The comparison set — n = 18

What this looks like outside financial services

Therapists, doctors, lawyers, accountants and trades — 18 pages where a consumer also has to choose a professional, walked against the same six tests.

The comparison set — n = 18

Outside financial services, the failure runs the other way.

We ran the same walk on 18 non-financial surfaces where consumers choose a professional — therapy, medicine, law, tax and trades. They pass 4.61 of the six on average against financial services’ 3.05, which is the easy comparison and the least interesting one.

This is the interesting one. 17 of 18 benchmark surfaces let a consumer narrow before they choose, and only 9 of 18 let them reach the person afterwards. Financial services is the mirror image: 117 of 340 let you narrow, 203 of 340 let you make contact. Doctors and lawyers let you pick and then stand between you and the person. Finance hands you a person you never picked.

These 18 are never counted in a headline figure or a country section. Switch “Benchmark” on in the Index to read them alongside everything else.

The benchmark on the six

Can you see a real person at all?

100%

18 of 18

18 of 18 show a named advisor somewhere on the page without asking for a form first. On the other 0, a visitor never sees an individual at all.

Can you narrow by what you need?

89%

16 of 18

16 of 18 offer a control for specialty, credentials, or how an advisor is paid. On the other 2, location is the only thing a visitor can narrow by, or there is nothing to narrow by at all.

Can you narrow by who fits you?

78%

14 of 18

14 of 18 offer a control for the language a visitor speaks, the community they belong to, or the life event they are facing. On the other 4, who the visitor is makes no difference to who they are shown.

Can you reach them yourself?

50%

9 of 18

9 of 18 give a visitor that named advisor’s own phone, email, or calendar without submitting their details to the firm first. The other 9 do not.

Can you keep your details until you choose?

56%

10 of 18

10 of 18 let a visitor reach the advisor they picked without joining a queue, asking for a callback, or filling in a match form. On the other 8, the route runs through the firm.

Can a machine find them?

89%

16 of 18

16 of 18 put their advisors in the served bytes, where a crawler or an answer engine can read them. On the other 2, the advisors are invisible to machines.

These 18 are never counted in a headline figure, a country figure or a segment figure anywhere in this report. They are a reference line, not a peer group for a financial firm.

