Massage and spa website: what gets people onto your table

People who visit a massage website have already decided to get a massage. They're deciding who, how long, how much, and whether yours is a real, professional practice. Can I book now? Is the therapist licensed? What if I cancel? Do you take insurance?

In October 2026 we opened 34 independent massage and spa websites in 9 states and looked at what people search for. Nearly all showed prices and let you book. Far fewer showed a license number, said how a first visit goes, or said plainly that the practice is therapeutic.

Make booking one tap

Twenty-five of the 34 sites booked through a service they already pay for, like MassageBook, Acuity, Mindbody, Fresha or Vagaro.

If you have one:

1. Open Pages, choose your home page and click Add a section. Pick Booking.
2. Set Booking service to yours (MassageBook, Vagaro, Mindbody and Fresha go under Other) and paste your booking page link. See Connect a booking calendar.
3. Click Menu and point the Header button at your booking page, with Button text like "Book now".

If you book by phone, or only have a profile on a directory site, the Bookings add-on lets people pick a time on your own site. See Take bookings on your site. It can take a deposit, but it can't charge a card kept on file after a no-show, and its reminders are emails, not texts. If you charge a late-cancel fee, collect it through your booking tool.

Show your phone and your hours

Sixteen of the 34 showed no phone number on the first phone screen.

1. Click Business info. Check your Phone, and type it the way you'd say it, like (541) 555-0142.
2. Under Regular hours, set each day, including the days you're closed. Solo therapists can put "By appointment" and the days you take clients in Note under hours.
3. Click Menu, and under Header button turn on Call bar on phones. See Add a call bar on phones.
4. Add an Open today section near the top of your home page.

"Open late" and "open Sunday" are common searches, so say if you have them. See Set your hours.

Show your license and who you are

Twenty-seven of the 34 said "licensed", but only 7 showed a license number. Most states license massage therapists, and the number is how a stranger knows this is real. Washington and Florida require it in advertising.

1. Click Business info, then Location. Type your License number with the type, like "Licensed Massage Therapist, OR #5409". It shows in your footer.
2. Click Lists, then Edit team on the Team card, and Add person. Fill in Name, Role ("Licensed massage therapist"), Photo, a Short bio with your specialties and Credentials with your school and training.
3. Open Booking button and type Button text like "Book with Dana". See Add a booking button for one person.
4. Add a Team section to your home page.

Use "massage therapist", not "masseuse". New York and Colorado reserve "masseuse" for licensees, and it's a word many low-quality listings use. If you rent a room, show your own license, and if your state has no license, say whether your city issues one (Duluth, Minnesota, does).

Say it's a professional practice

Google's ad rules treat massage sites with suggestive wording or pictures as adult services, and one listing can sink an ad account. Only 3 of the 34 said in words that the practice is therapeutic.

Add a short line to your About page or Policies, like "This is a professional, therapeutic practice. Inappropriate requests or comments end the session." Show your street address, your hours, a price list and photos of your room and your people. Skip words like "sensual" and "intimate", and bare skin in photos.

Put your prices on the site

Thirty-three of the 34 showed prices.

1. Add a Price list / menu section to a Services & prices page (Pages, New page, Pricing or menu).
2. Make a Group for each kind of service, like "Massage", "Add-ons" and "Facials".
3. For each, fill in Name, Price and Time it takes, like "60 min" and "$110". Add a first-visit price if it differs.
4. In Fine print, say whether tax is included and whether a tip is. Four mentioned tax and 10 mentioned tips.

See Sections you can add.

Say what happens if someone cancels or is late

Fourteen of the 34 gave a notice period, and 12 a fee. Twenty-four hours with the full price for a no-show was the most common.

1. Click Pages, then New page, start from the Basic page template and call it "Policies".
2. Say: the notice you need, the fee, what happens if a client arrives late (usually the session ends on time), and how to cancel.
3. Link it from your footer (Menu, then Add footer link) and your booking page, and put a short version where clients book.

Tell people before they agree. See Set cancel rules, reminders and emails.

Tell new clients what happens first

"First time massage what to expect" is a real search. Say when to arrive, about your intake form, how you drape, how pressure is chosen and how long the visit takes. Put it on a "New here?" page and in your FAQ.

Keep health history off your site

Twelve of the 34 mention a health history or intake form. None said not to send health details through the site's form.

