How to Evaluate a Healthcare Marketing Agency: 9-Question Test

By Hanuman Sihag, Head of Innovation Chamber & SEO Lead at ICG.

Most healthcare marketing agency retainers are signed without the questions that actually matter being asked. The agency leads with case studies, sample dashboards, and lofty positioning. The client agrees to a 3-month pilot. The pilot extends to 6 months. By the time anyone asks the right questions, switching cost feels too high.

These 9 questions surface, in 30 minutes of conversation, whether the agency has built actual systems or whether it is operating on instinct and curated PDFs.

1. Can I access the actual ad platforms or only a reporting layer?

What a good answer sounds like: Direct platform access. The client should be able to log into Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, and the IVR/CRM at any time without going through the agency.

What a bad answer sounds like: A "client portal" that aggregates data the agency selects. Real-time platform access "available on request".

2. How do you measure success — CPL or cost per actual patient?

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What a good answer sounds like: Cost per actual booked consultation. Cost per treatment started. CPL only as an intermediate metric.

What a bad answer sounds like: CPL, lead volume, click-through rate. Vanity metrics that look healthy regardless of patient outcomes.

3. What is your attribution methodology (CAPI, EMQ, OCU)?

What a good answer sounds like: Specific architecture: CAPI middleware, CRM stage to event mapping, identity enrichment, dedup across channels, EMQ monitoring.

What a bad answer sounds like: "We use the platform's default conversion tracking." The answer that costs you money.

4. Do you have experience in our specific vertical (IVF, dental, dermatology)?

What a good answer sounds like: Named clients in your vertical. Specialty-specific intent tier examples. Knowledge of vertical-specific patient journey timelines.

What a bad answer sounds like: Healthcare generalist. Examples from "medical clients" without specialty depth. Lifecycle frameworks that look the same for IVF and dental.

5. What does the onboarding process look like and what do you need from us?

What a good answer sounds like: Defined onboarding plan with clear milestones. Specific data access requirements. Tech audit before campaign work begins.

What a bad answer sounds like: "We will set up campaigns next week and start showing results." No audit, no system review, no integration discovery.

6. How do you handle missed calls and inbound call attribution?

What a good answer sounds like: IVR integration. DNI (Dynamic Number Insertion) per channel. Missed call alerts. Call-to-CRM-to-CAPI loop closed.

What a bad answer sounds like: Calls are tracked manually or not at all. Missed calls surface in monthly review, not real time.

7. Who owns the ad accounts, landing pages, and data when we stop working together?

What a good answer sounds like: Client owns everything. Ad accounts in client domain. Landing pages on client servers. Data exportable on day one.

What a bad answer sounds like: Agency-owned accounts. Landing pages on agency infrastructure. Data extraction requires a process.

8. What technology do you build or use that is proprietary vs off-the-shelf?

What a good answer sounds like: Specific tools built in-house. Specific off-the-shelf integrations clearly listed.

What a bad answer sounds like: "We use industry-leading tools." Vague positioning that does not identify what is proprietary.

9. Can I speak to a current client in a similar vertical?

What a good answer sounds like: Yes, directly. Named references with active engagements in your specialty.

What a bad answer sounds like: Case studies on the website. Client references "available after signing the contract."

Scoring rubric: how to grade the 9 answers

The nine questions only work if you know what a strong answer sounds like. Use this rubric to score each response on a 0-2 scale during the evaluation call, then total the score out of 18. Anything below 12 is a bench pass; 12-14 warrants a second call; 15+ is a shortlist candidate.

Red flags that override the score

• Guaranteed leads at a fixed CPL — no honest agency guarantees a metric it does not fully control.
• A single dashboard with no raw-data export — usually a reporting layer over aggregated numbers.
• Contract lock-ins beyond 3 months without an exit clause — real operators earn renewals monthly.
• No named vertical lead — if the pitch team disappears after signing, so does the thinking.

If any red flag surfaces, no score compensates for it. Move on. For a walk-through of how ICG scores itself against this rubric — using Meta Catalyst IQ for Meta Ads attribution, Prism Spy for competitor intelligence, and YODA for AI-native YouTube — book a 20-minute audit through the Client Elevation Programme or WhatsApp Rohit for the scorecard as a PDF.