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Besides its own website, a practice should be mentioned in five places: its Google Business Profile, review sites, professional and health directories, local news and community outlets, and podcasts. Each gives people and AI tools an outside description of the practice, and outside descriptions carry weight because the practice did not write them.
Where should a practice be mentioned first?
A practice should start with the two places people check most often before they call: Google and the review sites they already use. Both shape local search results and the AI answers built on top of them, and both are a core part of local SEO for therapists and group practices.
1. Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile is the most important listing a practice has outside its own site. Google says that “businesses with complete and accurate info are more likely to show up in local search results,” and its local ranking guide weighs relevance, distance, and prominence. Google’s AI features documentation also recommends keeping Business Profile information up to date.
2. Review sites
Reviews are where prospective clients read about the experience of working with a practice. BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 found that 97 percent of consumers read reviews for local businesses. Google’s own guidance says “more reviews and positive ratings can help your business’s local ranking.” Mental health professionals should check their profession’s ethics code and licensing board before inviting reviews, since the rules vary.
Where else should a practice be mentioned?
Beyond Google and review sites, a practice benefits from being described accurately by other trusted sources. Directories, local media, and podcasts each reach people at a different point in their search, and each adds to the overall picture that people and AI tools assemble about a practice.
3. Professional and health directories
Directories are where many people compare providers side by side. A practice’s profile on the directories its clients actually use should match its website and Google Business Profile exactly: name, address, phone, services, insurance, and clinicians. Inconsistent details make the practice harder for both people and AI tools to describe correctly.
4. Local news and community outlets
Local news, community calendars, and partner organizations describe a practice in someone else’s words. A quote in a local story or a listing on a community resource page is the kind of outside mention that appears to matter to AI tools. Ahrefs studied 75,000 brands and found that branded web mentions correlated strongly with AI visibility. Louise Linehan, author of the Ahrefs study, wrote that “more web mentions means more visibility across every AI platform we studied,” while noting that correlation is not causation.
5. Podcasts
Podcast appearances introduce a practice’s clinicians and owners to listeners in their own voice. The Infinite Dial 2026 from Edison Research and SSRS found that 58 percent of Americans age 12 and older consumed a podcast in the last month. A guest appearance also creates show notes, episode pages, and transcripts that mention the practice by name.
What does this list not cover?
This list does not rank the five places by importance for every practice, since the right mix depends on the practice’s location, services, and clients. It also does not cover paid advertising, social media strategy, or how to pitch local media or podcast hosts.
The Ahrefs findings show correlation across large brands, not proof that any single mention will change how a practice appears in AI answers. Nothing on this list guarantees a placement in search results or an AI recommendation. Rules on soliciting reviews and testimonials vary by profession and state, and this article does not interpret them. For the bigger picture on why outside evidence matters, see The Most Believable Thing About Your Practice Is Something You Did Not Write from Beacon Media + Marketing. This article is educational and does not replace guidance from a licensing board or attorney.
Frequently asked questions
Do mentions on other sites need to link to the practice’s website?
A mention does not always need a link to be useful. The Ahrefs study measured branded web mentions, meaning how often a brand is named across the web, and found a strong correlation with AI visibility. Links still help people reach the practice directly, so a mention that includes one is a welcome bonus.
How many directories should a practice be listed on?
A practice should be listed on the directories its prospective clients actually use, not every directory available. A smaller number of accurate, complete, consistent listings is easier to maintain than dozens that drift out of date. Each listing should match the practice’s website and Google Business Profile exactly, and someone should check them regularly.
