Behind the Rankings: What an SEO Specialist Is Actually Doing for Your Website

TL;DR

• SEO isn’t just new blog posts and title changes. A lot of the heavy lifting for seo for counselors and seo for therapists happens in tools, code, and strategy docs you never see.
• Behind the scenes, we’re doing deep keyword research, optimizing headings, images, alt text, and internal links, and making sure your content actually matches how your ideal clients search.
• We quietly support local SEO for therapists by optimizing your Google Business Profile, cleaning up directory listings, and helping you develop an ethical, sustainable review strategy.
• Technical work like fixing indexing issues, improving site speed, adding schema, and troubleshooting mobile problems protects your site and boosts private practice SEO over time.
• We constantly review analytics and Search Console data, then adjust your strategy so each month’s work builds on the last—so you can stay focused on client care while we handle the SEO details.

Many clients have questions about what’s actually going on behind the scenes to help support their SEO.

You might see a new blog post go live or notice a page title change, but so much of the real work happens quietly in the background. Not everything we do is directly tied to on-page SEO that you can easily spot, but it’s still a vital part of a winning SEO strategy.

In this post, we’re pulling back the curtain and walking you through some of the biggest things our team focuses on behind the scenes to support your website SEO—whether you’re working with us on SEO for therapists, local SEO for therapists, broader private practice SEO, or one of our done-for-you or consulting packages.

Why So Much SEO Work Is Invisible (And Why That’s a Good Thing)

First, it’s important to know that truly effective SEO is part art, part science.

A lot of the “science” happens in tools, dashboards, and even the code of your site:

• Running crawls and technical audits
  
• Reviewing data in Google Analytics and Google Search Console
  
• Checking how your pages appear in search results
  
• Troubleshooting unexpected drops or indexing issues
  

If you’re in a Done-For-You SEO package, we’re in these tools every single month (often every week) on your behalf. When in a 12-Week Intensive or SEO consulting package, we’re reviewing data and planning out recommendations before each call. For our DIY SEO course, the lessons you’re watching are based on years of this behind-the-scenes work with real practices.

You don’t always see that work in real time—but you do feel the impact when:

• Your rankings improve
  
• You get more qualified calls and emails
  
• Clients say, “I found you on Google and you sounded like exactly what I needed.”
  

On-Page SEO Tasks You May Not Notice

You already know we optimize your service pages and blogs. But what does that really mean? Here are some of the behind-the-scenes on-page tasks we’re quietly doing for you.

1. Deep Keyword & Intent Research

Before we touch a page, we spend time researching:

• What your ideal clients are actually typing into Google
  
• Variations like “anxiety therapist near me” or “trauma counselor in [City]”
  
• Question-based searches that relate to SEO for mental health topics
  

Then we map those terms to specific pages:

• Which keywords belong on your anxiety page
  
• What belongs on your trauma or EMDR page
  
• Which are better suited for blogs or FAQ content
  

This is what helps SEO for counselors and SEO marketing for therapists feel aligned: we’re not just stuffing keywords; we’re matching your content to the real questions your clients are asking.

2. Strategic Tweaks to Headings, Structure, and Copy

Next, we look at how your content is structured:

• Are your H1 and H2 headings clear, descriptive, and helpful?
  
• Does the page flow logically from “Here’s your struggle” → “Here’s how I help” → “Here’s how to get started”?
  
• Are we using the words your ideal clients use, not only clinical language?
  

We’ll often:

• Adjust headings so they’re both keyword-informed and easy to skim
  
• Rework intros or conclusions so they speak directly to your ideal client
  
• Add or refine calls to action so people know exactly how to take the next step
  

All of this supports private practice SEO while still honoring your voice and your ethics as a helping professional.

3. Image Optimization You Don’t See

Images can quietly slow down your site or send mixed signals to search engines if they’re not optimized. Behind the scenes, we might:

• Compress large photos so your pages load faster (which helps rankings and user experience)
  
• Rename image files from “IMG_1234.jpg” to something descriptive like “anxiety-therapy-session-[city].jpg”
  
• Write alt text that describes the image and gently supports SEO for therapists and SEO for mental health
  

You’ll see the same beautiful images on your pages, but they’ll be doing a lot more work for you in the background.

