How to Improve Your Directory Listings and Build Your Caseload
My step-by-step guide to audit your listings PLUS pro copywriting tips from an expert...
If you’re paying for a directory to market your private practice, you want to make sure it’s working as hard as it can. Unfortunately, I believe many therapist profiles are leaving enquiries on the table.
Today, I’m going to walk you through a quick audit designed to help you level up your directory listings and hopefully make your investment worthwhile. I’ve also enlisted the help of a copywriter to make finding the right words a little easier.
But first, let’s talk about an important step many therapists skip – tracking results.
Stop Guessing, Start Tracking
Be honest, do you actually know whether your directory listings are paying for themselves or not? In other words, are you tracking results?
Here’s a simple system that takes thirty seconds per enquiry. All you need to do is ask every new client, ‘how did you find me?’ Then, write their answer down.
Use a spreadsheet, a notebook, a note on your phone — it doesn’t matter, as long as you do it consistently. Record the date, the source they name (Google, word of mouth, Instagram, Psychology Today, etc.), and whether they converted to a paying client.
Do this for three months and you’ll have actual data instead of a feeling.
What to look for after three months:
How many enquiries came from each directory?
How many of those converted to paying clients?
What’s the cost per client? (Monthly fee × 3, divided by number of clients gained)
How does that compare to clients who found you through your website, Google, or word of mouth?
If your directory is costing you £75 over three months and it brought you one client who paid for six sessions at £80, that’s a clear return. If it brought you zero clients, you have your answer. The data removes the emotion. And it stops you paying for something out of habit rather than evidence.
A Note on Free Trials
Several directories offer free trials. They’re useful for testing whether a directory works in your area, but they can create a false sense of value.
During a free trial, any enquiry feels like a bonus because it costs you nothing. The real question starts when the payments kick in. That’s £300 a year. Is it reliably bringing you enough clients to justify that? By all means, use free trials, but set a reminder to review the numbers before you start paying.
Common Mistakes People Make in Their Directory Listings
Writing for other therapists, not for clients. This looks like leading with things like, ‘I’m a BACP-registered integrative counsellor with 10 years’ experience’ rather than addressing how prospective clients might be feeling. If someone is anxious and overwhelmed, they probably don’t care about your modality yet.
Trying to appeal to everyone. ‘I work with a wide range of issues’ feels safe but speaks to no one.
Using jargon over plain language. Talking about ‘psychodynamic frameworks’ when the person is just Googling ‘why do I feel like this?’
A stiff, clinical, or missing photo. People choose a therapist on a perceived sense of connection, and the photo does a lot of that work before they’ve even read a single word.
Hiding the practical details. No fees, no availability, no clarity on online vs in-person. Every unanswered question is a reason to click away.
Setting and forgetting. Treating the listing as done rather than something to revisit and refine.
A weak or absent call to action. This leaves the reader unsure what to do next.
Let’s Audit and Improve Our Directory Listings
Step 1 – Niche Down
This is the single biggest thing you can do.
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