Why your psychology clinic’s Google Ads aren’t working (and how to fix them)

If you’ve ever opened up your Google Ads account and thought, “I have no idea if this is working…” — you’re not alone.

Most psychology clinics we speak with have either:

• Tried Google Ads themselves and had no idea if it was doing anything
• Hired a generalist agency or freelancer that gave them clicks but no bookings
• Or gave up completely, assuming ads just “don’t work for psychology”

Here’s the truth: Google Ads can absolutely work for psychology clinics — but the platform isn’t built with allied health in mind. It’s set up to take your money, not protect it. And unless you know what to look for (and avoid), it’s easy to waste thousands without a single new client to show for it.

This guide will show you what’s actually going wrong with most clinic campaigns — and how to fix it.

1. You’re not clear on who you’re trying to attract

Before we even open a Google Ads account, we ask our clients one simple question:

“Who exactly do you want to attract?”

Not just “anyone who needs a psychologist.” That’s too vague. Too broad. And way too expensive.

Most clinics have never sat down and mapped out a proper Ideal Client Profile (ICP). They think they know their audience, but haven’t gone deep enough to influence ad strategy — things like:

• What exact problem is this person trying to solve?
• What keeps them up at night?
• What have they already tried before this?
• What’s the first thing they Google when they’re fed up and ready to take action?

Without this clarity, everything else breaks:

• Ad copy becomes generic and forgettable
• Landing pages try to speak to everyone and connect with no one
• Targeting is too broad, so Google shows your ads to the wrong people

What we do differently:

We always start with a detailed ICP before we touch the campaign. For example, our ICP “Sarah” is a 42-year-old principal psychologist with a team of 4–7. She wants consistent private client flow, less reliance on GP referrals, and a partner she doesn’t have to micromanage. She’s been burned before. She’s sceptical. She’s busy.

When you know that kind of detail, you stop writing bland ads. You start writing for real people.

2. You’re flying blind without proper conversion tracking

If you can’t track what’s working, you can’t grow — full stop.

And here’s the kicker: most clinics either don’t have conversion tracking set up at all, or they’ve done it in a way that gives them completely misleading data.

So even if leads are coming in, the client has no idea what’s working — or if anything is working at all.

Some common problems we see:

• Tracking website visits as conversions (spoiler: that’s not a conversion)
• Not tracking form submissions or call clicks at all
• Relying on Google’s “optimised” settings that count any action as success
• Not integrating with practice management software like Cliniko, Halaxy or Power Diary — where the real data lives

And when you don’t have proper tracking in place, two things happen:

1. You can’t optimise your campaigns — because you don’t know what’s driving actual enquiries
2. Google’s algorithm has nothing solid to work with, so it starts making bad guesses

Our process:

Before launching (or relaunching) any campaigns, we run a full audit on conversion tracking. We set up proper goals inside Google Ads and GA4, and make sure we’re tracking real outcomes — like phone calls, form fills, or online bookings.

It takes a bit of upfront work, especially when we’re integrating with PMS software. But it’s the only way to get visibility on what’s driving results.

3. You’re using the wrong campaign type (thanks, Google)

Here’s something that catches almost every clinic off guard:

When you create a new Google Ads account, Google quietly nudges you into setting up a Performance Max (PMAX) campaign.

It sounds great on the surface — automated ads across all of Google’s networks using AI. “More reach, more leads, less effort.”

Except for one problem: PMAX campaigns are a terrible starting point for psychology clinics.

Here’s why:

• PMAX needs data to work — without past conversions or account history, it guesses (poorly)
• You have no control over where ads appear or what search terms trigger them
• It’s almost impossible to diagnose what’s working or failing

We’ve had clinic clients come to us thinking PMAX was working — because Google said they were getting “conversions.” Turns out they were tracking page views or generic button clicks… not actual enquiries.

One client example:

They were spending hundreds on PMAX. Google was reporting lots of “conversions.” But when we looked under the hood, they hadn’t had a single new client from it.

We paused PMAX, built a proper search campaign based on their ICP, wrote better ad copy, created landing pages, and fixed conversion tracking. Within 3 months, they were getting 20 qualified leads per month at $40–$50 each, with a ~50% conversion rate into paying clients.

4. You’re sending traffic to the wrong page

If your Google Ads campaign is sending people to your homepage — stop.

It’s one of the most common (and expensive) mistakes we see.

The homepage is designed to show everything to everyone. But Google Ads traffic needs a clear path. Visitors clicked your ad for a specific reason — maybe they’re dealing with anxiety, burnout, trauma, or relationship issues.

• When they land on your homepage, they have to figure out:
• If they’re in the right place
• What service is relevant to them
• Whether or not to trust you enough to make contact

And most won’t stick around to figure it out.

