Let’s be honest, if someone’s searching for a therapist, they’re not just casually browsing. They’re often stressed, overwhelmed, and ready to talk to someone. Your therapy website needs to show up right at that moment, or you lose that lead.
Here’s what the data shows:
- 92% of online activity starts with a Google search
- 75% of searchers never scroll past page one
- The top 3 positions get 54% of clicks
For therapy practices, especially solo practitioners or small clinics, that means if your site doesn’t rank, your phone doesn’t ring.
And it all starts with the right keywords.
What Makes Therapy Keywords Different
I’ve worked with therapists across the U.S., trauma specialists, marriage counsellors, CBT practitioners, and even Christian therapists. And there’s a consistent truth: ranking for “therapist near me” isn’t enough.
Therapy clients search with intent. That means they’re using specific phrases like-
- “EMDR for PTSD near me”
- “Grief counseling for parents”
- “Teen anxiety therapy [City Name]”
These longer, more focused terms are called long-tail keywords, and they’re where the real conversion happens.
Common Mistakes Therapists Make With Keywords
From experience, here’s what most therapy websites get wrong-
- Targeting only broad keywords like “therapy”
- Ignoring location-based modifiers
- Using the same keyword across all service pages
- Overlooking what clients actually type into Google
A CBT therapist I worked with in Atlanta used the same “CBT therapy in Atlanta” title across three different pages, and wondered why none were ranking. Once we created separate keyword targets for anxiety, depression, and trauma, her impressions and calls more than doubled.
How to Choose the Right SEO Keywords for Your Therapy Practice?
Here’s the exact method we use at SEOglaze for our therapist clients.
After working with dozens of therapy professionals, from solo practitioners to mid-sized group practices, I’ve learned that keyword research isn’t about stuffing terms into your content. It’s about understanding how your ideal client thinks when they’re in pain and ready to seek help.
We start every keyword strategy by asking one core question-
What would your next client type into Google if they were looking for exactly what you offer?
That one question shifts everything. Because now you’re not guessing. You’re matching your website with real-world language used by people actively looking for therapy.
Here’s how we go from that question to a focused, revenue-generating keyword list.
Step 1: Focus on Intent Before Search Volume
Before opening any keyword tool, we listen to your clients’ words
- What do they say during consultations
- What’s written on your intake forms
- What problems or emotions do they describe in emails or messages
That’s where your keyword gold is. Tools can’t show that. But your conversations can.
Match Keywords to Specific Services
Each therapy type, trauma, couples, child therapy, and grief support, deserves its own page and its own keyword focus.
For example-
- “EMDR therapist in Denver” for a trauma page
- “Teen anxiety therapy in Charlotte” for an adolescent therapy page
- “Marriage counseling in Austin” for couples
Trying to rank one page for all services, that’s like putting all your eggs in one fragile basket.
Look at Volume, Then Ignore It
We absolutely check monthly search volume using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs but we don’t let volume alone guide our choices.
Why?
Because a keyword with only 90 searches per month like “grief therapy for widows” can convert better than a generic term with 1,000+ searches. The specificity means the intent is stronger.
That’s why focusing on relevance first, not just traffic, leads to better results for therapists.
Step 2: Prioritize Local Keywords
If you’re a therapist, whether offering talk therapy or massage therapy, you’re likely serving people within your city or neighbourhood. That’s where local keywords come in.
Let me explain this with more clarity and authenticity, based on what we’ve tested with therapist websites at SEOglaze.
What Are Local Keywords?
Local keywords are search terms that include geographic modifiers, such as city names, neighbourhoods, zip codes, or states. They’re used by people who want services nearby or within a certain location.
For example
- “Deep tissue massage in Austin”
- “Child therapist near Pasadena”
- “Online anxiety therapy Texas”
These phrases make it clear where the user is looking for services and what kind of service they want.
Step 3: Map Keywords to Pages
This is one of the most important parts of a therapist SEO strategy, and it’s where I see most websites go wrong. Many therapists overlook the significance of optimizing their online presence for local searches, which can dramatically impact their visibility. By implementing local SEO for massage therapists, practitioners can effectively attract more clients in their area and stand out from the competition. Ensuring their website is optimized for local keywords and includes accurate business listings is crucial for reaching potential clients seeking their services.
Instead of trying to rank every page for every possible keyword, focus each page on one main keyword, and then support it with 2 to 3 related keywords that naturally connect to that topic.
This allows Google to clearly understand what each page is about, and it makes your content feel more relevant to searchers.
Why This Matters?
When all your services are lumped into one page, Google gets confused. Is the page about anxiety? Trauma? Couples counseling?
And more importantly, so does your potential client.
When you map keywords to individual pages, you’re not just improving SEO, you’re improving clarity, user experience, and conversions.
Here's How We Do It at SEOglaze
Let’s say you’re a therapist in Boston who specializes in anxiety treatment. Your service page for anxiety therapy should look something like this-
- Main Keyword, anxiety therapist in Boston
- Supporting Keywords, CBT for anxiety Boston, panic attack therapy near me, therapy for social anxiety in Boston
These related keywords help support your main topic without forcing you to write separate pages for every minor variation. They add context and help your content show up for a wider range of search queries without diluting focus.
