Why Your Google Ads Aren’t Reaching Abortion-Minded Women (And How to Fix It)

By Cornerstone Marketing Strategies

A Texas pregnancy center was spending $2,000 per month on Google Ads with virtually zero results. No phone calls. No appointments. No lives saved. After a complete campaign overhaul, they went from invisible to indispensable—and you can too.

The Painful Reality

You’re investing hundreds or even thousands of dollars every month into Google Ads. Your board approved the budget. Your donors are supporting it. But when you check your analytics, the results are devastating:

High click costs but few meaningful conversions
Clicks from the wrong audience
Ad disapprovals and policy violations
Competitors (including abortion providers) outranking you
A sinking feeling that you’re wasting money while women slip through the cracks

Here’s the truth: Most pregnancy center Google Ads campaigns are fundamentally broken—not because of budget, but because of strategy.

The good news? Every single problem is fixable. And the centers that fix them see dramatic results.

The Texas Center That Changed Everything

Let me tell you about a pregnancy center in Texas that was ready to give up on Google Ads completely. They’d been running campaigns for eight months, spending roughly $2,000 per month, with almost nothing to show for it.

Their previous marketing agency had set up generic campaigns targeting broad keywords like “pregnancy help” and “pregnancy center.” The ads were getting clicks, but the wrong kind. Most visitors bounced within seconds. Appointment bookings were nearly nonexistent.

When they came to us, their executive director said: “We’re about to cancel Google Ads. Convince me it can actually work.”

We rebuilt their campaigns from the ground up using the strategies I’m about to share with you. Within 90 days:

Appointment requests increased by 312%
Abortion-minded client visits went up by 90%
Cost per conversion dropped by 64%
They’re now reaching 3-4 abortion-minded women per day

The same budget. Completely different results. Here’s exactly what we changed—and what you need to fix in your campaigns right now.

Problem #1: You’re Not Targeting Abortion-Related Keywords (Or You’re Doing It Wrong)

The Mistake:

Many pregnancy centers avoid using the word “abortion” in their Google Ads campaigns. They target safe, comfortable keywords like:

“Pregnancy help”
“Pregnancy center near me”
“Free pregnancy test”
“Unplanned pregnancy”

These keywords are fine, but here’s the problem: Women who are actively considering abortion aren’t searching for “pregnancy help.” They’re searching for “abortion clinic near me.”

If you’re not bidding on abortion-related keywords, you’re invisible to the women who need you most urgently.

The Fix:

You need to bid on abortion-related keywords. Yes, it feels uncomfortable. Yes, some board members might push back. But consider this: Every search for “abortion clinic near me” is a woman you could reach—if you’re willing to show up in that search.

Essential Abortion-Related Keywords to Target:

“Abortion clinic near me”
“Abortion pill”
“How much does an abortion cost”
“Abortion services [your city]”
“Medication abortion”
“Abortion pill online”
“First trimester abortion”
“Abortion cost [your state]”

Important Google Policy Note: As of 2022, Google requires you to certify as an advertiser when targeting abortion-related keywords. Your ads will also include a disclosure stating whether or not you provide abortions. This is actually a GOOD thing—it ensures transparency and helps women know exactly what services you offer.

How to Certify:

Go to your Google Ads account
Navigate to Settings → Business Information
Complete the advertiser verification process
Submit your certification for abortion-related advertising

Pro Tip: Don’t let certification deter you. It’s a straightforward process that typically takes 24-48 hours to approve. The alternative—not appearing when women search for abortion—means you’re forfeiting lives to abortion providers by default.

Problem #2: Your Ad Copy Doesn’t Speak to Her Pain

The Mistake:

Most pregnancy center ads read like brochures:

❌ “Free pregnancy testing and ultrasounds. We’re here to help!”

❌ “Pregnancy Center of [City]. Caring support for women.”

❌ “Confidential services. Call today!”

These ads are generic, forgettable, and don’t address what’s actually going through her mind at 2 AM when she’s searching for answers.

The Fix:

Your ad copy needs to:

Acknowledge her fear and uncertainty
Offer immediate, practical help
Create urgency without pressure
Use language she’s actually using

Better Ad Copy Examples:

✅ “Considering Abortion? Get the Facts First” Free ultrasound & options counseling. Know all your choices before you decide.

✅ “Unplanned Pregnancy? You Have Options” Free pregnancy test, ultrasound & support. Confidential. No judgment. Same-day appointments.

✅ “Abortion Pill Questions? We Have Answers” Understand the risks, process & alternatives. Free consultation. Call or text 24/7.

✅ “Before You Schedule Your Abortion…” Get a free ultrasound to know your options. Confidential support. Available today.

