The Real Work Behind Google Ads: What You Need Before Spending a Dollar

Here's something most marketing agencies won't tell you upfront: a Google Ad, by itself, will not get you clients.

I know that sounds counterintuitive. After all, isn't that the whole point of advertising? But here's the truth—Google Ads are amplifiers, not generators. You're essentially handing Google money in exchange for more eyeballs on your website or landing page. The ad is just the bridge that connects people to your business. What happens when they cross that bridge? That's what determines whether you get clients or just drain your bank account.

I learned this the hard way. Years ago, I paid good money for ads that went absolutely nowhere. I was frustrated, confused, and honestly felt like maybe I just wasn't cut out for the business side of things. It wasn't until I understood what needed to happen before the ad that I saw my first real conversions. And that moment—seeing an ad actually work because I'd built the right foundation—changed everything for my practice.

If you're a therapist in private practice or running any service-based business, this post is going to walk you through the three critical things you need to have in place before you ever launch a Google Ad. Skip these, and you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Get them right, and you'll actually see a return on your investment.

Why Google Ads Fail (And Why It's Usually Not the Ad's Fault)

The trap most people fall into is thinking the ad itself is what generates business. But ads are just marketing tools that drive traffic. They don't do the converting—your content, your website, your follow-up system does that work.

When people are eager to grow, it's tempting to think that paying for ads is the shortcut. You want clients, you want to scale, and the idea of "just run an ad" feels so much easier than the tedious work of refining your website, crafting landing pages, and building out systems. I get it. That backend stuff isn't glamorous. It's not always fun, and honestly, it's hard to know if you're even doing it right until you test it.

But here's what happens when you skip it: you waste money, the ad doesn't work, and you start believing that ads—or marketing in general—just don't work for you. I've seen therapists become so jaded after a bad ad experience that they give up on growth entirely. Others bounce from one marketing guru to the next, never quite understanding what's going wrong. Some plateau and watch other practices grow while feeling stuck. It's disheartening, and it can make you question whether you're cut out for private practice at all.

You are cut out for it. You just need the right foundation first.

Step 1: Do Your Market Research (Yes, Really)

Before you write a single ad, you need to know if people are actually searching for what you offer. This isn't about guessing or going with your gut—it's about looking at real data.

Start with your current clients. If you're a therapist, look at your caseload. What are most people coming to you for? If you're another type of service provider, what problems are your customers consistently asking you to solve? This gives you a baseline for what already has demand.

Browse online like you're the client. Put yourself in your ideal client's shoes. If you specialize in DBT, search "DBT therapist near me." If you're a plumber, try "toilet repair near me" (or whatever actually applies to your work). See what comes up. Are other businesses advertising this? Are there people creating content around it? If others are doing it successfully, that's a good sign there's demand.

Use keyword research tools. Google Keyword Planner is free and will show you how many people in your area are searching for specific terms. Other tools like SEMrush work great too. The goal here is to find the middle ground—you don't want to advertise something no one's searching for, but you also don't want to compete for the most oversaturated keywords. Find that sweet spot.

Consider using AI for deeper research. Tools like ChatGPT's deep research mode can be helpful here. You can give it information about your business and ask it to research search demand for your specialty. You can also use it to find competitors and see what's working for them. Just don't rely on AI alone—use it alongside your other research to confirm what you're seeing.

The point of all this? You want to make sure there's actual demand for what you're planning to advertise. Otherwise, you're just throwing money at a problem that doesn't exist.

Step 2: Your Website and Landing Page Need to Convert

This is the big one. This is where most ads fail.

Your website needs to be solid overall—fast load times, easy navigation, clear calls to action. But here's what's non-negotiable: when someone clicks your ad, they need to land on a page that matches exactly what the ad promised.

If you're running an ad for anxiety therapy, that person better land on a page specifically about anxiety therapy. Not your homepage where you list anxiety, depression, DBT, EMDR, and every other service you offer. A dedicated page. For anxiety. Only.

This applies to every business. If you run a meal prep service and you're advertising Italian meals, the landing page is about Italian meals. Not all your meal options—just that one.

Why does this matter so much? Because confusion kills conversions. When someone clicks an ad, they're in a specific frame of mind, looking for a specific solution. If they land somewhere generic, they have to work to figure out if you're the right fit. And most people won't do that work. They'll just leave.

Your landing page also needs to be written well. I'm a big believer in the Pain-Agitate-Solution framework:

First, show you understand their pain. Don't lead with your credentials or how long you've been in practice. Lead with empathy. Show them you get what they're going through.

Second, highlight what happens if the problem doesn't get addressed. This isn't about fear-mongering—it's about helping them see why they need to take action now.

Third, present your service as the solution. This is where your specialty comes in. Anxiety therapy, meal prep service, whatever it is—this is where you make it clear how you help.

I didn't understand this for years. When I finally created a landing page using my own language, speaking directly to my clients' pain points, and made sure it was crystal clear—that's when I saw conversions for the first time. The landing page was doing the heavy lifting, not the ad.

Step 3: Have a System Ready to Follow Up Fast

This one's simple but so many people overlook it.

When you run ads and do the first two steps right, people are going to call and email. You need to be ready for that. Make sure your contact forms work, your calendar link isn't broken, and your phone number is correct.

But more importantly, be ready to respond quickly. When someone finds you through Google, they're often ready to take action right now. They might be calling three other therapists or businesses at the same time. The first one to respond usually wins.

Have a system in place. That might be as simple as making sure you're near your phone or checking email frequently. It might mean setting up automated responses or scheduling software. Whatever it is, don't let leads go cold because you took two days to get back to them.

Also, set up conversion tracking so you know whether people are coming from your ad. Ask people how they found you, but have the data to back it up too.

The Bottom Line

Google Ads work—but only when everything else is already working. The ad is just the amplifier. It makes your website, your landing page, and your follow-up system more visible. It doesn't fix them or improve them.

If you have a limited budget, don't spend it on ads right away. Spend it on getting your website right, your copy right, your brand awareness in place. Ads should be a higher-level tool you use once the foundation is solid.

I've seen too many talented therapists and business owners get jaded because they tried to skip the unglamorous work. They paid for ads, saw no results, and decided marketing just doesn't work for them. That's not true. Marketing works. You just have to do it in the right order.

Get your market research done. Build a landing page that actually converts. Have a follow-up system ready. Then—and only then—run your ads and watch them do what they're supposed to do: amplify what's already great.

Ready to build a practice that actually grows? If you need help with the foundation work that makes ads successful, reach out. I work with therapists and service providers who want to grow without the guesswork.