Your Google business profile is a big deal if you’re a therapist. Here is why: Picture these two therapy counselors in California. The first one ranks on Google Maps almost everywhere across a 5-mile radius when people search for therapy services. The other is barely a blip on the radar. What’s the secret source? It’s all about making your Google business profile SEO-friendly.
I will go through some top-notch SEO tactics that will make your Google business profile SEO-friendly so it can reach the top of Google Maps super fast in 2025 and turn people who find you into clients. These aren’t just random tactics, by the way, they are tried and tested, backed by my own experiences with my clients, and by the brains of over 40 top local SEO experts worldwide. These guys manage hundreds of listings and share their findings in the annual Local Search Ranking Factors report, revealing what Google looks for when ranking businesses on maps and local search results.
Free Tools for Outranking Competitors on Google Maps
I’m going to use the Local SEO Factors report plus a couple of free Chrome extension tools to show you the quickest way to get your Google business profile to number one on Google Maps.
GMB Everywhere
It’s a Chrome extension you can download here and install. GMB Everywhere is for checking out what your competitors are up to and getting ahead of them in search results. Open up Google Maps and search.
GMB Everywhere shows you some cool hidden details on each listing.
Pleper
Next up is Pleper. It’s a bit like GMB Everywhere but provides some extra info to check the competition that GMB Everywhere misses. Searchers can’t see this, but meanwhile, Pleper adds a neat popup directly in Google Maps, giving you an overview of information about your competitors, which is handy.
We’re going to use some of this info in a minute.
Local Ranking Factors
At the Local Search Ranking Factor report see what matters for getting your Therapy Google business profile to rank number one. The Local Ranking Factors Report 2024, this report breaks down almost 150 factors that impact how Google Business profiles rank, sorting them from the super important ones down to the less crucial ones.
This list doesn’t directly come from Google; it has been compiled based on a decade of top local SEO experts around, trying stuff out, and seeing what makes a difference in ranking a Google business profile. It’s just pure gold. We’re not going to go through the entire list. Instead, we’re going to zero in on the ranking factors that can make a big impact.
Business Categories
Your Business Categories are super important for ranking on Google Maps, especially your primary category. It’s the number one ranking factor mentioned in the report.
You might think choosing a primary category is a no-brainer, right? But it’s not always. So, figure out what the best primary category for your business should be. Consider doing some keyword research first, then head to Google Maps and search for the keyword you feel would be the best one.
GMB Everywhere will show you the primary category the top businesses are using, which will be marked with a star. This is the one you’d want to use to get the best chances of ranking for that keyword. GMB Everywhere will show you those listings’ secondary categories as well. If any of those fit your business, add them to your listing too, because secondary categories are the seventh most important ranking factor according to the report.
Here is a final tip:
Whatever primary category you choose, making sure it aligns with the content on the page your listing links is another key factor that can boost your business visibility just as much and as fast as your business.
Keywords in Business Title
Using Keywords in Business Title categories is one of the fastest ways for your Google business profile to rank on top. Make sure that the keywords you want to be found for are included in your business name. This technique is so effective that it’s ranked as the second most influential ranking factor in the report.
This strategy works well, and I’ve seen great results with it for my clients. But there’s a problem: Google’s guidelines state that your business name should match your real-world name as it appears on your storefront, website, and as known by your customers. So, you can’t just add keywords to your business name as you please; otherwise, your listing could be suspended.
The good thing is you can work around this rule, and this is how: If you’re just starting out and have yet to choose a name for your business, pick something that naturally includes your desired keywords. You’ll be able to legitimately use it on your listing and benefit from a ranking.
Google Reviews
Another major ranking factor is Google Reviews. When looking for a nearby therapists, people usually do two things:
- First, they go to Google and search for what they need
- second, they dive into the Google reviews of the businesses that pop up to check out what former customers are saying.
If your Google reviews don’t cut, you can be sure they bounce over to your competitors. That’s precisely why getting positive reviews is crucial and they’re the backbone of your business’s reputation. But there’s more. These reviews also play a vital role in how well your business ranks on Google Maps.
They’re mentioned not once but four times in the Ranking Factor report. So let’s go through them. Aim for as many positive reviews as possible. Why? They are the sixth most powerful factor for climbing up Google’s rankings. The more number of reviews, especially those with written content, is also key. finally, the fresher your reviews, the better. Reviews aren’t just reviews, they’re a critical piece of your daily marketing puzzle. Make it a habit to ask every satisfied customer to leave a review.
If you’re curious to see how good your review profile is compared to your competitors, do this: simply –> open Google Maps, search for a keyword related to your business, and click on the review section in a Pleer extension tool popup.
You’ll see everything from average ratings to the number of reviews, including the highs and lows across all of your competitors. If you’re not matching or exceeding these averages, consider setting them as your new review target goals.
Final advice about reviews: whenever you can, encourage your customers to include photos in their reviews. Google prioritizes reviews with photos, placing them at the top of the list, even above more recent text-only reviews. Since potential clients typically read only the top reviews when checking out your profile, this can be an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your best work visually.
Pre-defined Services
The last ranking factor you should consider to make it big on Google is pre-defined Services. What are predefined services? Well, based on the business categories you’ve selected, you might have the option to add specific services to your Google listing. You can add the services you offer. Often, Google will have already listed some services by default based on your business categories. Below this list, there’s usually a link to add more services. Clicking on this will bring up a list of additional services that Google deems relevant to your business categories, known as predefined services. You can select any of these to include in your profile.
Conclusion
It only gets you halfway there. Why? Because your Google business profile is just one part of being found on Google. The other half is your website, so don’t delay work on your website’s SEO.