Marketing for a new medical practice should start about 90 days before opening, not on opening day. That is enough time to lock in your name and domain, build a website with HIPAA-compliant forms, get a verified Google listing that shows your opening date, and correct your NPI and insurer directory data. This checklist puts every task in order, from day minus 90 to day 90.
When to start marketing a new practice
Patients look for you before they need you. These are the searches a new practice wants to appear in:
| Search (US, monthly) | Searches |
|---|---|
| family doctor near me | 49,500 |
| primary care doctor near me | 40,500 |
| doctors accepting new patients near me | 8,100 |
Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026.
"Accepting new patients" is your advantage: an established practice may be full, and you are not. Start 90 days out because Google shows a verified profile with an opening date 90 days ahead, and because website, directory and payer updates all take weeks. If you are still choosing a location or entity, start with how to start a private practice.
90 to 60 days before opening: name, domain and website
- Confirm the practice name matches your legal or DBA name and the signage you will put up. Google requires your profile name to match the real-world name.
- Register the domain (and close misspellings) in the practice's name, under an account the practice owns.
- Set up a professional email on the domain for the front desk and providers.
- Build the website with one page per service, provider bios, address, hours, insurance or self-pay prices, and a phone number and booking button on every page.
- Choose a HIPAA-compliant form vendor that will sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). See HIPAA-compliant website forms.
- Order photos of the office, team and exterior as soon as the space is presentable.
60 to 30 days: Google Business Profile, directories and NPI data
- Create and verify your Google Business Profile with a future opening date. Google lets you set an opening date (opens in a new tab) up to one year ahead; after verification, the profile appears on Google 90 days before that date. Step-by-step: add your practice to Google.
- Create individual practitioner profiles where they fit Google's guidelines (opens in a new tab): doctors and dentists who see patients at the verified location during stated hours.
- Update your NPI record in NPPES (opens in a new tab) with the new practice address, phone and taxonomy. Federal rules require covered providers to report changes to NPI data within 30 days (45 CFR 162.410 (opens in a new tab)). The public NPI Registry (opens in a new tab) publishes your name, specialty and practice address, and many directories copy from it. Details: keep your NPI record accurate.
- Request an organization NPI for the group if you bill as a practice entity.
- Update every insurer's provider directory for each contract, with the new address and "accepting new patients" status.
- Claim key directories for your specialty, and the hospital affiliation page if you have privileges.
30 days to opening: content, forms and tracking
- Publish service pages written for patients, plus an FAQ answering insurance, parking, first-visit and cancellation questions.
- Test the appointment-request form end to end: submission, encryption, who receives it and how fast they reply.
- Keep ad pixels off forms and booking pages. HHS's tracking guidance (opens in a new tab) says tracking on pages where people schedule appointments may disclose protected health information (a 2024 court order vacated only the part about public informational pages).
- Set up first-party analytics that count calls, forms, bookings and directions by source.
- Connect Google Search Console and Google Analytics to the site, and submit the sitemap.
- Post on your Google profile: opening date, services and photos. Google allows pre-opening posts in the 90-day window.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm how it applies to your practice with a qualified advisor.
Opening week: announcements and first reviews
- Check your Google profile on opening day: hours, phone and booking link. Google shows a "Recently opened" tag for 90 days after you open.
- Tell your network: referring clinicians, local employers, schools and community groups, with a one-page "how to refer" sheet.
- Start asking for reviews from your first patients. Patients can't post reviews until you are open. Ask every patient the same way.
- Don't ask staff, family or friends for reviews. Google treats reviews based on a conflict of interest as prohibited (Maps content policy (opens in a new tab)), and the FTC requires insiders to disclose the relationship (FTC Q&A (opens in a new tab)).
- Never offer an incentive for a review; Google bans it outright.
Days 1 to 90: first paid campaigns and what to measure
- Start one paid channel, usually Google search ads on "accepting new patients" and your main services, if you have open slots.
- Set a monthly ceiling and review search terms weekly.
- Measure weekly: calls, forms, bookings, directions requests and first visits by source.
- Calculate cost per new patient for each paid channel at day 30, 60 and 90.
- At day 90, write your first-year marketing plan using what you learned.
What can wait until you're busy
Skip these until the schedule fills: weekly blog articles, Meta ads (unless you sell cash-pay, elective services), print and radio, sponsorships, a newsletter and award listings. Once open, switch to a weekly routine once you're open that takes 30 minutes.
Copy the checklist
Copy every item above into a spreadsheet with three columns: owner, due date (counted back from your opening date) and done. Keep it free of patient information.
Medfy can carry the website part of this list. It builds or rebuilds your site and hosts it on your own domain, with a page per service and HIPAA-compliant forms, adds Google reporting for Search Console, Analytics and your Business Profile, and tracks whether AI assistants name your practice. If you already have a site, start with a free audit and website preview: the audit scores where you stand, and the preview shows your rebuilt website before you pay. For everything else, see our healthcare marketing guide.
Frequently asked questions
When should a new medical practice start marketing?
About 90 days before opening. That leaves time to secure the name and domain, build the website, verify your Google Business Profile with an opening date, correct your NPI record and payer directories, and set up HIPAA-compliant forms. Google shows a verified profile with an opening date 90 days ahead, so starting then lets patients find you before the doors open.
How much does it cost to market a new medical practice?
The foundations cost more time than money: a Google Business Profile, NPI updates and directory listings are free. Expect to pay for a domain, a website with HIPAA-compliant forms and some signage. Paid ads are optional at launch; set a monthly ceiling based on how many new patients you can see and what you can afford to pay per new patient, then adjust after 90 days.
Can you create a Google Business Profile before the practice opens?
Yes. Google lets you create a profile, verify it and add an opening date up to one year in the future. After verification, the profile appears on Google 90 days before the opening date. Patients can't post reviews or photos until you open, and once open, the profile shows a Recently opened tag for 90 days. Rules were checked in October 2026.
What should a new practice website include on day one?
On day one, a new practice website needs a page per service, provider bios with credentials, the address with a map, hours, insurance accepted or self-pay prices, a phone number and booking button at the top of every page, and a HIPAA-compliant appointment-request form. Add a privacy notice and an accessible layout. Articles and extra pages can follow once you are open.