Google Ads for Therapists: To Do or Not to Do?

Google Ads is a sensitive topic for many therapists. On one hand, colleagues say they're getting new clients from it. On the other hand, you need a few hundred euros per month, you don't know what you're doing, and advertising quickly feels like something that doesn't fit your way of working. This article offers an honest assessment, with figures and practical rules of thumb.

What Exactly Are Google Ads?

Google Ads are the sponsored results at the top of a Google search page. You pay per click (CPC, cost per click). For therapy-related keywords in the Netherlands, that click price ranges between 0.80 and 3.50 euros, depending on the search term and the city. A search term like 'psychologist Amsterdam' quickly costs 4 euros per click, whereas 'somatic therapy Utrecht' is more like 1 to 2 euros.

When Google Ads Can Be Smart

There are three situations in which Google Ads can be useful for a therapist.

• You've just started and your SEO is non-existent. Ads give you temporary visibility while you build your organic ranking.
• You have a specific niche therapy (like Somatic Experiencing for grief, or NARM for attachment trauma) that few colleagues advertise for.
• You have an open schedule you want to fill within three months, and the financial flexibility to invest.

When Google Ads Are Not a Good Idea

And there are clear situations where Ads become an expensive lesson:

• Your website is not yet finished or converts poorly (then you're sending paid traffic to a leaky bucket).
• You don't have a clear first-step offer (introduction, scan, initial consultation).
• You have less than a 200 euro monthly budget (too little to learn from data).
• Your positioning is still vague (Ads only reinforce what's already there).

Google Ads are an amplifier. They make a good practice visible faster, and an unclear practice empty faster.

Realistic Figures

An honest calculation example for an average somatic therapist in a medium-sized city. Suppose: 300 euros per month budget, average click price 1.80 euros. That's about 165 clicks per month. If your website converts well (3 to 5 percent of visitors make contact), that yields 5 to 8 contact requests. Roughly half of those book an introductory session, and roughly half of those become clients. Result: 1 to 2 new clients per month, for 300 euros.

With a session rate of 130 euros and an average of 8 sessions per client, that's an ROI of 3 to 7 times. Great, provided all conditions are met. But many therapists don't achieve these figures because their landing page isn't optimized.

The Cheaper Route That Usually Works Better: SEO

For most somatic therapists, becoming organically findable yields more in the long run than Ads. You pay once for good content and then continue to be found for years. Also read SEO for Somatic Therapy for how to approach this without pushy tactics, and Becoming Findable as a Therapist for the complete handbook.

A healthy combination often looks like this: first ensure your website and local SEO are in order (3 to 6 months of work). Only then, if everything converts, consider Ads as an accelerator for specific campaigns (for example, a new location or a specialization).

If You Still Want to Try Ads: 5 Rules of Thumb

• Always send Ads traffic to a specific landing page, not your homepage.
• Start with local, specific search terms (your city + your methodology), not broad terms.
• Exclude irrelevant search terms as negative keywords (like 'training', 'vacancy').
• Set a strict monthly budget and agree to evaluate after 3 months.
• Measure everything: clicks, contact requests, booked intakes, paying clients.

An Ethical Concern: Paid Visibility for Vulnerable Seekers

People searching for 'help with trauma' or 'always scared' are often in a vulnerable state. For some therapists, it feels uncomfortable to be at the top with a paid ad then. That's a legitimate consideration. On the other hand, if you're not at the top, someone else is, and that other person might be less careful. A careful ad from a good therapist is not a betrayal, it's a presence.

What helps: write your ad text as you would address a friend. No screaming promises, no scarcity tricks, just a quiet 'somatic therapy in Utrecht, first introduction free'. That fits who you are and naturally filters for the right people.

What AI Search Engines Do With Your Ads Budget

Since 2025, a growing portion of search queries for therapists goes through ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google's own AI Overviews. These answers cite organic sources, not ads. This means two things: your Ads budget reaches a smaller group than two years ago, and the clients you win through Ads are more often the less prepared searchers. The well-informed reader increasingly lands on your organic knowledge base article via an AI summary. All the more reason to see SEO and substantive authority as the foundation, and Ads only as a tactical accelerator.

Conversion Measurement in NL and BE: Consent Mode v2

Since March 2024, Google requires Consent Mode v2 for those advertising in the EU. Without a correctly implemented cookie banner, Google Ads records hardly any conversions, and without conversion data, the algorithm doesn't learn which clicks become clients. For therapists, this means: before you put a euro into Ads, your cookie banner must demonstrably control Consent Mode v2, and your conversion pixel must be on the thank you page. Otherwise, you measure nothing, and the system optimizes for clicks instead of clients.

In Summary

• Google Ads can work for therapists, but only if the foundation (website, positioning, first-step offer) is in place.
• Realistic budget to learn: at least 300 euros per month, for 3 consecutive months.
• For most practices, good local SEO is a better long-term investment.
• Combine both: SEO as the foundation, Ads as an accelerator for specific goals.
• Keep your ad tone calm and honest; pushy text attracts pushy energy.

Next Steps

Not sure if your site is ready for Ads? First, do the Practice Scan. It will show in a few minutes whether your website converts enough to make paid traffic profitable, or if you need to work on your foundation first.