Why Specialist Knowledge Matters
A generalist marketing agency can build websites and run Google Ads campaigns. What they typically cannot do is navigate the specific constraints of marketing a regulated health service.
AHPRA's advertising guidelines prohibit patient testimonials for regulated health services. They prohibit clinical outcome guarantees. They prohibit misleading or unsubstantiated claims. A generalist agency that does not know these rules will use tactics that create compliance risk, not out of bad faith, but out of ignorance of the regulatory environment.
The keyword landscape for allied health is also specific. Which terms convert at different stages of the patient journey, how local search differs between modalities, what kind of content builds trust with patients versus practitioners, these are things a specialist learns through years of working in the sector. A generalist agency will spend your first six months learning what a specialist already knows.
Specialist agencies also cost more than generalists. That is expected, and usually justified by faster results, fewer mistakes, and not having to teach your agency about your industry.
Questions to Ask Any Agency
Before you engage an agency, ask these questions directly. Take notes on the answers.
Do you have experience with allied health practices?
Ask for names of current or past clients in similar modalities to yours. A confident answer with specific examples is a good sign. A vague "yes we've worked with health clients" warrants follow-up.
Can you show me case studies with real numbers?
Not client logos. Not vague testimonials. Actual data, traffic before and after, number of bookings generated, cost per acquisition. Agencies with real results share them. Agencies without real results deflect.
What exactly is included in your monthly fee?
Get a written breakdown. "SEO" can mean anything from five blog posts a month to a comprehensive technical and content programme. Know what you are buying before you buy it.
Who will actually do the work on my account?
Some agencies sell you on senior staff and deliver work done by junior team members or offshore contractors. Ask to meet the person who will be managing your campaigns day to day.
How do you report results, and how often?
Monthly reports are a minimum. Ask to see an example report from an existing client (with identifying details removed if needed). Check whether it shows the metrics that actually matter: bookings, cost per booking, traffic trends.
Do you require a lock-in contract?
Long lock-in contracts protect agencies that are not confident in their results. Month-to-month or short-term arrangements are a signal of confidence.
How do you handle AHPRA advertising guidelines?
If the agency needs you to explain what AHPRA is, that is a significant red flag for a healthcare specialist claim. They should be able to describe the key restrictions without prompting.
What happens if results are not meeting expectations?
A good agency has a clear answer: review the strategy, test different approaches, escalate internally, and communicate with you throughout. A vague or defensive answer is worth noting.
Red Flags
These answers should make you reconsider.
Guaranteed rankings. No agency has control over Google's algorithm. Position one guarantees are either a sign that the agency is planning to use risky or manipulative techniques, or that they are simply telling you what you want to hear. Both are problems.
Vague deliverables. If an agency cannot tell you precisely what they will do each month before you sign, they cannot be held to account for it afterwards. Insist on a written scope of work.
Long lock-in contracts. A 12-month minimum with punitive exit clauses means you are stuck if results do not materialise. A confident agency does not need to trap clients.
No case studies or data. If an agency cannot show you specific evidence of results they have achieved for comparable clients, assume they do not have it.
No direct access to the person doing the work. If every communication goes through an account manager who relays messages to an anonymous team, you lose the ability to give context, raise concerns, and build a productive working relationship.
Hidden offshore outsourcing. Ask directly. Some agencies present as a local team and deliver work offshore without disclosing this. There is nothing inherently wrong with offshore work, but you have a right to know who is working on your account.
What LHM Does
LHM specialises exclusively in allied health marketing. Every client is a health practice, physiotherapy, psychology, occupational therapy, dietetics, speech pathology, podiatry, and related disciplines. We do not work with unrelated industries.
Our case studies use real numbers. Australian Sports Physio now receives over 9,500 website sessions per month, with 77% of that traffic from organic search, built over four years of consistent SEO investment.
We do not require lock-in contracts. We report on bookings, not just traffic. The person managing your account is the person you speak to. AHPRA compliance is built into everything we produce.
You can read more about how we work on our about page and see our services in detail.
Related Guides
No lock-in. No pressure.
What Does a Digital Marketing Agency Do?
Get a plain-English breakdown of what agencies actually do before you compare proposals or retainers.
Read guideHow Much Do Agencies Charge?
Understand typical pricing ranges and what should change as scope, accountability, and complexity increase.
Read guideWhy Your Website Isn't Converting
Check whether your website foundation is strong enough before committing to ongoing marketing spend.
Read guide