Business Tips Archives - Simplified SEO Consulting

How Much Should Mental Health Professionals Be Spending on SEO? pt.1

Investment with SEO and the Importance for Mental Health Professionals.

SEO, or search engine optimization, is critical for mental health professionals who want to get found online. Taking advantage of SEO for mental health providers not only brings great long-term benefits but can revolutionize the way people access mental health. If you are looking to invest upfront, and maintain your SEO through blogging and building backlinks, it will help to ensure ongoing referrals to your site. When you have a clear strategy, invest in, and maintain SEO, it can be one of the strongest and most sustainable marketing techniques for your group, solo, or private practice. Investment in SEO is worth it for psychiatrists, therapists, counselors, coaches, consultants, and everyone in between!

What Should My Monthly Investment with SEO Look Like?

As SEO evolves around constantly emerging trends, it takes a certain skill set to achieve successful SEO strategies. That’s why SEO services are a great idea for those that don’t have the time or resources to invest in SEO themselves. The truth is SEO isn’t exceptionally challenging to learn. But, it’s a matter of how much do you want to take time learning it.

An important question is one that often has different answers depending on the size of the business and other factors such as the industry, niche, desired goals, budgets, geographical location, and more. A good rule of thumb is to at least consider investing 10% of your total budget towards SEO services each month. This gives SEO professionals enough funds to make sure they are using the most effective techniques to improve your brand presence online.

Keep in mind though; this figure might not work for all businesses.

Some may require more or have less budget available – so it’s best to consult with SEO experts and mental health professionals before making any decisions. Investing in SEO services can be a great way to increase your business’s visibility and reach more potential customers – but make sure you do careful research before determining how much money you should spend every month on SEO services!

3. What Kind of Return on Investment Can You Expect from SEO

SEO can help mental health professionals get their name and resources in front of potential clients, enabling them to reach a wider audience and ultimately realize a high return on investment. This takes time and effort, but the rewards it yields are often well worth it; by relying on SEO tactics such as keyword research and content optimization, mental health professionals can see a higher rate of website visits that convert into paying clients.

Credibility and Trust Bring in and Keeps Clients Invested

Additionally, SEO also can help build credibility and trustworthiness since websites at the top of the search engine rankings tend to build authority. Sites are seen as thought leaders in the field of mental health. Investing in SEO is a smart way for mental health professionals to get their message heard without having to invest too much upfront. SEO is an effective way to increase visibility while positioning oneself as an expert in their field.

4. How to Get the Most Out of Your SEO Budget

SEO is an important investment that can have a huge impact on your business. There are a few steps you can take to get the most out of your SEO budget and ensure that your SEO efforts are successful.

First, it’s important to familiarize yourself with SEO best practices and to develop a detailed SEO strategy for your website. If you don’t know how, talk with some companies, you don’t have to make an initial commitment to gather information. This will give you an overall view of what SEO services you need and how much each service should cost.
Second, remember to consider technology solutions, such as SEO monitoring tools, to help make sure that up-to-date SEO practices are being followed and that problems are identified quickly.
Finally, don’t forget about the people side of SEO – hire experienced mental health professionals who understand key concepts like content marketing, link building, and technical SEO so that they can assist in driving organic traffic. By taking these steps, you can make sure you’re getting the most out of your SEO budget and maximizing the results!

5. Ready to Invest in Professional SEO Services?

If your business is ready to invest in SEO services, you’re taking a proactive step toward continued success. SEO helps to keep up with the constantly changing algorithms of search engines. Plus, it requires additional expertise that an SEO agency can provide. SEO also requires dedication to analyzing and tracking data points based on SEO performance over time. Hiring SEO professionals allows everyone else in the organization to focus on their core competencies.

People often wonder is investment with SEO really a necessity.

Investing in SEO services is often overlooked but it shouldn’t be seen as optional. The benefits of SEO far outweigh any associated costs, both financially. And, in terms of mental health professionals avoiding burned out from having too many responsibilities. Think of it like getting a great return on investment. Put in the extra effort at the beginning so you don’t have to continuously put out fires later down the road! Make the investment into professional SEO services today for lasting long-term success.

Ready to Take a Leap of Faith, With Data-Driven SEO Support?

Our team would love to consult with you. If you want to learn more, you are in the right place. Contact us today to learn more about our services and start growing your private pay clients today! To start with our SEO Specialists and Trainers, follow these simple steps:

Book a Consult with a Member of Our Consultation Team
Learn About Our Skilled SEO Specialists and Trainers
Begin Reaping the Rewards of Your Marketing Efforts

Other Services at Simplified SEO Consulting for Large-Scale SEO

Support

If you’re looking for other forms of support, we can help! We offer options such as our 12-week training, small group intensives, and courses. Our strategy session can be a great option if you need support getting started with SEO or doing a site move or redesign. Or, if you’re ready to work with a passionate and skilled team, our Done for You Program may be a great following approach.