4. Finding Credible External Links

When we write or edit content, we often:

• Look for evidence-based resources, trusted organizations, or helpful articles to link out to
  
• Double-check that we’re sending your readers to high-quality, accurate information
  

These external links support your authority, give clients more resources, and help search engines see your site as part of a trustworthy network.

5. Strengthening Internal Links

We also look for opportunities to connect your content internally:

• Linking from a blog about burnout to your stress & anxiety page
  
• Linking from a parenting article to your child or teen therapy page
  
• Linking from one service to another when a client might benefit from both
  

Thoughtful internal linking is a big part of effective private practice SEO, but you might only notice it when you click around and realize everything is easier to navigate.

Off-Page and Local SEO Work Happening in the Background

Great SEO isn’t just what happens on your website. A lot of our behind-the-scenes work supports your presence across the web, especially if we’re focusing on local SEO for therapists or other local services.

1. Google Business Profile Optimization & Maintenance

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is crucial for showing up in Maps and “near me” searches. Behind the scenes, our team might be:

• Updating your primary and secondary categories
  
• Adding or refining your services list and description
  
• Uploading new photos of your office
  
• Drafting Google Posts about groups, new services, or seasonal topics
  

These small updates help support SEO marketing for therapists and make it easier for people in your community to find you and trust you.

2. Managing Citations and NAP Consistency

We also look at your “citations”—places on the web that list your practice name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Behind the scenes, we might:

• Check major directories and niche sites for old addresses or outdated phone numbers
  
• Request edits or removals of duplicate profiles
  
• Make sure your practice name is consistent everywhere
  

This cleanup work quietly supports local SEO for therapists, because consistent information helps Google trust that your practice is real and located where you say you are.

3. Supporting Ethical Review Strategies

Reviews are a key part of SEO for mental health and local visibility. We won’t ask your clients for reviews directly, but we will:

• Help you create gentle scripts or email templates for responding to reviews ethically, respectfully, and confidentially
  

You might not see all the strategy and wording we test behind the scenes, but you’ll feel the difference when you start receiving more thoughtful, aligned feedback.

Technical SEO: The “Under the Hood” Work You Rarely See

Some of the most important SEO work happens where you almost never look: in your site’s code, structure, and performance.

1. Running and Interpreting Technical Audits

We use professional tools to:

• Crawl your website and look for broken links or 404 pages
  
• Check status codes and redirects
  
• Identify duplicate or thin content that might be confusing Google
  

Then we translate those findings into clear, prioritized recommendations: what’s urgent, what can wait, and what will move the needle most for your private practice SEO.

2. Indexing Checks and Fixes

It’s not enough to publish a page; we need to make sure Google can find and index it.

Behind the scenes, we:

• Monitor Google Search Console to see which pages are indexed
  
• Submit important new pages for indexing
  
• Troubleshoot issues like accidental “noindex” tags, canonical mistakes, or robots.txt rules blocking key content
  

You might never see these errors yourself, but solving them can have a huge impact on visibility for SEO for counselors and therapists.

3. Implementing and Troubleshooting Schema

Schema is a special type of code that helps search engines understand what’s on a page (for example, that you’re a local business, that a page is a blog post, or that a section is an FAQ).

Our technical SEO work often includes:

• Adding or refining LocalBusiness, Organization, Service, and FAQ schema
  
• Testing the code to make sure it’s valid
  
• Adjusting schema over time as your services grow or change
  

You won’t see schema when you scroll through your site, but search engines do, and it helps support both SEO for therapists and newer AI-driven experiences.

4. Improving Site Speed and Mobile Experience

Slow sites quietly hurt rankings and user experience. We may:

• Recommend compressing large images or removing heavy plugins
  
• Flag issues with page builders or themes that slow things down
  
• Check how your site behaves on mobile and suggest layout improvements
  

Sometimes this means collaborating with your web developer; sometimes we can handle changes directly. Either way, it’s work you rarely see, but your clients definitely feel.

Content Strategy & Planning: The SEO Brainwork You Don’t See

Another big chunk of our work is strategy—thinking through what to create, why it matters, and when to prioritize it.

1. Building a Content Roadmap

We look at your niche, your goals, and your current site, then map out:

• Which core service pages you need first
  
• Which blogs will best support those services
  
• Where topics like seasonal stress, trauma, grief, parenting, or relationships fit into your wider SEO for mental health strategy
  

This is especially important when we’re doing SEO marketing for therapists who want to be known for specific specialties or locations.

