SEO Keywords for Therapists: Where to Use and How

SEO Keywords for Therapists

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

KeywordIntentVolumeKeyword DifficultyCPC (USD)
behavioral therapists for autismCommercial14800266.00
child therapist near meTransactional14800240.00
therapist development centerNavigational12100374.34
male massage therapist near meTransactional8100311.11
speech therapist near meTransactional8100340.00
teen therapist near meTransactional8100160.00
art therapistInformational6600352.69
horrible therapist gameInformational6600270.17
marriage therapist near meTransactional6600378.65
physical therapist assistantInformational6600395.13
psychologist vs therapistInformational6600340.00
respiratory therapist schoolInformational6600320.00
therapist for avoidant attachmentInformational6600187.27
adhd therapistCommercial5400285.63
counselor vs therapistInformational, Commercial5400360.00
massage therapist schoolCommercial5400313.53
occupational therapist employment opportunitiesCommercial5400231.08
occupational therapist near meTransactional5400280.00
therapist for midlife crisisInformational5400130.00
therapists for relationship anxietyInformational54001212.72
children therapist near meTransactional4400130.00
emdr therapist near meTransactional4400290.00
menendez brothers therapistInformational4400390.00
pediatric physical therapistCommercial4400260.00
pelvic floor therapist near meTransactional4400300.00
sports massage therapistCommercial4400262.02
therapist for avoidant attachment styleInformational44002015.02
types of therapistsInformational4400400.00
adhd therapist near meTransactional3600257.46
african american therapist near meTransactional3600248.21
are physical therapists doctorsInformational3600270.00
blue cross blue shield therapistCommercial360090.00
child behavioral therapistCommercial3600330.00
occupational therapists near meTransactional3600350.00
pediatric occupational therapistCommercial3600310.00
pelvic floor therapistCommercial3600390.00
physical therapist education requirementsInformational3600383.37
radiation therapist schoolingInformational3600254.21
radiation therapist schoolsInformational3600294.34
retail therapist tazewell vaNavigational3600320.50
therapist codependencyCommercial36002311.01
therapist in spanishInformational3600270.00
autism therapistCommercial2900250.00
christian therapists near meTransactional2900260.00
clinical therapistInformational2900350.00
difference between therapist and psychologistInformational2900340.00
dwarf therapistInformational2900360.00
eating disorder therapist near meTransactional2900370.00
emdr therapists near meTransactional2900240.00
heidi kling therapistInformational2900220.00
massage therapist wageInformational29003210.48
mobile massage therapist near meTransactional2900121.91
occupational therapist assistantInformational2900377.93
radiation therapist degreeInformational2900304.34
radiation therapist employmentInformational2900210.71
radiation therapist vacancyInformational2900240.84
somatic therapistCommercial2900380.00
sports therapistCommercial2900350.00
therapist that take medicaid near meTransactional2900160.00
trauma therapistInformational2900390.00
what degree do you need to be a therapistInformational2900297.45
what do respiratory therapists doInformational29003810.34
adjustment disorder therapistCommercial2400214.29
bcbs therapistCommercial2400360.00
best massage therapist near meTransactional2400291.31
can therapists prescribe medicationInformational2400170.00
christian therapistsCommercial2400240.00
education requirements of a physical therapistInformational2400363.39
icf coach vs therapist redditNavigational2400300.00
is a physical therapist a doctorInformational2400340.00
laura foster therapistInformational2400240.00
licensed marriage and family therapistCommercial2400390.00
lmft therapistCommercial2400380.00
male massage therapistCommercial2400311.11
male massage therapists near meTransactional2400161.11
occupational therapist vacanciesCommercial2400211.08
pelvic floor therapists near meTransactional2400340.00
physical therapist degreeInformational2400364.32
private massage therapist near meTransactional2400300.75
respiratory therapist schoolingInformational2400365.29
therapist degreeInformational2400317.90
therapist near me that accept medicaidTransactional2400140.00

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.

Picture of Zahidul Sk

Zahidul Sk

CEO of SEOglaze and have been working in SEO for the last 11 years. Has completed over 5,900+ projects on Fiverr, leading teams and helping clients get great results through SEO and digital marketing.
What do you think?
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

What to read next