Bonus Tip
We also map these keywords to specific sections of the page, like this
- H1, Anxiety therapist in Boston
- H2 subheadings, “How CBT can help with anxiety,” or “Therapy for panic attacks”
- Meta Title, Anxiety therapy in Boston, CBT and panic support
- Meta Description, Looking for an anxiety therapist in Boston, I help clients using CBT and evidence-based techniques to manage panic and social anxiety
- URL, /anxiety-therapy-boston
This structure gives Google a clear signal while keeping things natural for your visitors.
Step 4: Blog with Purpose
When it comes to blogging for your therapy practice, the goal isn’t to just “publish content.” You need to write blog posts that actually attract the right visitors, answer their real questions, and quietly guide them toward becoming a client. That’s what we mean at SEOglaze when we say, blog with purpose.
What Most Therapists Get Wrong
Too many therapy websites have blog posts with generic titles like
- “10 ways to reduce stress”
- “Why mental health is important”
These sound nice on the surface, but they’re too broad, too competitive, and often lack any real SEO value. Worse, they don’t speak to a specific client or problem.
If your blog sounds like something ChatGPT could generate in 10 seconds, it’s probably not going to rank or convert.
What to Write Instead
Blog posts should mirror the questions your ideal clients are already typing into Google. That’s where the search volume is. But more importantly, that’s where the intent is.
Let’s say you specialize in anxiety therapy. Here are purposeful blog ideas we’ve used for clients
- “How CBT can help with high-functioning anxiety”
- “What to do if your teen is showing signs of panic attacks”
- “Is your anxiety keeping you up at night? here’s what therapy can do”
These aren’t fluff articles. They’re entry points. They show you understand the client’s situation, offer real value, and introduce your service as the next step.
What These Blogs Do for You
From our own campaigns at SEOglaze, these types of blog posts consistently deliver
- Higher rankings for long-tail keywords
- Lower bounce rates (because the content is actually useful)
- Warmer leads, clients who already trust you before the first session
In one case, a blog post titled “How EMDR Works for Childhood Trauma Survivors” brought in 250+ monthly visits for a solo therapist in California, and became the top driver of email inquiries for her site.
Structure Tip, Write for SEO and Emotion
Here’s a blog post structure we often use for therapists
- Headline with a long-tail keyword, like “CBT for social anxiety in young adults”
- Intro paragraph that connects emotionally
- Section 1, Describe the problem or signs of the issue
- Section 2, How your therapy approach helps (e.g. CBT, EMDR, etc)
- Section 3, Tips or first steps someone can take
- Call to Action, Invite them to reach out or book a consult
This format ranks, educates, and converts, all in one go.
Top 100 SEO Keywords for Therapists
| Keyword | Intent | Volume | Keyword Difficulty | CPC (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| behavioral therapists for autism | Commercial | 14800 | 26 | 6.00 |
| child therapist near me | Transactional | 14800 | 24 | 0.00 |
| therapist development center | Navigational | 12100 | 37 | 4.34 |
| male massage therapist near me | Transactional | 8100 | 31 | 1.11 |
| speech therapist near me | Transactional | 8100 | 34 | 0.00 |
| teen therapist near me | Transactional | 8100 | 16 | 0.00 |
| art therapist | Informational | 6600 | 35 | 2.69 |
| horrible therapist game | Informational | 6600 | 27 | 0.17 |
| marriage therapist near me | Transactional | 6600 | 37 | 8.65 |
| physical therapist assistant | Informational | 6600 | 39 | 5.13 |
| psychologist vs therapist | Informational | 6600 | 34 | 0.00 |
| respiratory therapist school | Informational | 6600 | 32 | 0.00 |
| therapist for avoidant attachment | Informational | 6600 | 18 | 7.27 |
| adhd therapist | Commercial | 5400 | 28 | 5.63 |
| counselor vs therapist | Informational, Commercial | 5400 | 36 | 0.00 |
| massage therapist school | Commercial | 5400 | 31 | 3.53 |
| occupational therapist employment opportunities | Commercial | 5400 | 23 | 1.08 |
| occupational therapist near me | Transactional | 5400 | 28 | 0.00 |
| therapist for midlife crisis | Informational | 5400 | 13 | 0.00 |
| therapists for relationship anxiety | Informational | 5400 | 12 | 12.72 |
| children therapist near me | Transactional | 4400 | 13 | 0.00 |
| emdr therapist near me | Transactional | 4400 | 29 | 0.00 |
| menendez brothers therapist | Informational | 4400 | 39 | 0.00 |
| pediatric physical therapist | Commercial | 4400 | 26 | 0.00 |
