Google Business Profile for Therapy Practices
If you run a mobile pediatric practice and your Google Business Profile shows your home address, or you never set one up because "we don't have an office," the families searching "pediatric OT near me" tonight are finding someone else.
Quick answer: Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. You can't change distance. You can control relevance (your categories, services and description) and prominence (your reviews and how active and well-linked your practice is). For most OT, PT and SLP practices, the biggest wins are the right primary category, every service listed in parent language, a weekly review habit, and review replies that never reveal who your clients are.
How does Google decide which therapy practices show up in Maps?
Google's own help page on local rankings names three factors. Relevance is how well your profile matches what someone typed. Distance is how far you are from the person searching. Prominence is how well known your practice is, which Google says includes how many reviews you have and how many websites link to you.
So when a parent types "speech therapy for toddlers near me," Google is asking: does this profile clearly say it does toddler speech therapy, is it close, and do other people trust it? Everything below feeds one of those three answers.
Mobile or home-based practice? Set it up as a service-area business
A lot of the practices I work with are mobile pediatric clinics, and this is the setup that trips mobile practices up most. If you treat kids in homes, schools or daycares and families don't come to an address, Google treats you as a service-area business.
That means you hide your street address and list the cities or zip codes you serve. Don't list your house as a storefront to look more "real." Google's guidelines don't allow it, and it puts your whole profile at risk of suspension. A service-area profile can still show up in Maps for searches in the areas you list.
Which primary category should a therapy practice choose?
Pick the most specific category Google offers for your core service, like "Occupational therapist," "Physical therapist" or "Speech pathologist." Your primary category is one of the clearest relevance signals you control, so don't spend it on something broad like "Medical clinic."
Add secondary categories only when they're true. Stuffing in categories you don't really offer confuses Google about what you actually do.
Write your services the way parents search
Parents don't search "sensory integration." They search "help with meltdowns," "picky eater therapy," "toe walking," "late talker" and "handwriting help." List each service as its own item and use those words.
Then write your business description so the first two sentences answer who you help, what you help with and where. For example: "We're a mobile pediatric occupational therapy practice serving [your towns]. We help kids with feeding, handwriting, sensory challenges and daily routines, right in your home."
How do you get more Google reviews without it feeling awkward?
Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. The easiest moments to ask are right after a session where the parent saw a win, and at discharge.
Ask in person, then send the link the same day while the feeling is fresh. A text like this works:
"We loved working with [child's first name] today! If you have a minute, a Google review helps other families find us: [your review link]"
Put the same link in your discharge email and on a QR code at the front desk or in your therapy bag. One ask is easy to ignore. A habit adds up.
How should therapists reply to Google reviews without breaking HIPAA?
This one matters more than any ranking tip. In 2022, a California dental practice paid a $23,000 HIPAA penalty after the owner replied to Yelp reviews and included patient details. The federal Office for Civil Rights was clear that providers can't disclose patient information when responding to reviews, even when the reviewer shared it first.
Reply to every review, but keep it general and never confirm the person is a client:
Positive review: "Thank you so much for taking the time to share this. We love what we do and we're grateful for this community."
Negative review: "We take every concern seriously. Please call our office at [number] so we can talk directly."
Never mention a child's name, diagnosis, schedule or anything about their care, even if the parent did.
Keep the profile active
Add real photos: your entrance, parking, waiting area and treatment rooms. If you're mobile, show your therapy bag, your car with your logo, or a treatment space set up in a home (no client faces without written permission). A parent who has seen what to expect walks into the first visit a little calmer.
Use Google posts too. One a week is plenty: a schedule change, a parent workshop, a seasonal tip.
Your 30-minute Google Business Profile checklist
Service areas set (and address hidden) if you're mobile
Most specific primary category for your core service
Every service listed in the words parents use
Description that says who, what and where in the first two sentences
A review link in your discharge email, your texts and a QR code
Reply templates that never confirm someone is a client
Fresh photos of your space or setup
One Google post a week
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a physical office to show up in Google Maps?
No. Mobile and home-based practices can set up a service-area profile with the address hidden. Distance from the person searching still matters, so list the areas you truly serve.
How many reviews does a therapy practice need?
There's no magic number. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help, so aim for a steady flow every month rather than a burst once a year.
Can I reply if a parent mentions their child's diagnosis in a review?
Yes, but don't repeat it, confirm it or add any details. Thank them in general terms or invite them to call the office.
If you'd like a second set of eyes on your profile, book a free strategy call and we'll go through it together.
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About Courtney
Courtney is a licensed occupational therapist with 10+ years of clinical experience and the founder of Social-OT, a done-for-you marketing company for OT, PT and speech therapy practices. She still treats patients herself, so every strategy she shares is built for clinicians with a full caseload. More about Courtney and Social-OT.