Notice the difference? These ads:

Use the word “abortion” directly
Speak to specific concerns (facts, options, risks)
Offer concrete next steps (free ultrasound, consultation)
Create a sense of “now” without being pushy
Use empathetic, non-judgmental language

The Formula for Effective Ad Copy:

Headline: [Address her search intent] + [Offer hope/alternative] Description Line 1: [Specific free service] + [What she’ll learn/gain] Description Line 2: [Reassurance] + [Clear call-to-action]

Problem #3: Your Landing Pages Don’t Match Your Ads

The Mistake:

A woman clicks your ad about “abortion pill information” and lands on your generic homepage with a smiling family photo and a paragraph about your mission statement. She bounces immediately.

This is called “message mismatch” and it’s killing your conversion rates. Google also penalizes you for it with lower Quality Scores, which means you pay MORE per click.

The Fix:

Every ad group needs a dedicated landing page that continues the conversation from the ad.

If your ad says: “Abortion Pill Questions? Get Answers” Your landing page should have:

A headline about abortion pill facts/information
Detailed, factual content about medication abortion
Clear explanation of what your center offers (free consultation, ultrasound, etc.)
Prominent call-to-action to schedule an appointment
Click-to-call phone number

Landing Page Must-Haves:

Headline that matches the ad (Google checks this for policy compliance)
Above-the-fold call-to-action (phone number, scheduling button)
Mobile-optimized design (most searches happen on phones)
Fast load time (under 3 seconds or she’s gone)
Trust signals (reviews, credentials, years in service)
One primary action (don’t give her 10 different options)

Example Landing Page Structure:

[ABOVE THE FOLD]
Headline: "Abortion Pill: What You Need to Know"
Subhead: "Get accurate information before you decide"
[CALL NOW BUTTON] [SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT BUTTON]

[SECTION 1]
"What is the Abortion Pill?" - Brief, factual explanation

[SECTION 2]
"What They Don't Tell You" - Risks, side effects, emotional impact

[SECTION 3]
"You Have Other Options" - Parenting support, adoption, material assistance

[SECTION 4]
"How We Can Help" - Free ultrasound, options counseling, ongoing support

[CALL TO ACTION]
[SCHEDULE BUTTON] [PHONE NUMBER]

Critical Compliance Note: With Google’s 2022 policy updates, your landing page content MUST match your ad messaging. If your ad mentions abortion services but your landing page only talks about prenatal support, you’ll get disapproved. Be consistent and transparent.

Problem #4: You’re Using the Wrong Match Types

The Mistake:

You set up campaigns using broad match keywords and wonder why you’re getting clicks from people searching for:

“Abortion statistics”
“Abortion debate”
“Abortion laws by state”
“Pro-life vs pro-choice arguments”

None of these searchers are pregnant women seeking help. You’re wasting money on irrelevant traffic.

The Fix:

Understand and properly use Google’s keyword match types:

Broad Match: “abortion clinic”

Triggers for: abortion clinic, abortion clinics near me, abortion debate, anti-abortion clinic, abortion news
Use sparingly – only for discovery of new keyword variations

Phrase Match: “abortion clinic”

Triggers for: best abortion clinic, abortion clinic near me, find an abortion clinic
Good middle ground – captures variations while maintaining relevance

Exact Match: [abortion clinic]

Triggers for: abortion clinic, abortion clinics
Most control – but might miss some relevant searches

Recommended Strategy:

Start with phrase and exact match for your core keywords
Add broad match modified for discovery (with close monitoring)
Build a robust negative keyword list (see next problem)

Problem #5: Your Negative Keyword List is Non-Existent (or Insufficient)

The Mistake:

You’re not using negative keywords at all, which means your ads show up for completely irrelevant searches that drain your budget.

The Fix:

Build a comprehensive negative keyword list. These are terms that trigger your ads but represent searchers you don’t want to reach.

Essential Negative Keywords for Pregnancy Centers:

Informational (Not Action-Intent):

Statistics
Debate
Arguments
History
News
Laws
Policy
Amendment
Supreme court
Roe v wade
Research
Study
Essay
Article

Wrong Intent:

Jobs
Career
Hiring
Volunteer
Donate
Donation
Fundraiser
Pro-life
Pro-choice
Protest
Rally

DIY/Unsafe Methods:

Home abortion
Natural abortion
Herbs
Vitamin c
DIY
Self-induced

Wrong Location (if you’re local):

[Other cities/states not in your service area]

Medical/Professional Searches:

Medical school
Nursing
Training
Certification
License

Pro Tip: Review your search terms report weekly and add new negative keywords regularly. This is ongoing maintenance that can save you hundreds of dollars per month.

Problem #6: You’re Not Using Ad Extensions (Free Real Estate!)

