A step-by-step framework to get your massage practice found by nearby patients

This checklist works for solo massage therapists, multi-therapist practices, and wellness centers with massage services. It applies whether you operate from a standalone clinic, medical office, or client-direct locations.

You'll get the most value if you:

• Have not yet optimized your Google Business Profile or haven't touched it in 6+ months
• Are appearing in local search but not in the map pack (top three results)
• Have fewer than 10 reviews or inconsistent review response patterns
• Haven't claimed listings in healthcare-specific directories
• Want to avoid the common setup mistakes that delay visibility gains

Note: This is a self-serve checklist. If you manage multiple locations or operate across different service areas, some steps become significantly more complex. Many practices find it faster to hire specialists for citation cleanup and schema setup.

Local SEO for massage therapy rests on four independent but interconnected pillars. Completing all four is what moves practices from "appearing in local search" to "visible in the map pack."

Pillar 1: Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization

This is your primary control point with Google. A complete, accurate GBP increases map visibility and local search appearance. Most massage practices complete 60-70% of GBP setup and stop, leaving visibility on the table.

Pillar 2: Local Citation Building and Cleanup

Citations are listings of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across directories. Google uses citation consistency and authority to rank local results. For massage practices, healthcare directories outrank general directories.

Pillar 3: Review Acquisition and Management

Google signals rank local results partly by review volume and recency. Healthcare-specific review management also builds trust with new patients. HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable here.

Pillar 4: Schema Markup and Technical Local SEO

Schema markup (structured data) tells Google your location, hours, credentials, and availability in machine-readable format. Without it, Google must infer this information, which can lead to errors.

Start here. A complete GBP is the highest-use local SEO task.

Profile Basics (Complete in order):

1. Claim and verify your GBP listing — If you haven't claimed it, Google may have auto-created a page. Search your business name and claim it immediately. Verification takes 5-10 days.
2. Fill all business information fields — Business name, phone number, address, website. Ensure NAP matches exactly across your website and directories (no abbreviated streets, no extra spaces).
3. Select primary and secondary categories — Primary should be "Massage Therapy" or "Massage Therapist." Secondary categories might include "Wellness Center" or "Physical Therapy Clinic" if applicable. Avoid vague categories like "Health."
4. Write a complete business description (750 characters max) — State what you offer (deep tissue, sports massage, prenatal, medical massage) and your credentials. Mention any specializations. Avoid health claims like "cures pain" or "treats medical conditions."
5. Add high-quality photos and videos — Upload 10-15 photos: practice interior, massage room, therapist, waiting area. Include a video if possible. Photos should show the actual space, not stock images.
6. Confirm business hours and special hours — Set accurate open/closed times. Update holiday hours. Google penalizes inconsistent hours in local rankings.
7. Add a service list (if GBP offers this) — List your massage modalities (Swedish, deep tissue, sports massage, etc.). Don't make health claims in service descriptions.
8. Enable messaging if you accept appointment requests through GBP — Many patients now book directly in Google.
9. Add posts weekly or bi-weekly — Posts refresh your GBP profile and signal activity to Google. Example posts: "New scheduling availability," "Try our sports massage package," promotional content. Posts appear for 7 days.

Citations work best when your NAP is consistent across all directories. For massage practices, healthcare directories carry more weight than general business listings.

Priority 1: Healthcare-Specific Directories (Complete all):

• Healthgrades — Largest healthcare directory. Claim, complete your profile, and upload photos. Healthgrades reviews also show in Google local results.
• Zocdoc — Patient appointment platform for healthcare providers. Many massage practices appear here. Complete profile, confirm specialties, ensure appointment booking is accurate.
• Yelp — Massage businesses rank separately here. Claim your business, add photos, and optimize your description. Yelp reviews don't transfer to Google but Yelp is a traffic source.
• Google Maps / Waze — Ensure your address and hours are current on both platforms.
• State massage board website — Some state boards publish licensed therapist directories. Ensure you're listed if applicable (confirm it doesn't violate your state's advertising rules).

Priority 2: General Business Directories (Select 5-8):

• Better Business Bureau (BBB), Apple Maps, Facebook, Instagram Business Page, LinkedIn (if you market to corporate wellness), local chamber of commerce website, local business directories specific to your city.

Consistency Rule: Your NAP must match exactly across all directories. If your website says "123 Main Street" but Healthgrades says "123 Main St," Google sees two different businesses. Audit all listings quarterly.

Critical disclaimer: Review collection and response must comply with HIPAA and state advertising rules. Never collect health information in review requests. Never incentivize reviews in ways that violate FTC guidelines. This section covers general best practices; consult your state's massage board rules and a healthcare compliance expert for specifics.

