How do I set up Google Business Profile as a therapist?

Go to business.google.com, claim or create your listing, verify your address, then optimize: add 'Mental Health Service' as primary category, list all services, upload office photos, write a keyword-rich description, set your hours, and add your website URL. Complete profiles get 7x more clicks than incomplete ones.

How do I get Google reviews as a therapist?

Request reviews ethically: ask at natural transition points (end of a course of therapy, annual check-in), provide a direct Google review link, and use simple language like 'If you've found our work helpful, a Google review helps other people find the support they need.' Never pressure or incentivize reviews.

Which directories should therapists be listed on?

Essential directories: Psychology Today, GoodTherapy, TherapyDen, Google Business Profile, Yelp, Healthgrades. Secondary: OpenCounseling, Theravive, Zocdoc, Vitals, Bing Places, Apple Maps, state association directories. Aim for 15-27 total listings with consistent NAP information.

How long does local SEO take to work?

Google Business Profile changes reflect in 1-2 weeks. Directory listings propagate in 2-4 weeks. Meaningful ranking improvements appear within 4-8 weeks of complete local SEO setup. Reviews have the most impact and build over time.

Does local SEO work for telehealth therapists?

Partially. Google Business Profile requires a physical location where you see clients. Telehealth-only practices can benefit from therapy directory listings, service-area targeting in website content, and state-specific keyword optimization. Consider local SEO for the area where you're licensed.

Local SEO for therapists: get found in your city

Q: What is local SEO for therapists?

Local SEO helps your therapy practice appear in location-based search results like 'therapist near me' or 'anxiety therapist in [city].' It includes Google Business Profile optimization, consistent directory listings, review building, and locally-relevant website content. 76% of people who search locally contact a business within 24 hours.

Q: What is NAP consistency?

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. Google checks whether your business information is identical across all directories. Inconsistencies (different phone numbers, abbreviation variations, old addresses) confuse search engines and hurt local rankings. Every listing should use the exact same business name, address format, and phone number.

Q: Is Google Business Profile free?

Yes. Google Business Profile is completely free. It's one of the highest-impact free marketing tools for therapists. An optimized GBP can generate more client inquiries than a $30/month Psychology Today listing.

The free tool that brings more clients than Psychology Today. Here's how to set up Google Business Profile and dominate local search.

Updated February 202614 min read

Quick Answer

Local SEO helps your therapy practice appear when people search location-based terms like 'therapist near me' or 'anxiety therapist in [city].' The core components are Google Business Profile optimization, consistent directory listings across 15-27 platforms, ethical review building, and locally-relevant website content. 76% of local searchers contact a business within 24 hours.

What is local SEO

When someone searches "therapist near me" or "anxiety counselor in [your city]," Google shows three results in a map pack at the top. Getting into that map pack means more visibility than any single directory listing.

Local SEO is different from regular SEO. Regular SEO ranks your website for topic-based searches nationally. Local SEO focuses on geographic visibility: Google Maps, the local pack, "near me" searches, and directory listings.

Why local SEO matters for therapists

76%

contact within 24h

46%

of searches are local

more clicks with complete GBP

Therapy is inherently local. Even with telehealth, clients prefer someone in their state or time zone. Local SEO puts you in front of people actively searching for help in your area.

Setting up Google Business Profile

Quick Answer

Go to business.google.com, claim or create your listing, verify your address (postcard or phone), then optimize: set 'Mental Health Service' as primary category, list all services you offer, upload 5+ office photos, write a keyword-rich description, set your hours, and add your website URL.

GBP setup steps

Go to business.google.com and sign in
Search for your practice name or click "Add your business"
Set primary category: "Mental Health Service" or "Psychotherapist"
Add your address and verify (usually via postcard)
Add phone number, website, and hours
Write a 750-character description with target keywords
Upload at minimum 5 photos (office, waiting room, exterior)
Add all services you offer (individual therapy, couples, etc.)
Set up messaging and appointment booking if desired

Choosing the right categories

Your primary category is the most important local SEO signal. For most therapists, "Mental Health Service" or "Psychotherapist" works best. Add secondary categories that match your specialties.

