A step-by-step framework you can implement this week — and track month-to-month

This checklist is built for physical therapy practice owners and marketing managers running independent or small-group PT clinics. It assumes you have a website (WordPress or professional PT platform) and want to compete in local search without hiring a full-time SEO person.

If you operate multiple locations, use this checklist for your primary practice first, then replicate the location-specific elements (GBP, local citations, service area content) for each branch.

What this is not: A replacement for HIPAA compliance review (consult your legal counsel), a step-by-step technical development guide, or marketing advice for insurance coding. This focuses on organic search visibility only.

Start with Google Business Profile. This is not optional and should be your first priority.

• Claim and verify your GBP — If you don't already have one, create it. If you do, ensure it's verified. Go to Google Business Profile, search your practice name, and claim ownership.
• Complete all GBP fields — Business name, address, phone, website, hours, service categories (select "Physical Therapy" and any relevant sub-categories), and business description (50-100 words describing your specialties without keyword stuffing).
• Add 10+ high-quality photos — Treatment rooms, common areas, staff, patient testimonials as images (with written consent and HIPAA compliance). Photos are weighted heavily in local rankings.
• Set up GBP posts — Add 2–3 posts per month. Announce new services, share treatment tips, link to blog content. Posts drive engagement signals and show Google you're active.
• Enable reviews on GBP — Make it easy for patients to leave reviews. Generate at least 5–10 reviews in the first month using HIPAA-compliant request methods (see Compliance block below).
• Add service areas and hours — If you serve multiple cities, add each service area explicitly. Update hours for holidays and closures.

With GBP live, optimize your website pages for search. Prioritize treatment pages — these drive the highest ROI for PT practices.

• Treatment page strategy — Create or optimize one page per condition you treat (e.g., "Lower Back Pain Treatment," "Rotator Cuff Rehab," "ACL Injury Recovery"). Include the condition name in the page title, H1, and first paragraph. Use natural language; do not force keywords.
• Page title and meta description — Titles should be 50–60 characters and include the condition name and your city (e.g., "Lower Back Pain Treatment in [City] | [Practice Name]"). Meta descriptions: 120–155 characters, describe the treatment and key benefit (e.g., "Evidence-based physical therapy for lower back pain. 80% of our patients see improvement within 4–6 weeks.").
• H1 and header structure — Use only one H1 per page. Use H3s for subsections (symptoms, treatment approach, success metrics). Avoid H2s unless breaking up very long content.
• Internal linking — Link related treatment pages to each other (e.g., from "Lower Back Pain" to "SI Joint Dysfunction"). Link from your homepage to top 5–8 treatment pages.
• Content length — Aim for 800–1,200 words per treatment page. Cover: condition overview, why it happens, your treatment approach, typical timeline, patient success metrics, and a call-to-action (schedule a consultation).
• Schema markup — Add LocalBusiness schema to your homepage and Breadcrumb schema to all pages. Most PT platforms handle this, but verify it's present.

Technical SEO is a prerequisite, not a driver. Fix it once, then maintain it. Most PT practices need only the fundamentals.

• Site speed — Use Google PageSpeed Insights to audit your site. Aim for a 75+ score on mobile. Common fixes: optimize images (compress to under 200KB), minimize plugins, enable caching. Test on mobile devices yourself; speed perception matters for mobile traffic.
• Mobile responsiveness — Your website must render correctly on phones. Test using Google's Mobile-Friendly Test tool. If it fails, contact your web host or developer.
• SSL certificate (HTTPS) — Non-negotiable. Verify your site uses HTTPS in the address bar. If not, purchase an SSL certificate (most hosts provide one free) and enable it site-wide.
• XML sitemap — Create and submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console. Most platforms (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace) auto-generate this. Verify it lists all your treatment pages.
• robots.txt — Ensure robots.txt is not blocking Googlebot from crawling your site. Use Google Search Console to test this.
• Duplicate content — Avoid having the same content on multiple URLs. Redirect old pages to new ones using 301 redirects, not 302s.

Once on-page and technical foundations are live, build content that answers patient questions. This is a long-term effort — expect 4–6 months to see consistent new patient inquiries from organic search.

• Blog strategy — Write 2–4 blog posts per month. Topics: condition overviews, injury prevention, treatment myths, success stories (with patient consent and HIPAA compliance). Each post should be 600–800 words and link to a related treatment page.
• Patient journey content — Map content to three stages: (1) awareness ("What causes lower back pain?"), (2) consideration ("How is lower back pain treated?"), (3) decision ("Why choose our clinic for lower back pain treatment?"). Your treatment pages handle decision; blog posts handle awareness and consideration.
• FAQ sections — Add an FAQ section to each treatment page with 3–5 questions patients actually ask (e.g., "How long does physical therapy take?"). Use conversational language and be specific ("typically 6–8 weeks for rotator cuff" rather than "varies").
• Avoid keyword density obsession — Write naturally. Google reads intent, not keyword counts. If a word appears 4 times in 800 words, that's fine. If it appears 12 times, it feels forced and hurts readability.
• Update and refresh content — Every 6 months, review your top-performing pages and update them with new information, statistics, or patient outcomes.

Citations are mentions of your practice name, address, and phone (NAP) on external websites. Healthcare citations matter more than general directories for PT practices.

• Priority healthcare directories — Submit your practice to: Healthgrades, WebMD, Zocdoc, and Psychology Today (many list physical therapists). These are weighted heavily by Google for healthcare searches. Ensure NAP is consistent across all platforms.
• Local directories — If relevant in your area, submit to Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, and local wellness directories. Priority: Healthgrades and WebMD first.
• Review management — Healthgrades and WebMD also host patient reviews. Encourage reviews on these platforms specifically. See Compliance block for HIPAA-safe review request methods.
• NAP consistency — Ensure your practice name, address, and phone are identical across all platforms. If your address includes "Suite 100," use that everywhere—not "Ste 100" or "Suite 100," inconsistency harms local rankings.
• One-time setup, ongoing maintenance — Set up citations once. Then audit quarterly to ensure information (phone, hours, address) stays current.

Disclaimer: This is educational content, not legal advice. Consult with your compliance officer, legal counsel, and your state's physical therapy licensing board before implementing any of these elements.

• Patient testimonials and case studies — Do not use patient names, ages, or specific health information without explicit written consent. Use first names only or anonymized testimonials ("A 55-year-old patient with lower back pain..."). Store consent forms securely, separate from your website.
• Before/after photos — Prohibited if they reveal patient identity or specific health data. Generic treatment room photos are safe. Patient outcome photos require explicit consent and full HIPAA compliance review.
• Review management — Respond to all reviews (positive and negative) professionally and without disclosing patient information. Never discuss specific treatment details or outcomes publicly. Example safe response: "Thank you for choosing us. We're glad to have helped. Please call us for any follow-up questions."
• Intake forms and contact forms — Do not ask for health history on public forms. Lead magnets (e.g., "Free Injury Prevention Guide") are fine, but require minimal data (name, email). Health information should be collected only on secure, HIPAA-compliant intake forms after a patient commits to an appointment.
• ADA web accessibility — Ensure your website meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This is critical for PT practices serving patients with mobility limitations. Test with screen readers, ensure color contrast meets accessibility standards, and provide alt text for all images.
• State practice act considerations — Some states restrict physical therapists from certain marketing claims (e.g., "cure," "FDA-approved treatment"). Review your state's physical therapy licensing board rules. Use "treatment," "management," and "recovery" rather than "cure." Avoid unsubstantiated medical claims.