Case Study: Increased Organic Users from 900 to 3,100 in 8 Months for a Mental Health Practice in Los Angeles
In 2025, a mental health practice in Los Angeles partnered with Goforaeo to increase non branded organic visibility and turn that traffic into steady appointment inquiries. The practice name is anonymized due to an NDA, and the metrics below come from GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, and rank tracking for the dates listed.
Snapshot of Results
Timeframe: February 10, 2025 to October 10, 2025
Location: Los Angeles, California
Before vs after results:
- Monthly organic users: 900 to 3,100
- Monthly organic sessions: 1,240 to 4,180
- Non branded clicks (GSC): 420 to 1,620 per month
- Top 10 keywords (tracked): 8 to 46
- GBP actions: 180 to 620 per month
- Monthly inquiries (calls + forms): 34 to 112
Context and Starting Point
LA is a tough market for mental health SEO because directories dominate, and many clinics have similar service pages. The practice had solid care and good reviews, but its site didn’t clearly target multiple therapy and condition intents. A few pages were driving most traffic, and important searches were landing on general pages that didn’t convert well.
We focused on building more entry points for high intent searches like therapy near me, anxiety therapy, depression support, trauma therapy, couples therapy, and evaluation services, while improving trust signals and the booking path.
Measurement Setup
Before changes, we cleaned tracking so inquiries were measured correctly and weren’t double counted. We also created a service line reporting view so we could see which pages were driving growth.
What we set up
- GA4 events for call clicks, appointment clicks, and form submissions
- Search Console segmentation by therapy services and condition pages
- Rank tracking for LA therapy keywords and variations
- GBP insights monitoring for actions and discovery behavior
- Call tracking for organic vs listing calls where possible
- Looker Studio dashboard with weekly notes and change dates
Diagnosis: Why Organic Users Were Capped
The practice wasn’t missing demand. It was missing SEO structure and depth. Google didn’t have enough strong pages to rank beyond a small set of terms, and the pages didn’t guide users toward booking confidently.
Key issues found
- Too few dedicated pages for therapy types and condition intent
- Thin service pages without clear “who it’s for” sections and FAQs
- Titles and meta descriptions were generic, lowering CTR
- Weak internal linking between therapy pages, condition pages, and provider pages
- Local signals were light on key pages, hurting “near me” performance
- Slow mobile templates and unclear CTAs increased drop off
- Trust cues were present but not placed where patients decide to book
Strategy Overview
We used an 8 month system that combines content structure, local alignment, and conversion improvements. The goal was to grow rankings across multiple services while keeping pages sensitive, compliant, and easy to understand.
Workstreams
- Therapy service pages and condition pages buildout
- Topic clusters for long tail therapy questions
- Internal linking and site architecture improvements
- Local SEO alignment between GBP, citations, and website
- CTR improvements via snippet rewriting
- Conversion improvements for mobile booking
- Trust and credibility improvements (E E A T) for YMYL topics
Service Pages and Condition Pages That Drove Growth
Mental health SEO grows when the site has clear pages for the services people search and when those pages are written in supportive, simple language. We built pages that match intent while avoiding over promising.
Pages built or expanded
- Anxiety therapy in Los Angeles
- Depression support and therapy
- Trauma and PTSD informed therapy (if offered)
- Couples therapy
- Stress and burnout support
- ADHD evaluation or support pages (if offered)
- Teen therapy or family therapy pages (if offered)
- Therapy approach pages like CBT, EMDR, or mindfulness (if applicable)
What we included on each page
- Clear “who this helps” section
- What a first session looks like and how to book
- What to expect from therapy and typical next steps
- FAQs based on Search Console queries
- Safety and crisis guidance (clear boundaries and resources)
- Trust cues: therapist credentials, licensing, and approach
- Strong but gentle CTAs: request appointment, call, or intake form
Supporting Content for Long Tail Growth
We built supporting pages for common questions people search before they book. These pages increased reach and linked into service pages.
Examples of supporting topics
- How to choose a therapist in LA
- Signs anxiety might need professional support
- What to expect in the first therapy session
- How couples therapy works and when to start
- Trauma therapy questions in simple words
Internal Linking and Architecture
Internal linking helped Google understand the practice’s service coverage and helped users find the right therapist and service quickly.
Linking actions
- Built therapy hubs linking to all services
- Linked supportive content into the correct service pages
- Added “related services” blocks for easy routing
- Improved provider pages and linked them to relevant services
- Cleaned orphan pages and reduced overlap that caused cannibalization
Local SEO and Google Business Profile Improvements
Even for mental health, local signals matter in LA. Many searches are location based and users often click the listing first.