About the Author

Jasmine is a Training Specialist and offers free consultations for Simplified’s SEO Consulting on our services. Jasmine works to help people with a strategy with national rankings, eating disorder specialties, sports psychology, and much more. Schedule a consult soon!

December 1, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

SEO for Therapists: How to Maximize your SEO Investment

SEO is an investment . It’s certainly a worthwhile investment for private practice websites, and compared to other options such as “pay-per-click” ads, SEO has much more longevity. Nonetheless, it’s a big investment, and as a small business owner it’s important that you get the best ROI possible. This is why I’m writing this blog today, to ensure that you’re taking these considerations and steps into account to get the most out of your investment!

Embrace Your Niche as a Therapist

As an SEO business that primarily works with therapists, we know that therapists do their best work when they work with their ideal clients. But having a niche, or rather embracing your niche, isn’t only beneficial to having a fulfilling career as a therapist. Having a niche is also beneficial to SEO!

See, the more focused you are on a specific service (or related set of services) the easier it will be to improve your rankings for that service.

Let’s dive into what this looks like. If you want to rank for anxiety therapy, trauma therapy, therapy for depression, couples therapy, and family therapy you’re going to have much more competition. And as a result, it’s going to take more time and effort to improve your rankings for such a wide range of services. However, if you really enjoy working with couples (or even couples and families) you can concentrate your SEO efforts on these services and ranking for keywords related to these services.

Now, having a niche is not essential to improving your SEO. We work with many group and solo practices that offer a wide range of services. In fact, our founder’s group practice specializes in a fairly wide range of therapy services. However, it will take more time and effort to have consistently high rankings for a wider range of services. So we suggest that you take this into consideration when beginning your SEO journey.

Create a Private Practice Website with your Ideal Client in Mind

The primary goal of SEO is to allow more clients to find your website in search results by improving your online rankings. And once clients click on your website, you want them to reach out if they are indeed your ideal client. This is why it’s so important that your website speaks to your ideal client.

There are many things to keep in mind when creating (or editing) your website to speak to your ideal client. The content on your service pages, the blogs you’re posting, the photos you use, and your overall web design are all ways you can tailor your website to your ideal client. This is one of the reasons that writing quality content is so important! And, why we recommend writing your content in a similar way that you speak to your clients. On that note, let’s talk about how you can write content that’s really relevant to your ideal client.

Write Quality Blog Posts

Blogging is a really great SEO tool since it allows you to display your expertise on a certain topic, while also building in keywords and location indicators naturally into the content on your website. However, blogs are not just for SEO! Blogging allows you to answer common questions clients have, discuss issues that are relevant to them, and give prospective clients a glimpse into what it may be like to work with you as a therapist. For example, if you specialize in anxiety therapy then you may write blog posts on navigating social anxiety, what to expect from anxiety therapy, or your favorite tips for coping with panic attacks.

When you use blogging correctly, it’s a great tool for private practice websites.

It’s not uncommon for our clients to write (and optimize) such great blogs that they become some of the most highly trafficked pages of their website! This goes to show how important it is to write blogs that are valuable to your ideal clients. We recommend posting at least 2-3 blogs each month to keep up with a consistent blogging strategy. But remember, quality over quantity always!

Pay Attention to Local SEO

A large part of our process is what we call “on-page” SEO. This refers to optimizing the content on the pages of your website itself. However, “off-page” SEO is also a really important piece of an effective SEO strategy, and often it gets overlooked. There are many different “off-page” SEO tactics, such as creating and keeping up with a Google My Business profile, building quality backlinks, and making sure your NAP information (name, address, and phone number) is consistently listed across the web.

Many of these off-page SEO tactics are related to local SEO, which as it sounds, is helping Google understand where your practice is located so you show up more consistently in local search results.

Magnifying glass displaying a computer with Google My Business on the screen. This photo represent how GMB is a helpful tool to improve SEO for therapists. It’s generally not “enough” to simply add your address to your website, especially in highly competitive areas. Because of this, it’s important to take additional steps to show Google where you’re located. To help people understand this, I often explain that Google may not be as smart as you think it is. That is why we want to make sure your location is super obvious. This means getting your NAP information listed on relevant online directories and optimizing your GMB profile.

However, there are also ways you can (and should) do this on the pages of your website themselves. You can add your address to the footer of your website, refer to your location in your service pages and blogs, and write blog posts that reference local spots. For instance, if you specialize in couples therapy then you could write a local date night guide.

Simply put, if you can find a way to naturally incorporate your location into your content, please do so!

Make Sure Your Private Practice Website is Technically Sound

Now, I’ve left this point for last because many people find the technical parts of SEO to be the least fun. But, it is important.

