How do you stand out in a crowd of therapists when someone types “anxiety therapist near me” on Google? This is where Google Ads becomes more than just a marketing tool—it becomes a way to be seen when help is most needed.
In 2024, advertising remained Google’s most significant income source, making up 77.8% of its full revenue. That shows just how strong and broad Google Ads’ reach is. For therapists, this means real opportunities to connect with people who are not just browsing but searching for help.
This therapy marketing guide walks through proven ways to use Google Ads to draw in the right people—those looking for the support you can give.
Is Your Mental Health Practice Ready for Paid Ads?
Use this quick checklist before spending your ad budget.
What’s a New Client Worth?
Know the lifetime value of a client so you can set realistic goals for cost per conversion.
Why Are You Advertising?
Is it to attract clients, get referrals, or find supervisees? Your goal shapes your strategy.
Who Are You Targeting?
Define your ideal client by location, budget, needs, and background for focused outreach.
Are You Using the Right Google Ad Keywords?
Choose terms that bring in actual clients, not just clicks, at the lowest cost.
Is Your Ad Creative Clear and Compelling?
A strong copy, a clear call to action, and focused messaging are key to engagement.
Will Your Landing Page Convert?
Don’t just direct to your homepage—build pages designed to turn clicks into bookings.
Are You Tracking and Tweaking?
Monitor your campaigns and adjust regularly to avoid wasting spend.
Do You Have a Reporting Plan?
Make sure your ad data connects with site analytics so you can see real results, such as the cost per new appointment.
As of early 2025, Google earns nearly $80 billion every three months from ads—make sure your dollars don’t disappear into the void.
10+ Google Ads Strategies Tailored for Therapists
Here are some methods that work well for therapy practices using Google Ads. Each is made for mental health work and is based on how real clients search, click, and choose their therapist.
1. Target High-Intent Keywords
Not all keywords bring the same kind of traffic. For therapists, the best ones are the words real clients type in when they are ready to act. These are called high-intent keywords. They show that the person wants help now—not just reading about mental health. That is why “trauma therapist near me” works better than “What is trauma?”
Start with keywords that match your service and location. Use words like:
- “child therapist in Brooklyn”
- “online therapy for couples”
- “grief counseling near me”
These phrases tell you two things: the person wants help, and they want it soon. Use keyword match types well. Start with a phrase match or exact match so your ad only shows for close fits. Avoid broad matches in the start—it wastes money.
Build small ad groups for each topic. If you offer trauma therapy and marriage counseling, DO NOT run an ad for both. Make two sets of keywords and two ads. This helps the ad match what the user types.
Also, use negative keywords. If you do not take insurance, add “insurance” as a negative. That way, your ad won’t appear to people looking for covered care.
Check Google’s Keyword Planner tool. It gives you search data and ideas. Look for keywords with high volume but low competition, and always check the cost per click before adding them. Some mental health terms can be costly.
2. Use Local Area Targeting
Therapy is often a local choice. Even with online sessions, people still want someone nearby. Google Ads lets you show ads only in the places you work. This makes sure your money goes to people who can book with you.
Start by setting your location in the campaign settings. Choose cities, zip codes, or even a radius around your office. Avoid setting a large area. It leads to more clicks from people who won’t drive to you or live out of state.
Use location-specific keywords, too. If you’re based in Austin, use terms like:
- “Austin anxiety therapist”
- “therapy in Austin for teens”
This doubles your chance of reaching the right person: once through keyword, once through area.
Use callout extensions with city names. These short lines appear below your main ad. For example, “Trusted Dallas therapist for over 10 years.” This builds local trust.
If you serve multiple major locations, run a separate campaign for each. Do not mix San Diego and Los Angeles in the same ad group. People know the difference, and they want local help.
Check your reports to see which areas bring real leads. If one zip code gets clicks but no calls, remove it. Shift your budget to areas that convert.
Tip: Test ads during local work hours. People in your city may be more likely to call during lunch or after work. Use ad scheduling to match that.
3. Create Therapy-Specific Landing Pages
A good ad gets the click, but a strong landing page turns that click into a client. A generic homepage doesn’t do the job. Your landing page should match what the person searched for—whether it’s anxiety help, teen therapy, or trauma recovery.