The Mistake:

Your ads appear with just a headline and description, taking up minimal space on the search results page. Meanwhile, your competitors’ ads are three times larger with phone numbers, location information, and additional links.

The Fix:

Use ALL available ad extensions. They’re free, they increase your click-through rate, and they improve your Quality Score (which lowers your costs).

Essential Ad Extensions:

1. Call Extensions

Displays your phone number directly in the ad
Enables click-to-call on mobile (where most searches happen)
Track phone calls as conversions

2. Location Extensions

Shows your address and distance from the searcher
Links to Google Maps
Increases trust (you’re a real, local organization)

3. Sitelink Extensions

Add 4-6 additional links below your ad
Examples: “Free Ultrasound,” “Schedule Appointment,” “Pregnancy Options,” “Text Us,” “Our Services,” “FAQs”

4. Callout Extensions

Short phrases that highlight key benefits
Examples: “Confidential Services,” “Same-Day Appointments,” “No Cost Ever,” “Text or Call 24/7,” “Licensed Medical Staff”

5. Structured Snippets

Show categories of services
Example: “Services: Free Pregnancy Tests, Free Ultrasounds, Options Counseling, Material Assistance, Parenting Classes, Adoption Referrals”

6. Message Extensions

Allow people to text you directly from the ad
Critical for younger demographics who prefer texting

The Impact: Ads with all extensions can take up 2-3x more screen space than basic ads, dramatically increasing visibility and click-through rates.

Problem #7: Your Budget is Exhausted by Noon

The Mistake:

You set a daily budget of $50, and by 11 AM, your ads stop showing for the rest of the day. You’re missing evening searches when many women are researching their options in private.

The Fix:

This is a two-part solution:

Part 1: Optimize Ad Scheduling Look at your analytics to see when abortion-minded women are actually searching and converting:

Peak times are often: 9 PM – 2 AM (private, emotional searching)
Lunch hours: 12 PM – 1 PM (breaks from work)
Early morning: 6 AM – 8 AM (before others wake up)

Adjust your bid modifiers to:

Increase bids during high-conversion times
Decrease or pause during low-conversion times

Part 2: Increase Budget OR Improve Efficiency

Option A: If your ads are working, ask for more budget. Show your board the cost per appointment and cost per life saved.

Option B: If budget is fixed, improve efficiency:

Remove poor-performing keywords
Improve Quality Scores (better ad relevance = lower costs)
Focus budget on highest-intent keywords
Use negative keywords aggressively

Example Budget Allocation:

60% to abortion-intent keywords (abortion clinic, abortion pill, etc.)
25% to options/alternatives keywords (unplanned pregnancy, pregnancy options, etc.)
15% to support/help keywords (pregnancy help, free pregnancy test, etc.)

Problem #8: You’re Ignoring Mobile Optimization

The Mistake:

Your ads look great on desktop, but 70%+ of pregnancy-related searches happen on mobile devices. Your landing pages are slow to load, buttons are too small to tap, and phone numbers aren’t clickable.

The Fix:

Mobile-Specific Ad Copy:

Keep headlines short (will truncate on small screens)
Use clear, simple language
Include “Call Now” or “Text Us” in ad copy

Mobile Landing Pages Must Have:

Load time under 3 seconds (test with Google PageSpeed Insights)
Click-to-call phone number at the very top
Large, finger-friendly buttons
Minimal form fields (name, phone, email at most)
No pop-ups or interstitials that frustrate mobile users

Mobile Bid Adjustments: Since mobile drives most pregnancy searches, consider increasing mobile bids by 20-50% to ensure you’re winning those placements.

Problem #9: You’re Not Tracking Conversions Properly

The Mistake:

You’re measuring success by clicks or impressions instead of actual appointments and lives saved. You don’t know which keywords, ads, or campaigns are actually bringing in abortion-minded women.

The Fix:

Set up proper conversion tracking for:

Primary Conversions:

Phone calls (using Google’s call tracking)
Form submissions (appointment requests)
Live chat initiations
Text messages

Secondary Conversions:

Contact page visits
Time on site (2+ minutes)
Multiple page views
Downloaded resources

Attribution Window: Extend your conversion window to at least 30 days. A woman might click your ad today but not call until next week after she’s processed everything.

The Power of Data: Once you’re tracking conversions properly, you can:

Identify which keywords bring in the most appointments
See which ad copy resonates best
Calculate true ROI (cost per appointment, cost per life saved)
Make data-driven budget decisions
Report concrete results to your board and donors

Problem #10: You’re Not Remarketing to Previous Visitors

The Mistake:

A woman visits your website, reads about your services, then leaves. She’s gone forever—or ends up at an abortion provider’s site instead.

The Fix:

Set up remarketing campaigns to stay top-of-mind with women who’ve already shown interest.