If you landed on a website and the pages took a long time to load and the links you clicked on didn’t take you anywhere, you would probably leave the website. That website could be just what you were looking for, but if it had technical errors that made it difficult to use, you’re probably not going to spend much time on it. This is why it’s so important that your website is technically sound.

So make sure you are considering your page speed, technical errors like broken links, and the overall ease that you can navigate your website with!

These Steps Can Help You Make the Most of Your SEO Investment as a Therapist

Whether you invest time into SEO by learning how to optimize your own website or you invest money by outsourcing your SEO, it’s important that you make the most of it. So make sure you aren’t neglecting an important piece of the process such as local SEO or creating a website that’s easy to navigate. Right now it may seem like a lot, but remember that you don’t have to do it all at once!

Step by step you can create an amazing and well-optimized website to reach more of your ideal clients.

Need Support Optimizing Your Private Practice Website?

At Simplified SEO Consulting, we offer a variety of SEO services to help mental health professionals rank higher on search engines. Whether you want to learn how to optimize your website with one of our online courses or training options, outsource your SEO with our Done-For-You SEO program, or combine SEO with a bit of fun through our Hawaiian Digital Marketing Experience.

If you’re interested in learning more about our SEO services, you can schedule a free 30-minute video consultation with one of our Mental Health SEO Specialists!

Additional SEO Resources for Therapists

If you’re still dipping your toes into SEO and want to learn a bit more, we have several resources available that you can take advantage of. You can start with our free 7-day SEO email series. Or, you can check out our other blogs on SEO as well to gather more information on how SEO can benefit your practice!

About the Author

Kaite Ritchie is our Done-For-You SEO Coordinator at Simplified SEO Consulting, and as part of that role, she helps our clients make the most of their SEO investment. However, Kaite also worked as an Intake Coordinator for our founder’s private practice for several years. During that time she gained a unique experience that allows her to better understand what clients are looking for in a website, and what often leads them to reach out. Through her combined experience as an Intake Coordinator and SEO Coordinator, she understands what a big difference SEO can make for therapists!

You can schedule a free consultation with Kaite to learn more about our SEO services, and which may be right for you.

November 24, 2022/0 Comments/by Kaite Ritchie

Business Tips, Training

SEO for Private Practices: An Investment of Time or Money?

Running a private practice comes with many decisions! One of the most common decisions being whether you should outsource an aspect of your practice, or handle it “in-house”. Whether it’s administrative tasks, billing, or digital marketing! Often the answer comes down to this question, “Do I want to spend the time to do it myself, OR do I want to spend the money to have someone else do it for me?” And the decision is no different when it comes to SEO!

However, it’s not always an either/or answer, sometimes the answer is a little bit of both! It may be easier to understand if I go ahead and outline the different SEO options you have, so let’s get into it!

Outsourcing Your SEO Entirely: SEO Services for Therapists

If you have no time to learn or implement SEO strategies on your website, then outsourcing all of your SEO needs may be the best option for you. With this option, someone else will handle the optimization of your website with minimal input needed from you. At Simplified SEO Consulting, this would look like one of our “Done-For-You” SEO packages. And at our business, we ask our clients to be involved enough in the process to give us feedback and check that our work aligns with their brand and values. However, how involved you are will really depend on your unique needs.

Within our Done-For-You options, you still have room to cut back a bit on the cost if you’re able to put in more time yourself. For example, if you’re able to write the content for your website, then we can focus all of our efforts on optimizing that content. Which will save you a bit of money. Or, if you rather have us handle it all, we can write AND optimize your content for you!

However, if you’re interested in investing more of your time and as little money as possible, then this may not be the option for you.

Handling SEO Yourself: DIY SEO Courses

Let’s say you recently launched your practice, or you’re in the process of launching your practice. Perhaps you don’t have a full caseload at the moment. Or, maybe you enjoy learning new things! If you’re interested in tackling SEO on your own, then a DIY option may be the best fit for you.

Our DIY SEO courses allow you to learn SEO at your own pace.

You can watch all of the videos and start optimizing your website this week. Or, you could steadily learn more and make changes over the course of a few months, even a year! Our online SEO courses are our most affordable option.

But even this option, well, has options! Some clients decide to purchase an online course to learn as much as they can. And if they need more support down the line, they reach out about our Done-For-You SEO services. For example, you may optimize your blog posts, but need help with your service pages. It doesn’t always have to be one or the other.

Which brings us to our training options!

Learning SEO with Support: SEO Training for Therapists

Learning SEO on your own can be a bit daunting for some. So, if you’re interested in learning SEO with support then our SEO training options may be what you’re looking for. Our SEO training options are a great middle ground between our Done-For-You packages and our DIY courses. They allow you to get feedback and support from a trained SEO Specialist while you learn how to implement SEO strategies on your website. Our training options also come with extra tools to help you track your SEO progress and simplify your SEO process.