The rows

All 18 benchmark pages

Search surface name

Country

Route

Ended in

Machines can read

Sort within route

Filter by test

See a real person at all

Narrow by what you need

Narrow by who fits you

Reach them yourself

Keep your details until you choose

Be found by a machine

The 18 cross-industry benchmark surfaces. Fieldwork closed 11 September 2026.
Surface	The Six	Steps	Choose by	Ended in	Machines
Short, and you chose6
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — fails	2Short, and you chose	Language · Expertise / clinical specialty · Accepting new patients +3 more + location	A booked meeting	Partly
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Location (ZIP), Language, Expertise / clinical specialty, Accepting new patients, Visit date, Visit type, Sort by Route 2 — Short, and you chose Machines can read Partly Where we looked health.amazon.com/onemedical/service-areas/nyc This walk ended in a booked meeting. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Expertise / clinical specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Language Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Be found by a machine — fails What would change this row Be found by a machine Give every advisor their own URL, rendered in the served bytes rather than assembled by script after the page loads. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	2Short, and you chose	Practice area / Specialty · Language · Fee model (free consultation) +1 more + location	A named advisor — but a shared number	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Location, Practice area / Specialty, Language, Fee model (free consultation), Sort by experience/rating/reviews Route 2 — Short, and you chose Machines can read Yes Where we looked avvo.com This walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Practice area / Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Language Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	2Short, and you chose	Address / location · Insurance / how they are paid · In-person or virtual +8 more	A booked meeting	Yes
Observed 2026-09-09 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Address / location, Insurance / how they are paid, In-person or virtual, Type of service, Specialty, Client age, Provider gender, Provider identity (ethnicity and faith), Language, Availability (day, time, how soon), Treatment method Route 2 — Short, and you chose Machines can read Yes Where we looked growtherapy.com This walk ended in a booked meeting. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Identity Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	2Short, and you chose	Gender · In Person or Online · Specialty +9 more + location	Their direct phone or email	Yes
Observed 2026-09-09 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Location / ZIP, Gender, In Person or Online, Specialty, Insurance, Types of Therapy, Client age, Ethnicity, Gender and Sexuality, Language, Faith, Price / sliding scale, Availability Route 2 — Short, and you chose Machines can read Yes Where we looked psychologytoday.com/us/therapists This walk ended in their direct phone or email. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty, How they’re paid Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Language, Identity Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in their direct phone or email Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in their direct phone or email Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	2Short, and you chose	Insurance · Type of care and age group · Specialty +4 more	A booked meeting	Yes
Observed 2026-09-09 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Insurance, Type of care and age group, Specialty, Session format and location, Provider gender, Distance radius, Sort order Route 2 — Short, and you chose Machines can read Yes Where we looked rula.com/therapists/ny/new-york This walk ended in a booked meeting. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Language, Identity Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	2Short, and you chose	Insurance carrier and plan · Date & time · Time of day +8 more + location	A booked meeting	Yes
Observed 2026-09-09 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Location / ZIP, Insurance carrier and plan, Date & time, Time of day, Visit Reason, Specialties, In-person / video, Gender, Hospital Affiliations, Sees Children, Languages, Distance Route 2 — Short, and you chose Machines can read Yes Where we looked zocdoc.com This walk ended in a booked meeting. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Language, Identity Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
Longer, but the steps earned it4
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	3Longer, but the steps earned it	Service type · Insurance / how they are paid · Virtual or in-person +7 more + location	A booked meeting	Yes
Observed 2026-09-09 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Service type, Insurance / how they are paid, Location, Virtual or in-person, Identity (gender, transgender, faith, race/ethnicity, sexuality), Specialty, Session availability / Instant book, Language, Therapeutic approach, Degree type / credentials, Ages served Route 3 — Longer, but the steps earned it Machines can read Yes Where we looked secure.helloalma.com/providers-results This walk ended in a booked meeting. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty, Credentials Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Language, Identity Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a booked meeting Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	3Longer, but the steps earned it	Specialty/Condition/Procedure · Distance · Rating +9 more + location	A named advisor — but a shared number	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Specialty/Condition/Procedure, Location, Distance, Rating, Insurance, Availability, Virtual Visits, Accepts New Patients, LGBTQ+ Affirming, Affiliated Facility, Provider Sex, Provider Age, Language Route 3 — Longer, but the steps earned it Machines can read Yes Where we looked healthgrades.com/usearch?what=Family%20Medicine&where=10001… This walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Language, Identity Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — fails	3Longer, but the steps earned it	Concern (specialty) · Identity/community · Life stage (age band) +4 more	A queue	Partly
Observed 2026-09-11 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Concern (specialty), Identity/community, Life stage (age band), Therapy type (modality), Insurance, Service, State/City Route 3 — Longer, but the steps earned it Machines can read Partly Where we looked talkspace.com/therapists/ny/new-york This walk ended in a queue. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Concern (specialty) Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Identity/community Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in a queue Be found by a machine — fails Every control on the page, as the page labels it 7 Concern (28): Addiction \| ADHD \| Anger management \| Anxiety \| Autism spectrum disorders \| Behavioral issues \| Bipolar disorder \| Borderline personality \| Career counseling \| Codependency \| Depression \| Eating disorders \| Family conflict \| Grief \| LGBTQIA+ \| Life coaching \| Men’s issues \| OCD \| Parenting \| Pregnancy and postpartum \| Relationships \| Self esteem \| Sexual health \| Spirituality \| Stress \| Substance misuse support \| Trauma and PTSD \| Women’s issues Type / Therapy type (23): Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) \| Art therapy \| Attachment-based \| Cognitive behavioral (CBT) \| Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) \| Dialectical (DBT) \| EMDR \| Emotionally focused \| Expressive arts \| Family systems \| Family therapy \| Gestalt \| Gottman method \| Humanistic \| Integrative \| Interpersonal \| Marriage and couples counseling \| Mindfulness-based (MBCT) \| Narrative \| Psychoanalytic \| Psychodynamic \| Somatic \| Trauma focused Age: ‘Teens (13-17)’ \| ‘Adult’ Service: ‘Therapy’ \| ‘Psychiatry’ (with ‘Talk therapy’ and ‘Medication management’ as the described services) Insurance (30+ named carriers), beginning: Out of pocket \| Aetna \| Allegiance Benefit Plan Management \| Anthem Blue Cross \| Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield \| Asuris Northwest Health \| Banner / Aetna \| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (NVA) \| Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas \| BridgeSpan \| Carelon Behavioral Health \| Cigna \| District 9 \| EmblemHealth / GHI … ‘Clear filters’ Entry page /therapists: ‘State*’ (required) \| ‘Concern’ \| ‘Insurance’ \| ‘Find care’, over an index of 100 city routes What would change this row Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Be found by a machine Give every advisor their own URL, rendered in the served bytes rather than assembled by script after the page loads. