Digital advertising for sensitive fields like mental health services requires a careful balance: reaching the right audience, building trust, and ensuring ad spend delivers maximum results. When this client, a mental health clinic, first approached us, they were struggling to scale their marketing efforts. Despite running Google Ads campaigns, they were only generating 20–30 leads per month on an ad spend of about $1,500.
Our challenge was clear: increase lead volume while maintaining cost-efficiency and improving the overall quality of leads. Over time, with strategic management and optimization, we transformed their Google Ads account into a powerful growth engine—scaling ad spend to $6,000–$7,000 per month while generating 250+ leads per month.
Here’s how we did it.
Step 1: In-Depth Phrase and Audience Research
The mental health field is nuanced. People searching for therapy, counseling, or psychiatric help often use a wide variety of search terms—some highly specific (e.g., “cognitive behavioral therapy near me”) and others very broad (e.g., “talk to a therapist online”).
Our first step was to conduct comprehensive keyword research and audience analysis:
Keyword mapping: We identified high-intent search terms that were likely to result in genuine appointment requests rather than casual browsing.
Audience segmentation: We studied demographics, location data, and behavioral signals to ensure our ads reached people actively seeking help rather than those with casual or informational interest.
Negative keyword filtering: We eliminated irrelevant terms (such as research topics or student queries) to prevent wasted spend.
This foundation ensured that every dollar spent was more likely to connect the clinic with someone genuinely interested in booking an appointment.
“Our challenge was clear: increase lead volume while maintaining cost-efficiency and improving the overall quality of leads. Over time, with strategic management and optimization, we transformed their Google Ads account into a powerful growth engine—scaling ad spend to $6,000–$7,000 per month while generating 250+ leads per month..”
Guy Abramov
Step 2: Targeted Campaign Setup
With the research in hand, we completely restructured the Google Ads account. Instead of one broad campaign, we built niche-targeted campaigns designed to match different intent levels and demographics.
For example:
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Geographic targeting: Ads were customized to the clinic’s service areas, ensuring no budget was wasted on irrelevant regions.
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Service-based segmentation: Separate campaigns were set up for therapy, psychiatric evaluations, group counseling, and telehealth sessions.
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Ad scheduling: We optimized campaigns to run during the clinic’s business hours and peak inquiry times, aligning ads with when potential clients were most likely to call.
This structure gave us much tighter control over budget allocation and performance.
Step 3: Marketing Content and Ad Creative Improvements
Mental health advertising requires empathy. People in distress are not looking for aggressive sales tactics—they’re looking for understanding, trust, and reassurance.
We worked on refining the ad copy and creatives to reflect these values:
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Warm, welcoming ad messaging that emphasized confidentiality, compassion, and professional expertise.
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Clear calls-to-action like “Book a confidential appointment today” or “Talk to a licensed therapist now.”
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Experimentation with ad formats, including responsive search ads, display remarketing, and call ads, to maximize visibility and engagement.
The creative shift immediately made the brand more approachable and trustworthy to potential clients.
Step 4: Landing Page Optimization
Even the best ads will fail if the landing page doesn’t inspire confidence. We collaborated with the client’s web team to redesign and optimize landing pages. Key changes included:
Simplified appointment request forms (reduced from multiple fields to only essentials).
Trust-building elements like testimonials, qualifications of practitioners, and assurance of confidentiality.
Mobile-first design to ensure a seamless experience for users searching on their phones.
Faster page load speeds to prevent drop-offs.
These adjustments improved the overall user experience and helped convert more clicks into real leads.
Step 5: Continuous Data Analysis and Optimization
Google Ads is never “set and forget.” Our approach included daily monitoring, weekly optimizations, and monthly strategic reviews.
Some of the key optimizations included:
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Bid adjustments for top-performing demographics and times of day.
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Ongoing keyword pruning to remove underperforming or irrelevant queries.
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Ad copy testing to identify the best-performing messaging variations.
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Conversion tracking setup to measure real appointment bookings rather than just form submissions.
This data-driven approach ensured campaigns stayed efficient as we scaled budgets upward.
Results
The transformation was dramatic. Within months of taking over the account, the client saw exponential growth:
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Lead volume: Increased from 20–30 leads/month to 250+ leads/month.
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Ad spend scaling: Grew from $1,500/month to $6,000–$7,000/month—while maintaining cost efficiency.
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Improved cost per conversion: Despite spending more, the cost per lead decreased, meaning the client was paying less per appointment request than before.
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Higher-quality leads: Because of refined targeting and landing page improvements, the clinic reported that more inquiries were from serious, ready-to-book clients.
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Conversion rate: Increased steadily over time, as landing page and ad optimizations aligned with user intent.
Client Satisfaction and Key Takeaways
The client was extremely pleased with the results, particularly the rapid scalability. They were able to increase staffing and expand services to handle the influx of new appointments. Our strategic approach not only delivered more leads but also helped build a sustainable growth engine for their business.
This case study highlights a few important lessons for businesses in sensitive industries like healthcare:
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Targeting matters. Reaching the right audience with the right message is more valuable than simply increasing traffic.
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Empathy in ad copy drives trust. People seeking sensitive services respond to warmth and professionalism.
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Landing page optimization is critical. A seamless and reassuring user experience can double or triple conversion rates.
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Data-driven iteration fuels growth. Continuous testing and optimization ensure campaigns remain efficient even as budgets grow.
Summary
When we first began working with this client, their Google Ads efforts were underperforming—limited spend, low lead volume, and no clear growth path. By implementing a comprehensive strategy combining research, targeted campaigns, empathetic creatives, landing page optimization, and ongoing data analysis, we turned their ad account into a growth powerhouse.
From 20–30 leads per month at $1,500 spend to 250+ leads per month at $6,000–$7,000 spend, this case study demonstrates how structured, empathetic, and data-driven digital marketing can transform a business in the mental health space.
About the Author
Guy Abramov is a digital marketing expert and the founder of ProbizGrow, a performance-driven agency specializing in Google Ads and PPC strategy. Since 2007, Guy has been helping businesses across industries grow by building data-driven campaigns, optimizing performance, and delivering measurable results.
With over 17 years of experience, he has managed hundreds of accounts worldwide, scaling budgets efficiently while maximizing ROI. Guy’s expertise spans Google Ads, Meta, SEO, analytics, and digital growth strategies for both startups and established brands.
Beyond client work, he shares his knowledge through consulting, courses, and speaking engagements, empowering business owners and marketers to succeed in today’s competitive digital landscape.