Why Aren’t More Clients Finding and Choosing You?
I’ve been working in marketing since 2008. For most of that time I’ve helped therapists and counsellors get found online, so I hear the same question in almost every conversation: why aren’t more clients finding and choosing me?
That was the theme of today’s free workshop, which I co-hosted with Jane Travis of Words That Get Counsellors Found. Jane has run her own private practice for many years. We work well together because our skills overlap: Jane focuses on content and the words that get you chosen, and I focus on the technical side that gets you found. Around 45 practitioners joined us live, and most had been to one of our earlier sessions.
Here’s what we covered, along with what I’ve seen work for my own clients.
Being found: your website and SEO
Your website is still where most clients decide whether to get in touch.
The most common mistake I see in audits
When I audit a therapist’s website, the most common problem is missing or poorly set up page titles, meta descriptions and image alt text. The result is that what Google shows in its search listing doesn’t match what the website actually says.
It only takes a few minutes per page to fix, and so many therapists are missing this opportunity. On a WordPress site with Rank Math:
- Open the page in WordPress and go to the Rank Math panel.
- Write a clear title that says what you offer and where, such as “Anxiety Counselling in Ealing”.
- Write a description that speaks to the person searching and gives them a reason to click.
- For each image, add alt text that describes what the image shows.
- Repeat for every page, starting with your homepage and therapy pages.
Lead with the client, not your credentials
Your homepage should speak to what the person landing on it is going through. Qualifications matter, but they belong further down the page once you’ve shown you understand them.
Give each therapy area its own page
One-page and two-page websites struggle to rank. A separate page for anxiety, grief, trauma and so on gives Google far more to work with, and it lets each page speak directly to that type of client. My guide to building a professional therapy website walks through the structure.
Add a short video
A 30 to 45 second video on your homepage helps people feel a connection with you before they ever get in touch.
Make your site accessible
Good contrast, readable buttons and image alt text help every visitor, including neurodivergent visitors, and they also affect your rankings. There’s more in website design and UX.
Choose a platform that gives you control
Wix and Squarespace both have SEO tools, but they aren’t as comprehensive as WordPress. You get a simple, high-level set of options, and you often can’t add local schema, control your H1 headings properly or fully optimise a page for its keywords. On WordPress, a plugin like Rank Math Pro gives you all of those advanced options. I compare the platforms in WordPress vs Wix.
Build trust signals
Google looks for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, known as EEAT. You can check how your site measures up with my free Therapy EEAT Audit Tool, and read more in EEAT for therapists.
To find out what’s holding your site back technically, run it through my free SEO audit for therapists.
If you’d like to learn SEO properly and do it yourself, The Essential SEO Guide takes you through setup, keyword research, content, on-page optimisation, backlinks and local SEO in short, practical sessions. You can also start with SEO for therapists and Google Business Profile for therapists.
What this looks like in practice
These three therapy practices put the approach above into action. In each case, contact form enquiries had more than doubled six months later.
- Diane Hassall, Your Time to Talk: we built out location pages and associate pages, then worked on SEO, including SEO for AI search.
- Craig Coventry, Craig Coventry Counselling: we built dedicated therapy pages targeting online counselling and location-specific keywords.
- Daniel Kent, St Albans Therapy: we focused his SEO on therapy searches in St Albans, Watford and the surrounding area.
I also help counsellors choose the right keywords for their directory profiles, which brings me to the next point.
Directories: worth it, but they need work
Directories give you backlinks and another place to be found, which matters even more if you only work online. I cover the pros and cons in are therapy directories worth it?
Make your intro snippet work hard. The name, photo and tagline are often all someone sees. Far too many say something like “I’m an integrative counsellor”. Lead with who you help and what they’re struggling with, not your modality.
Use the words your clients search for. Build the keywords from your therapy pages into your profile so it supports your website rather than competing with it.
Keep your profile and website consistent. If the tone or focus doesn’t match when someone clicks through, trust breaks down.
Update your profiles regularly. Your practice focus will shift over time, so your profiles should too.
Review what you’re paying for. If you’re on several directories, weigh the cost against the enquiries each one brings in. Don’t assume every directory passes SEO value. Psychology Today, for example, may not pass link credit, so check before paying for it on that basis. My guide to generating valuable backlinks explains what to look for.
Niching and messaging
Jane avoids the word “niche” because it can feel restrictive. She prefers to describe the type of person you help and what they’re struggling with.
Take this example: “I help people pleasers who are exhausted and struggling in their relationships.” That one line covers anxiety, low mood, past trauma and more, yet it’s specific enough that the right client recognises themselves straight away. “Anxiety and depression” on its own blends in with everyone else.
- Keep your messaging consistent across your website, directories and everything you publish.
- It’s normal to go broad in your first year or two, then narrow your focus as you gain experience.
- Specific language helps the right people self-identify, which means better-fit enquiries.
Social media and LinkedIn
Organic reach on social media has fallen sharply, so only put time into a platform if you enjoy it and your clients are actually there. For this audience, Instagram and Facebook are becoming less useful.
Whatever your profession, I’d recommend LinkedIn as a minimum. I run a personal profile and a company page for Theo Ruby Marketing, and both bring me traffic and enquiries. People often find my website or see me on other channels, then message me on LinkedIn to book a call.
