Let’s be honest—Google Ads sounds like it should be the perfect solution for psychology clinics.
People are searching for help. You’ve got the services to help them. So, whack up a few ads and the bookings should roll in, right?
But that’s not how it plays out for most clinics.
We’ve worked with dozens of clinics who said the same thing:
“Yeah, we tried Google Ads… I think it’s running okay? Google says it’s working. But we’re not seeing more bookings.”
Let’s unpack why that happens—and how to fix it.
⚠️ 3 reasons your Google Ads aren’t converting
1. You got funneled into a “Smart Campaign”
This is probably the most common trap.
Google practically nudges new advertisers into launching a Smart Campaign. It sounds good on paper—automated setup, Google handles everything, minimal effort.
But here’s the catch:
Smart Campaigns give you hardly any control.
You don’t get visibility on what keywords are triggering your ads, you can’t fine-tune bidding, and your ad copy is often bland and broad.
It’s like hiring someone to bake a cake with your money… but they won’t tell you what’s in it, how long it was cooked, or even if it has icing.
2. Your conversion tracking is broken (or non-existent)
This one stings.
We recently worked with a psych clinic in Melbourne who’d been told their Google Ads were generating dozens of conversions each week. But when we looked under the hood, we found they were tracking a “conversion” every time someone landed on the booking page.
Landing on a page ≠ booking an appointment.
That’s not just misleading—it’s dangerous. They were spending money thinking their ads were smashing it, when in reality no one was actually making an enquiry.
We fixed it by setting up true conversion tracking—recording conversions only after someone submitted the contact form.
Now, we can trace every genuine enquiry back to a specific ad. No more guesswork.
3. You’re sending paid traffic to your homepage
Homepages aren’t landing pages.
They’re broad, multi-purpose, and usually filled with distractions. A landing page, by contrast, is focused on one goal: converting a visitor into a lead.
Our Melbourne client was sending all their ad traffic to their homepage. Once we built them a purpose-built landing page—with clear messaging, a strong CTA, and a booking form above the fold—the conversion rate jumped almost immediately.
🛠️ What actually works
We’re not reinventing the wheel here. Here’s what we do to get Google Ads working properly for psychology clinics:
✅ Set up a search campaign (not smart) so we have full control
✅ Track real conversions, like form submissions or booked calls
✅ Use outcome-based messaging that matches searcher intent
✅ Send traffic to high-converting landing pages, not homepages
✅ Refine targeting and budgets using keyword research
✅ Audit and improve regularly—Google Ads is not “set and forget”
💬 A quick client story
That same Melbourne psych clinic? After switching from a Smart Campaign and dodgy conversion setup to a well-structured search campaign with real tracking, they started getting solid results.
They went from:
“We’re not sure if it’s working…”
To:
“We’re getting more appointment requests—and they’re from the right people.”
That’s what happens when you take control of your ads.
🧮 Let’s talk numbers
If you can generate qualified leads for $30–$50 per enquiry, and even half of those become paying clients… the math stacks up quickly.
If your average psychology client attends 6–10 sessions at $200 per session, that’s up to $2,000 lifetime value.
Spend $100, make $2,000.
Yes, please.
🎯 What to do next
If you’re already running Google Ads but not sure if they’re working—it’s time for a review.
We’ll review your setup, fix your tracking, and give you a clear action plan to start getting more bookings from the right clients.
Book a call with me, Joe, and we’ll run through what your marketing looks like, and how we can help Amplify your practice.