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By Hank Teicheira
Your expertise is therapy, not search engine optimization. But if clients can’t discover you online, your practice misses opportunities to grow. For most people searching for mental health support, the journey starts with Google. Showing up in search results is only part of the equation; your site also needs to feel clear and trustworthy to encourage potential clients to reach out.
I’ve worked with a number of therapists and group practices to strengthen their online presence, and I’ve learned that the biggest issues usually aren’t about advanced technical SEO. They’re about small, overlooked details: outdated directory listings, thin service pages that don’t answer real client questions, slow mobile experiences, or messy URLs. Each of these issues sends subtle signals to both clients and search engines that your site might not be reliable.
The good news is that you don’t need to become an SEO expert to fix them. This guide outlines the most common mistakes I see on therapist websites and shows you how to resolve them with simple, practical steps. Each section pairs a specific problem with a straightforward fix you can apply, often in less than an afternoon.
By the end, you’ll know which areas to prioritize so your website not only ranks better but also feels more welcoming and trustworthy to the people who need your help most.
Claim and maintain your local listings
The issue: Many therapists never claim free listings on key platforms. Others list themselves but forget to update Name–Address–Phone (NAP) when they move or change numbers. An unclaimed or inconsistent profile makes you harder to find.
The fix: Claim and complete your listings, starting with Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, and Yelp for Business. For therapist-specific directories, consider Psychology Today, TherapyDen, and GoodTherapy. Keep NAP data identical across every platform.
Pro Tip: Maintain a simple spreadsheet of every directory and profile. Each quarter, scan the list and confirm NAP consistency, open hours, and your website URL.
Build deep, relevant pages and research keywords
The issue: Many sites list “anxiety, depression, trauma” with no depth. That reads as thin content and rarely answers the questions people actually have.
The fix: Expand each specialty into its own page. Use clear headings, answer client questions, and explain your approach. Google’s SEO Starter Guide outlines how to make content helpful and scannable. For topic ideas, use Google autocomplete and “People also ask,” plus tools like AnswerThePublic or Ubersuggest. We applied this strategy with a West LA therapy practice and more than doubled their referrals. Read the case study.
Pro Tip: Search in an incognito window to reduce personalization, then capture real phrases you see in autocomplete and “People also ask” to drive your H2s and FAQs.
Make your site mobile-friendly and user-friendly
The issue: Slow, hard-to-use mobile pages cost you visitors. Google has publicly shared that 53% of mobile visits are abandoned if a page takes longer than three seconds to load (SEOMator). Google also evaluates the mobile version of your site first.
The fix: Compress images, simplify navigation, and make phone numbers tappable by using a “tel” type hyperlink. Keep layouts clean and font sizes readable.
Pro Tip: Check your site on multiple mobile browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge). Minor CSS differences can break menus or buttons.
Build an FAQ page
The issue: Many therapist sites skip FAQs. Visitors leave to find answers elsewhere, and AI-driven search surfaces Q&A-style content more readily.
The fix: Create a dedicated FAQ page or add FAQ sections to services pages. Mark up content with FAQ structured data so search engines and AI systems recognize the format. Keep answers concise, conversational, and link to deeper pages where relevant.
Pro Tip: Keep FAQs fresh. Add questions from intake calls and inbox patterns, and use Google Search Console to spot long-tail queries you can answer.
Strengthen internal linking
The issue: Pages often stand alone. Without internal links, visitors miss related content and Google has less context to crawl and rank your pages.
The fix: Use descriptive anchor text to connect related pages. Google recommends clear, crawlable links and meaningful anchors in the SEO Starter Guide. From a post on panic attacks, link “anxiety therapy in [City]” to your Anxiety Therapy page; from Trauma, link to EMDR.
Pro Tip: Add a “Related services” or “Next steps” block at the end of key pages to prompt natural internal links.
Optimize images
The issue: Heavy, unoptimized stock images slow pages and do not build trust.
The fix: Use authentic photos of your office or yourself where comfortable. Resize and compress before uploading. Add descriptive alt text. See Google’s guidance on image best practices.
Pro Tip: Export WebP where possible and target hero images under ~300 KB. Most banner images still look great at 2400×1260 when compressed.
Emphasize your location
The issue: Some sites hide or understate location and service areas. That hurts local visibility and confuses visitors.
The fix: State your city, state, and service area on the homepage, About, and Contact pages. If you are telehealth-only or multi-state, note licensed states clearly. Add a map to Contact and keep your Business Profile address or service area accurate.
Pro Tip: Create concise location pages when you serve multiple cities. Avoid boilerplate. Include local landmarks or neighborhood terms people actually use.
Use AI responsibly
The issue: AI tools can speed drafting, but unedited output can be generic or inaccurate. Google’s guidance warns against low-value, mass-produced AI content that provides no benefit to users.
The fix: Treat AI as a first draft. Fact-check, rewrite, and add your voice, approach, and anonymized examples. Focus on helpful, people-first content that demonstrates expertise and meets user needs.
Pro Tip: Keep a short “voice checklist” by your editor: audience, tone, reading level, local terms, and one clinician-specific example per page.
Clean up your URL structure
The issue: Builders often create messy, duplicate slugs like /about-5 or /services-2. These are unclear for humans and weak signals for search engines.
The fix: Use short, descriptive slugs and logical folders, such as /services/anxiety-therapy. If you rename a URL, set a 301 redirect. See Google’s advice on descriptive URLs and site structure.
Pro Tip: Standardize slugs for service and specialty pages now, before you publish more content. Consistency compounds.
Monitor your site and be patient
The issue: Many practices never check what Google sees or which queries bring visitors, or they quit early because results take time.
The fix: Set up Google Search Console. Submit a sitemap, monitor indexing, and review the Performance report. Use the Page Experience and Mobile Usability sections to catch speed or layout problems.
Pro Tip: Track one improvement per week. Small, steady changes add up and make your site easier to find and more reassuring to potential clients.
Closing thoughts
Improving your practice’s online visibility does not require a full rebuild. Start with one or two sections in this list, then keep going. Consistent, thoughtful adjustments help your site rank better and create the kind of first impression that encourages prospective clients to get in touch.
Want to see a real-life success story? Check out our therapy practice SEO case study.
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