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By Benchmarketing Research Team Reviewed by Performance Marketing Editorial Reviewed March 2026 · observations Q1 2023 – Q4 2024Mental health Google Ads averages · all service types · 2026
6.61%
Avg CTR, physicians category average (LocaliQ)
Teletherapy and group counseling centers achieve the lowest CPA due to lower friction in the signup process and broader geographic reach. Eating disorder programs and addiction treatment have the highest CPA but also the highest client LTV — treatment programs often run 30–90 days at $5,000–40,000+.
| Segment | Median CPA | P25 | P75 | Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teletherapy / Online Therapy | $38 | $24 | $64 | <$18 |
| Private Therapy Practice | $58 | $36 | $96 | <$26 |
| Counseling Center (group) | $52 | $32 | $88 | <$24 |
| Psychiatric Services | $72 | $44 | $120 | <$32 |
| Addiction Treatment | $84 | $52 | $140 | <$40 |
| ADHD Treatment | $64 | $40 | $108 | <$30 |
| Eating Disorder Programs | $92 | $56 | $152 | <$42 |
Lower CPA is better. Elite = top 10% of accounts by CPA efficiency. All figures are cost per qualified lead or intake inquiry.
P25
$24
Median
$38
P75
$64
Elite
<$18
Private Therapy Practice $58 medianP25
$36
Median
$58
P75
$96
Elite
<$26
Counseling Center (group) $52 medianP25
$32
Median
$52
P75
$88
Elite
<$24
Psychiatric Services $72 medianP25
$44
Median
$72
P75
$120
Elite
<$32
Addiction Treatment $84 medianP25
$52
Median
$84
P75
$140
Elite
<$40
Eating Disorder Programs $92 medianP25
$56
Median
$92
P75
$152
Elite
<$42
Branded search and Local Services Ads deliver the highest CTR. Treatment-intent keywords ('therapy near me') outperform condition keywords on both CTR and conversion rate. Insurance-based keywords have lower CTR but attract highly qualified leads who are specifically looking for in-network coverage.
| Segment | Median CTR | P25 | P75 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branded Search | 8.4% | 5.2% | 14.4% |
| Condition Keywords (anxiety, depression) | 4.4% | 2.8% | 7.6% |
| Treatment Keywords (therapy near me) | 5.2% | 3.2% | 8.8% |
| Insurance-based Keywords | 3.8% | 2.4% | 6.4% |
| Local Services Ads | 8.8% | 5.4% | 15.2% |
Higher CTR is better. Campaign types reflect standard search campaign structures for therapy practices.
Treatment-intent keywords dramatically outperform condition-research queries
Mental health searches fall into two intent categories with very different conversion behavior. Condition-research queries ('symptoms of anxiety,' 'what is depression') have high volume but low conversion intent — the user is learning, not booking. Treatment-intent queries ('therapist near me,' 'anxiety therapy [city],' 'ADHD psychiatrist') indicate active help-seeking and convert at 2–3x the rate. Mental health advertisers who structure campaigns around treatment intent rather than condition awareness see 40–60% lower CPA with the same budget.
Many mental health seekers prefer calling to filling out web forms
Seeking mental health support is a high-vulnerability moment. Many people — particularly those in acute distress, older demographics, or those managing shame and stigma — prefer the privacy and immediacy of a phone call over submitting personal information through a web form. Call extensions on all ads and call-only ads during business hours consistently outperform form-only conversion strategies for private therapy practices. Add a direct phone number prominently to every landing page and track calls as a primary conversion event.
Google's sensitive category policies require careful compliance
Mental health advertising falls under Google's healthcare and medicines sensitive category. Key constraints: (1) Addiction treatment centers require LegitScript certification to run ads, (2) Certain ad copy around self-harm or crisis situations is restricted or flagged, (3) Custom intent audiences built around mental health conditions are restricted for remarketing under HIPAA-adjacent policies, (4) Enhanced Conversions with hashed data is preferred over standard pixel tracking for HIPAA-adjacent compliance. Build compliance review into your campaign setup workflow, not as an afterthought.
Teletherapy platforms have structural CPA advantages over local practices
Online therapy platforms like BetterHelp and Talkspace have driven national awareness of online therapy, which benefits all teletherapy advertisers through reduced education friction. Teletherapy has the lowest CPA in the mental health category ($38 median) because: (1) The service area is national or statewide rather than local, increasing addressable audience, (2) The signup flow is faster and lower-friction than traditional appointment booking, (3) Many teletherapy platforms use subscription models that spread CAC across longer LTV. Private practices should consider a telehealth offering to access this lower-CPA acquisition channel.