Source: Freepik
Create pages based on the service, audience, or need. For example, if someone searches “child therapist near me,” the page they land on should speak directly to parents, describe how you work with children, and explain what to expect.
Use focused pages like:
- Service-specific (e.g., trauma therapy, grief support)
- Audience-specific (e.g., couples, teens, men)
- Format-based (e.g., online sessions, phone therapy)
- Location-based (e.g., Therapy in Brooklyn)
Make sure the headline reflects the ad copy. Keep only one goal per page, such as booking or calling. Use clear buttons, short text, and calming colors. Add credentials, a brief bio, and, if allowed, a client quote.
Tools like Unbounce or Leadpages can help you build clean landing pages without code. This is your first impression—make it calm, focused, and action-ready.
4. Highlight Licenses and Credentials
When someone looks for a therapist, they want to feel safe and sure. Your ad should showcase that you’re licensed, trained, and have a certain years of experience (if any). A short line about your credentials builds instant trust.
Don’t use vague titles like “mental health expert.” Be specific—use “Licensed Therapist” or your degree, such as LCSW, LMFT, or PsyD. You can also name a treatment approach if it matches the search. CBT, EMDR, and trauma-focused care are terms that some users recognize and trust.
Also, use ad extensions to repeat key info. Add “Licensed in NY” or “15 Years in Trauma Therapy.” This adds credibility without taking up space in your primary copy.
5. Add Quick Contact Options
When someone is ready to book, every extra step becomes a risk. Make it easy to reach you. Google Ads lets you add contact tools to your ad so the user does not have to click twice.
Call extensions let you add your phone number right below your ad. On mobile, it turns into a tap-to-call button, which means a person in stress can reach you with one touch. Set it to show only during your work hours. This keeps you from missing calls at 2 a.m.
Use an actual number. Do not use a tracking line that leads to a menu or a long wait. If you use a system like Google Voice or CallRail, test the call flow by calling yourself and seeing how long it takes to speak to a real person.
Add booking links as site links in your ads. These links can take the user straight to your calendar. Tools like Calendly, SimplePractice, or Jane offer booking pages you can use. These let clients choose their time, fill a form, and confirm—all without calling.
Add labels like “Book a Free Call” or “Check Availability” to your site links. People scan, not read, so these small words help them know what to click.
Track which calls come from ads. Tools like CallTrackingMetrics or WhatConverts help you know which keywords bring real clients, not just clicks. This lets you shift your spending to what works.
In essence, fewer steps mean fewer drop-offs. Make your ad lead straight to a decision.
6. Write Trust-Building Ad Copy
People don’t search for therapy on a good day. They search when they feel lost, hurt, or unsure. Your ad should speak to that pain—not in a loud voice, but in a calm, clear one.
The best ad copy doesn’t just describe your service. It shows that you understand and builds trust in a few short lines. You don’t need grand words—you just need the right ones.
- In each ad, address only ONE problem. Avoid listing all your services. Focus on what the person needs most in that moment—grief help, trauma care, or anxiety support.
- Use calm, direct words like “safe,” “private,” “licensed,” and “one-on-one.” These words offer comfort without adding emotion.
- Add a time frame or experience if you have it: “10 years in anxiety therapy,” “specializing in trauma since 2012.”
- Avoid pushy calls to action. Use “Talk to someone today” or “Start with one session.”
- Keep tone steady. Avoid all caps or exclamation marks. Use a clear promise: “Real support from a trained therapist.”
- Always match your copy to the keyword. If the ad concerns teen therapy, speak only to parents or teens. Keep focus tight.
7. Filter with Negative Keywords
Not every search is a good match. Someone might look up “therapy jobs,” “free counseling,” or “insurance-based therapy”—but if you don’t offer those, their clicks waste your budget. This is where negative keywords help. They block your ad from showing on searches that don’t lead to bookings.
Use Google Ads’ negative keyword tool to add terms that don’t match your services. Review search terms weekly and add new ones as you go. This step keeps your clicks focused and costs in check.
Examples of negative keywords for therapists:
- free
- jobs
- salary
- insurance
- course
- training
- certificate
- university
- reviews
You can also block broad searches. For example, if you treat trauma only, block terms like “marriage counseling” or “child therapist.” If you only serve one city, block the nearby areas you don’t serve.