We have a variety of SEO training options depending on whether you rather invest more time, or money for a more individualized experience.

For example, our Small Group SEO Intensive is one of our most affordable SEO training options. With this option, you’ll learn our SEO process in a group of other mental health professionals. Whereas our 12-Week SEO Intensive Training Program is fully customized and focused on your unique needs.

We also offer a few unique SEO training options, such as our Hawaiian Digital Marketing Experience happening in July of 2023. And we’re always looking for new ways to make learning SEO an exciting experience!

The Bottom Line is That You Have Options!

We understand that running a practice comes with quite a few expenses. And we know that every practice (and practice owner) needs something different. Which is why we’re dedicated to making SEO trainings and services accessible at different price points.

So whether you want to dip your toes in with a DIY online course or you’re ready to outsource your SEO with a Done-For-You SEO package, we’re happy to support you in whichever way makes the most sense for your practice.

Do you Need Help Making a Decision for Your Private Practice Website?

We know this is a big decision, and there are quite a few options to consider! That is why we offer a free video consultation with a member of our team. With a free consultation, we’ll discuss your goals for your practice, take a look at your website, and give you our suggestions on which SEO option best suits your SEO goals.

You can schedule a free consultation with a member of our team, here!

About the Author

Kaite Ritchie is our Done-For-You SEO Coordinator at Simplified SEO Consulting. But before she stepped into this role, Kaite worked as an Intake Coordinator for our founders private practice. During that time she learned about the different aspects of running a private practice, including getting therapists connected with their ideal clients. There, she also learned what a big difference SEO can make for therapists! You can schedule a free consultation with Kaite to learn more about our SEO services, and which may be right for you!

October 27, 2022/0 Comments/by Kaite Ritchie

Business Tips, SEO Tips

Large Scale SEO: Workshops, Directories, Coaching & More

National SEO can be a daunting task. There are so many different ways to approach it, and it can be difficult to know where to start. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the basics of large-scale SEO and give you tips for getting started. We will also talk about how to adapt your strategy depending on your niche and target market. SEO is becoming more and more competitive every day, so it’s important to stay ahead of the curve! If you are looking to build out directories, workshops, classes, or online coaching/consulting. Then this post is for you.

SEO for Wellness and Mental Health Directories

As the popularity of online directories has grown, so has the competition. It’s important to understand how your directory fits into the larger landscape of wellness and mental health. If you are just starting out, it may be helpful to build up a list of keywords that you want to rank for. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Uber suggest to begin. What is necessary for terms of content is to create a mission or why to your site ( about page). Create an FAQ page, and add blogs galore.

When doing this particular strategy think about who you are writing to. Is it the client that you want to engage in the services? Or are you trying to draw in professionals to get listed? You need to make this clear so you are not confusing your consumers. You can offer resources for both, but clarity is key. So ” Why begin working with a skilled online therapist”, and ” How Wellness Professionals Can Make the Most Out of This Directory”.

SEO for Workshops and Classes

If you offer workshops and classes, it’s important to make sure that your website is easily found by those who are searching for what you offer. Think about what people seeking workshops or classes are searching for. Remember, that while we know the importance of our services and why people need them, the client may not. So if you are thinking that workshops and classes only will be the keyword that gets you found, think deeper.

For Example…

Consider this. If I am a high-achieving business professional who is used to doing things on my own, I may not seek out a class or workshop. I may search for ” feeling drained from work”, ” navigating motherhood and work”, and “struggling to communicate and commit in relationships”. So how can I as a professional find keywords, but then use them in an effective way for content so clients become motivated to consider how a workshop or class will attend?

SEO for Online Coaching

Just like any other type of business, it’s important to make sure that your website is easily found by those who are searching for what you offer. When people are seeking online coaching or consulting, they may be searching for terms like “life coach”, “career coach”, or “business consultant”. It’s important to use these specific keywords when doing SEO. A health coach is different from a life coach who is different from a career coach. Let’s make sure we are clear.

One thing that can be challenging with coaching and SEO is that terms such as life coach can be very generic. So for this particular strategy consider adding service pages for boundaries and assertiveness, relationship coaching for singles, chronic illness coaching, Niche coaching, and so on. Consider specifics and then use your content to break down the specifics.

So as a relationship coach I am able to help you learn about your identity, and needs, communicate, set clear boundaries, walk away from what isn’t healing and healthy to me, and so on. Then build out blogs. Consider a series: 5 ways relationship coaching can help you find your partner, 3 DBT skills to help you learn to communicate better at work.

SEO for Consulting

As for online consulting, think about how your services are going to help individuals reach their goals with their own business or growth. The same strategy applies, what are your essential pages, why are your services worth reaching out to, and what can you gain from working with a consultant? An FAQ page answering some common questions, and so on. Build out blogs that offer value to new clients and seasoned ones. Simplified SEO consulting’s blog is a great example of how we offer value to individuals needing answers and it also offers value to our current clients as they learn more about SEO and their sites.