Treatment-intent keywords, phone accessibility, and Google's policy compliance are the core levers for mental health advertisers.
01Bid on condition keywords with treatment intent modifiers
Structure campaigns around condition + treatment pairs rather than condition alone. 'Anxiety therapy near me' and 'depression counselor [city]' convert at 2–3x the rate of 'anxiety symptoms' because the intent is active help-seeking, not passive research. Build ad groups around condition clusters (anxiety, depression, trauma/PTSD, ADHD, relationship issues) and pair each with local-intent modifiers. Use phrase match and exact match to control which queries trigger your ads and exclude pure research queries with negative keywords like 'symptoms,' 'what is,' 'causes of.'
02Use call extensions on every ad — many mental health seekers prefer calling
Mental health is a high-vulnerability service. Many people — particularly those in distress, older demographics, or those navigating insurance complexity — strongly prefer calling over submitting personal information through a form. Add call extensions to all search campaigns, use call-only ads during business hours (9am–6pm), and make your phone number the most prominent element on every landing page. Track all calls as conversions (Google Ads native call tracking or a tool like CallRail) — practices that add call tracking discover their true conversion rate is 2–3x higher than form-only tracking shows.
03Comply with Google's sensitive category guidelines for healthcare ads
Mental health advertising intersects with Google's Healthcare and Medicines policy and the Sensitive Events policy. Before launching: (1) If you offer addiction treatment, complete LegitScript certification, (2) Review your ad copy for language that could be flagged as exploiting vulnerability or creating undue urgency around mental health crises, (3) Set up conversion tracking using hashed Enhanced Conversions rather than standard pixel tracking to maintain HIPAA-adjacent compliance, (4) Do not build remarketing audiences based on specific mental health conditions — use general website visitor audiences instead.
04Use Local Services Ads if available in your market for therapists
Google LSA for therapists and mental health counselors is available in select US markets. LSA for therapists appears above all standard search results with a Google Screened badge, charges per verified contact (call or message), and achieves 8.8% median CTR — the highest format available. The verification process requires license upload and background check. If LSA is available in your market, it should be the first campaign you launch. Standard search campaigns then serve as supplementary reach for specific condition keywords and branded terms.
05Build remarketing audiences to re-engage non-converting visitors
Most visitors to a therapy practice website do not convert on the first visit — they're researching, building courage, or comparing options. A well-structured remarketing strategy re-engages these visitors across Google Display Network and YouTube with soft, supportive messaging ('Still looking for support? We're here when you're ready'). Use general site-visitor audiences, not condition-specific audiences, to remain compliant with Google's healthcare remarketing policies. Remarketing campaigns for mental health services typically see 3–5x lower CPA than prospecting campaigns because you're reaching people who have already self-selected interest.
Mental health advertising must comply with Google's Healthcare and Medicines policy and the Sensitive Events policy. Key restrictions: (1) Addiction treatment centers must be LegitScript certified to advertise on Google, (2) Ad copy that exploits vulnerable situations or creates urgency around mental health crises is restricted, (3) Certain remarketing audience categories based on health conditions are restricted. Most general therapy practices (anxiety, depression, couples counseling, ADHD) have minimal restrictions. Always verify your specific service type against Google's policy documentation before launching campaigns.
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These benchmarks are drawn from a multi-source benchmark cohort aggregated across industries and regions, covering the period Q1 2023 – Q4 2024. Figures on this page come from the Benchmarketing benchmark dataset: thousands of curated benchmark observations spanning channels, industries, and US metro areas, refreshed on a published schedule. Every statistic traces to a named source — no anonymous “studies show.” Data is sourced from:
The Benchmarketing 4-Band Method reads every marketing metric against four percentile bands — P25 (bottom quartile), median, P75 (top quartile), and elite (top ~10%) — for a specific industry and channel, instead of a single cross-industry average. Averages blend brand and non-brand campaigns, $500/month and $500,000/month accounts, and unrelated industries into a number almost nobody actually has.
Benchmarks reflect median values across large sample sets. Your industry, business model, and account maturity will cause variation. Use P25/P75 ranges to understand realistic distribution.
Read full methodologyWritten by
Benchmarketing Research Team
Data & Analytics
Reviewed by
Performance Marketing Editorial
Senior Review
Last updated
Reviewed March 2026
Observation period: Q1 2023 – Q4 2024
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