Marketing for occupational therapists: reaching families and referrers
By Seam Media · Updated
An occupational therapy practice usually has two audiences: the people who need therapy, or their families, and the professionals who refer them, such as support coordinators, GPs, schools and other therapists. Good marketing makes it easy for both to understand what you do, who you can see and how to get started.
Because occupational therapists are registered health practitioners, promotion also has to follow Ahpra's advertising rules. This guide covers both.
Describe your services the way people search
Families rarely search for clinical terms. They search for things like OT for handwriting, sensory support for kids or home modifications for an older parent. Give your main services their own pages, explain who they suit and what a first appointment involves, and use plain language alongside the clinical terms.
- A page for each main service or age group.
- Plain-language descriptions.
- What to expect at the first appointment.
Make it clear where and how you see people
State whether you see clients in a clinic, at home, at school or by telehealth, and which areas you cover. If you are mobile, list your service areas honestly. If you have a waitlist, say so and keep it up to date.
Make referring easy
Support coordinators and other referrers want a simple referral form, a named contact and a quick acknowledgement. Say what information you need, such as funding type and goals, and how long it takes to respond. Fast, reliable responses are often what brings repeat referrals.
Follow Ahpra's advertising rules
Ahpra's guidance on advertising a regulated health service says advertising must not be false or misleading, must not use testimonials about clinical aspects of care, must not create unreasonable expectations of beneficial treatment and must not encourage unnecessary use of services. That affects how you use reviews, success stories and outcome claims in your website and ads.
When in doubt, describe what you do and how you work rather than promising results, and check Ahpra's advertising hub before publishing.
- No clinical testimonials in advertising.
- No promised outcomes.
- Accurate fees and funding information.
Be visible in local search
A complete Google Business Profile with the right categories, services and service areas helps families find you nearby. Keep details consistent with your website, and respond professionally to any reviews you receive.
Track enquiries by source
Record where each enquiry comes from: search, Maps, ads, referrers or word of mouth. Check that every web form reaches your inbox. Over time this shows which channels bring the clients you can help.
Seam Media works with mobile allied health and NDIS providers. Our allied health page explains how we run Google Ads for practices like yours.
Sources and further reading
Choose your next step
Tell us which services and locations you want to grow. We can review the starting point and agree a practical scope for your website and local search.