When Considering National Rankings, Should I Learn SEO for Myself? Or Have an SEO Specialist Do It?

One of the things that give me great joy is training clients how to feel empowered to understand SEO and their website. When something goes right and a client sees success, that is wonderful. However, not everyone has interested to learn how to do SEO. They are more focused on the content, communicating, and working with the clients. And honestly, that’s ok too.

Some things to consider if you are wanting to learn SEO for yourself would be:

Do you have the time to commit to learning?
How much of a techy are you?
Do you like numbers and analytics?
What are your natural strengths when it comes to marketing?

If you answered yes, then fantastic! You will want to consider taking some online courses or trying our

SEO-intensive group. If you want more one-on-one support then our 12-week training is a great option. Or, if you are looking for some stepping stones, our strategy package is a fantastic first step.

Signs learning SEO is not for you:

You don’t have the time to commit to it
You find yourself struggling with the techy side of things and you don’t want to spend hours troubleshooting
You prefer more creative approaches to marketing

These are all valid reasons! And that’s where our teams come in. As an SEO specialist and trainer, large-scale SEO is one of the things I thrive with. That is why delegating your marketing strategy to an SEO specialist who understands your field and your clients may be a great next step for you. In that case, our Done for your services would be a fantastic fit!

What’s Next for Large Scale SEO?

Large-scale SEO is an ongoing and ever-changing process. As Google continues to change its algorithms (500-600 times a year!), we must change our strategies along with it. That’s why having a team of experts, whether that be in-house or through an agency, is so important.

A large part of my job is staying up-to-date on the latest changes and trends so that my clients can continue to rank well and reach their target audiences.

Start Making Progress on Large Scale SEO with Us!

If you’re ready to start making progress on large-scale SEO for your website, I’d love to chat with you about how we can help. Schedule a free consultation call with us today. If you want nationwide rankings for large-scale SEO, and none of this makes sense, or you don’t have time for it. You can work with an SEO Specialist. They will help you understand your niche and develop a strategy that works for you. You’re working with many moving pieces; we are here to make it more transparent and manageable. You can get started with a free consultation to see what is possible for your website.

To get started, follow these simple steps:

Book a consult to learn about our Done for You Services or our Training Services
Learn about our eclectic and skillful team of SEO specialists
Start seeing your passion project come to life.

Other Services at Simplified SEO Consulting for Large-Scale SEO Support

About the Author

Jasmine is an SEO Specialist, Counselor in Training, and is our Client Success Specialist for clients just starting with SEO and learning. Jasmine works to help people with a strategy with national rankings, eating disorder specialties, sports psychology, and much more. If you’re looking for additional support, schedule a consult with the consulting team to see who can help you and how.

October 4, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips, Training

Why Have a Member of Your Private Practice Go Through an SEO Training?

When I talk to therapists about learning SEO and our SEO training options, the most common response I get is “I don’t have the time!” And I believe it! As someone who has worked for a private practice, I know firsthand how busy owning a practice can be. If you have a group practice then you may be juggling hiring new clinicians, ensuring that everyone is following policy, and handling billing and payroll. Not to mention potentially having your own clients that you see!

It’s easy to see how on top of that, the idea of learning (and then applying) SEO techniques to your website just sounds impossible. And I’m not going to try to talk you into it. Being a practice owner is a busy, busy role. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to outsource your SEO entirely. Learning to delegate is an important part of being a business owner. But have you considered delegating your practice’s SEO needs to a member of your own team?

Yes, a Member of Your Team Can Learn SEO Online!

Now, I don’t know the dynamic of your practice. Some practice owners handle intake and administrative duties all on their own. You may have a therapist on your team taking phone calls and emails when they can. However, if you have an Administrative Assistant, Intake Coordinator, Social Media Manager, or even a therapist who has an interest, then you may be able to actually have a member of your team learn SEO!

If at this point you’re thinking, “Why shouldn’t I just have YOU do it then?” that’s an understandable question. And for some practices, it does make sense to outsource their SEO to us. But before you make that decision, it’s important to consider all of your options. And having a member of your team learn SEO is one of them!

Benefits of Having a Member of Your Team Learn SEO

There are many benefits to bringing your SEO “in-house”. I actually go into all of the benefits of learning SEO yourself in this blog, but I’ll go ahead and name a few reasons.

1) You’ll have full control over the content on your private practice website.

Every heading, blog post, and photo title will come from you. Which ensures that everything on your website fully aligns with your practice’s values and brand.

2) You’ll be able to make updates and changes to your private practice website as soon as you need them!

New team member, who needs a profile on the website? Done. New group or service that you’re offering? Up on the site! If you have the skills to add and optimize content on your site, you won’t have to wait for an SEO specialist to do it.

