How To Use Google Ads for Therapists

Last Updated on: 6th November 2024, 12:06 pm

Want to learn the strategies and expected budgets needed to effectively advertise your therapy practice on Google Ads? With over 15 years of experience, I’ve worked with numerous therapists who have successfully used the advertising platform to grow their practices painlessly.

Ready? Let’s take a look!

Why Should You Consider Google Ads?

Google Ads is a very, very powerful platform. You’ll be able to display targeted ads on Google’s search results, and unlike SEO (search engine optimisation) which can take months, Google Ads provides almost instantaneous results!

Additionally, Google Ads is a PPC (pay-per-click) platform, so you only pay when a potential client clicks on your ad. This helps you control your budget and ensure you’re maximising your returns.

How to Set up a Google Ads Campaign as a Therapist

Before setting up your Google Ads campaign, define your unique offer for your ads. 

What incentive or special service can you provide to entice potential clients to choose your practice over others? For example, free consultations, sliding scale rates, immediate availability, insurance options, or telehealth services.

Next, determine your LTV (average client lifetime value), the revenue you generate from a single client over their lifetime. Knowing your LTV helps you understand how much you can afford to spend on acquiring new clients through Google Ads.

Then, calculate your CPA (cost per acquisition) so far to understand how much you’ve spent acquiring a new client.

Finally, we come to the part where I want you to work smart – not hard. Instead of considering your general client base, focus on your best clients. 

When reviewing your client base, can you spot any patterns for the following:

• Geographical areas
• Demographics
• Income
• Behaviour

Yes? Fantastic! Those are the people you will tailor your campaigns to, so you make the most of your budget and ensure every click goes a long way. 

What Is the Ideal Starting Budget?

Unless you’re working with a professional Google Ads agency, I’d recommend starting off slow. Set aside a budget to test your ads for 2-3 months, and plan for £20 per day (£600 per month). 

Remember that the first month is experimental. 

Your account and campaigns undergo the learning period from the ads platform, and you need to gather data and optimise your Google Ads campaigns before you see the actual ROI.

P.S. If you work with a Google Ads Partner agency, you can also get free advertising credits.

How to Create Google AdWords Ads for Therapists

If you’re new to advertising your therapy or medical practice on Google Ads, I recommend keeping it simple with a search campaign.

As you log into your Google Ads account, follow the instructions to set up the search network campaign. This way, you’ll be using keywords to narrow down your audience. 

However, if you already have first-party data in your CRM (customer relationship management tool), you can also experiment with customer match, where Google tries to find more customers similar to your best existing ones.

However, this is an advanced strategy, so I highly recommend consulting a Google Ads coach. 

Define your campaign location settings, targeting specific areas where you want your ads to appear. Set your budget and bidding strategy, keeping your average cost per click (CPC) in mind. 

Then, create ad groups for each service or practice area. It’s essential to keep these separate – the more relevant each ad is, the higher your Quality Score (and the lower your CPC). In some cases, you should test single keyword ad groups (SKAGs), too.

Plus, you can speak more accurately to each audience segment when you’re not trying to cover five areas at once.

For example, if you do CBT and eye-movement desensitisation, create separate ads for each.

Keyword Strategy & Google Ads for Therapists Plan

Think about what your ideal clients would search for when looking for therapy services and make sure you have a clear plan for your Google Ads.

It’s good to brainstorm this manually or talk to your existing clients, but you can also use tools like Google Keyword Planner and SpyFu.

Then, understand what types of keywords they look for during different stages of their journeys:

• Gathering information – “What is cognitive behavioural therapy?”
• Closer to making a decision – “Narrative exposure therapy”
• Selecting the best provider – “CBT therapists near me”

You’ll get the best results from bottom-of-the-funnel keywords (closer to deciding to contact a therapist). 

However, others can also be great for increasing awareness about your practice, especially if your website has a marketing funnel. 

How to Write Compelling Google Ads for Therapists

While Google Ads has automated many aspects of copywriting with responsive search ads, you should still ensure your headline and description variations are enticing.

Firstly, remember your thoughts about differentiation. What sets you apart from other therapists? Is it your specialisation, experience, or approach?

Then, address the pain points. What challenges or issues do they face that therapy can help with? 

Finally, include empathic CTAs (calls to action) and use ad extensions to provide more ways for the clients to contact you. 

Creating Landing Pages

Each landing page should align with that ad group’s target keywords. 

That way, the clients get a confirmation that they’ve come to the right place. It also helps with your Quality Score, which in turn decreases your CPC. 

Make sure you prominently display a way to contact you on your landing page, as well as CTAs that encourage clients to get in touch, like “Schedule a session today.”

To increase conversions, include details about your practice: 

• Your approach to the main practice area
• Your qualifications
• Testimonials and reviews

Learn more about creating fantastic landing pages for Google Ads.

How to Track Your Google Ads Results

The best way for you to track performance is by using conversion tracking. Click here to see the setup process.

When it comes to metrics, keep an eye on the following:

• Click-through rates (CTR)
• Conversion rates
• Cost per conversion

They’ll help you understand what you can optimise further. And speaking of optimisation…

How to Optimize Your Campaigns

After the first month, review your campaign performance and identify areas for improvement. There are a lot of things you can test (from ad copy to landing pages and targeting).

However, I want to make sure your budget goes as far as possible, so I’d recommend focusing on your bidding:

• Test the “Maximise Conversions” bid strategy as soon as possible.
• Compare each keyword’s performance and then increase/decrease bids accordingly.
• Don’t let Google Ads pull you into auto-applying recommendations, as they might not work for your account.

Bidding can be complex, and I always recommend contacting an expert. However, you can do a lot with patience and the willingness to learn! Set aside time each month to review your campaigns, make necessary adjustments, and experiment with new strategies.

Get More Clients for Your Practice with Google Ads!

Google Ads is a fantastic tool to expand your reach (and client base). There is a learning curve, of course, but it ultimately places you where your clients need you: in the search engine results pages, just when they’ve decided to improve their lives.

And if you need assistance, get your copy of my best-selling Google Ads book that shows you how to build a profitable campaign in 7 rapid steps, or contact me for personalised assistance.