Advertising

Google Ads for therapists

Google Ads for therapists is an excellent marketing strategy for therapists hoping to fill their private practices. Google Ads, previously called Google AdWords, is a form of advertising that takes place directly on the Google search results page. Because of their prominent placement, Google Ads help you get directly in front of potential clients that are looking to hire a therapist as soon as possible.

As a specialist in marketing for therapists (hi, I’m Kristie), my opinion on Google Ads for therapists has changed over the years. But as of today, I highly recommend that therapists invest in Google Ads. In this piece, I’ll explain how Google Ads works, important metrics in Google Ads, and why it can be a great marketing strategy for therapists compared to other strategies.

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Google Ads, like all other forms of advertising, involves paying a platform for exposure to potential clients. There are all sorts of online advertising platforms, from Instagram ads to the display ads that clutter up your favorite food blogger’s recipe posts.

Google Ads are placed at the top of Google’s search results. This prominent placement is highly beneficial, but how does Google actually decide whose ads show up?

How does the Google Ads auction work?

You can think of Google as an auctioneer. Google–our auctioneer–is standing at the podium of our digital auction, notifying us (and other companies) which keyword a searcher just entered into Google. If we want to show up for that keyword, we enter a bid, i.e. how much we’re willing to pay for our ad to show up for that keyword. Our competitors also enter bids.

Based on a number of factors (including how high a bid is), Google displays three to four ads at the top of their search results.

If you “won” the auction and Google displays your ad (congratulations!), you only get charged if the searcher clicks on your ad. This is why Google Ads is often referred to as “pay-per-click” advertising. 

There are many bidding strategies for therapists, but be careful: some bidding strategies will blow your money quickly. These bidding strategies are typically automated and recommended by Google to businesses who don’t understand Google Ads. We recommend a more manual approach to bidding, which is best left to the professionals.

A quick disclaimer: Google Ads is highly technical, which is why I don’t typically recommend that therapists run a Google Ads campaign on their own. That’s also why I’m not explaining how to run your own campaign in this piece. That being said, if you are highly motivated to learn how to run your own Google Ads campaign, I recommend this course on Udemy. I’ve taken this course myself!

  • Keywords, or the words we enter into Google to find information, run the gamut.

    We use some keywords to shop for jeans, others to look up Kim Kardashian’s net worth, and others to find service providers (like therapists!). Therapists investing in Google Ads should only target keywords that people use to find therapists, like “depression therapist near me,” “best therapist in Chicago,” or “couples counseling.” Target keywords that “laypeople” would search–do not use jargon! There are many keyword research tools that can help you find keywords, so I don’t recommend guessing anyways :)

  • Budgeting for a Google Ads campaign as a therapist is fairly straightforward. At a high level, you choose a maximum amount of money you would like to spend on Google Ads per day. This should be a minimum of $30, especially since some clicks will cost well over $30.

    You can also set a “budget” (i.e., your bid) on the keyword level, since some keywords will be more valuable to you. For example, if you specialize in therapy for entrepreneurs, you will want to bid higher for keywords like “therapist for entrepreneurs.” Getting granular with keywords is one of the most powerful components to Google Ads.

    Keep in mind that keywords range in competitiveness, so the higher the competition, the higher your bid has to be. In some cases, this might not be worth it for you. Targeting niche keywords is often a better strategy for budget-conscious campaigns.

Although I don’t recommend that therapists manage their own Google Ads campaigns, I do recommend that therapists understand how Google Ads campaigns work and the metrics used to assess the success of campaigns so they can have constructive conversations with their Google Ads campaign managers.

Data is crucial to the success of your Google Ads therapy campaign. With data, you can reassess what’s working, what’s not, increase bids on keywords that bring in aligned clients, and calculate ROI (return on investment).

Here are the most important metrics for counselors to understand in Google Ads.

Cost-per-click

The first metric to understand in a Google Ads campaign is cost-per-click. This is exactly what it sounds like: cost-per-click is how much you are charged when someone clicks on your ad.

Cost-per-click ranges across industries (I’ve seen as low as a few dollars and as high as $500) and keywords within industries.

In the therapy industry, I would budget around $20 per click.

Cost-per-acquisition

Cost-per-acquisition is the amount of money you spend to acquire one client. In my opinion, cost-per-acquisition is the metric that’s most representative of a well-run Google Ads campaign.

Just because someone clicks on your ad doesn’t mean that they will become a client. For example maybe you sign a client every ten clicks. If the clicks cost you about $20 each, you spent about $200 to acquire one client.

This might seem high to you, but this is the exchange with Google Ads. There are less financially intensive forms of marketing (which I’ll explain in a moment), but what Google Ads offers is immediate exposure to potential clients. That comes at a premium.

Note that if you are a private pay practice, your cost-per-acquisition will likely be higher than practices who take insurance since less people will be willing to invest in cash pay therapy.