2. Deciding What to Work on First

We use data to prioritize:

• Which pages are already close to ranking well and just need a boost
  
• What keywords are more realistic for your site right now
  
• Where we can get “quick wins” while still building long-term authority
  

That’s why your monthly or quarterly plan might not always match what you thought we’d work on—but there’s usually a strategic reason behind it.

3. Refreshing Old Content

Sometimes the best way to move forward with SEO for therapists is to revisit what you already have.

Behind the scenes, we may:

• Identify older blogs that are starting to rank but could be improved
  
• Add new sections, FAQs, or internal links
  
• Update outdated language, resources, or calls to action
  

You might only notice that an old blog “suddenly” brings in more traffic and inquiries.

Data, Tracking, and Ongoing Adjustments

SEO is not a “set it and forget it” process. We’re constantly:

• Checking analytics to see which pages people are visiting
  
• Reviewing search queries to see how people are finding you
  
• Watching for shifts in rankings or impressions
  

Then we use that information to:

• Refine page titles and meta descriptions for better click-through rates
  
• Adjust internal links to strengthen key pages
  
• Recommend new content to target growing opportunities
  

All of this analytical work powers a more thoughtful, sustainable private practice SEO strategy, even if you never log into Google Analytics yourself.

How Behind-the-Scenes Work Shows Up in Our Different Services

Every Simplified SEO Consulting service includes some blend of this behind-the-scenes work:

• Done-For-You SEO: Our team handles most of the implementation, research, and technical tasks for you. You see reports, emails, and call summaries—but a lot of the heavy lifting happens quietly between those updates.
  
• 12-Week SEO Intensive: We teach you how to do this work and walk alongside you as you implement. Behind the scenes, we’re reviewing your site, prepping for each call, and adjusting your plan based on your progress.
  
• SEO Consulting: Before each session, we’re looking through your data, site, and search results so we can spend your call time on targeted, high-impact recommendations.
  
• DIY SEO Courses: The modules you watch are built from years of behind-the-scenes work with therapists and counselors. We’ve distilled what actually works into lessons, checklists, and templates.
  
• Stand-Alone SEO Copywriting & Technical SEO: Copywriting involves keyword research, message refinement, and multiple internal edits before you see a draft. Technical SEO involves scans, troubleshooting, and careful testing to protect your site and boost performance.
  

In every case, you’re not just paying for what you see on the surface—you’re investing in a team that’s working behind the scenes to support your visibility, your values, and your long-term goals.

Ready for a Team Working Quietly (and Consistently) on Your SEO?

If you’ve ever wondered, “What are you actually doing for my SEO?” we hope this peek behind the scenes has helped answer that question. From the outside, you might just see an optimized page or a new blog post. But underneath, there’s research, strategy, technical cleanup, local optimization, and ongoing adjustments.

All designed to help more of the right clients find you—and feel confident reaching out. You can start improving your SEO with the team at Simplified SEO Consulting by following these simple steps:

1. Schedule a free SEO consultation.
2. Meet with an SEO specialist
3. Start seeing the results of behind-the-scenes improvements!

Other Services Offered With Simplified SEO Consulting

If you’d like support with local SEO for therapists, SEO for counselors, or broader SEO for mental health and private practice SEO, we’d love to talk. Whether you’re ready to hand things off with a Done-For-You foundational package, dive into a 12-Week Intensive, or start with a DIY course, we can help you choose the path that fits your season, your budget, and your goals. We also offer support through our consulting package, stand-alone copywriting services, SEO and social media strategy packages, social media management, and technical seo services. Visit our blog or podcast for more helpful information today!

About the Author

Sterling Humburg-Cage graduated from the University of Missouri with a BA in Psychology in 2020. He has integrated what he learned in school into his work as an SEO Specialist with Simplified SEO Consulting. Sterling prides himself on helping current clients & alumni solve difficult issues.  He’s great at giving clients multiple options about how to approach a situation, finding solutions to some of the more technical aspects of SEO, and responding in a timely manner to client concerns.  Since he started, Sterling has met frequently with our alumni and provided them with extra problem-solving support. He now provides additional support with a variety of local SEO services. He often goes the extra mile to do outside research. By doing so, he ensures private practice owners have everything they need to rank well on search engines long-term for the keywords their ideal clients are using!