Inpatient / Residential · Paid Media
How Profound Treatment Drove 31 Admits and a 42% Drop in Cost Per Viable in One Quarter
A data-driven paid media campaign built around admit quality, not just lead volume — and the optimization playbook that made it work.
TL;DR
The Short Version
The Problem
- High CPCs and lead costs limited volume and prevented hitting admit targets
- Campaign launch was constrained by exact match keyword inefficiency
- No reliable feedback loop between lead quality and campaign optimization
The Strategy
- Pivoted to broad match with aggressive negative keyword management
- Tightened outcome tagging with intake partners to speed up data feedback
- Applied geographic bid adjustments based on admit conversion data
The Result
- 31 total admits and 68 viable VOBs from paid media in one quarter
- 42% reduction in cost per OON viable following optimization changes
- Cost per admit and cost per viable both well under industry benchmarks
The Challenge
A Competitive Market Squeezing Efficiency at Every Stage
When Profound Treatment came to us, the paid media landscape for behavioral health had shifted significantly. Platform algorithm changes and increasing competition had driven up CPCs across exact match keywords, making it difficult to generate the lead volume needed to hit cost-per-viable targets.
The core challenge wasn't just spend — it was that the original campaign structure couldn't scale without costs spiraling. Lead costs were too high to generate the VOB volume required for consistent admits, and there was no fast feedback loop between intake outcomes and campaign decisions.
- Starting Point
- High exact match CPCs limiting lead volume at target costs
- No outcome feedback loop slowing optimization and waste reduction
- Geographic inefficiency spend directed at low-converting regions
Core Problems
Rising CPC Across Behavioral HealthExact match keyword costs had climbed substantially, compressing margins and capping admit volume
Slow Data Feedback LoopWithout fast outcome tagging, the campaign couldn't learn quickly enough to optimize toward viable admits
Unoptimized Geographic TargetingBudget was being distributed across regions without clear performance data driving those decisions
Volume vs. Quality TensionDriving enough leads to hit VOB targets while maintaining OON viability was a constant balancing act
The Strategy
Optimize the Funnel at Every Stage, Not Just the Top
Our goal with Profound wasn't to simply spend more — it was to build a paid media system that could generate admits predictably within target cost ranges. We focused on three compounding levers that drove efficiency across the entire funnel.
01
Broad Match Pivot with Negative Keyword Infrastructure
We identified that exact match keywords were creating a ceiling on viable lead volume due to rising CPCs industry-wide. By pivoting to broad match mid-April, we unlocked significantly more search volume at lower cost — but we paired this with a rigorous negative keyword strategy, adding irrelevant terms regularly to ensure the campaign was still surfacing high-intent queries. The result was a 72% reduction in CPC and a 42% drop in cost per OON viable.
02
Tighter Intake Integration and Outcome Tagging
Speed of feedback is one of the most underrated factors in paid media for behavioral health. We worked closely with Profound's intake and admissions team to tag outcomes faster and with greater accuracy. This tighter loop allowed us to quickly identify which search terms, geographies, and ad sets were generating viable admits — and which were consuming budget without producing meaningful results downstream.
03
Geographic Targeting Based on Admit Data
Using real conversion data, we continuously adjusted regional targeting throughout the quarter. Regions that had consumed significant budget over time without delivering viable VOBs or admits were paused or reduced. Budget was shifted toward geographic segments showing the strongest admit conversion rates, ensuring every dollar was working in the right markets.
What We Did
Execution Across Every Layer
Broad Match Campaign Optimization
- Pivoted from exact match to broad match mid-April to expand volume
- Achieved 72% reduction in CPC following match type change
- Monitored performance weekly for signs of quality degradation
Negative Keyword Management
- Regular addition of negative terms to filter irrelevant search queries
- Reduced wasted spend against non-converting search terms
- Improved campaign signal quality to support machine learning optimization
Geographic Targeting & Bid Adjustments
- Ongoing monitoring of regional spend vs. conversion performance
- Paused or reduced bids in underperforming geographic segments
- Concentrated budget in regions with highest viable admit rates
Intake Integration & Conversion Tracking
- Collaborated with intake team to accelerate outcome tagging
- Mapped VOB and admit data back to specific campaigns and ad groups
- Used real admit data to drive weekly strategy decisions throughout Q2
The Results
31 Admits, 68 Viable VOBs, and Costs Well Under Benchmark
Total Admits
31
Patient admissions attributed to paid media over the quarter
Viable VOBs
68
Total viable verifications of benefits driven by paid campaigns
Cost Per Viable
$4,529
Blended cost per viable — well under standard target thresholds
Campaign Efficiency
- 42% reduction in cost per OON viable following mid-quarter optimization
- Cost per admit and cost per viable both outperformed benchmark accounts
- Lead costs improved quarter-over-quarter as the campaign system matured
Admissions Impact
- 31 total admits across the full campaign mix in a single quarter
- 19 OON admits at a cost per OON admit well within financial targets
- 139 total VOBs generated, providing a strong pipeline for continued scaling
Performance Breakdown
Results by Campaign Focus
By tracking performance at every stage of the funnel — from lead to VOB to viable to admit — we could measure true efficiency, not just surface-level lead costs.
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Book a Free Strategy CallWhat Made the Difference
Why This Campaign Outperformed
01
Optimizing for Admits, Not Just Leads
Most paid media campaigns stop at cost per lead. We tracked every conversion stage — lead to VOB, VOB to viable, viable to admit — and made campaign decisions based on what was actually driving patients through the door. That downstream focus is what separated efficiency from waste.
02
Speed of Feedback Drove Speed of Improvement
The tighter our intake integration, the faster we could act on what was working. By getting outcome data back into campaign decisions quickly, we compressed the optimization cycle — what might take months in a siloed setup happened week over week at Profound.
03
Match Type Strategy Adapted to Market Conditions
The behavioral health paid media landscape changed significantly in 2024 and 2025. Rather than forcing an exact match strategy that no longer fit market conditions, we pivoted to broad match paired with disciplined negative keyword management — and the cost efficiency gains showed immediately.
04
Geographic Precision Over Broad Coverage
Spreading budget evenly across geographies is efficient on paper but inefficient in practice. By continuously analyzing which regions were producing admits and reallocating away from underperformers, we ensured every dollar was working in markets where it could actually convert.
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