SEO Strategy for Mental Health Service
A data-driven execution plan to capture local search intent. This playbook targets high-value "near me" queries and transactional service keywords.
Execution Roadmap
Mental health search intent is fragmented across 3 core clusters: (1) Symptom-based queries (e.g., 'why do I feel empty'), (2) Diagnosis-specific (e.g., 'CBT for OCD'), and (3) Provider-type (e.g., 'black female therapist near me'). Your keyword architecture must mirror this taxonomy.
Diagnosis-City-Modality URL Schema
URL Structure:
/therapy-for/[DSM-5-Diagnosis]/
→ /therapy-for/major-depressive-disorder/
→ /therapy-for/major-depressive-disorder/[city-state]/
→ /therapy-for/major-depressive-disorder/[city-state]/[modality]/
Example:
/therapy-for/major-depressive-disorder/brooklyn-ny/cbt/- Leverage NIMH and APA datasets to map 50+ DSM-5 diagnoses to search volume
- Use Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ to extract 200+ symptom-based long-tail queries
- Prioritize keywords with ‘therapist’ + [city] + [modality] (e.g., ‘DBT therapist Austin TX’)
Use Ahrefs’ ‘Parent Topic’ feature to cluster keywords by DSM-5 chapter (e.g., ‘Mood Disorders’). This ensures your content silos align with clinical taxonomy, not just search volume.
Mental health services require schema that conveys credibility, specialization, and accessibility. Generic ‘LocalBusiness’ schema won’t cut it, you need to signal clinical expertise and therapeutic approach.
Mental Health-Specific Schema
Schema Types to Implement:
1. MedicalClinic (with ‘healthcareSpecialty’: ‘psychiatry’)
2. Physician (for individual providers)
3. MedicalCondition (for DSM-5 diagnoses)
4. MedicalTherapy (for modalities like CBT, DBT)
5. FAQPage (for ‘Does insurance cover therapy?’)
6. Review (with ‘reviewAspect’: ‘bedside manner’)
7. VirtualLocation (for telehealth services)Generic schema: { "@type": "LocalBusiness", "name": "Mindful Therapy" }
Specialized schema: { "@type": "MedicalClinic", "name": "Mindful Therapy", "healthcareSpecialty": ["psychiatry", "clinical psychology"], "availableService": { "@type": "MedicalTherapy", "name": "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy", "description": "Evidence-based treatment for anxiety and depression" } }
Each DSM-5 diagnosis deserves its own content hub, structured as a ‘pillar page’ with 5-7 supporting cluster pages. This mirrors how patients search: from symptoms → diagnosis → treatment options.
- Pillar Page: ‘Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) Therapy’ (target: ‘therapy for depression’)
- Cluster Pages:
- → ‘CBT for MDD: How It Works’ (target: ‘CBT for depression’)
- → ‘Medication vs. Therapy for MDD’ (target: ‘antidepressants vs therapy’)
- → ‘MDD in [City]: Local Resources’ (target: ‘depression therapist [city]’)
Diagnosis Hub Internal Linking
Internal Linking Strategy:
1. Pillar page links to all cluster pages (anchor text: ‘Learn about [modality] for [diagnosis]’)
2. Cluster pages link back to pillar (anchor text: ‘Back to [diagnosis] therapy options’)
3. Use ‘Related Conditions’ section to link to other DSM-5 hubs (e.g., ‘Anxiety often co-occurs with depression’)Use the ‘Table of Contents’ schema on pillar pages to trigger sitelinks in SERPs. Example: ‘Major Depressive Disorder Therapy’ → sitelinks for ‘CBT’, ‘Medication’, ‘Local Therapists’.
Post-pandemic, 60% of therapy searches include ‘online’ or ‘virtual’. Your SEO must address telehealth-specific queries while signaling accessibility (e.g., insurance, sliding scale, specialized care affirming).
- Target ‘telehealth’ + [diagnosis] (e.g., ‘online therapy for PTSD’)
- Optimize for ‘sliding scale’ + [city] (e.g., ‘sliding scale therapist Chicago’)
- Create ‘Insurance Coverage’ pages for top providers (e.g., ‘Does Blue Cross cover therapy?’)
- Build ‘Affirming Care’ hubs (e.g., ‘Couples therapy’, ‘Black therapists near me’)
Telehealth URL Schema
URL Structure for Telehealth:
/online-therapy/[diagnosis]/
→ /online-therapy/anxiety/
→ /online-therapy/anxiety/[state]/
→ /online-therapy/anxiety/[state]/[modality]/
Example:
/online-therapy/anxiety/california/dbt/Generic telehealth page: - Title: ‘Online Therapy Services’ - Content: ‘We offer virtual therapy.’
Hyper-specific telehealth page: - Title: ‘Online CBT for Anxiety in California | Sliding Scale Available’ - Content: ‘Licensed therapists specializing in CBT for GAD, panic disorder, and social anxiety. Accepts Blue Shield, Aetna, and offers sliding scale ($60-$120/session).’
Individual therapist profiles rank for 30% of mental health queries (e.g., ‘therapist for women in Dallas’). Optimize bios like product pages, with clinical specialties, modalities, and patient personas as ‘features’.