Recommended categories by specialty

General therapy: Mental Health Service, Psychotherapist, Counselor

Couples/Family: Marriage or Family Therapist, Family Counselor

Child/Adolescent: Child Psychologist, Youth Organization

Substance abuse: Drug Addiction Treatment Center, Addiction Treatment Center

Getting reviews ethically

Quick Answer

Ask at natural transition points: end of a therapy course, annual check-ins, or when a client expresses satisfaction. Provide a direct Google review link. Use simple, unpressured language: 'If you've found our work helpful, a Google review helps others find the support they need.' Never incentivize or pressure reviews.

Reviews are the second most important local ranking factor after your Google Business Profile. Even 5-10 genuine reviews can significantly improve your visibility. Quality matters more than quantity.

Directory listings

Each directory listing serves two purposes: it's a direct source of client referrals and it's a citation that strengthens your local SEO. Consistency across all listings is critical.

Therapy directories

Psychology Today
GoodTherapy
TherapyDen
OpenCounseling
Theravive

General directories

Google Business Profile
Yelp
Bing Places
Apple Maps
Healthgrades

NAP consistency

Quick Answer

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. Google cross-references your business information across all directories. Inconsistencies (different phone numbers, abbreviation variations like 'St' vs 'Street', old addresses) confuse search engines and hurt local rankings. Every listing must use the exact same information.

Create a NAP reference document with the exact format you'll use everywhere. Copy and paste from this document when creating listings. Never type from memory.

Local content strategy

Create content that targets local keywords: "[specialty] therapist in [city]," "therapy for [issue] in [neighborhood]," and "[city] mental health resources." This helps your website rank for local searches alongside your Google Business Profile.

Local SEO Checklist for Therapists

A printable checklist covering Google Business Profile, directory listings, review strategy, and NAP consistency.

Free download. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Complete local SEO checklist

Google Business Profile

Claim and verify listing
Set correct primary category
Upload 5+ photos
Write keyword-rich description
Add all services
Set hours and phone

Directory Listings

Psychology Today (optimized)
GoodTherapy
TherapyDen
10+ additional directories
NAP consistent across all

Reviews

Create direct review link
Develop ethical ask process
Respond to all reviews
Target 5+ reviews first month

Frequently asked questions

What is local SEO for therapists?+

Local SEO helps your practice appear in location-based searches. It includes Google Business Profile, directory listings, reviews, and local content. 76% of local searchers contact a business within 24 hours.

How do I set up Google Business Profile?+

Go to business.google.com, claim your listing, verify your address, add "Mental Health Service" as primary category, upload photos, write a keyword-rich description. Complete profiles get 7x more clicks.

How do I get reviews as a therapist?+

Ask at natural transition points, provide a direct review link, use simple language. Never pressure or incentivize. "If you've found our work helpful, a review helps others find support."

What is NAP consistency?+

Name, Address, Phone number must be identical across all directories. Inconsistencies confuse Google and hurt rankings.

Which directories should I be on?+

Essential: Psychology Today, GoodTherapy, TherapyDen, Google Business Profile, Yelp, Healthgrades. Aim for 15-27 total listings.

How long does local SEO take?+

GBP changes: 1-2 weeks. Directory listings: 2-4 weeks. Meaningful ranking improvements: 4-8 weeks. Reviews build impact over time.

Does local SEO work for telehealth?+

Partially. GBP requires a physical location. Telehealth practices benefit from directory listings and state-specific keywords.

Is Google Business Profile free?+

Yes. Completely free. One of the highest-impact marketing tools for therapists.

Local SEO, done for you.

We set up your Google Business Profile, list you on 27+ directories, and build your review strategy. Local visibility is included in every SEO tier, for $997/mo.

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