Most cash-pay therapists aren't covered by HIPAA, but one who bills insurance electronically usually is, and some state laws cover health data anyway. Your site isn't built to protect health information and isn't covered by HIPAA.

• Ask for the health history in your booking tool's intake form, or on paper at the visit.
• On any Form section, ask for a name, phone, email and a good time. Say beside it: "Please don't send health details here. We ask on your first visit."
• Change the New client form, which asks about "allergies or sensitivities".
• Don't put Facebook or other ad snippets on your booking pages.

See Forms and your inbox and Don't collect health information.

Be careful what you say about health

Eight of the 34 said massage releases "toxins", six said it boosts the immune system, and one said it "treats carpal tunnel". The FTC expects evidence for health claims, and a board can read "treats" as medical.

Say what you do and what clients often notice: "Deep tissue work for tight shoulders and necks." Skip "detox", "boosts immunity", "cures", "treats" an illness and "guaranteed". "Medical massage" and "pain-free" need care too.

Insurance, HSA and FSA

Nine of the 34 mentioned insurance, all six in Bend. Four mentioned HSA or FSA cards. Say what you really do: "We bill auto-accident claims", "We give an itemized receipt you can send to your plan", "We don't bill insurance." HSA and FSA plans often want a doctor's letter, so say a plan may ask. Don't say "covered" unless you bill it.

Memberships, packages and gift certificates

Five sold monthly memberships and 27 mentioned gift certificates, but only 2 said whether they expire.

• A membership renews until it's canceled. Next to the price say how often it renews, what it includes, whether unused sessions roll over, and how to cancel. Put a cancel link where members sign in. New York and California require cancelling to be as easy as joining. Use the Packages section for the plan, with a link to your booking tool.
• A prepaid package ("4 massages") can be a Class pack. Choose No end unless your state allows an expiry. See Class packs.
• Gift certificates: the Gift cards and coupons add-on sells a card for an amount and scans it at the door. See Sell gift cards. Federal rules say a gift card can't expire within five years, and some states are stricter.

Show your reviews

Nineteen of the 34 showed some, and two showed a rating with a count.

1. Add your best recent Google reviews to your Reviews list.
2. Add a Reviews section to your home page and your rating to Highlights.
3. Paste your Google review link into Leave-a-review link in Business info.

Asking everyone is fine. A free add-on only for five stars isn't. A client's review can mention their health, so use only what they posted publicly. See Reviews and Ask customers for a review, which is better for cash-pay practices than for ones that bill insurance.

Photos that help people find you

Take your room with the table made up, the entrance and sign, you and each therapist clothed, and hands on a clothed shoulder with a teammate. Describe each photo. See Describe your photos.

Stock photos are for atmosphere. Many show bare backs, which is the wrong signal here. See Free photos.

Know the rules

This isn't legal advice, and the rules vary by state, so check yours with your state board and your city. In October 2026 we looked at these:

• Titles and ads. New York and Colorado reserve "masseuse" and "massage therapist" for licensees. Washington bars advertising massage when unlicensed, and Oregon treats it as misleading advertising.
• License numbers. Washington requires your name and number in every ad. Florida requires the number, plus address and phone. Oregon's rule doesn't mention it.
• Local licenses. Some cities license therapists and establishments, even where the state doesn't.
• Claims. The FTC expects evidence for health claims.
• Reviews. The FTC's rule bars fake reviews and rewards that depend on a positive one.
• Renewals. Many states require clear terms and an easy way to cancel a membership.

Answer the questions clients ask

Add an FAQ section. Common ones: How do I book? Are you open today? How much? Are you licensed? What happens at the first visit? What if I cancel or am late? Do you take insurance, HSA or FSA? Do you have memberships or gift certificates? Prenatal or couples? Is it accessible? Suggest questions in Lists › FAQs drafts more. See Use suggested questions.

Tips

• Give your home page a search title with your town and "massage", like "Massage therapy in Bend, OR". See Set a page's search title and description.
• Match your Google Business Profile: the same name, phone and hours. Solo therapists usually pick "Massage therapist" as the main category, and spas "Massage spa" or "Day spa".
• Say whether your room is on the ground floor. Only one site did.
• Every site can have a Spanish version at no extra cost. See Show your site in Spanish.