Methodology
How We Measure and Report Results
Every metric we publish comes from actual client engagement data. This page documents the methodology behind our reported numbers: what each figure means, how it is measured, and where it comes from.
Our Approach
Measurement principles
We measure what moves clinical outcomes, appointment volume, cost per patient acquired, and pipeline completeness. We do not report vanity metrics (impressions, reach, social followers) as primary success indicators.
Appointment-first measurement
Primary KPIs are always appointment volume and cost per appointment, not clicks, impressions, or engagement rate.
Before/after baselines
Where possible, we establish a pre-engagement baseline so percentage improvements are measured against actual historical data, not industry averages.
HIPAA-compliant tracking
All conversion tracking is implemented in a manner compliant with HIPAA's restrictions on PHI in analytics systems. No patient identifiers are transmitted to advertising platforms.
The Numbers
Every metric, explained
Measured as the ratio of inbound appointment requests in the 90-day post-engagement period versus the 90-day pre-engagement baseline. For practices with no prior digital presence (no website, no paid search), the baseline is established from referral-only appointment data. The Speciality Cancer Care engagement achieved this within 90 days of full campaign deployment.
Source: Speciality Cancer Care engagement, tracked via HIPAA-compliant analytics
Measured as the percentage reduction in cost per appointment request from campaign launch to the 90-day optimisation mark. For new paid search campaigns, CPL is typically highest at launch (before negative keyword refinement and bid optimisation) and declines as the campaign is tuned against actual conversion data. The 60% figure represents the CPL at day 90 versus CPL at launch, in the Speciality Cancer Care Google Ads programme.
Source: Speciality Cancer Care Google Ads campaign data
This metric describes the qualitative outcome of building complete digital infrastructure for a practice with no prior online presence. 'Zero' means no website, no Google Business Profile, no search visibility, no review profile. 'Full' means a functioning, multi-channel patient acquisition system generating consistent inbound appointment requests. This is not a quantitative ratio, it is a before/after state description.
Source: Speciality Cancer Care engagement, documented from intake to 90-day review
The Google Business Profile star rating achieved for Speciality Cancer Care at the 90-day mark of the reputation management programme. Starting from zero reviews, a systematic post-appointment review request workflow (HIPAA-compliant, SMS-based) generated 80+ Google reviews at a 4.8★ average rating within 90 days of implementation.
Source: Speciality Cancer Care Google Business Profile
Every client Heartbeat Marketing has ever taken on is in the healthcare industry. This is not an approximation or a claim about a subset of our business, it is a structural fact about how we operate. We do not serve clients outside healthcare. We turn down non-healthcare work.
Source: Internal client records
A note on typical results
The metrics documented on this page represent the outcomes of the Speciality Cancer Care engagement, a specific client in a specific market, with a specific starting point (zero digital presence). These numbers are accurate for that engagement and are not aggregate or industry-average figures.
Patient acquisition outcomes vary based on specialty, geographic market, competitive environment, budget, starting digital presence, and the specific mix of services engaged. We do not guarantee identical results for every client.
On every strategy session, we provide an honest expectation range for what outcomes are realistic for a specific practice, based on their market, specialty, and starting point. We do not make aspirational projections that cannot be grounded in the actual variables at play.
Want to Know What Results Are Realistic for Your Practice?
Book a strategy session. We will audit your current digital presence and give you an honest, specific expectation of what growth looks like for your specialty and market.
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