve learnt along the way:
Clear communication isn’t just good audiology practice — it’s great marketing too.
The Regulatory Frequency
Clinics will often face two categories of advertising regulation — healthcare law (administered by AHPRA) and product advertising law (administered by the TGA).
Audiologists aren’t individually registered with AHPRA, but clinics are still subject to National Law with regards to misleading or deceptive claims in therapy services (including hearing tests, fitting aids, and ENT treatment).
It’s also worth noting:
- Hearing aids and cochlear implants are considered therapeutic goods, and as such fall under the TGA’s advertising standards.
- How clinics store, transmit and use hearing-test results is considered health information under the Privacy Act of 1988.
- All consumer-facing ads are subject to ACCC monitoring and penalties.
Navigating the grey areas of these three legislations is why we built our marketing processes around compliance first.
We’ve seen clinics lose months of Google Ads investments overnight by including “win-back” promises in promotional text.
Phrases like “lifetime replacements” and “life-changing devices” are deliberately ambiguous for a reason.
From Product Pitches to Patient Partnerships
SEO insights reveal another symptom of today’s hearing-care sector:
Patients want reassurance more than sales pitches.
Popular keywords used to focus heavily on price-driven offerings (“lowest prices Sydney audiologist”) or directory listings (“hearing clinic near me Brisbane”). Now, we’re seeing much more intent to learn.
Most searched questions related to audiology clinics in 2025:
- What are the first signs of hearing loss?
- When should I get a hearing test?
- Are hearing aids Medicare approved?
- Why do older people have hearing loss?
- Types of hearing loss
- How to clean hearing aids
“How can I improve my hearing?” has overtaken SEO-first keywords on almost every client website we manage.
That tells us audiences are ready to understand their health — not buy solutions.
SEO That Speaks the Right Language
Assessment – accurate diagnosis through qualified audiologists
Personalisation – treatment plans tailored to lifestyle and budget
Ongoing care – long-term adjustments, maintenance, and support
Three Pillars of Modern Audiology Marketing
Long gone are the days of “buy one aid, get one free” campaigns.
Clinics now take pride in establishing trust, highlighting the difference between price and value when marketing hearing tests or hearing aid brands.
Successful websites break their offerings into three straightforward categories:
- Assessment. Patients should know exactly what type of care they’ll receive from an audiologist, including relevant certifications and experience.
- Personalisation. Choosing where and how to treat hearing loss is deeply personal. Clinics should showcase flexible pricing, modern technology, and custom fittings.
- Care. Modern hearing-care marketing positions clinics as long-term resources for ENT treatment. Returning for annual retests or device maintenance is part of the narrative.
Focusing marketing around care rather than commodities reduces regulatory risk and builds better patient relationships.
Advertising: The Volume and the Fine Print
Google Ads
All healthcare-related marketing falls under Google’s broad Healthcare and Medicines policy, which prohibits some of the most persuasive (yet non-compliant) advertising language.
We frame our messaging around functional statements like “licensed practitioners,” along with offers to assist rather than guarantees of results.
Headlines that worked:
- “Licensed audiologists assisting patients with hearing assessments and aid fittings across Melbourne”
- “Fully accredited ENT specialists meeting you at audiology clinics in Sydney”
“Our Audiologists”
Meta & YouTube
Google has cracked down on targeting options which may implicitly discriminate against older Australians or those living with disabilities.
Instead, we recommend educational marketing which reinforces:
- How and when to book an assessment.
- Clinic-led support for established patients (socks with appointment SMS reminders).
- Meet the team. A longstanding scepticism of online hearing care centres around faceless corporations and misleading selling points.
Video content introducing practice members helps humanise clinics and establish local authority.
Designing for Accessibility
Website Design Considerations for Audiologists
If accessibility was only an ethical consideration, we wouldn’t mention it.
Clinics risk disciplinary action under both AHPRA’s and Google’s Healthcare policies if their website is not accessible to patients using screen readers or other programs.
Here’s what we do:
- Ensure websites conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 AA standard (run a free audit here).
- Include alternative-text descriptions for every media asset, including memes.
- Provide captions for video material, and transcripts where possible.
We helped one practice’s website achieve full accessibility compliance. In one month, their average session duration increased from 2 to 3.5 minutes.
Websites that are accessible help more people.
What Doesn’t Work Anymore
Price-First Advertising
Ambiguity around medical claims was one thing. Mimicking big-box retail discounts invites direct regulatory scrutiny.
Google regularly flags mentions of “sales,” “limited time offers,” or clear currency signs as violations.
In our experience, discounted leads convert significantly less than those booking consults.
Testimonials About Outcomes
Publishing outcome-based testimonials is against the law. Clinical service reviews (“knowledgeable staff,” “clean facilities”) are fine, though.
Over-reliance on Manufacturer Content
Drop-down menus lifted straight from supplier websites is a cliché we see too often.
Google’s duplicate-content filter is unforgiving. Yours will be too.
Email & Retention: Staying in Tune
Patient Follow-Up That Inspires Confidence
SEO & Website Copy Gets Patients in the Door
Email keeps them connected to you.
Modern marketing automation allows practices to send targeted SMS and email campaigns at predetermined intervals.
Conditioned correctly, these follow-ups improve retention rates and leave patients feeling cared for. Here are some best practices.
Set Up Automated Check-In SMS Reminders
There’s no better time to schedule SMS texts than after consultations or repeat appointments.
Legally, we can send two retention SMS per year (every six months) without express consent.
Sending additional emails requires patients to signup under the Spam Act 2003. We cover that in the next section.
Send Consent-Based Monthly Newsletters
Physical newsletters may soon become obsolete, but email is still a fantastic tool for providing value to existing patients.
In fact, part of our onboarding process for new practices involves dedicating a blog section to common hearing problems and solutions.
Ideas for newsletter topics we’ve written:
- Discovering more about your hearing loss
- Tips and tricks for living with hearing aids
- Get the facts about tinnitus treatments
The Square Meters Digital Approach
Offer Continuing Education, Not Hard Sells
Square Meters Digital Audiology Marketing Services
Navigating complex marketing requirements is difficult without experience.
That’s why we’ve distilled our services into three key divisions.
- Compliant Marketing
Audvisors guide every promotion our team creates. Need help interpreting Google’s Healthcare policy or identifying compliant meta descriptions? Ask. - Website Design
Accessibility sits at the heart of everything we build. Curious about suitable colour palettes or font styles? We can help with that too. - SEO & Content Strategies
Our content developers and researchers prioritise questions over keywords. Want to learn more about connecting with local audiences via search? Let’s talk.
Final Word: Marketing That Respects Every Listener
Let’s Build You a Loud-Success Auditology Marketing Plan
With so much on the line, marketing for audiologists is often approached conservatively.
This doesn’t have to be the case.
When done right, online marketing connects hearing-care clinics with patients who need them most — safely, effectively, and at scale.
We’re here to prove it to you.