| pelvic floor therapist near me | Transactional | 4400 | 30 | 0.00 |
| sports massage therapist | Commercial | 4400 | 26 | 2.02 |
| therapist for avoidant attachment style | Informational | 4400 | 20 | 15.02 |
| types of therapists | Informational | 4400 | 40 | 0.00 |
| adhd therapist near me | Transactional | 3600 | 25 | 7.46 |
| african american therapist near me | Transactional | 3600 | 24 | 8.21 |
| are physical therapists doctors | Informational | 3600 | 27 | 0.00 |
| blue cross blue shield therapist | Commercial | 3600 | 9 | 0.00 |
| child behavioral therapist | Commercial | 3600 | 33 | 0.00 |
| occupational therapists near me | Transactional | 3600 | 35 | 0.00 |
| pediatric occupational therapist | Commercial | 3600 | 31 | 0.00 |
| pelvic floor therapist | Commercial | 3600 | 39 | 0.00 |
| physical therapist education requirements | Informational | 3600 | 38 | 3.37 |
| radiation therapist schooling | Informational | 3600 | 25 | 4.21 |
| radiation therapist schools | Informational | 3600 | 29 | 4.34 |
| retail therapist tazewell va | Navigational | 3600 | 32 | 0.50 |
| therapist codependency | Commercial | 3600 | 23 | 11.01 |
| therapist in spanish | Informational | 3600 | 27 | 0.00 |
| autism therapist | Commercial | 2900 | 25 | 0.00 |
| christian therapists near me | Transactional | 2900 | 26 | 0.00 |
| clinical therapist | Informational | 2900 | 35 | 0.00 |
| difference between therapist and psychologist | Informational | 2900 | 34 | 0.00 |
| dwarf therapist | Informational | 2900 | 36 | 0.00 |
| eating disorder therapist near me | Transactional | 2900 | 37 | 0.00 |
| emdr therapists near me | Transactional | 2900 | 24 | 0.00 |
| heidi kling therapist | Informational | 2900 | 22 | 0.00 |
| massage therapist wage | Informational | 2900 | 32 | 10.48 |
| mobile massage therapist near me | Transactional | 2900 | 12 | 1.91 |
| occupational therapist assistant | Informational | 2900 | 37 | 7.93 |
| radiation therapist degree | Informational | 2900 | 30 | 4.34 |
| radiation therapist employment | Informational | 2900 | 21 | 0.71 |
| radiation therapist vacancy | Informational | 2900 | 24 | 0.84 |
| somatic therapist | Commercial | 2900 | 38 | 0.00 |
| sports therapist | Commercial | 2900 | 35 | 0.00 |
| therapist that take medicaid near me | Transactional | 2900 | 16 | 0.00 |
| trauma therapist | Informational | 2900 | 39 | 0.00 |
| what degree do you need to be a therapist | Informational | 2900 | 29 | 7.45 |
| what do respiratory therapists do | Informational | 2900 | 38 | 10.34 |
| adjustment disorder therapist | Commercial | 2400 | 21 | 4.29 |
| bcbs therapist | Commercial | 2400 | 36 | 0.00 |
| best massage therapist near me | Transactional | 2400 | 29 | 1.31 |
| can therapists prescribe medication | Informational | 2400 | 17 | 0.00 |
| christian therapists | Commercial | 2400 | 24 | 0.00 |
| education requirements of a physical therapist | Informational | 2400 | 36 | 3.39 |
| icf coach vs therapist reddit | Navigational | 2400 | 30 | 0.00 |
| is a physical therapist a doctor | Informational | 2400 | 34 | 0.00 |
| laura foster therapist | Informational | 2400 | 24 | 0.00 |
| licensed marriage and family therapist | Commercial | 2400 | 39 | 0.00 |
| lmft therapist | Commercial | 2400 | 38 | 0.00 |
| male massage therapist | Commercial | 2400 | 31 | 1.11 |
| male massage therapists near me | Transactional | 2400 | 16 | 1.11 |
| occupational therapist vacancies | Commercial | 2400 | 21 | 1.08 |
| pelvic floor therapists near me | Transactional | 2400 | 34 | 0.00 |
| physical therapist degree | Informational | 2400 | 36 | 4.32 |
| private massage therapist near me | Transactional | 2400 | 30 | 0.75 |
| respiratory therapist schooling | Informational | 2400 | 36 | 5.29 |
| therapist degree | Informational | 2400 | 31 | 7.90 |
| therapist near me that accept medicaid | Transactional | 2400 | 14 | 0.00 |
Final thoughts, SEO can work for therapists if you speak the client’s language.
As someone who’s worked on SEO for therapists across niches, I’ve seen this work time and again
- No gimmicks
- No over-optimized content
- Just relevant, localized keywords and clean SEO fundamentals
Whether you’re a trauma counselor in Seattle or a marriage therapist in Miami, your future clients are searching for help. It’s your job to show up, and ours to help you do it
Ready to Get Keyword Clarity
Let’s take the guesswork out. At SEOglaze, we offer a free therapist keyword audit. I’ll personally review your site and send you –
- A list of keywords you should be targeting
- Suggestions for your core pages
- Tips on how to structure your content for local SEO
No fluff, no generic reports, just real insights you can use to get found by the clients who need you most.
