By Matt Harrington, BCBA · Behaviorist Book Club · Research-backed answers for behavior analysts
Code 6.01 requires that all public statements by behavior analysts be truthful and non-deceptive. Code 6.02 prohibits false or misleading advertising, including unsupported outcome claims and misrepresentative testimonials. Practice owners must ensure that all marketing materials — websites, social media, print collateral — accurately represent the services offered, the credentials of staff, and the realistic outcomes of treatment. Deceptive marketing is an ethics violation regardless of whether it is the BCBA who creates it or approves it.
Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a free tool that controls how your practice appears in Google Search and Google Maps. When families search for ABA therapy or autism services near them, Google Business Profile listings appear prominently. A complete, well-maintained profile with accurate information, recent posts, and positive reviews significantly increases the likelihood that your practice will appear in those searches. It is the highest-ROI free marketing tool available to local service businesses.
You can ethically ask families for honest reviews. At a natural positive moment in the relationship — after a child achieves a significant milestone, after an intake call goes well — let the family know that reviews help other families find your practice and that you would appreciate their feedback. Do not offer incentives in exchange for reviews, and do not selectively ask only those you believe will leave positive reviews. Solicit honest feedback. If reviews surface problems, treat that as quality improvement data.
A brand identity is the combination of visual elements (logo, color palette, typography), verbal elements (tone, messaging, key phrases), and values (mission, culture, clinical philosophy) that makes your practice recognizable and memorable. Creating a brand identity starts with clarity about what your practice stands for, who it serves, and what makes it different. From that foundation, visual design choices should be made deliberately to communicate those attributes consistently across all touchpoints, from your website to your intake paperwork.
Organic SEO refers to strategies that improve your website's visibility in unpaid search results through content quality, technical optimization, local relevance signals, and backlinks from other websites. Paid SEO — usually called paid search or pay-per-click advertising — involves paying for ads that appear at the top of search results pages. Organic SEO is a long-term investment that compounds over time but requires months to produce results. Paid search produces immediate visibility but stops when the budget stops. Most practices benefit from a combined approach, especially early in their growth.
The most important platforms for ABA practices are Facebook and Instagram, where parents of young children with autism are most active. Facebook groups and community pages provide opportunities for genuine community engagement, while Instagram supports visual storytelling about your practice's culture and clinical approach. LinkedIn is useful for professional networking, recruiting, and positioning leadership. Focus on two to three platforms rather than spreading effort thin across many.
A registered trademark gives you exclusive rights to use a business name, logo, or slogan in commerce within your registered category. For ABA practices, this means another organization in the healthcare or education sector cannot legally use a confusingly similar name or mark. Trademarking is most important when you have invested significantly in brand recognition, operate in multiple states, or are in a market where similar practice names exist. The registration process involves a USPTO search, application, and ongoing maintenance filings.
Negative reviews should be acknowledged publicly with a brief, professional response that invites the reviewer to contact you directly to resolve their concern. Do not disclose any client information in a public response — even confirming or denying someone is a client could violate confidentiality under Code 2.06. Treat negative reviews as quality improvement signals: patterns across multiple reviews often reveal systemic issues. Never offer incentives to remove a review, which violates Google's policies and potentially Code 6.02.
Using client images or videos in marketing requires explicit, specific consent for that purpose — separate from treatment consent. Families should understand exactly how the image will be used, where it will be displayed, and for how long. Even with consent, consider the long-term implications for the child's privacy, as posted images may be accessible indefinitely. For many practices, stock images or images of consenting staff and families unrelated to current clients are a more straightforward approach to maintaining confidentiality while still creating engaging visual content.
Key metrics include: website traffic via Google Analytics or Search Console, Google Business Profile views and actions (calls, direction requests, website clicks), review count and average rating, lead volume (new intake inquiries per month), and lead source tracking (how did this family hear about you?). Intake coordinators should consistently ask and record referral sources. This data allows you to compare investment across channels and allocate effort and budget to the approaches with the highest return per intake generated.
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.