Therapy and counseling practices search demand in North Carolina (2026 data)

Market brief / Therapy and counseling practices in North CarolinaPage 1 of 1

ABottom line

A top 10 market with bid estimates 3% above the typical state.

Short answer

North Carolina is in the top 10 of 51 markets (the states and DC with data) for breadth of therapy and counseling practices search demand, with 63 distinct search terms at 100 or more searches a month. The median top-of-page bid is $16.21, 3% above the typical state ($15.73).

BTop searches

What people in North Carolina search for

The most-searched therapy and counseling practices terms in North Carolina, ranked by Google's monthly search range and then by bid. Close variants (the same words in a different order) are shown once, and brand, retailer and DIY searches are left out.

Table B.1 / Top searches, North Carolina
Search term	Monthly searches in North Carolina	Top-of-page bid
therapist near meNear me	10K-100K	$23.98
therapy for anxiety	1K-10K	$21.92
couples counseling	1K-10K	$21.74
relationship therapists	1K-10K	$21.23
relationship counseling	1K-10K	$20.69
counseling	1K-10K	$20.23
mental counseling	1K-10K	$19.93
couples therapy	1K-10K	$19.40
couples therapy therapist	1K-10K	$19.40
marriage counselor	1K-10K	$16.95
marital counseling	1K-10K	$16.95
marriage and relationship counseling	1K-10K	$16.95

Google Ads Keyword Planner, North Carolina, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026. Bids are Google's high-range top-of-page estimates, not cost per lead. Urgent and Near me tags are matched from the words in each term. Method.

CWhat it means

What this means for a therapy practice in North Carolina

#FindingWhat to do
C1
Bids track the typical state.A $16.21 median bid estimate sits close to the $15.73 typical-state figure.
C2
For the top 10% of terms, Google's top-of-page bid estimate (high range) is $22.26 or more.Those are usually the high-intent searches.

What to doRank organically for them: that is where the biggest savings sit.
C3
One of the broadest therapy and counseling practices markets in the country.Expect heavy competition for the Map Pack in the major metros.

What to doSpecific service pages and suburb-level relevance usually beat one broad page.
C4
Search demand per resident is below the national average.Index 80, where 100 is the US average.

What to doPlan targets on the state’s own numbers, not national averages.

DHow North Carolina compares

North Carolina against its nearest markets

Table D.1 / Nearest markets by breadth of demand
Rank	State	Distinct terms	Median bid estimate	Per resident
8	New Jersey	66	$17.72	92
9	Michigan	65	$16.06	83
10	North Carolina	63	$16.21	80
11	Ohio	63	$15.59	73
12	Virginia	62	$19.53	98
	Typical state (median)		$15.73	100

Google's ranges are wide, so states close together should be treated as similar. Method.

EWhere to start

Where to start

The full playbook for therapy practices, including job values, channels and a 90-day plan, is in How can a therapy practice get more clients?. For the channels behind the numbers above:

FIndex

Other industries in North Carolina

Google Ads Keyword Planner, North Carolina, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026Methodology

Disclosure. Strive LeadGen is a new company (founded 2026) building lead generation sites and flat-fee marketing for businesses like these. It has no clients yet. Guides cover channels Strive does not sell and cite their sources. Market figures are Strive's analysis of Google Keyword Planner data (method).

Therapy and counseling practices search demand in North Carolina