One regulator, five different kinds of search
Physiotherapy, chiropractic, psychology, podiatry and optometry are five of the 16 professions in Ahpra's national scheme. Other allied fields, such as speech pathology and dietetics, are not on that list, so their advertising obligations come from elsewhere. This page is about the registered professions.
Shared regulation does not mean shared search behaviour. A person looking for a physiotherapist and one looking for an optometrist type very different things, and they judge a clinic by different cues. A good plan starts with the profession, then the suburb, then the page.
How each profession tends to be searched
These are patterns in how people phrase searches, not claims about treatment. We confirm them against the real results pages for your suburb.
Physiotherapy
People pair physio with a suburb, a sports club or a type of service, such as a hydrotherapy pool or a particular clinic site.
Chiropractic
Searches name the profession and place. Pages need careful wording because the temptation to promise relief is strongest here.
Psychology
People look for availability, telehealth and a practitioner they feel comfortable with, so profiles and booking clarity carry weight.
Podiatry
Searches often combine the profession with a location or a practical need, so service pages and clear access details do the work.
Optometry
Eye test and glasses searches are tied to a shop or consulting room, which makes accurate location data and hours essential.
Other registered fields
Osteopaths, occupational therapists and Chinese medicine practitioners follow the same rules and need the same kind of care.
The advertising rules, in the order they trip people up
A breach of an advertising requirement is a criminal offence that a court can penalise with a fine. For registered practitioners, Ahpra's enforcement options also include registration conditions and disciplinary action. These are the areas we check first.
Ahpra says it and the National Boards cannot advise on whether a specific advertisement complies. Keep a record of the evidence behind every claim, and take independent advice if you are unsure.
- Testimonials: Favourable comments on the clinical side of care are not allowed in advertising, although patients may still post reviews on platforms.
- Evidence for claims: Acceptable evidence must back any claim about what a treatment achieves, and leaving out risks can make an advertisement misleading.
- Titles: Words that suggest a specialty or overstate skills, experience or qualifications are likely to mislead.
- Offers: Free assessments, packages and discounts need their terms and conditions stated alongside them.
- Responsibility: The advertiser carries the risk, including when an agency or staff member wrote the content.
The Dr title and why it needs a second look
Some chiropractors, osteopaths, physiotherapists, psychologists and optometrists hold doctorates and use Dr in their name. Ahpra's guidelines say that if the practitioner is not a medical practitioner, the advertising should make their profession clear. Ahpra's own example treats a bare Dr Lee as a potential breach and Dr Lee (Osteopath) as acceptable. A reader should not be left thinking they are visiting a doctor of medicine.
We apply that to page headings, profile text and the names shown in search listings. If your profession should appear next to the title, we put it there everywhere the name does.
Reviews, replies and what the clinic can republish
Reviews are a major part of how people choose an allied health clinic. A patient writing a review on a third-party platform is treated differently by Ahpra from a clinic that uses clinical praise in its own advertising.
Reasonable to do
- Ask every patient for feedback in the same way
- Reply to reviews with thanks and a neutral note about service
- Keep your profile details, hours and contact information current
- Report reviews that look fake through the platform
Risky to do
- Quote clinical praise on your own pages or social posts
- Discuss a patient's care in a public reply
- Offer a reward only for positive reviews
- Delete or hide honest negative feedback you control
What the work involves
The same process applies to a solo practitioner and a multi-discipline centre, scaled to the size of the site.
- Map the searchesWe list the services, suburbs and practitioner names people already use to find you.
- Fix the foundationsWe repair technical problems, then bring your Google Business Profile and your directory listings into line.
- Write the pagesEach service and practitioner gets a clear page. Titles are checked against the register, and you approve all wording.
- Support local relevanceWe build the content and the signals that support local search visibility, suburb by suburb.
- ReportEach report is in plain English and covers visibility, calls and bookings.
What to bring to the first conversation
Most of the risk in clinic websites sits in text that was written years ago. These items let us find it quickly.
- Titles exactly as registered: Bring each practitioner's registered profession and any title they use, so profile pages carry the same wording.
- Every treatment claim now online: List statements about what a treatment achieves, so each can be checked against the evidence you hold.
- Testimonials on your own pages: Point us to any quotes about clinical care on the site, social accounts or printed material.
- Current offers and their terms: Free assessments, packages and discounts need their conditions stated alongside them.
- Who posts for the clinic: Name whoever writes social posts or website updates, because the clinic stays responsible for what they publish.
Canberra's allied health clusters
Allied health clinics in Canberra tend to gather around town centres and hospital campuses. North Canberra Hospital and the University of Canberra Hospital are both in Bruce, in the Belconnen district, and Canberra Hospital is in Garran in the Woden Valley. Clinics near these sites often compete with each other for the same suburb searches.
Pricing is a custom quote. A solo practitioner and a multi-site centre need different amounts of work. Results come over months, and we never guarantee positions. If you are weighing options, start with a SEO audit and read the industries overview to see how we handle other regulated sectors.
Frequently asked questions
Which allied health professions do Ahpra's advertising rules cover?
Ahpra regulates 16 professions, including physiotherapy, chiropractic, psychology, podiatry, optometry, osteopathy, occupational therapy and Chinese medicine. Fields not on Ahpra's list, such as speech pathology and dietetics, are covered by other rules, including consumer law. We tell you where your profession sits at the start.
Can a physio or chiropractor show before and after photos?
Ahpra's detailed before and after image rules apply to higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures: images must be of actual patients treated by that practitioner, unedited, and carry a prominent warning that the outcome applies only to that patient. They do not cover other allied health advertising, which still falls under the general guidelines on misleading claims and testimonials. For most clinics the safest route is to leave outcome images out, and to ask your professional association or insurer first.
Can I call myself Dr on my website if I am a psychologist?
If you hold the qualification, you may, but Ahpra's guidelines say your advertising should make your profession clear when you are not a medical practitioner. We show your profession beside the title on profile pages and in search snippets so nobody reads it as a medical doctor.
Do you write about conditions and treatments?
We write plain-language service pages that explain what happens at a visit, who provides it and how to book. We do not write about cures, relief or results. Where a page needs clinical information, the practitioner provides or signs off the text, and we adapt it for readers and search.
Is SEO worth it for a small solo practice?
Often, because local searches are where solo practitioners are found. A well-built profile, accurate listings and a few strong service pages can matter more than a large site. We scope the work to what the practice needs and give a custom quote.
How long does it take to appear for suburb searches?
Expect months for competitive searches and weeks for fixes such as a corrected profile. Nobody can promise a position, and we do not. We explain what is likely based on the results pages in your area.
Sources and further reading
- Ahpra: Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service: Testimonials, evidence for claims, titles including Dr, offers, penalties and enforcement, advertiser responsibility
- Ahpra: Register of practitioners: The 16 nationally regulated professions
- Ahpra: Advertising higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures: Before and after image requirements (section 5), which apply to advertising of higher risk non-surgical cosmetic procedures only
- ACCC: Online product and service reviews: Fake reviews, incentivised reviews and suppressing negative reviews
- Healthdirect: hospitals in Bruce ACT 2617: North Canberra Hospital and University of Canberra Hospital are in Bruce
- Healthdirect: Canberra Hospital, Garran: Canberra Hospital services are at Garran ACT 2605
- ACT Government district boundaries layer (ACTGOV_DISTRICTS): Official district polygons: Bruce falls in Belconnen and Garran in Woden Valley