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — passes Keep your details until you choose — passes Be found by a machine — passes	3Longer, but the steps earned it	Specialty/condition/procedure · Sort by · Reviews +6 more + location	Their direct phone or email	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Specialty/condition/procedure, Location, Sort by, Reviews, Accepts New Patients, Insurance, Distance, Years Exp, Provider Gender, Virtual Visit Route 3 — Longer, but the steps earned it Machines can read Yes Where we looked vitals.com/doctors This walk ended in their direct phone or email. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty/condition/procedure Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Identity Reach them yourself — passesthe walk ended in their direct phone or email Keep your details until you choose — passesthe walk ended in their direct phone or email Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Nothing. This surface passes all six. Something wrong here? Tell us →
You can see them. You cannot reach them.8
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	Insurance · Expertise · Identity +5 more	A promise someone will call	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Insurance, Expertise, Identity, Service type, Focus area, Clinical approach, Language, State/City Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked betterhelp.com/therapists This walk ended in a promise someone will call. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Identity Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	Specialty (11 tax situations) · Language (Spanish only) · Availability (Available Today) + location	A named advisor — but a shared number	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Location (state / city / office / ZIP), Specialty (11 tax situations), Language (Spanish only), Availability (Available Today) Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked hrblock.com/tax-pros This walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Life event Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	Specialty · Insurance · Provider name search +1 more + location	A booked meeting	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Specialty, Location (state/city), Insurance, Provider name search, Specialty — LGBTQIA+ \| Maternal mental health \| Grief and loss Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked headway.co/therapists This walk ended in a booked meeting. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Specialty Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Specialty — LGBTQIA+ \| Maternal mental health \| Grief and loss Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	Practice-area category (30 options) · Minimum star rating · Sort by Most Recent / Best Rating	A queue	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Practice-area category (30 options), Minimum star rating, Sort by Most Recent / Best Rating Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked legalmatch.com This walk ended in a queue. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Practice-area category (30 options) Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Narrow by who fits you Add one personal-fit control — language, identity or community, or a life event or life stage. Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	State · City · Practice area	A queue	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered State, City, Practice area Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked legalzoom.com/attorneys/attorney-directory This walk ended in a queue. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Practice area Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Narrow by who fits you Add one personal-fit control — language, identity or community, or a life event or life stage. Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — fails Narrow by who fits you — passes Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	Ages Seen · Provider name search + location	A named advisor — but a shared number	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Location (service area), Ages Seen, Provider name search Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked onemedical.com/providers This walk ended in a named advisor — but a shared number. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — fails Narrow by who fits you — passescarried by Ages Seen Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Narrow by what you need Add one professional-need control — specialty, credentials, or how the advisor is paid. Location does not count. Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — passes Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	Service type (2 options) · Sort by Recommended / Highest rated / Most hires / Fastest response + location	A message you can send	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered Location (ZIP), Service type (2 options), Sort by Recommended / Highest rated / Most hires / Fastest response Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked thumbtack.com This walk ended in a message you can send. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — passescarried by Service type (2 options) Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Narrow by who fits you Add one personal-fit control — language, identity or community, or a life event or life stage. Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →
	See a real person at all — passes Narrow by what you need — fails Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passes	—Seen, not reachable	Nothing	A calendar — but not that advisor’s	Yes
Observed 2026-09-10 Country Cross-industry benchmark Segment Cross-industry benchmark All controls offered None Route You can see them. You cannot reach them. Machines can read Yes Where we looked pros-turbotax.app.intuit.com/appointments-scheduler This walk ended in a calendar — but not that advisor’s. The six, and what carries each See a real person at all — passesa named advisor appears Narrow by what you need — fails Narrow by who fits you — fails Reach them yourself — fails Keep your details until you choose — fails Be found by a machine — passesmachines can read it: Yes What would change this row Narrow by what you need Add one professional-need control — specialty, credentials, or how the advisor is paid. Location does not count. Narrow by who fits you Add one personal-fit control — language, identity or community, or a life event or life stage. Reach them yourself Put that advisor’s own phone or email on their profile, or let the consumer book into their calendar, before asking for anything. Keep your details until you choose Let the consumer see and choose an advisor before the form, not after it. Something wrong here? Tell us →

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The Find an Advisor Index