3) You’ll be able to maintain your SEO for years to come.

Even if you decide to outsource some of your SEO, having a member of your team learn a few SEO elements or strategies can allow you to maintain your SEO and stretch your investment!

Perhaps your Intake Coordinator can learn a bit about building backlinks. They can sign up for HARO and respond to inquiries, so your site has the potential to be featured on a high-traffic website like Buzzfeed. Or, maybe a therapist on your team can learn a bit about optimizing blog posts so you can continue to post optimized blogs on your site each month.

For many therapists, this is a great option. Outsource your SEO until your website is ranking well, and then have a member of your team learn some basic SEO skills to maintain your rankings.

4) Learning SEO can cut costs so you can put more money into other areas of your private practice.

Investing in an SEO training for a team member is a great way to save money so you don’t have to keep paying for SEO indefinitely. And with that money you save, you can invest in other areas of your practice! Maybe you want to start donating more to local organizations, purchase trainings for your therapists, or even revamp your office space.

But, What Happens if They Leave my Private Practice After Learning SEO?

After learning all of the benefits of having a team member learn SEO you may be thinking, “Well that all sounds great, but what if that team member leaves the practice?” Which is an understandable concern. The job market has certainly been a bit tricky lately. And we’ve worked with a lot of practices that’ve seen a high turnover rate in recent years. We’ve thought about this, and we have a few ideas you may want to consider.

SEO Training Options

Now, the ideal solution would for that team member to train the new hire on what they’ve learned about SEO before they leave. Similarly to training them on the other responsibilities, you could build SEO skills into their training. However, we know that sometimes people leave unexpectedly, and this isn’t always feasible.

In which case, we have online SEO courses you can purchase so your new hire can learn SEO skills on their own! We have courses on building backlinks, optimizing blog posts, and other SEO strategies which are great for maintaining SEO.

If you go through a training with us, such as our one-on-one training or our Small Group SEO Intensives, then you may consider having two members of your team learn about SEO. Perhaps you and a team member (if you have the time) can learn together. This way, you also learn enough about SEO to train new hires in the future. You can talk to our team about options for our trainings to see what we’re able to offer, if you want more than one team member to learn a bit about SEO.

However, if learning SEO doesn’t make sense for your private practice right now, that’s okay.

We offer a wide range of SEO options because we know that every practice needs something a bit different. Maybe right now it makes sense to outsource your SEO. Then down the line, as you grow your practice you may want to have a team member go through one of our SEO trainings.

We’re here to support your practice’s journey in whichever way makes sense for you right now. And if you need some help figuring out what that looks like, we’re happy to consult with you and give you our suggestions!

Are you Interested in Learning More About Our SEO Training Options?

At Simplified SEO Consulting we offer a variety of options to teach therapists (and their team members) how to improve or maintain their online rankings. If you’re looking for a more personalized approach, then our one-on-one SEO trainings may be the best option for you. Or, if you think a group setting is a better fit, then our Small Group SEO Intensives would be a good choice! And if you’re looking for an affordable option to get started, we have several DIY online courses that cover different SEO strategies too!

Since we have so many options, you may be wondering what choice is best for your practice’s needs. That’s why we offer free video consultations. A member of our team would be happy to learn more about your practice and your SEO goals, and give you their suggestions on what makes the most sense for you.

Other SEO Services Offered at Simplified SEO Consulting

As I mentioned, we realize that training and DIY options aren’t suitable for all practices. Or at least, they may not be suitable for your practice at this moment. So, for those who want to outsource, we offer Done-For-You SEO services at different levels. Or, if you’re still considering SEO then you may want to start learning a bit more with our free 7-day SEO email series. You can also check out our other blogs on SEO as well to gather more information on how SEO can benefit your practice.

About the Author

Kaite Ritchie is our Administrative Assistant, Alumni Specialist, and a Mental Health SEO Copywriter at Simplified SEO Consulting. Before joining our team, she worked at our founder’s private practice as an Intake Coordinator. There she learned all about how busy running a private practice can be. However, she also learned how valuable SEO can be in getting connected with ideal clients! That’s why she’s so passionate about helping private practice owners find SEO solutions that make sense for their practice. You can schedule a free consultation with Kaite to learn more about our SEO services and get help deciding whether one of our training options is right for you!

September 27, 2022/0 Comments/by Kaite Ritchie

Business Tips, SEO Tips

Nationwide Rankings: Strategies for Large-Scale SEO Success

When you are looking to get nationwide rankings, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. Just like with any other SEO strategy, the process takes time and effort if you want to see results. In this series, we will discuss some of the best practices you can use to help improve your website’s visibility and rank for keywords related to your business or product. Stay tuned for more information on large-scale SEO and SEO strategy development!

