SEO tips for therapists: reaching clients who need you most

When someone in Bristol pours a cup of tea and types “anxiety counselling near me” into Google, you want your practice to be the comforting presence they find first. In this magazine-style feature, we follow Sarah—a warm-hearted therapist tucked away above a coffee shop—as she discovers how simple, jargon-free search strategies fill her diary. Along the way, you’ll learn exactly how to claim your Google listing, speak your clients’ language on your website, showcase genuine reviews, serve mobile visitors effortlessly, and craft helpful content that even AI assistants will share. And at the end, we’ll show you how our free Glafos audit can reveal precisely what to tweak—no tech degree required.

Find your practice when it truly matters

Late one Thursday, Sarah closed her therapy room door, inhaled the scent of lavender, and opened her laptop with a sigh. She typed “counselling for stress Brighton” into Google, hopeful—and then scrolled past her own website. Despite her thoughtful décor, her clients’ gratitude and her evenings spent crafting supportive emails, she realised that people simply weren’t finding her. That discovery sparked a journey: turning her brilliant practice into a beacon online.

Claim your spot on Google Maps

The moment someone searches “counsellor near me,” Google’s map pack lights up the screen—complete with photos, hours and ratings. Sarah knew that landing there would be like rolling out a welcome mat.

She began by visiting google.com/business, signing in with her practice email, and choosing postcard verification. A week later, she entered the PIN and watched her practice appear. Under the “Info” tab she added her exact studio name and address (matching her door sign), opening hours that included a Monday evening slot, and clear descriptions of each service—“gentle anxiety support” and “teen counselling.” She then uploaded ten bright images: her cosy armchairs, the soft glow of her lamp, and even a 20-second video walking through her space. Within days, her practice name and star rating popped up in local searches, and inquiries began trickling in.

Speak your clients’ language, not textbook jargon

In her sessions, Sarah listened to the exact words her clients used—“exam stress,” “mum-life overwhelm,” “night-time panic.” She realised that her homepage needed to mirror those phrases. At the top, she wrote:

Anxiety counselling in Bristol: calm support when life feels overwhelming.

For WordPress users, she added this as an H2 heading in Gutenberg; Squarespace and Wix users simply styled their top text as Heading 2. Beneath it, she offered a brief welcome message:

“I specialise in easing anxiety through practical, one-to-one sessions, with appointments available until 8 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.”

By front-loading her key phrase—“Anxiety counselling in Bristol”—she helped Google and AI assistants like ChatGPT instantly understand her focus.

Earn trust through genuine testimonials

Nothing comforts a newcomer like a peer’s kind words. Sarah asked a handful of long-term clients if they’d share a sentence about their experience. Their responses became a “What clients say” section:

“Sarah’s warm guidance helped me reclaim restful sleep.”
“I feel empowered to face my worries, thanks to her insight.”

Behind the scenes, she added a small Review schema snippet—just a quick paste of code into her site’s header—so Google could pick up her five-star ratings. A glance at search results now revealed those stars alongside her name, an instant trust signal that set her apart.

Serve your visitors on the move

Most people search on their phones—often between meetings or over a mug of coffee. Sarah realised her site took too long to load, so she ran Google’s PageSpeed Insights and followed its friendly suggestions. By compressing her session photos so they each weighed under 200 KB, removing a couple of non-essential plugins, and turning on her site’s built-in caching feature, she shaved her mobile load time from six seconds down to under two. The difference was immediate: fewer visitors left before her page fully appeared, and more quietly clicked through to book.

Share comforting answers up front

Sarah noticed frequent questions landing in her inbox: “Do you offer evening sessions?” and “Can you work with teenagers?” Rather than burying these details, she wove them into a small “Frequently Asked Questions” section near the top of her services page:

Do you offer evening sessions? Yes, I have appointments until 8 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Can you counsel teenagers? Absolutely—I specialise in supporting 13–18-year-olds facing exam stress and life transitions.

By putting these answers front and centre, she gave both human visitors and AI assistants clear, concise responses—so when someone asked, “teen counselling Bristol,” her words were ready to be shared.

Share helpful insights that draw readers in

Beyond her homepage, Sarah began writing short, empathetic articles on her blog: “Five simple breathing exercises to calm panic,” “How to spot early signs of burnout,” and “Managing sleep anxiety.” Each post opened with the very question it answered, accompanied by a personal anecdote, like the time she used a square-breathing technique before a friend’s wedding. Those stories resonated deeply. When someone searched “calm panic quickly,” her breathing exercise piece frequently appeared in Google’s “People also ask” box, guiding new visitors to her site.

Let Glafos guide you gently

By weaving these steps into her practice—claiming her profile, matching her clients’ words, showcasing real reviews, speeding up her mobile site and answering key questions—Sarah transformed her online presence. Yet she still wanted a clear picture of what else might need a touch-up. That’s where our free Glafos audit comes in. In under a minute, it scans your site and delivers a warm, jargon-free report showing exactly which elements are pulling their weight and where a gentle tweak could make all the difference. From your Google Business completeness to mobile performance, content clarity to AI-readability, it illuminates the path so you can focus on what you do best—helping people.

Reaching the clients who need you most shouldn’t feel like a technical puzzle. By claiming your local map pack, speaking in your clients’ own words, sharing genuine stories, serving mobile visitors with speed, offering clear answers up front and guiding AI to find your warmth, you’ll fill those appointment slots with ease. And if you’d rather spend your time in meaningful conversation than wrestling with code, run your free audit at glafos.com—because your next client is just a search away. Namaste.



Photo by Kelly Sikkema