If you’re a cosmetic clinic owner looking at ways to adapt to the new rules, this article is for you.
As you are likely aware, marketing cosmetic clinics in Australia just got more challenging. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has introduced stricter rules for advertising cosmetic injections and related products, shaking up the way clinics can promote their services.
As a marketer of cosmetic clinics, I feel your pain, as this creates a whole set of challenges for also. However, I’ve done the homework so you don’t have to!
In short, these changes mean that commonly used terms like “injectables” and “dermal fillers” are now off-limits. Even indirect references, such as abbreviations, hashtags, or phrases hinting at prescription-only substances, are taboo! They are no longer allowed in your ads, social media posts, or website content.
For many clinic owners, this feels like a roadblock (if not an attack!), especially when these terms are what potential clients search for. However, never fear, it’s not all bad news—with the right strategy, you can adapt your marketing to stay compliant with the new guidelines while continuing to grow your business and connect with clients.
In this article, I’ll cover everything that’s changed, how it impacts your clinic’s marketing, and the steps you can take to adapt to these changes successfully.
Let’s dive in!
What’s changed in the TGA guidelines?
First things first, what’s changed? And why?
TGA’s new rules aim to protect consumers by restricting the advertising of prescription-only substances. Cosmetic clinics are no longer allowed to use key terms like:
- wrinkle-reducing injections
- dermal fillers
- anti-wrinkle treatments
- injectables
- fat-dissolving injections.
Even indirect references, such as hashtags or abbreviations, are prohibited. The TGA also bans phrases that hint at specific substances, even if brand names like Botox aren’t mentioned.
This means your website, social media, blogs, and ads all need a major refresh.
How does this impact your marketing?
These changes limit the visibility of your cosmetic clinic online. Here’s how they affect your marketing efforts:
- Loss of keyword traffic: High-volume search terms like ‘cosmetic injectables’ and ‘dermal fillers’ can no longer be targeted.
- Lower search engine rankings: Optimised pages for these terms may drop in rankings, resulting in reduced enquiries.
- Content challenges: Creating engaging, relevant content becomes more difficult without these commonly searched terms.
But while these changes feel restrictive, they open up opportunities for creativity and innovation. As they say—do not fear change; instead, embrace the opportunity.
I recently spoke with Ian Carroll, Managing Director of Envogue, a medical aesthetics distributor, and he had this to say.
I asked him how these new rules have impacted cosmetic clinic marketing strategies?
“I believe the new rules have had a significant impact on our customer’s businesses’. Many have discussed the inability to adequately explain to their patients what services they offer and, in my opinion, have gone too far in restricting what cosmetic practitioners can promote to their patients.
I have been working in the cosmetic medicine market for over 20 years, and I don’t think patients have been more confused over which practitioner to trust or what treatments are available than now.”
How to adapt your marketing under the new rules
Staying compliant doesn’t mean you have to stop marketing. It just means you need to pivot your approach.
Focus on education
Arguably, the biggest shift is to come from an educational perspective:
- Publish factual, non-promotional content, like treatment safety guides or aftercare tips.
- Explain common skin or cosmetic concerns, e.g., “How to get rid of forehead lines” or “What causes broken blood vessels on the nose?”
- Provide balanced information about the risks and benefits of procedures.
Optimise for broader terms
Target general keywords like:
- cosmetic clinic
- medical aesthetics
- beauty clinic.
While these are much broader and will be more competitive, you can niche down by pairing these with location-based terms to focus on local SEO, e.g., “cosmetic clinic double bay.”
Leverage local SEO
Building on the previous section, local SEO is your secret weapon. You can utilise local SEO by:
- Creating separate pages for each clinic location.
- Using terms like “cosmetic clinic in [city]” or “aesthetic services near me.”
- Keeping your Google My Business profile up to date to appear in local search results.
Something to note: According to the latest Google Maps statistics, 86% of users turn to the map platform to search for local businesses and stores. This means that for you, pivoting your marketing to local SEO to attract nearby clients should help to improve visibility in the map results, where lots of potential customers start their search.
Build authority
This is a chance to build authority by answering and deep-diving into the types of questions I mentioned earlier—“How to get rid of forehead lines?”
Again, it’s about embracing the shift to coming from an educational angle.
You can leverage this by:
- Investing in high-quality, educational content for your blog.
- Publishing guest articles to boost your credibility.
- Highlighting your expertise with detailed, user-focused posts.
Publishing content that is factual, useful, and value-driven has never been more important — especially in light of Google’s recent ‘Helpful Content Update.’ This update prioritises content designed to genuinely benefit users over content created purely to boost search rankings.
Something to note: Be aware of relying too heavily on AI as search engines are now detecting and deleting AI content from search results.
Keywords you can target
Let’s explore further how you can shift to problem-solving with education-based keywords that can improve your visibility while staying compliant.
Consider terms like:
- how to get a slimmer face
- treatments for forehead lines
- broken blood vessels on the nose
- how to reduce facial sweating.
By addressing your audience’s questions you’ll (to quote the cliche) kill two birds with one stone:
- attract traffic
- build trust with potential patients.
Key takeaways
- The TGA’s updated guidelines restrict the use of terms like ‘injectables’ and ‘anti-wrinkle treatments’ in advertising.
- These rules limit SEO visibility for common search terms, but opportunities remain to target broader and educational keywords.
- A balanced marketing strategy focusing on local SEO, educational content, and authority building will help your clinic thrive under these new rules.
Navigating the new TGA rules doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We’re here to help you stay compliant while growing your business. Whether it’s redesigning your website or creating tailored SEO content, we’ve got you covered.