8. Schedule Ads for Conversions
People don’t search for therapy at random. Many look during lunch, after work, or late at night. Your ad should show when people are most likely to act. Google Ads lets you choose days and hours to run your campaigns. Use this to focus your budget on genuine leads, not random clicks.
Start by checking Google Ads reports for time-of-day performance. Look at conversions, not just clicks. A high click count in the morning means little if no one books. Adjust your schedule based on when people act.
Here’s a basic idea of how therapy searches often behave:
Set your ads to show in these windows. Then, monitor for changes over time. Use hour-based data to improve your spending. Run tests weekly to find the most active hours for your area and service.
When the ad runs at the right time, it meets the client right where they are—ready to act.
9. Segment Campaigns by Therapy Type
A single campaign for all services leads to mixed results. Every type of therapy meets a different need, speaks to a distinct group, and requires its own message. Google Ads works best when each campaign is focused on one goal. This starts with splitting campaigns by therapy type.
Run separate campaigns for trauma therapy, anxiety care, marriage counseling, or teen support. This lets you tailor each ad, keyword set, and landing page. You can also track which service brings the best return.
If you offer both EMDR and CBT, split them. Each draws different clients. Someone looking for EMDR knows what they want. Someone searching “help for flashbacks” may need more guidance. One ad cannot speak to both.
Split also helps with the budget. You may want to spend more on anxiety therapy if that brings more calls. If trauma care brings few clicks, pause it or change the copy. Campaign segments also help you test. You can try new calls to action or landing pages for each group. No overlap. Clear data.
When you divide by therapy type, you control the message. You match the right words to the right need. And that gets results.
10. Target Life Transition Events
People often search for therapy not by diagnosis but by what they are going through—a breakup, a job loss, a move, or becoming a new parent. These are moments when people reach out. You can build strong campaigns around these points.
Think of therapy as a support tool during change. Use that to shape your ads. Focus not just on mental health terms but on the real-life problems that lead to the need.
Build campaigns around:
- Divorce or separation
- Grief after loss
- Moving to a new city
- Pregnancy or new parent stress
- Career change or burnout
Each life event brings a mix of stress, grief, or fear. People may not type “depression” but may type “feel lost after divorce” or “need help after layoff.”
Use soft, direct language. “Support after loss” or “Therapy for life change” work better than clinical terms here. Match your landing page to the event. Talk about what clients may feel and how you can help them move forward.
Track each group. Some life stages lead to more sessions. Others may need short-term help. Tailor your offer to the time they’re in.
You’re not just treating pain. You’re guiding people through change.
11. Bid on Symptom-Based Keywords
Many people search for how they feel, not what they have. They don’t type “clinical depression.” They type “why do I cry at night” or “I can’t sleep from stress.” These are symptom-based keywords. Bidding on them helps you reach people earlier—when they are searching but unsure.
Focus your ad groups on one symptom per group. If you want to target sleep issues, use group terms like:
- “trouble sleeping”
- “waking up with fear”
- “night anxiety”
If targeting panic, group terms like:
- “heart racing at night”
- “feel like I can’t breathe”
- “panic attack at work”
Write ads in the same language. Avoid big labels. Use short, calm lines. “Struggling to sleep?” or “Worried all day?” fits better than “Treatment for GAD.”
Use Google’s search term report to find what people type. Add new terms as you go. Remove those that don’t convert.
Build matching landing pages. When people see your words on the page, they stay, feel understood, and act!
This method helps you reach those who may not even know they need therapy. You meet them with care, not diagnosis, which builds trust early and earns the click.
The people you want to reach are already searching. Some type with fear, some with hope, and many with no clear name for their feelings.
Google Ads gives you the rare chance to meet them at that exact moment—before they close the tab, before doubt sets in, and before they give up.
But the tool alone won’t do the work. Success comes from the choices you make—choosing the right words, the right time, and the right tone. It comes from showing not just what you do but who you help and how you help them. That’s what builds trust.
Every click is a chance to start a change. Use these strategies to guide each one toward your door—with care, clarity, and purpose.
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