Therapist Profile Schema
Schema for Therapist Profiles:
{
"@type": "Physician",
"name": "Dr. Jane Smith, LCSW",
"healthcareSpecialty": ["clinical social work"],
"hasCredential": ["Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)"],
"availableService": [
{
"@type": "MedicalTherapy",
"name": "Cognitive Behavioral Therapy",
"description": "Evidence-based treatment for anxiety and depression"
}
],
"areaServed": {
"@type": "State",
"name": "Texas"
}
}Use the ‘Speakable’ schema on therapist bios to enable Google Assistant voice search results. Example: ‘Dr. Jane Smith is a therapist in Austin specializing in anxiety and trauma. She accepts Blue Cross and offers sliding scale fees.’
Mental health is a ‘Your Money or Your Life’ (YMYL) topic, so Google prioritizes content with clear expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). Your content must cite clinical sources, feature licensed providers, and avoid generic advice.
- Add ‘Clinical Review’ badges to articles (e.g., ‘Reviewed by Dr. [Name], PhD, LPC’)
- Cite DSM-5, APA guidelines, and peer-reviewed studies (e.g., ‘According to the APA, CBT is the gold standard for anxiety disorders’)
- Include ‘Why Trust Us’ sections with provider credentials and affiliations
- Add ‘Patient Outcomes’ data (e.g., ‘85% of our clients report reduced symptoms after 12 weeks of CBT’)
- Use ‘Last Updated’ timestamps to signal freshness (critical for YMYL)
E-E-A-T Content Structure
E-E-A-T Content Template:
1. **Hook**: Patient persona + pain point (e.g., ‘Struggling with panic attacks? You’re not alone.’)
2. **Expertise**: DSM-5 criteria + clinical source (e.g., ‘The DSM-5 defines panic disorder as...’)
3. **Experience**: Provider credentials + patient outcomes (e.g., ‘Our therapists have helped 500+ clients reduce panic attacks by 70%.’)
4. **Trust**: Insurance, sliding scale, and testimonials (e.g., ‘Accepts Aetna and offers sliding scale starting at $60/session.’)
5. **CTA**: Hyper-specific next step (e.g., ‘Book a free 15-minute consult with a panic disorder specialist.’)Generic content: - Title: ‘How to Treat Anxiety’ - Content: ‘Anxiety is common. Therapy can help.’
E-E-A-T content: - Title: ‘CBT for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Step-by-Step Guide’ - Content: ‘According to the DSM-5, GAD involves excessive worry for 6+ months. CBT, the gold standard treatment (APA, 2021), targets cognitive distortions. Our LCSWs have helped 300+ clients reduce GAD symptoms by 60% in 12 weeks. Accepts Blue Cross and offers sliding scale ($75-$150/session).’
‘Therapist near me’ has 50K+ monthly searches. Local SEO for mental health requires more than just GMB optimization, you need to signal proximity, accessibility, and community trust.
Neighborhood-Level URL Schema
Local SEO URL Structure:
/[diagnosis]-therapy/[neighborhood]/
→ /anxiety-therapy/williamsburg/
→ /anxiety-therapy/williamsburg/[modality]/
Example:
/depression-therapy/astoria/cbt/Use the ‘LocalBusiness’ schema with ‘geo’ coordinates to trigger the ‘Local Pack’ for queries like ‘therapist near [landmark]’. Example: ‘Therapist near Grand Central Station’ → your clinic appears if within 1-mile radius.
Mental health leads require trust-building micro-conversions before booking. Use a 3-step funnel: (1) Symptom quiz → (2) Provider match → (3) Consultation booking.
- Add a ‘Symptom Checker’ quiz (e.g., ‘Do I have anxiety?’) with DSM-5 criteria
- Embed a ‘Find Your Therapist’ tool (filters: diagnosis, modality, insurance, identity)
- Use ‘Book a Free Consult’ CTAs with urgency (e.g., ‘Only 3 spots left this week’)
- Add ‘Live Chat’ with a licensed intake coordinator (not a bot)
- Include ‘Patient Journey’ timelines (e.g., ‘Week 1: Intake | Week 2: First Session’)
Mental Health CRO Funnel
Micro-Conversion Funnel:
1. **Symptom Quiz** → ‘Based on your answers, you may have Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Learn about CBT for GAD.’
2. **Provider Match** → ‘Meet Dr. Lee, a CBT specialist who accepts your insurance.’
3. **Consultation Booking** → ‘Book a free 15-minute consult with Dr. Lee. Only 2 spots left this week.’Generic CTA: - ‘Contact Us’ button - Form: ‘Name, Email, Message’
Clinical CTA: - ‘Book a Free 15-Minute Consult’ button - Form: ‘What brings you to therapy?’ (dropdown: ‘Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, etc.’) + ‘Preferred therapist identity’ (dropdown: ‘Couples, Families, etc.’) + ‘Insurance provider’
Growth Model
This model assumes consistent content generation and basic backlink acquisition. ROI typically stabilizes within 90 days of full indexation.