Although there is some sticker shock involved with cost-per-acquisition ($200 per client??), don’t be alarmed. Remember that the ultimate success of a Google Ads campaign comes down to one thing: did you make your money back? Enter ROI.

ROI

ROI, or return on investment, is exactly what it sounds like: did you get a return on your investment in Google Ads?

  • First, calculate the lifetime value of a client. This is the average amount of money you make on a client throughout your time working with them. For example, if (on average) you charge $150 per session and see a client four times per month for one year, the lifetime value of a client is $7,200.

    Second, ask your Google Ads campaign manager for your cost-per-acquisition. Let’s use our previous example: your average cost-per-acquisition is $200.

    Finally, subtract your cost per acquisition from your clients’ average lifetime value.

    [ $7,200 - $200 = $7,000 ]

    That’s right: your hypothetical Google Ads made you $7,000!

    In my opinion, if you’re getting an ROI, a Google Ads campaign is worth it.

Choosing a marketing strategy for your private practice is a complex decision.

I’ll focus on why (or why not) you should choose Google Ads by breaking down the different factors that go into selecting any marketing strategy.

I’ll also include a pros and cons comparison table for the five major marketing strategies for therapists: Google Ads, SEO, social media marketing, directories, and networking.

  • Cost is one of the most significant factors business owners take into consideration when committing to a marketing strategy. And it makes sense! Cost can be prohibitive.

    I won’t lie to you: Google Ads is more expensive than other forms of marketing like SEO, directories, and networking.

    But remember ROI? In my opinion, if you’re still getting an ROI, the expense of a Google Ads campaign is worth it.

  • Like I said before, I don’t typically recommend that therapists run a Google Ads campaign on their own. Google Ads is complicated, so it’s best to receive professional training or hire someone else to do your Google Ads for you.

    Because you will likely completely hand off your Google Ads to a professional, Google Ads does not take up any of your time.

  • What’s a “brand building” marketing strategy?

    Brand building marketing consists of marketing activities that are long-term investments in your brand’s organic presence. With Google Ads, you are paying Google to get in front of potential clients. With organic marketing, you “earn” your place on the Google search results or on a potential client’s TikTok feed by creating high quality content, doing PR, etc.

    If you aren’t paying Google for an ad placement, potential clients won’t be finding your business. This is often called paid media, while SEO and social media are earned media.

    Some therapy businesses don’t need to invest in brand building; I know plenty of private practices that run their businesses on Google Ads alone. After working with hundreds of therapists, I’m also not convinced that all therapists are up to the challenge of building a brand. Brand building is a bit of a slog, and there certainly isn’t any instant gratification! That being said, if it’s important for you, I understand (and I’m the same way).

  • Google Ads is highly competitive for some keywords (and that competition will be reflected in their cost-per-click). But even though competition is present in Google Ads, small businesses can still afford to run a Google Ads campaign.

    Some platforms, like SEO and social media, are becoming increasingly competitive, so ranking on page one or going viral on Instagram is becoming less realistic for small businesses. Unfortunately, companies like Google and Facebook are favoring established brands with high marketing budgets that can afford consistent, high quality content output and PR campaigns.

    It’s unfortunate, but competition online is sharply rising these days.

  • One of my favorite things about Google Ads is tracking. If a Google Ads campaign is set up well, you can easily track the ROI you’re getting from your campaign. What’s even better is that ROI is usually immediate!

    SEO takes a while to go into effect. When our clients start SEO with us, we tell them to mentally and financially prepare for not signing clients for a year. With Google Ads, you’ll likely be signing clients within a week or two after they click on your ad!

  • Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Google all have one thing in common: algorithms. To improve their user experience (and in all likelihood make more money), they tweak their algorithms to alter who shows up more consistently on their platforms.

    Speaking from experience, this can be a bit of a rollercoaster. Google’s Helpful Content Update really shook things up in 2022 almost as much as Instagram’s Reel update. Although I’m a major proponent of building trust with these platforms and playing into their algorithms, it’s not for everyone. Google Ads is immune to algorithm changes like these, which makes Google Ads a highly predictable form of marketing.

Still not sure if Google Ads is for you? I made a pros and cons chart of each of the major marketing strategies for therapists.

The table is broken down by financial investment, time investment, if the activity builds your brand organically over time, how competitive that marketing strategy is, how immediate the ROI is, and how consistent the marketing strategy is. Consistency asseses how how consistent referrals will be, which can be affected by many things (including algorithm updates).

If you’re on your phone, I recommend turning your phone so you can see the whole table horizontally.

Marketing Strategy Finance Investment Time Investment Brand Building Competition Immediate ROI Volatility
Google Ads No Yes No
SEO Yes No Yes
Social Media Yes No Yes
Directories No Sometimes Yes
Networking Yes No Yes

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