Calls, conversions, and changing journeys: three priorities for care home marketers

Longer research cycles, more focus on short-term care, and an ever-growing need for more insight into care seeker behaviour – explore the highlights from our spring 2026 trends report.

This spring’s care homes trends report paints a picture of stability. Enquiry volumes are growing steadily, teams are maintaining their budgets, and marketers are adapting well to new care seeker behaviours.

But stability doesn’t necessarily mean simplicity.

Every care seeker arrives at their decision by a different route. They’re bouncing between channels, taking longer to make decisions, and exploring AI-powered search. Savvy marketers understand that last-click metrics can’t tell the whole story all by themselves – and they’re making total clarity their top priority.

Here are three ways you can make that happen, backed by our newest data:

1. Understand your care seekers

Care seekers have plenty to tell you through their behaviours.

For example, our call volume data shows dips in the summer and winter months each year, which means that care seekers are generally less likely to enquire at these times. However, calls driven by the ‘respite’ keyword peak in those months – so those windows could be the perfect time to run campaigns targeting short-stay residents.

Every care home group will have its own indicators for identifying its most promising enquiries. Pay close attention to when care seekers are most active, the types of care they’re searching for, and which interactions drive their decision-making.

2. Use channels tactically

The best channel strategies are fluid, changing frequently to match how care seekers are really navigating their journey.

Care home marketers are especially adept at switching between paid and organic channels to target different audiences and care types. This spring’s data shows a small swing towards web traffic from Google PPC, with a two-percentage-point increase versus a three-percentage-point decrease in Google organic.

Many marketers increased their PPC spend last year to offset the potential impact of AI search. And it appears to be working; both call volumes and website visitors increased by 9% year on year.

3. Optimise for conversions

For spring 2026, the visitor-to-call ratio (VCR), which compares visits to a care home’s website with calls originating from the website, dropped by 7.5% year on year. That means more visits before care seekers pick up the phone.

A longer research cycle means there are more opportunities to build trust and intent. Micro-conversions, like content downloads, are important indicators that care seekers are getting ready to convert. Optimise for those moments by pairing resources with clear calls to action.

A well-managed call is the shortcut to scheduling a move-in. Analysing previous calls to identify common topics and concerns – and paying attention to where care seekers have been so far – can set call handlers up for a far more successful conversation.