The Client
Insight Northwest Counseling is a private mental health practice. Therapy is a category where directories like Psychology Today and venture-funded teletherapy platforms absorb most search demand — and where a private practice's growth depends on connecting with clients directly.
Why Is Google Ads Hard for Counseling Practices?
- Teletherapy platforms spend millions on the same "therapist near me" queries a local practice needs.
- Directories outrank individual practices organically for nearly every therapy search.
- Healthcare ad policies constrain how sensitive conditions can be referenced in ad copy.
- Insurance, modality, and condition queries each carry different intent and economics.
What Did We Do Differently?
- Built campaigns around therapy-seeking intent — condition, modality, and "near me" queries from people ready to reach out.
- Sustained a 6.1% CTR with ad copy that was direct and human in a category where trust decides the click.
- Tracked calls and appointment-request forms to their keywords so budget concentrated on inquiries, not traffic.
- Excluded self-help, career, and information-only queries continuously to protect the budget.
What Results Did Insight Northwest Counseling Get From Google Ads?
| Metric | Verified Result |
|---|---|
| Client inquiries | 4,081 |
| Ad spend | $340K |
| Clicks | 87,730 |
| Impressions | 1.4M |
| Click-through rate | 6.1% |
| Average CPC | $3.88 |
Key Takeaways
- 4,081 client inquiries is caseload-scale demand for a growing multi-clinician practice.
- A 6.1% CTR against teletherapy giants shows a local practice can win the click on trust and relevance.
- A therapy client attending weekly sessions repays their acquisition cost within the first weeks of care.
How Much Should a Counseling Practice Spend on Google Ads?
This practice invested $340K over the life of the account and received 4,081 tracked client inquiries. Against the lifetime value of an ongoing therapy client — often dozens of sessions — the economics support sustained investment. The right budget is sized to the caseload your clinicians can carry; this account shows paid search can fill it at a predictable, trackable cost.
About This Campaign
All figures are lifetime totals pulled directly from the Google Ads account. Inquiries include tracked calls and appointment request forms.