First and Foremost, Know Your Ideal Clients and Audience

For some strategies with SEO, you can get to know who your ideal clients are in the process of optimizing and writing content. Although no matter what, we do recommend learning your niche right off the bat. For nationwide individuals, such as workshops, classes, courses, directories, or coaching, it is of the utmost importance that you have clarity in who your audience is. That may require digging, asking questions, networking, and getting more clarity before diving in.

A disclaimer. In getting to know your ideal people better, I don’t want this to cause anxiety that you have to 100% understand your people, or your idea is not worth pursuing. Anxiety and imposter syndrome can keep us from putting an excellent tool or resource into the world. However, if you cannot create content that you’re passionate about and write that often, then maybe some more soul searching is needed.

Create the Important landing pages

We are at it again with content content content! When I say this, I recognize that national rankings will look different. If you are selling a course, a program, listing therapists or other mental health professionals or doing workshops. It is worth having a built-out page with at least 800 words of content. Why? Because Google values content, you want to be competitive if we reach a nationwide audience.

What is considered a vital landing page for large-scale SEO?

The product is the vital landing page. Is it a directory, a podcast, a workshop, a masterclass, a new course you’re rolling out, or coaching groups? Create a page for it and be specific with what people can expect and why it would benefit them. Other vital pages include about the author, about pages, a blog, and potentially an FAQ/pricing page. These may not all be optimized, but they are worth having.

How Long Will It Take Me To Get Rankings

The time it takes to see results will look different for each person. It depends on the competitiveness of your niche, how much content you’re creating, and other optimization techniques you may be using. We have seen people rank in as little as four to five months and sometimes up to a year or more. I would recommend expecting to stay in it for the long haul. The great thing is that once you rank, draw in clients, and get conversations; you will not have to go back and do that heavy lifting.

Are Service Pages the Most Important Part of Large Scale-SEO?

No! Your pages set you up as an authority, but it is not the central part of the strategy. Here are the two things that matter most. Backlinks and Blogging! But How?

Backlinks

This is a crucial part of a long-term strategy. Why? Because you’re building yourself up as the expert in this particular niche. Therefore, we want to begin developing quality backlinks early on. That means if you have been on podcasts, blogs on other sites, or treatment centers you work with. These people are great options for building quality backlinks. Over time, as you produce content, you will have backlinks naturally linking to your site. This is what we want!

Blogging

This is where a core amount of optimization comes from on your website. So blog creating you as the expert. The more content, the more we show Google we are experts, consistent, and worthy of being trusted on the search engine. Here we demonstrate our expertise in topics, why people should work with you, and what you can offer. No, this isn’t a salesy approach. But if I were offering health coaching services for busy professionals, I may choose to talk about burnout, realistic self-care, perfectionism, slowing down, and how a health coach or life coach may help. Write series and cornerstones (2000-word blog posts). Write from the passion behind your practice; through this, you will begin connecting with your people.

What Next for Large-Scale SEO?

There is so much behind the strategy for nationwide rankings, and it’s different for every niche, site, and person. If you’re willing to put in that work, great! We are here to support you and see you thrive. This is a glimpse into what you can think about when beginning a nationwide ranking. If you want more support, our team of skillful SEO specialists can help.

Stay tuned for specific posts about large-scale SEO on directories, workshops/classes, courses, and online coaching.

Begin Working with an SEO Specialist and Get Your Passion Project Ranking!

If you want nationwide rankings for large-scale SEO, and none of this makes sense, or you don’t have time for it. You can work with an SEO Specialist. They will help you understand your niche and develop a strategy that works for you. You’re working with many moving pieces; we are here to make it more transparent and manageable. You can get started with a free consultation to see what is possible for your website.

To get started, follow these simple steps:

Book a consult to learn about our Done for You Services or our Training Services
Learn about our eclectic and skillful team of SEO specialists
Start seeing your passion project come to life.

Other Services at Simplified SEO Consulting for Large-Scale SEO Support

About the Author

September 6, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips, SEO Tips

The Summer Slow-Down 2022

You may have heard of it, experienced it, or had no exposure to the summer slowdown, but it’s here! The summer slowdown is the time in the summer when counselors and therapists experience a reduction in referrals or find that current clients are canceling more often. This impacts the revenue of your business and can send you into a spiral if you have never experienced it, you just expanded, or you are not prepared. Know that this happens every year. Expect to see reduced referrals during summer and winter. However, SEO for therapists is a great tool to fight back against the slowdown.

Now that we have that out of the way, here are some tips on SEO for therapists this summer!

SEO for Therapists Tip: 1 Blog. Blog. Blog.

