What should a podiatrist website include?

A podiatrist website should have a separate page for each main reason people come to you, such as heel pain, ingrown toenails, diabetes foot checks, orthotics and children's feet, plus clear answers on fees, rebates and whether you visit homes or aged care. It also needs titles and wording that match the Podiatry Board's rules, which changed in October 2026.

A podiatry site has to serve very different people. A teenage runner, a parent worried about a toddler's walk, and an 80-year-old who can't reach their own toenails all land on the same site. The structure has to work for all three.

Why does each condition need its own page?

Because people search for their problem first. "Ingrown toenail" and "heel pain when I get up" are how they start. A page for each one, with your suburb in it, gives Google something specific to show and gives the reader a direct answer.

Each condition page should say, in plain words:

• what the problem usually feels like
• what you'll check at the appointment
• what treatment options exist, including when you'd refer on
• what it's likely to cost
• a booking button

Keep the claims modest. "We'll assess what's causing your heel pain and talk through options" describes a service. "Fix your heel pain for good" promises an outcome, and the advertising rules don't allow that. For the general rules, see Ahpra advertising rules and your website.

Mention near the top of the site that people don't need a GP referral to book. The Australian Podiatry Association says so in its patient material, and saying it on your site saves a phone call.

Rather hand this to someone? Book a free 20-minute chat.

How should you explain diabetes foot checks?

Give this page room, and write it for the patient.

Diabetes Australia recommends a thorough foot exam by a GP or podiatrist at least once a year. The NDSS explains that people at higher risk need checks more often, as often as every one to three months for high-risk feet. Link to those pages rather than writing your own medical advice, and describe what your check involves: how long it takes, what you test, and what they get afterwards.

Then the money. With a GP chronic condition management plan and a GP referral, a patient can claim a Medicare rebate for up to 5 allied health visits a calendar year. Those 5 are shared across professions, so a patient might use 4 for podiatry and 1 for a dietitian. Each visit has to be at least 20 minutes. In November 2026 the Medicare benefit for a podiatry visit is $63.40, which is 85% of the $74.55 schedule fee. State your own fee and the gap, and check MBS Online once a year because the figures change.

What should the orthotics page say?

Walk people through orthotics step by step:

1. The assessment. What you look at and how long it takes.
2. The options. Off-the-shelf or custom made, and when you'd suggest each.
3. The timeline. How long custom orthotics take to arrive, and when the review appointment happens.
4. The total cost. Assessment, the orthotics themselves, and any review visits, in one place. Ahpra's self-assessment tool says advertised prices should show the total.
5. Health funds. Whether they can claim, and a nudge to check their own extras cover first.

Skip the before-and-after promises. Say what orthotics are for and let the assessment do the persuading.

What should a procedure page cover?

If you do nail surgery or other in-clinic procedures, give each one its own page. People want to picture the day before they book it. Cover what happens on the day, how long it takes, what aftercare and dressings involve, when they can get back to normal shoes and sport, and the total cost including follow-up visits.

Watch the wording here. The Board's advertising examples ask that when you use words like "surgery" or "surgical", it's clear which profession you're registered in. More on titles below.

Do you visit homes, aged care or schools?

If you do, give it its own page. The person reading it is often not the patient: a daughter booking for her mum, an aged care coordinator, a support coordinator for an NDIS participant. They need the service area (suburbs or a map), what you bring, how booking works when the patient can't use a phone, and any travel fee.

If you work with NDIS participants, say whether you're a registered NDIS provider and how you work with self-managed, plan-managed and agency-managed plans. We cover what support coordinators look for in websites for NDIS providers, so we won't repeat it here.

Older visitors and people with low vision read these pages too. Larger text, strong contrast and big buttons matter here. More in website accessibility for small businesses.

What titles and words can a podiatrist use?

This is where the Board found the most problems. When the Podiatry Board audited a random sample of practitioners in late 2022, 32% of those with online advertising didn't fully comply, and the most common problem was specialist titles.

The Board's own examples of misleading claims:

• "podiatrist specialising in pain"
• "specialising in foot care/foot health"
• "specialising in nail surgery"
• "specialising in dry needling"

The only specialty in podiatry is podiatric surgery. Everyone else can say they have a "special interest in" or "substantial experience in" an area. The audit also flagged fee comparisons with other clinics and using the Ahpra or Board logo without permission.

The new title. From 5 October 2026, the protected specialist title changed from "podiatric surgeon" to "surgical podiatrist". The old title could only be used until 4 October 2026. The Board's reason: many patients assumed a "podiatric surgeon" was medically trained. If your site, your Google profile or your practitioner bios still say "podiatric surgeon", update them now. The Board's compliant example reads "Dr Ali (surgical podiatrist) is a podiatrist with additional training and qualifications in foot surgery."

"Dr". Fine, as long as the profession is clear: "Dr John Citizen (Podiatrist)". Words like "medical", "surgery" and "surgical" need the same care.

Ahpra and the Boards have said they're reviewing the advertising guidelines, so check the Ahpra advertising hub before a big rewrite.