If you're a cosmetic clinic owner, chances are you're aware the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has tightened the rules on how cosmetic clinics can advertise their services. 

Popular terms like “injectables” and “dermal fillers” are now off-limits, which directly impacts Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies and online visibility. As a result, it's time to rethink your approach, especially if your clinic relied on these keywords to connect with clients.

In this article, I'll show you how, by focusing on broader, compliant terms and enhancing local SEO, you can still drive traffic to your website while staying within the new guidelines. 

Which terms are now off-limits?

Here are examples of terms you can no longer use:

  • Injectables
  • Wrinkle-reducing injections
  • Anti-wrinkle treatment
  • Dermal filler
  • Fat-dissolving injections
  • Biostimulatory filler
  • Injection clinic

While these restrictions aim to limit the direct or indirect advertising of prescription-only products, they also affect how clinics connect with clients through keywords.

I spoke with Ian Carroll, founder of medical aesthetic distributor Envogue, who has been working with Australian cosmetic clinics for over 20 years. 

He says, “I believe most clinics have dramatically reduced their communication with patients due to the risks that TGA have set out if the rules are broken.”

“We see lots of weird, non-product specific Instagram stories that seem only to serve to keep the clinic in the feed of prospective patients—to be honest I think these posts confuse patients more!”

As you can see, Ian, and yourself, are not alone in this.

As you may be aware, many of the above off-limit terms closely resemble (and in some cases an “exact match”) the search terms your potential customers are entering into search engines, such as Google. 

This means loss of traffic and reduced search engine ranking. 

So, what to do? You will have to pivot your SEO strategy. Let's explore how.

Pivot to broader keywords

Firstly, we need to change up your keywords. While broader phrases might not be as niche, they are still searched for and are the first SEO step in helping you reach new clients. Think of this strategy as a one-two punch (will get to the follow-up soon).

Examples of broader keywords include:

  • Cosmetic clinic [Your City] (e.g., Perth, Sydney, Melbourne)
  • Beauty clinic near me
  • Best skin clinic

Things to note when using broader terms:

  • Higher competition: Many clinics will now be competing for the same terms, making ranking on page one Google more challenging.
  • Less specific intent: These keywords attract clients at different stages of their decision-making process, such as someone making their very first enquiry. Such curious folk may not convert immediately.

So, how can we niche down?

Optimise locally to refine your reach

Pairing broader terms with local SEO strategies is a powerful way to attract clients in your area. Most people search for cosmetic services close to home, so it makes sense that focusing on geographic relevance can help drive highly targeted traffic to your clinic.

Here's a telling stat for you: 93% of consumers now use Google Maps to find a business.

Convinced? Okay, here's how to optimise locally.

Set up and optimise your Google My Business profile:

  • Ensure all details are accurate, including your clinic's name, address, phone number, website, and business hours.
  • Add broad categories like “cosmetic clinic” or “skin clinic” to help Google match your clinic with relevant local searches.
  • Use high-quality photos of your clinic to make your profile stand out.

Target location-specific keywords:

  • Use phrases like “cosmetic clinic Sydney” or “skin clinic near me” on your website and in your metadata.
  • Create dedicated pages for each clinic location if you operate in multiple areas.

Tip: If your business operates multiple clinics across different cities or towns, make this clear on your website. Create a dedicated page for each location, optimised with keywords like ‘cosmetic clinic [city]' to improve local search visibility.

Finally, always strive for the ultimate form (and free) marketing—word of mouth.

As Carrol suggests, “I believe we need to go back to the old marketing approaches before we had social media i.e. generating great word of mouth recommendations. Clinics that provide great service, that work with high quality products and give reproducible results will generate WOM from their existing patients to friends and family.”

I hope you've found this guide useful! At Orion Marketing Agency, we specialise in helping cosmetic clinics navigate changes like the TGA updates with confidence. From local SEO to compliant content strategies, we know what it takes to attract the right clients while staying within the rules.

Get in touch today—we'd love to help!

Key points:

  • The TGA has new rules around the types of terms clinics can use for marketing and advertising
  • Pivot your SEO strategy to broader keywords and utilise local SEO
  • Set up and optimise your Google my Business page/s

Marshall Thurlow is Director and Founder of Orion Marketing Pty Ltd. He is a digital marketer with expertise in SEO, website design, content marketing, and project management.