How Remarketing Works: When someone visits your site, a cookie is placed in their browser. You can then show them ads as they browse other websites, reminding them you’re here to help.

Effective Remarketing Strategies:

1. Time-Based Sequences:

Day 1-3: “Still Have Questions? We’re Here to Help”
Day 4-7: “Schedule Your Free Ultrasound Today”
Day 8-14: “You Don’t Have to Decide Alone”

2. Page-Specific Remarketing:

Visited abortion pill page → Show ads about medication abortion facts
Visited options counseling page → Show testimonials from women you’ve helped
Visited contact page but didn’t convert → Show urgency messaging

3. Frequency Caps: Don’t overwhelm her. Limit to 3-5 ad impressions per week maximum.

The Results: Remarketing typically has 2-5x higher conversion rates than cold traffic because these women already know who you are and what you offer.

The Complete Campaign Structure That Works

Here’s the proven campaign structure we use for pregnancy centers:

Campaign 1: Abortion Intent (Highest Budget – 50-60%)

Ad Group 1: Abortion Clinic Searches
Ad Group 2: Abortion Pill Searches
Ad Group 3: Abortion Cost/Process Searches

Campaign 2: Options/Alternatives (Medium Budget – 25-30%)

Ad Group 1: Pregnancy Options
Ad Group 2: Alternatives to Abortion
Ad Group 3: Unplanned Pregnancy Help

Campaign 3: Support Services (Lower Budget – 10-15%)

Ad Group 1: Free Pregnancy Test
Ad Group 2: Free Ultrasound
Ad Group 3: Pregnancy Center [City]

Campaign 4: Remarketing (Small Budget – 5-10%)

Remarketing to all website visitors

Each ad group has:

3-5 highly relevant keywords
3-4 ad variations (for testing)
Dedicated landing page
All ad extensions enabled

The Quick-Win Checklist

If you only have time to fix ONE thing today, start here:

✓ This Week:

Add abortion-related keywords to your campaigns
Complete Google’s advertiser certification
Set up call tracking
Add click-to-call to all mobile ads

✓ This Month:

Create dedicated landing pages for each ad group
Build comprehensive negative keyword list
Enable all ad extensions
Set up conversion tracking properly

✓ This Quarter:

Implement remarketing campaigns
Optimize ad scheduling based on conversion data
A/B test ad copy variations
Refine budget allocation based on performance

When to Get Professional Help

Here’s the honest truth: Google Ads for pregnancy centers is complex. The stakes are high—every dollar wasted is a life you didn’t reach. The learning curve is steep, especially with constantly changing policies around abortion-related advertising.

You should consider professional help if:

You’re spending $1,000+ per month with poor results
You don’t have 5-10 hours per week to manage campaigns
You’re getting frequent policy violations
Your board is questioning the ROI
You want results faster than trial-and-error allows

At Cornerstone Marketing Strategies, Google Ads management is our specialty. We’ve built, optimized, and managed campaigns for over 400 pregnancy centers. We know what works because we track every phone call, every appointment, and every life saved.

That Texas center I mentioned at the beginning? They’re now one of our most successful clients. The same budget that once produced zero results now brings in 3-4 abortion-minded women per day. Their annual report to donors now includes concrete numbers: “Your marketing investment helped us reach 847 women considering abortion this year.”

The Bottom Line

Your Google Ads aren’t reaching abortion-minded women because of specific, fixable problems—not because digital marketing doesn’t work for pregnancy centers. The centers that invest in proper strategy consistently see dramatic results.

The question isn’t whether Google Ads can work. The question is whether you’re willing to implement what actually works, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Every day your campaigns stay broken, women slip through the cracks. Every search for “abortion clinic near me” that you don’t appear in is an opportunity lost.

You have a choice: keep doing what you’ve always done and hope for different results, or implement proven strategies that have helped hundreds of centers reach thousands of women.

Ready to Fix Your Google Ads?

Get a Free Campaign Audit: We’ll review your current campaigns and show you exactly what’s working, what’s broken, and what opportunities you’re missing. No sales pitch—just honest analysis and actionable recommendations.

Schedule a Strategy Call: Let’s discuss your specific situation, budget, and goals. We’ll create a customized plan to maximize every dollar and reach more abortion-minded women.

Call or Text: 573-395-6044

Don’t let another month go by with wasted ad spend and missed opportunities. The women in your community are searching right now. Make sure they find you.

Get Started

About Cornerstone Marketing Strategies: We specialize in digital marketing for pregnancy centers and pro-life organizations, with a proven track record of helping centers dramatically increase their reach to abortion-minded women. Our team has managed over 400 successful campaigns, connecting more than 100,000 women with life-affirming pregnancy support. Contact us to learn how we can transform your Google Ads results.