Best Google Ads Keywords for Physiotherapists:

Attract More Patients With the Right Search Terms

Running Google Ads as a physiotherapist can be incredibly effective—if you’re targeting the right keywords. Choosing the best Google Ads keywords means your clinic shows up when potential patients are actively searching for your services. In this blog, we’ll share a list of top-performing keyword ideas, explain the difference between high-intent and low-intent terms, and show you how to structure your ad campaigns for maximum ROI.

When setting up your Google Ads campaign, one of the most critical steps is selecting the right keywords. A common mistake many physiotherapists make is simply entering generic terms—like “physiotherapy” or “back pain”—without considering the search intent behind those terms or applying the proper keyword match types.

Generic keywords might attract a lot of impressions, but they rarely lead to qualified clicks or actual patient bookings. Without refining your keywords using match types like Phrase Match, Exact Match, or using Negative Keywords to exclude irrelevant traffic, you risk wasting ad spend on people who aren’t ready to book or are looking for something different from what you offer.

Let’s Quickly Explain Keyword Match Types

When adding keywords to your Google Ads campaign, match types help control which searches trigger your ads. Here’s a quick breakdown:

✅ Broad Match

Your ad may show for searches that include any words loosely related to your keyword, in any order. Example: Typing physiotherapy might show your ad for searches like “sports massage” or “rehab centres,” even if you don’t offer those.

Pros: Broad reach.Cons: Risk of irrelevant clicks.

✅ Phrase Match

Your ad shows when someone searches for your keyword in the same order, with words before or after. Example: "sports physiotherapist" could trigger your ad for searches like “best sports physiotherapist near me.”

Pros: A good balance between reach and relevance.

✅ Exact Match

Your ad only appears when someone types your exact keyword or a very close variation. Example: [shoulder physiotherapy Sydney] will only show for that exact or very similar search.

Pros: Highly targeted, great for booking-ready searchers.

✅ Negative Keywords

These tell Google not to show your ad when certain terms are included. Example: Adding free as a negative keyword will block searches like “free physiotherapy.”

As you can see, your keyword match types play a crucial role in how your ads appear. Choose the wrong one, and you could burn through your budget on unqualified clicks . Choose the right one, and you’ll attract searchers ready to book or enquire.

One Quick Rule Before We Share the Keyword List:

Think in themes. Group similar keywords into focused ad groups — this is called campaign structuring or keyword grouping.

For example, if you’re targeting back-related issues, group keywords like:

• back pain physio

• lower back pain treatment

• physiotherapy for back pain

This structure helps your ads match the user's intent more precisely, which improves your Quality Score and lowers your cost per click.

For more information on creating effective Google Ads campaigns for physiotherapists, be sure to check out our dedicated page on Google Ads for Physiotherapists, where we break down the best strategies to attract more patients and grow your practice.

✅ Top 20 Google Ads Keywords for Physiotherapists

General Treatment Keywords

• Physiotherapy clinic near me

• best physiotherapist near me

• physiotherapy services

• private physiotherapy clinic

• physio consultation

Condition-Specific Keywords

• back pain physiotherapy

• neck pain physio

• shoulder physiotherapy

• sports injury physiotherapy

• post-surgery physio

Location-Based Keywords (swap in your city/suburb)

• physiotherapist Sydney

• physio clinic Melbourne

• Brisbane back pain physio

• Perth physiotherapy clinic

• local physio Gold Coast

Treatment-Specific Keywords

• dry needling physiotherapy

• sports physio near me

• rehab physiotherapy

• NDIS physiotherapy provider

• physio for work injury

💡 Tip: Use the right match types — "phrase match", [exact match], and broad (with care) — to control how your ads are triggered. Don’t forget to add negative keywords like "free" or "courses" to avoid unqualified traffic.

Here are more specific ways to find high-performing keywords for your Google Ads campaigns in the physiotherapy niche:

1. Google Keyword Planner for Ads

• Step 1: Sign in to your Google Ads account and open Keyword Planner.

• Step 2: Enter terms like "physiotherapy near me" or "back pain physio" into the keyword tool.

• Step 3: Select the option “Discover new keywords”.

• Step 4: Filter the results by location (Australia or your target city) to get more relevant keywords.

• Step 5: Use the “Keyword Ideas” tab to find keywords with high search volume and low competition for your ads.

2. Google Search Console

If you already have a website running, you can use Google Search Console to discover which search queries are driving traffic to your site.

• Step 1: Go to Search Console and navigate to the Performance section.

• Step 2: Look at the Queries tab to see what terms people are searching for to find your website.

• Step 3: Export the search queries list and identify the keywords with the highest impressions and clicks that could be leveraged in your Google Ads campaigns.

3. Competitor Google Ads Research

You can spy on your competitors to see which keywords they’re targeting in Google Ads.

• Step 1: Use tools like SpyFu, SEMrush, or Ahrefs.

• Step 2: Enter your competitors' domain names and review the Paid Keywords section.

• Step 3: Identify keywords with high search volume and low competition.

• Step 4: Use these keywords in your own Google Ads campaigns to target similar audiences.

4. Use Google’s "Related Searches" and "People Also Ask"

Google’s related searches and People Also Ask are great for finding long-tail keywords to target:

• Step 1: Search for a term like "back pain physiotherapy" on Google.

• Step 2: Scroll to the bottom to see related searches.

• Step 3: Use these related search terms as additional keywords in your campaigns.

• Step 4: Also, review the People Also Ask section on the search results page to uncover phrases like "What is the best treatment for back pain?" These can be specific long-tail queries that convert well.

Always Monitor What’s Triggering Your Ads in Google Ads

It's crucial to regularly check which search queries are triggering your ads. This helps you refine your campaigns, uncover additional keyword opportunities, and prevent wasting your budget on irrelevant clicks. Here's why it's so important:

1. Discover New Keyword Ideas

By reviewing the Search Terms report in Google Ads, you’ll uncover new, potentially profitable keywords that you may not have initially considered. These could be variations of your main keywords or entirely new phrases people use to search for your services.

For example, if someone searches for "best physiotherapist for back pain," you can add "best physiotherapist" as a new keyword to attract high-intent traffic.

2. Identify Irrelevant Traffic

You might notice that certain search queries are triggering your ads but are not relevant to your services. These could be broad or unrelated terms, wasting your ad spend.

For instance, if your ads are triggered by searches like "free physiotherapy" or "physiotherapy course," these clicks likely won’t convert into leads. Adding these terms as Negative Keywords will ensure your ads don't show up for these irrelevant searches.

3. Optimise Your Campaigns

Regularly reviewing search queries allows you to:

• Add new keywords to your campaigns that have high potential.

• Add negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic.

• Refine match types to ensure you're targeting the most relevant searches for your services.

4. Improve Your ROI

By excluding irrelevant searches and focusing on high-converting keywords, you'll improve your Quality Score and ad relevance. This will ultimately reduce your Cost-Per-Click (CPC) and boost your Return on Investment (ROI).

How to Check Search Queries in Google Ads:

• Step 1: Log in to Google Ads.

• Step 2: Navigate to the Keywords tab.

• Step 3: Click on Search Terms to view the actual queries that triggered your ads.

• Step 4: Add new relevant keywords or negative keywords based on your findings.

By staying on top of what triggers your ads, you can fine-tune your Google Ads campaigns, ensuring you're always reaching the most relevant audience and optimising your budget.

For more expert advice on how to make your Google Ads campaign a success, visit our Google Ads Consultant homepage. As an Australian-based Google Ads consultant, I’m here to help you create campaigns that bring in real results for your physiotherapy business.