A correctly built Google Business Profile helps psychiatry and psychology practices appear for local searches such as "psychiatrist near me" or "psychologist telehealth", but mental health profiles need more care than most, particularly around review requests and referral wording. This checklist covers categories, services, telehealth listings, and the review considerations specific to practices regulated under the National Law.
Choosing accurate categories
The Google Business Profile is often the first result a prospective patient or a referring GP sees, so it is worth treating with the same accuracy standard as the website itself. A profile with vague, outdated or overstated information can create a mismatch between what someone expects and what the practice actually offers, and in mental health that mismatch matters more than in most other categories, because the person calling may already be anxious about making contact at all.
Set the primary category to match the practitioner's actual registration — "Psychiatrist" or "Psychologist" — rather than a broader category like "Mental health service" that undersells specific qualifications. Additional categories can cover related services genuinely offered, such as "Counselor" if the practice also employs counsellors, but every category listed must reflect a service actually provided at that location. Do not add categories to capture extra search volume for services you do not offer; this creates enquiries staff then have to decline, and it risks a misleading representation.
Writing the services list
List services in plain, accurate language: initial psychiatric assessment, medication review, ADHD assessment, cognitive behavioural therapy, telehealth consultation, and so on. Avoid vague entries like "mental health support" that tell a prospective patient nothing about what actually happens in an appointment. Where a service has eligibility or referral requirements — for example, a psychiatrist who only accepts patients with a GP referral — state that plainly in the service description rather than leaving people to discover it after they have called.
Telehealth listing and service areas
If telehealth is offered, say so explicitly in the business description and services list, and be clear about which states or territories the practice can see patients in, since registration and Medicare rebate rules can vary by circumstance. If the practice serves a defined service area rather than a walk-in location, use the service-area setting rather than showing a street address that implies patients can attend in person when they cannot.
Referral pathway wording
Many psychiatry practices require a referral before a booking can be made. State this clearly in the profile description: for example, that a referral from a GP is required for a first appointment, and roughly what information a referral should include. This reduces enquiries from people who cannot yet be booked and sets an accurate expectation before they call. For psychology practices operating under a Medicare mental health treatment plan pathway, describe this as a factual option — a plan from a GP that may provide a rebate for a set number of sessions — without implying it is the only pathway or making claims about outcomes.
Reviews, testimonials and photo privacy
Reviews on a Google Business Profile function as testimonials about a regulated health service, and s.133 of the National Law prohibits testimonials in advertising for services provided by registered practitioners. Practices commonly misunderstand this as "reviews are banned" — the more accurate reading, consistent with Ahpra guidance, is that a regulated practitioner or practice must not solicit, publish or share testimonials about clinical care in advertising. This has particular weight in mental health, where a review might describe symptoms, diagnosis, or treatment detail that should never be public. Do not ask patients to leave reviews describing their treatment or outcomes. If reviews already exist on a profile, the practice cannot control what patients write, but it should not amplify testimonial content by sharing or quoting it elsewhere, and should avoid replying to reviews in a way that confirms someone is a patient, which also raises privacy concerns.
Use photos of the waiting area, consulting rooms, and exterior signage rather than clinical images that could suggest a testimonial or reveal a patient's presence at the practice. Never post photos that could identify a patient, even with consent, given the sensitivity of a mental health visit becoming publicly associated with someone's name or face.
Q&A, messaging, attributes and accessibility
Google Business Profile includes a public Q&A feature and, in some regions, a direct messaging option. Monitor both closely, because unanswered or inaccurately answered questions sit publicly next to your listing. Pre-populate common questions — whether a referral is required, whether telehealth is available, and typical wait times for a first appointment — with factual answers written by the practice, rather than leaving them open for anyone to answer inaccurately. If a booking link is added to the profile, point it to a page that states any referral requirement before a booking can be completed, so people are not disappointed after filling in a form. Avoid enabling direct messaging if the practice cannot monitor it promptly, since a delayed reply to a message from someone in distress is a poor outcome and reflects badly on the practice.
The profile also allows practices to list attributes such as wheelchair accessibility, parking availability, and languages spoken by staff. Complete these accurately, since they influence whether a patient — particularly one already anxious about attending an appointment — decides the practice is a workable option before calling. If the practice offers services in languages other than English, note this clearly, as it is often a deciding factor for patients who would otherwise need an interpreter. Keep public holiday hours current in the lead-up to each break, since a wrong opening hours listing sends people to voicemail during a mental health appointment enquiry, which is a worse experience than for most other business categories.
Keeping the profile current
Update opening hours around public holidays, keep the phone number monitored so referring GPs are not sent to voicemail, and correct wait-time expectations if they are shown on the profile. A profile that says "accepting new patients" when the waitlist is closed damages trust with both referrers and self-referred patients, and is the kind of inconsistency that psychiatrist marketing work should catch during a routine profile audit.
Where this fits in a broader marketing plan
The Google Business Profile is one part of a wider approach that should also include SEO for psychologists on service-specific pages and, where appropriate, tightly targeted paid search. For the campaign structure that pairs with a strong profile, see Google Ads for psychiatrists: campaign structure, and for the full compliance picture around advertising claims, read advertising rules for psychiatrists and psychologists under AHPRA. Our broader healthcare marketing work applies the same profile discipline across specialties, and you can check your current claims against the rules using our free AHPRA advertising compliance checker. For the general principles behind all of this, see AHPRA-compliant marketing.