Review Acquisition Workflow:

1. Add Google review link to your email signature and appointment confirmations — Use Google's "share your feedback" link. Include it in post-appointment emails with a simple request: "We'd appreciate a review if you had a great experience."
2. Include QR code for reviews at your front desk — Print a Google review QR code and place it on your check-out counter. Many patients review immediately after a good session.
3. Never ask for specific ratings or outcomes — "Please leave a 5-star review" violates Google's review policy. Ask only for honest feedback about their experience.
4. Respond to all reviews within 3-5 days — Even negative reviews deserve a professional response. Thank patients, address concerns without admitting liability, invite follow-up offline.
5. Maintain HIPAA boundaries in responses — Don't repeat or acknowledge specific health information in your public response. Offer private communication for sensitive matters.

Review Volume Target: Industry benchmarks suggest 50+ reviews create noticeable local search lift. Many massage practices report that steady review growth (5-10 new reviews monthly) sustains local visibility better than sporadic bursts.

Schema markup is structured data that tells Google your business details. Without it, Google's algorithm must guess. With it, local visibility improves noticeably.

Required Schema for Massage Practices:

1. Local Business Schema — Add LocalBusiness or HealthAndBeautyBusiness schema to your homepage or footer. Include: business name, address, phone, website, hours, NAP.
2. Organization Schema — Add to homepage. Include: business name, logo, address, phone, social profiles, contact info.
3. Address Schema — Add to your contact or location page. Explicitly markup your full address, city, state, zip, country.
4. Opening Hours Schema — Markup your business hours. Update when hours change seasonally.
5. Therapist/Provider Schema (optional but valuable) — If you have multiple therapists or want to highlight credentials, add Person schema for each therapist: name, credential, photo, license number (if public).

Implementation: Use Google's Structured Data Markup Helper or hire a developer familiar with healthcare schema. Most website builders (WordPress, Wix, Squarespace) have built-in schema tools. Test your schema with Google's Rich Results Test to ensure it's valid.

Web Basics: Ensure your website loads fast (under 3 seconds on mobile), is mobile-responsive, and has HTTPS. Google ranks local results partly by website quality. Slow, outdated sites rank lower.

You don't have to complete everything at once. This priority sequence maximizes visibility gains with minimal effort early on.

Week 1-2: Quick Wins (4-5 hours total):

• Claim and verify your Google Business Profile
• Complete all GBP fields (description, hours, phone, website)
• Upload 10-15 photos to GBP
• Claim your Healthgrades and Zocdoc listings

Week 3-4: Citation Audit and Consistency (3-4 hours):

• Search your business name in Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, and major directories
• Claim any unclaimed listings
• Audit NAP consistency across all listings
• Correct any mismatched addresses, phone numbers, or hours

Week 5-6: Schema and Review Setup (3-4 hours):

• Add schema markup to your website (or hire a developer)
• Set up review request emails and QR codes
• Write your first review responses if you have existing reviews

Ongoing (1-2 hours monthly):

• Post to GBP weekly or bi-weekly
• Monitor and respond to reviews
• Audit citations quarterly for consistency

Realistic timeline to see results: In our experience working with massage practices, most report noticeable local visibility improvement 4-8 weeks after completing the full checklist. Varies by market competition and starting authority.

Mistake 1: Incomplete GBP Profile — Many therapists complete basic info but skip photos, description, or schema. A 60% complete GBP ranks lower than a 100% complete one. Full completion takes 2-3 hours and yields real visibility gains.

Mistake 2: NAP Inconsistency Across Directories — "123 Main Street" on your website, "123 Main St" on Healthgrades, and "123 Main Street Suite 100" on Yelp confuses Google. It sees these as three different businesses. Audit all listings and standardize. This is tedious but critical.

Mistake 3: Health Claims in Listings — Saying "massage cures back pain" or "relief from sciatica" in your GBP description violates FTC health claim rules and your state's massage board advertising guidelines. Use outcome-neutral language: "sports massage for athletes," "relaxation massage," "massage therapy for stress relief."

Mistake 4: Ignoring Review Management — Some therapists avoid responding to negative reviews. This signals poor service to potential patients and Google. Respond professionally and kindly to all reviews, even negative ones.

Mistake 5: Requesting Reviews Improperly — Never say "Please leave a 5-star review." This violates Google's review policy. Also never ask patients to confirm health improvements in reviews (violates HIPAA and FTC rules). Ask simply: "Was your experience great? We'd love your feedback."

Mistake 6: Skipping Schema Markup — Many therapists think GBP is enough. Schema markup reinforces your information and helps Google display it correctly in search results. It's worth the 1-2 hours of setup.