Guides / 7 min read
Local SEO for therapists: how to rank in Google Maps for 'therapist near me'
Local SEO for therapists and counselors: the Google Business Profile setup that ranks, categories, hours, video visits, reviews done ethically, the specialty pages that support the map, city pages done right, and what hurts.
"Therapist near me" is decided by the map, and the map is decided by a Google Business Profile most therapists set up once and never touched. Here's how to make it rank, ethically, and what on your site supports it.
The profile, done right
Primary category: Psychotherapist (or Psychologist, Marriage counselor, as licensed). Secondary categories for your specialties. Hours that are true. "Online appointments" turned on if you offer video. A description that says who you help in the first sentence. Your specialty pages linked as services. A real photo of the office and of you.
Reviews, the ethical way
Reviews move the map more than anything. Never ask a current client for a review of therapy. Many practices allow reviews about the experience of the practice (scheduling, the space, responsiveness) and let former clients decide for themselves. Never respond in a way that confirms someone is a client; a simple thank-you for the feedback is enough. A handful of honest reviews beats a hundred bought ones, and Google now removes the bought ones.
What on your site supports the map
The address and phone on the site exactly as on the profile. A page per specialty titled with the city. A page for each office if you have more than one. These tell Google the profile and the site are the same practice.
City pages, carefully
If you serve three cities by video, a page for each that says something real: video-first, times, what people in that area commonly come for. Not ten identical pages with the city swapped.
Posts and questions
A short profile post every couple of weeks (openings this month, a new specialty). Answer the questions people leave in the Q&A, kindly and generally.
What hurts
A home address on a listing for a video-only practice. Category "Counselor" when you're a psychologist, or the reverse. Duplicate listings. Hours that are wrong. A listing with no photos.
What to expect
The map moves in weeks once the profile is right and a few reviews arrive. Track consults booked from the profile, which Google shows you.
Want your listing fixed this week?
Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll set the profile up correctly and connect it to the specialty pages that support it.
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