SEO Setup Guide

This document covers the technical SEO work done in the code, plus the out-of-code steps you need to take to actually rank on Google.

What’s Already Done (in the code)

All of this is committed and active on every page:

• ✅ LocalBusiness + MedicalBusiness schema (site-wide JSON-LD) — Google reads this for the Knowledge Panel and local 3-pack results
• ✅ FAQPage schema on the homepage — enables FAQ rich snippets in search results (the expandable Q&A dropdowns)
• ✅ Person schema on the About page — links Alisa as the practitioner
• ✅ BlogPosting schema on every blog post — improves blog indexing
• ✅ Open Graph + Twitter Card meta tags — proper link previews when shared on social media or messaging apps
• ✅ Canonical URL (set via url: "https://alisaplaytherapy.com" in _config.yml)
• ✅ Hreflang tags for the bilingual site (en-AU ↔ zh-CN)
• ✅ Geo meta tags (geo.region = AU-SA, geo.placename = Adelaide)
• ✅ Sitemap at /sitemap.xml — auto-generated by jekyll-sitemap
• ✅ Robots.txt at /robots.txt — points to the sitemap
• ✅ Title and meta description rewritten to mention Adelaide, ages 3–6, and the specific services
• ✅ Australian English lang attribute (en-AU)
• ✅ Bilingual titles and descriptions for the Chinese pages

After deploying, you can verify these at:

• Google: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
• Schema.org validator: https://validator.schema.org/

What You Need to Do (out of code)

1. Google Search Console (free) — most important

This is how you tell Google your site exists and submit your sitemap.

1. Go to https://search.google.com/search-console/
2. Add property → URL prefix → https://alisaplaytherapy.com
3. Verify ownership (DNS TXT record is easiest — Google gives you the record)
4. Once verified, go to Sitemaps → paste sitemap.xml → Submit
5. Use URL Inspection to request indexing of your homepage and key pages

Without Search Console, Google may take weeks to find your site and you won’t see search performance data.

2. Google Business Profile (free) — biggest local SEO win

This is the single most important thing for “play therapy Adelaide” searches. It puts you in the local 3-pack (the map results at the top of Google).

1. Go to https://business.google.com/
2. Create a profile for Alisa Play Therapy
3. Choose “Health / Mental Health Service” as the category
4. Add your service area (Adelaide metropolitan area)
5. Add phone, hours, services, and website
6. Verify (Google sends a postcard or makes a phone call)
7. Upload photos — practice space, logo, headshot
8. Ask every parent (with permission) to leave a Google review. Reviews are the #1 ranking factor for local 3-pack.

3. Bing Webmaster Tools (free, optional)

Bing powers ~10% of Australian search. https://www.bing.com/webmasters — submit your sitemap there too.

4. NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone)

Once your Google Business Profile is live, list your practice on directories with identical NAP details:

• APPTA directory (you’re already on it — keep the entry updated)
• PTPA directory (you’re already on it)
• HealthEngine, HotDoc, or similar Australian healthcare directories
• Yellow Pages Australia
• Local Adelaide directories (e.g. AdelaideKids, Family Friendly Adelaide)

Google checks that your NAP is consistent across the web — small mismatches hurt rankings.

5. Backlinks from credible sites

The strongest backlinks for “play therapy Adelaide” would be:

• A page listing you on the APPTA public register
• A guest post or resource on a parenting blog in Adelaide
• A link from a school, kindergarten, or childcare centre you work with
• A podcast interview (with a link in the show notes)

Even 3–5 strong local backlinks make a real difference for local SEO.

6. Keep publishing blog content

Each blog post is a new page Google can rank. The four posts you’ve already written target relevant long-tail keywords:

• “7 signs your child might benefit from play therapy” → ranks for problem-aware parents
• “Child-Centered Play Therapy” → ranks for service-specific searches
• “Learn to Play Therapy” → ranks for service-specific searches
• “Filial Therapy” → ranks for service-specific searches

Aim for one new post per month. Sustainable topics:

• “Is play therapy covered by NDIS in Adelaide?”
• “What to expect at your child’s first play therapy session”
• “How to know if your 4-year-old needs play therapy”
• “Play therapy vs. counselling: what’s the difference?”
• “How play therapy helps with separation anxiety”

Each post gives Google a new page to index and a new entry point for parents searching.

7. Update the JSON-LD when things change

When the schema fields in _config.yml change (e.g. new services, new hours, new phone number), the structured data updates automatically. No code changes needed.

When you add a new FAQ item in index.md, also add a matching Question/Answer block in the FAQPage JSON-LD at the bottom of the same file (search for FAQPage).

How to check it’s working

Immediate (after deployment)

• Google’s Rich Results Test: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results → paste your homepage URL → should show FAQPage + LocalBusiness detected
• Schema Markup Validator: https://validator.schema.org/ → paste your homepage URL → should show no errors

Within 1–2 weeks (after submitting in Search Console)

• Search Console → Coverage → should show all pages as “Indexed”
• Search Console → Performance → search queries start appearing

Within 2–3 months (after consistent work)

• Google for site:alisaplaytherapy.com to see indexed pages
• Google for play therapy Adelaide (signed out) to see your ranking
• Google Business Profile → Views and calls

Quick reference