Local work completed
- Expanded GBP services with clear descriptions
- Updated categories and attributes where needed
- Added appointment links with UTM tracking
- Maintained a consistent posting and photo cadence
- Citation cleanup for consistent NAP and hours
- On site local signals added naturally (not stuffed)
Trust and Credibility Improvements
Mental health is a YMYL topic, so trust matters. We improved clarity about clinicians, licensing, and care boundaries.
Trust updates
- Strengthened therapist bios with credentials and specialties
- Added review and testimonial placements where compliant
- Added clear privacy and confidentiality explanations
- Added medical review style notes where relevant
- Improved “about” and “how we work” sections for credibility
Conversion Improvements That Increased Inquiries
More traffic only helps if people feel comfortable taking the next step. We improved conversions with a calm, simple booking experience.
CRO updates
- Clear above the fold appointment CTAs
- Sticky call or request appointment button on mobile
- Shorter intake form and clearer “what happens next”
- Added insurance and pricing guidance where appropriate
- Improved page speed and readability for mobile users
Tools Used
GA4, Google Search Console, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, Looker Studio, Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse, BrightLocal or Whitespark, Semrush/Ahrefs, Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar, Google Tag Manager.
Timeline With Dates, Monthly Numbers, and Natural Notes
February 10 to February 28, 2025
We completed the audit, cleaned tracking, mapped keywords to services, and rebuilt the first set of priority pages to improve intent match. We also fixed obvious conversion friction on mobile and tightened GBP services for better discovery coverage.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~900
- Organic sessions: ~1,240
- Non branded clicks: ~420
- Inquiries: ~34
March 2025
We launched additional therapy service pages, improved titles and meta descriptions for CTR, and started supporting content for common questions. Internal linking began connecting supportive content to service pages and providers.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~1,180
- Organic sessions: ~1,560
- Non branded clicks: ~560
- Inquiries: ~46
April 2025
We expanded condition targeting, added FAQs from real Search Console queries, and improved therapist bio pages so the site showed stronger trust and relevance. Local signals were reinforced naturally across key pages.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~1,520
- Organic sessions: ~2,020
- Non branded clicks: ~720
- Inquiries: ~61
May 2025
We published more supporting content, strengthened internal linking into the pages closest to page 1, and improved conversion flow by simplifying intake steps and making CTAs more visible on mobile.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~1,980
- Organic sessions: ~2,610
- Non branded clicks: ~980
- Inquiries: ~76
June 2025
We refined pages using query movement, improved snippets for high impression terms, and continued local trust work through citation consistency and GBP engagement. Rankings began stabilizing across multiple therapy services.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~2,360
- Organic sessions: ~3,110
- Non branded clicks: ~1,160
- Inquiries: ~88
July 2025
We scaled winning content clusters, updated underperforming pages, and improved speed and readability on high traffic templates. Provider pages were further aligned with services to strengthen topical coverage.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~2,720
- Organic sessions: ~3,580
- Non branded clicks: ~1,340
- Inquiries: ~99
August 2025
We doubled down on the best converting services, expanded FAQs and “what to expect” content, and maintained steady GBP activity to support local discovery. Conversion improvements kept inquiry growth aligned with traffic growth.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~2,940
- Organic sessions: ~3,920
- Non branded clicks: ~1,480
- Inquiries: ~106
September 10 to October 10, 2025
We focused on stability, refreshed pages that slipped, improved internal links into top converters, and tightened the booking flow to keep actions rising. Organic users reached a new baseline while inquiries stayed consistent in intake logs.
Month end metrics:
- Organic users: ~3,100
- Organic sessions: ~4,180
- Non branded clicks: ~1,620
- Inquiries: ~112
Before and After Proof Summary
Organic users increased because the practice gained more entry points through dedicated therapy and condition pages, supported by helpful content and strong internal linking. Local alignment and credibility improvements improved ranking stability, while conversion improvements made it easier for visitors to request an appointment.
- Organic users: 900 to 3,100 per month
- Organic sessions: 1,240 to 4,180 per month
- Non branded clicks: 420 to 1,620 per month
- Inquiries: 34 to 112 per month
What Made It Work
The biggest driver was matching intent with clear pages and a simple booking path. Once the site covered more therapy topics in a structured way, Google had more reasons to rank it. Once the pages explained next steps clearly and felt trustworthy, more visitors turned into inquiries.