Your intake form, your GBP listing, and your EHR vendor are all under scrutiny right now

Google Killed FAQ Dropdowns, But Your Schema Still Matters for AI Search

If you have FAQ sections on your therapy website, here is something worth knowing: Google officially deprecated FAQ rich results in May 2024, with full technical support ending in mid-2026. This means the expandable question-and-answer dropdowns that used to appear under your search listing are gone. From a traditional search visibility standpoint, that visual advantage no longer exists for private practice websites.

However, removing your FAQ schema would be a mistake. Large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google's AI Overviews actively use structured schema data to identify authoritative answers to specific questions. When a potential client searches for therapy-related questions, having properly marked-up FAQ content makes it significantly easier for AI tools to cite your site as a source. Think of it as future-proofing your online presence for the way people are increasingly finding services.

Do this now:

• If you have FAQ sections on your therapy website, here is something worth knowing: Google officially deprecated FAQ rich results in May 2024, with full technical support ending in mid-2026. This means the expandable question-and-answer dropdowns that used to appear under your search listing are gone. From a traditional search visibility standpoint, that visual advantage no longer exists for private practice websites.

  However, removing your FAQ schema would be a mistake. Large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google's AI Overviews actively use structured schema data to identify authoritative answers to specific questions. When a potential client searches for therapy-related questions, having properly marked-up FAQ content makes it significantly easier for AI tools to cite your site as a source. Think of it as future-proofing your online presence for the way people are increasingly finding services.

  When writing new content for your website, continue adding FAQ schema to any question-and-answer sections, particularly on your services and specialty pages.
• Ask your web developer or SEO tool to audit your site and confirm your FAQ schema is correctly formatted using Schema.org FAQPage markup so AI crawlers can read it cleanly.

Digital Intake Forms Are Becoming a HIPAA Compliance Priority. Is Your Practice Ready?

According to industry reports, clients and compliance experts increasingly expect encrypted, access-controlled data collection from the very first point of contact. If your practice still uses paper intake forms or an unencrypted online form, sources indicate the intake process itself may be one of your biggest breach risks. As reported by HIPAA guidance resources, a violation at this stage can carry the same penalties as a breach inside your EHR, though specific fine amounts vary and should be confirmed with a qualified compliance advisor.

The good news: compliant digital intake vendors have multiplied, and implementation is more affordable than ever. Platforms built specifically for healthcare collect electronic signatures, encrypt submissions, and restrict access by default. Switching is no longer a technical lift. It is a straightforward vendor selection decision that, according to industry best practices, helps protect your clients and your practice from the very first interaction.

Do this now:

• Check whether your current intake form vendor signs a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with your practice.
• Research HIPAA-compliant intake platforms such as IntakeQ, Therapyportal, or SimplePractice before June 15, 2026.
• Audit who on your staff can access submitted intake data and remove any unnecessary access permissions this week.

RXNT Data Breach Exposed Client Records in March 2026. Here Is What Therapy Practices Must Do Now.

RXNT, a practice management and EHR platform used by thousands of healthcare providers, notified clients in May 2026 of a breach that occurred in March 2026. Exposed data includes client names, dates of birth, and other protected health information. A class-action lawsuit investigation is already underway, and covered entities that stored client data on RXNT may face downstream liability if they do not respond correctly.

HIPAA requires covered entities to notify affected individuals within 60 days of discovering a breach. If RXNT notified your practice in May 2026, that clock is running. Pull your Business Associate Agreement with RXNT immediately, document every response step you take, and consult a HIPAA compliance attorney if you are uncertain about your notification obligations.

Do this now:

• Log into your RXNT account today and check for any official breach notification emails or in-platform alerts from May 2026.
• Locate your signed Business Associate Agreement with RXNT and review the breach notification responsibilities it assigns to each party.
• Begin documenting your practice's response steps in writing, including dates and decisions, to demonstrate good-faith compliance if regulators or litigants inquire.

Google's March 2026 Core Update Is Suspending Business Profiles. Audit Yours Before You Disappear From Search.

Google's March 2026 Core Update has triggered suspensions of Google Business Profile listings for businesses caught adding keywords to their business name or description that do not match their legal business name. Suspended listings vanish from Google Maps and local search results entirely, cutting off one of the most reliable referral channels for therapy practices. Competitive service categories, including healthcare, have been hit hardest.

A suspension means a prospective client searching for a therapist near them will not find your practice at all. Review your GBP business name right now. It should match your legal business name exactly, with no added specialty keywords. Check your description for keyword stuffing as well. If your listing is already suspended, Google's reinstatement process can take several weeks, so act before a suspension occurs.

Do this now:

• Open your Google Business Profile today and confirm your listed business name matches your legal business name exactly, with no added keywords.
• Read your GBP description and remove any keyword phrases that were added for search visibility rather than to accurately describe your practice.
• Set a recurring monthly calendar reminder to review your GBP for policy compliance, since Google's guidelines continue to evolve.

Google's Local SEO Crackdown Is Still Claiming Business Profiles — Therapy Practices Must Audit Their GBP Name Now

Google's March 2026 Core Update is actively suspending Google Business Profiles that use keyword-stuffed business names, and therapy practices are among the hardest hit in competitive local markets. If your Google Business Profile lists your practice name as something like "Anxiety Therapist Denver" or "Sarah Johnson Trauma Counseling and EMDR Therapy" rather than your actual legal business name, your profile is at risk of being suspended entirely, removing you from Google Maps and local search results with no warning.

A suspended profile means potential clients simply cannot find you through Google, which translates directly to lost appointments and revenue. Google's guidelines require that your GBP name match the name you use on your signage, website, and business registration. The fix is straightforward, but you need to act before a suspension forces your hand.

Do this now:

• Log into your Google Business Profile today and compare your listed business name exactly against your legal practice name or the name displayed on your website and any physical signage.
• Remove any added keywords, specialties, locations, or descriptors from your GBP name field, keeping only your true, registered practice name to bring your listing into compliance.
• Search your practice name on Google Maps after saving changes to confirm your profile remains active and visible, and set a monthly calendar reminder to review your GBP for any policy alerts.

Quick wins for the week

• Log into your Google Business Profile this week and confirm your listed business name matches exactly what appears on your license, lease, or official registration with no added keywords like 'anxiety therapy' or 'depression counseling' appended to it.
• Ask your current EHR or intake form vendor to send you written confirmation that your client data is encrypted in transit and at rest and that access controls limit who can view submitted forms.
• Search your own practice name on Google this week and verify your Business Profile is still active and visible, because suspended profiles disappear from search results without any direct notification to the owner.
• Add a standing quarterly reminder to your calendar to review your website's FAQ sections and confirm your SEO schema markup is still structured in a way that answers the specific questions your ideal clients type into search engines.

Final thoughts

This week's stories share a common thread: the digital infrastructure around your practice is under more scrutiny than ever, from regulators checking compliance at intake to Google checking policy compliance on your business listing. Each of these issues operates independently, but together they form a picture of how much technical and regulatory maintenance a modern therapy practice requires just to stay visible and protected.

While you're providing therapy, we're monitoring policy changes, protecting your Google presence, and optimizing for AI search. You shouldn't need to become an SEO expert, compliance specialist, and tech strategist on top of being a therapist.