What happens when you send ad traffic to the wrong page:

• You get a lower Quality Score (so your cost per click goes up)
• Your bounce rate skyrockets
• Conversion rates drop — often below 1%

What we recommend instead:

• A single-purpose landing page that matches the ad
• Clear copy that speaks to a specific issue (e.g. anxiety support for adults)
• One clear call to action (book a consult, submit an enquiry, etc.)

The difference between sending traffic to a homepage vs. a landing page? Often the difference between $100 per lead and $40 per lead.

5. Your ads are way too generic

Let’s be real: most psychology clinic ads could be copied and pasted from one website to another.

They sound like:

“Experienced, compassionate psychologists. Helping individuals and families. Book today.”

That might look polished, but it’s completely forgettable.

Generic ads get:

• Lower click-through rates
• Lower Quality Scores
• Fewer conversions
• Worse clients (if any)

Compare that to an ad like:

“Struggling with anxiety or burnout? Speak to a registered psychologist who gets it — no GP referral needed.”

Suddenly the ad feels human. Relevant. Real.

Our approach:

We write ads that speak to the actual pain points and motivations of your ICP. Clear messaging. Specific problems. Real solutions.

And when the ad, landing page, and targeting all align — that’s when the campaign starts humming.

6. Google isn’t your friend — and growth takes patience

Google is a business. And like any business, it wants your money.

This isn’t some conspiracy theory — it’s just how the machine works. Google’s main priority isn’t getting you more clients. It’s getting you to spend more on ads. That means they’ll happily recommend campaigns, keywords, and settings that benefit them, not necessarily you.

Ever seen that little “Recommended” badge next to campaign suggestions? Or had Google Ads email you saying “We’ve made changes to your account to help performance”?

Yeah… no.

We’ve seen those “recommendations” completely derail a campaign — automatically switching to broad match keywords, adjusting budgets, or turning on AI bidding strategies way too early.

Reminder: If you don’t know what the settings mean, don’t accept them blindly.
Google is not your strategist. It’s your auctioneer.

Be patient — real results take a little time

We know this is frustrating to hear, especially when you’re spending money every day. But even with a solid strategy in place, Google Ads takes some time to “warm up”.

Here’s a realistic timeline:

• Month 1: Strategy, setup, and data collection
• Month 2: Optimising based on actual search terms and lead quality
• Month 3: Campaign hits its stride — leads are consistent, CPL drops, Quality Score improves

By the 3-month mark, our clients usually have enough data and momentum to start scaling confidently. But if you panic in Month 1 and start making big changes based on emotion — or let Google’s AI take over — you’ll almost always reset the progress.

Analogy time:

Running Google Ads is like planting a veggie garden. If you dig it up every two days to see if it’s growing, you’ll kill the damn thing.

What clinic owners need to understand:

• Google Ads is powerful, but it’s not plug-and-play
• AI can help — but it still needs a clear human strategy behind it
• Chasing quick wins usually ends up costing more in the long run
• What matters most is clarity, consistency, and data you can trust

We don’t promise overnight results. But we do promise real ones — based on a system that’s built for your clinic, not Google’s revenue targets.

7. What we do differently (real client story)

Let’s pull back the curtain on how this actually works in the real world — because theory is great, but results are better.

One of our recent psychology clinic clients came to us after running Google Ads on their own for several months. They followed Google’s prompts, set up a Performance Max campaign, and trusted that things were working because… well, Google said they were.

Here’s what was actually happening:

• They were spending hundreds each month with no clear understanding of where the money was going
• Conversion tracking was completely off — Google was counting page visits and button clicks as “leads”
• They were sending traffic to their homepage, which didn’t speak directly to any one service or client type
• Their ad copy was vague, with no clear offer or hook
• And most importantly, they had no defined Ideal Client Profile

The worst part? They thought the campaign was performing. Google was showing them graphs that looked impressive… but their booking calendar was still patchy.

What we did instead:

• Nailed down their ICP — targeting private clients looking for help with anxiety, burnout, and stress
• Rebuilt the campaign from scratch — proper Search campaign structure, better targeting
• Rewrote their ads — speaking directly to their ICP with specific messaging
• Built new landing pages — focused, relevant, and optimised for conversions
• Set up proper conversion tracking — including phone calls and enquiry forms

The results?

• ~20 qualified leads per month
• ~$40–$50 cost per lead
• ~50% of leads converted into paying clients
• ~$100 cost per acquisition
• Each new client worth ~$2,000
• Consistent bookings and peace of mind

Final thoughts

If you’ve tried Google Ads and walked away disappointed — it’s probably not your fault.

You were likely set up to fail by a system that pushes the wrong campaign types, hides what’s really happening, and encourages you to spend before you’re ready.

But when you start with strategy, dial in your messaging, build around your ICP, and track what matters? That’s when Google Ads can become one of the most powerful ways to consistently grow your practice.

You don’t need more marketing noise.

You need a system that works — and a partner who gives a damn.

✅ Ready to attract better clients with Google Ads?

Let’s talk. Book a free strategy call and we’ll show you exactly what’s going wrong in your account — and how to fix it for good.