Local businessesTherapists and private practices playbook
People choose a therapist by specialty, fit, fee and insurance, usually inside a directory or after a referral. Outpost covers the website side: specialty pages and plain-language articles that bring the right inquiries, measured without tracking that puts client privacy at risk.
01 · DISCOVERY
Prospective clients search for a specific problem and place ('EMDR therapist Denver', 'perinatal anxiety therapist near me'), then filter directory listings such as Psychology Today by issue, insurance, fee and identity. Many arrive through referrals from physicians, OB-GYNs, school counselors and other therapists who are full. A smaller group reads practice blogs or listens to a therapist on a podcast before reaching out.
Search or referral, read two to five profiles, judge fit from the photo, the writing and the specialties, check insurance or sliding-scale fees, then send a short, often anxious inquiry. Fast, warm replies and a simple consult booking matter as much as ranking.
02 · CHANNELS
Ranked 5 (essential) to 1 (optional) by the research for this industry.
Directories like Psychology Today and TherapyDen are where many clients filter by specialty, insurance and fee. A specific, warm profile written for your ideal client outperforms a generic list of every issue you treat.
One page per niche you genuinely focus on (EMDR, perinatal, couples, teens) ranks for specialty-plus-city searches and gives directory readers somewhere deeper to go.
Primary care physicians, OB-GYNs, school counselors and colleagues with full caseloads refer when they know exactly who you help. A one-page referral sheet and periodic check-ins keep you top of mind.
Captures 'therapist near me' map searches. Keep replies to reviews generic: confirming that a reviewer is your client can breach confidentiality.
Speaking to parent groups, employers or on niche podcasts lets people hear how you think, which directories cannot show.
03 · YOUR FIRST MONTH
A sample month. Your own plan is built from your audit, stage and goal, and paid options only ever appear as optional boosts.
Week 1 · days 1–7
Week 2 · days 8–14
Week 3 · days 15–21
Week 4 · days 22–30
04 · WHERE TO BE LISTED
Costs are as published by each destination when the research was reviewed; check before you pay for anything.
psychologytoday.com
The directory most clients and referrers know; filters by issue, insurance, fee and identity.
Paid; about $29.95/month in the US per NBCC (NBCC members get first 6 months free)
therapyden.com
Inclusive, specialty-rich directory; a free profile gives you a shareable link.
Free profile (free profiles do not appear in TherapyDen search); premium tiers paid
inclusivetherapists.com
Directory focused on identity-affirming and social-justice-oriented care; strong fit for those niches.
Paid membership; check current pricing
business.google.com
Map results for 'therapist near me'; can be set as a service-area profile if you practice from home or online.
business.apple.com
Keeps your practice accurate in Apple Maps and Siri.
bing.com
Feeds Bing Maps and Bing-powered assistants.
05 · SEARCH DEMAND
Primary search
seo for therapists
480searches a month
DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026
Comparing: show why you
Ready to act: make it easy
Learning: answer with guides
Comparing: show why you
06 · AVOID
APA Ethics Code standard 5.05 bars psychologists from soliciting testimonials from current therapy clients, and other mental health codes have similar rules. Build trust with your writing and credentials instead.
HHS's Office for Civil Rights has said tracking technologies on regulated health sites can disclose protected health information, and that a cookie banner is not a HIPAA authorization. Keep ad pixels off anything clients use to reach you, and get privacy advice.
Thanking a reviewer for 'our sessions' confirms they are a client. Use a generic reply, or none.
A profile that names twenty specialties reads like no specialty. Clients scanning several profiles pick the one that sounds written for them.
Google requires LegitScript certification for addiction-services advertising in the US. If you treat substance use, check the policy before running ads.
07 · WHAT OUTPOST DOES
Audits your website's technical health and lists the fixes in priority order, so intake pages load fast and can be found
Plans specialty pages around the client types you name, and writes plain-language articles that answer pre-therapy questions
Lets you hold every article for your review before it publishes, with a receipt for each
Connects Search Console and reports which articles earn impressions and clicks
Tracks whether AI assistants suggest your practice for specialty-plus-city questions
Outpost doesn't manage directory profiles or measure inquiries for practices; it covers your website, articles and AI answers
Every action Outpost takes gets a receipt: the live URL, a timestamp and what it drove, or “nothing yet”.See how receipts work
08 · QUESTIONS
For many practices it is a meaningful source of inquiries, but it depends on your area and how specific your profile is. Track inquiries by source for a few months; if it isn't producing, rewrite the profile before cancelling.
Psychologists may not solicit testimonials from current clients under the APA Ethics Code, and counseling and social-work codes have similar provisions. Unsolicited public reviews can exist, but reply without confirming anyone is your client.
HHS has warned that tracking technologies on health sites can disclose protected health information. Keep ad pixels off contact, booking and intake pages, use privacy-focused analytics, and ask your compliance advisor about your setup.
Directory profile rewrites can change inquiry volume within weeks. Specialty pages on your own site usually take several months to rank, and they keep working for years once they do.
Usually yes, at least in how you market. You can still see a range of clients, but specialty pages and profiles that speak to one client type convert far better than a list of everything.
Outpost's campaigns are built for SaaS, apps and games. For a private practice, it covers your website, articles and AI answers today; it doesn't manage directory profiles or inquiry tracking. This page lays out the playbook so you can run the rest yourself.
10 · EVIDENCE
Every fact on this page comes from one of these sources.
Psychology Today listing about $29.95/month; NBCC members get first 6 months free
Free profile available; free profiles don't appear in TherapyDen search results
Standard 5.05 on testimonials from current therapy clients
Parallel prohibitions in counseling, social work and MFT codes; review and HIPAA considerations
OCR guidance on tracking technologies; a banner is not a HIPAA authorization
LegitScript certification required for addiction-services ads in the US
Relevance, distance and prominence in local results
Last reviewed . Search volume: DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026.
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