- Create a company page, even if you don’t post much. It adds a backlink and credibility without a daily grind.
- Connect with local people and focus on comments and conversations rather than just posting.
- Engage in ways that count. A like adds very little. Sharing with your own comment, or saving a post, carries far more weight.
- Be choosy about connections. Quality beats quantity, so you don’t need to accept every recruiter or spammer.
For more, see LinkedIn 101: how to grow your network and LinkedIn SEO, or check your profile with my free LinkedIn audit tool.
Content: blogging, video and AI
Blogging still works. Every post is another indexed page that can bring people to your site.
- Group your posts under therapy area pillars, for example four or five posts on trauma and four or five on depression.
- Skip generic listicles like “5 ways to feel less anxious”. Write to the specific struggles your clients bring.
- Jane’s Framework First blogging system (£9 a month) is a great way to build the habit.
My guide to blogging for therapists and the page on SEO for blogging go into more depth.
Video and podcasting are valid alternatives. Pick the format you’ll actually keep up.
Use AI carefully. It’s a useful drafting aid, but it can easily strip out your voice.
- Start with your own summary of what you want to say.
- Use AI to help expand it.
- Rewrite it in your own words.
- Add personal insight, stories and experience that AI can’t replicate.
One strong, personal blog post is worth more than ten generic AI-generated ones. The updated BACP Ethical Framework comes into force on 3 November 2026, and it requires you to be open with clients about how you use AI. I’ve summarised what that means in the BACP Ethical Framework 2026 and AI.
Networking and other channels
Face-to-face networking builds referral relationships rather than bringing in clients directly. Go with an open mind: the connections you make will send people your way over time. Look for events on Google, Eventbrite, Meetup, your local Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and therapist Facebook groups. My CLEAR framework for business networking will help you get more from each one.
If you’re in West London, Chiswick Business is a free local directory and events hub for businesses in Chiswick and the surrounding areas. You can list your practice, find local events and connect with the people most likely to refer clients to you.
Google Ads only make sense if you have a clear niche, a strong website and some technical knowledge. Without those, it’s easy to burn through your budget.
Local print advertising can work, but it needs repeated exposure over time. A one-off advert rarely pays off.
GPs are often restricted from making direct referrals, so this tends to be a lower-yield channel than people expect.
Newsletters suit therapists who are further along and have workshops, groups or products to promote.
What therapists say
“Theo made the creation of my beautiful website a pain free experience… He is also an expert on SEO which means he designs the site with the elements required to be found more easily on the internet… My website is now live, and I am very proud of it. Most importantly I am receiving many more client enquiries.”
Christabel Whiting, Google review
“He is a great communicator: he listens and clarifies to make sure we’re both on the same page, gives realistic and achievable ideas and insights and explains why he is giving them and how they will benefit me… The end result is a website that I absolutely love and that aligns with me and my counselling business.”
Yasmin Kermali, Google review
“Theo was really approachable and listened to what I wanted on my website. He helped to guide me and pays attention to detail I would highly recommend him.”
Hannah Bolton Counselling, Google review
You can read more on my testimonials page.
Where to start
You don’t need to do all of this at once. A good order is:
- Run the free SEO audit and EEAT audit to see where you stand.
- Fix your page titles, descriptions and alt text.
- Tighten your messaging so it describes who you help and what they’re facing.
- Split your website into separate therapy area pages.
- Bring your directory profiles and LinkedIn in line with that message.
- Choose one content format you’ll stick with.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my therapy website getting enquiries?
The most common reasons are a homepage that leads with credentials rather than the client’s needs, a one or two-page site with no separate therapy pages, and missing page titles, descriptions and alt text. Fixing these helps you get found and chosen.
Are therapy directories worth paying for?
They can be, as they add backlinks and another place to be found. Make your intro snippet say who you help, keep it consistent with your website, and review the cost against the enquiries each directory brings in.
Should therapists use LinkedIn?
Yes. A personal profile and a company page give you credibility and a backlink without needing to post every day. Focus on connecting with local people and having conversations.
Can I use AI to write my therapy blog?
AI can help you draft, but start with your own summary and rewrite the result in your own words, adding your own insight and experience. From 3 November 2026 the BACP Ethical Framework requires you to be open with clients about how you use AI.
Jane and I run these workshops regularly. To find out about the next one, get in touch. If you’d like help putting any of this into practice, take a look at my websites for therapists and SEO packages.
About the author
Theo Ruby has been a marketing consultant since 2008 and founded Theo Ruby Marketing in 2017. He has helped more than 300 clients, specialising in websites and SEO for therapists and counsellors. He holds a BBA in Business Administration and Digital Marketing from the University of Kent. Theo has spoken for therapy groups including Grow Your Private Practice, the Counsellors’ Staffroom, Prosper in Private Practice, TheraSummit, the UK College of Hypnotherapy and the Private Practice Playground. More about Theo
Written by Theo Ruby, a digital marketing consultant with over 10 years of experience helping therapists and mental health professionals grow their practices online. Theo has worked with 300+ therapy professionals across the UK on website design, SEO, and digital marketing strategy. Theo is not affiliated with Google, and Google’s policies change regularly. Every rule quoted here is linked to Google’s own documentation and was accurate as at August 2026.
Get in touch: www.theoruby.com/contact