You hear it from us repeatedly, but that’s because it’s so impactful! Blog and do it with intention. Think about writing one on online therapy. This is always a good idea because you can boost harder to rank keywords like therapy, therapist, online counseling, etc. It also aids in local SEO. You can create how-to guides, open letters, comprehensive therapy guides, coping tips for various issues, and a client-friendly understanding of therapy approaches. You can write about current events or make it more personal if it is consistent with your code of ethics. The options are limitless, don’t put yourself in a box when connecting with your clients. You have so much to share, so why what? If you are unsure about blogging for SEO for therapists, use our blogging course! Keyboard, plant, and notepad with blog written on it. You may be familar with the summer slowdown, but your private practice website hasn't experienced it, till now. No worries, seo for therapists, counselors, Occupational therapists, psychiatrists and psychologists can help!

Tip: 2 on SEO for Therapists Should I write cornerstone content or shorter blogs?

Both and! That is where SEO remains beneficial. Google reads everything to understand your writing and find key phrases. When Google understands your message, it can help you connect with the right people looking for your page. As a result, Google will search for keywords, readability, internal and external links, alt text, and other factors. That is what Google is for: matching the reader with the appropriate experience. So having long, in-depth blogs that are well optimized helps Google bring you the right traffic more accurately and consistently.

SEO for Therapists Tip: 3 Create Quality Service Pages

Regarding SEO, blogging versus service pages is not ranked in terms of “more important.” Well, optimized content is well-optimized content! Google doesn’t care whether it’s a service page or a blog post. When it comes to SEO, both carry the same weight. However, in terms of user experience, service pages, and blog posts serve different purposes. When creating service pages, break them down into bite-size pieces. Don’t put teen therapy only if you work with anxiety, depression, trauma, and career counseling. Or, if you offer eating disorder treatment, don’t just create a basic landing page. Break it down into body image issues, binge eating, emotional eating, orthorexia, etc.

Tip: 3 on Building Up Local SEO for Therapists

As many of you know, Google My Business is an important component of local SEO. We are more likely to show up for keywords like therapy near me, online therapist near me, or couples therapy Chicago when we can be found locally. Here’s a quick recap of my previous blog post on optimizing Google My Business. Check out Google My Business for Online Practices or Optimizing Your Google My Business Profile for more in-depth information.

A well-optimized Google profile lets clients quickly sense who you are as a private practice. When clients see how much care you have taken to keep your information up to date, they are more likely to become clients. As a result, you must set up and optimize your free account. Add relevant keywords wherever you can, for example, in descriptions, titles, etc.

Breathe and reap the rewards of your hard work

How long Will The Summer Slow Down Last?

After taking a look at these suggestions and incorporating them, take a breath. You had done some heavy lifting. The truth is that you set yourself up for success. The summer slowdown will end and pay off in the fall when you have put in the work early on. This is helpful for you and the longevity of your practice, This may happen year to year, and this is to be expected. Prepare some blogs in advance, build backlinks, and backload your caseload so you can still manage your finances.

Our Team Can Teach You More About SEO for Therapists!

It’s time to get the private practice website assistance you require. If you are ready to get a kick start on your private practice marketing, SEO can help The summer slowdown is inevitable, but there are some measures you can take to protect your business and clinicians. Our team collaborates with a large number of therapists. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for an SEO company that understands the world of mental health and how to market it ethically. Simplified SEO Consulting’s wonderful team of mental health SEO specialists would love to talk strategy with you and connect you with the best service for you. To begin using our service, simply follow these simple steps:

Make an appointment with our Consultation Team.
Learn about our team!
Kickstart your practices referrals

Other Services offered by Simplified SEO Consulting

Simplified SEO consulting offers a wide range of services to help you begin working with your people. We offer Done for You SEO Service packages, online courses, and SEO training opportunities. Our most popular course includes our “Top of Google” online course, and we have 12 weeks of intensive SEO for those who want to learn with a guide. For those looking for a more specialized package, we also offer an SEO strategy package. To get started, schedule a consultation with our Client Success Specialist today! Are you looking to get ahead of the winter drop-off? We offer a 3-day cruise to the Bahamas for those needing blogging support. Visit the page, and we’ll see you on the seas!

Author Biography:

Jasmine is a Mental Health SEO Specialist and Simplified SEO Consulting’s Client Success Specialist. Understanding SEO shouldn’t be difficult, and Jasmine is here to help you figure out where to begin. Jasmine is one of many specialists who can assist you if you want an SEO company that understands the mental health world. Jasmine is an Aspire Counseling intern who works with body image, trauma, anxiety, mild eating disorders, and clients of various identities and backgrounds. If you require additional assistance with SEO for therapists, schedule your free 30-minute consultation with Simplified SEO consulting as soon as possible!

August 3, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips, Local SEO, SEO Tools

Optimizing Your Yelp Listing for Your Private Practice Website

Yelp and SEO

Many therapists may not think of Yelp as an important part of their private practice. But, having an optimized listing can actually help Google recognize your practice as a trustworthy source for potential clients. There are a variety of things to address on your Yelp listing. But, due to the unique nature of the mental health field, it can sometimes be difficult to understand the most vital points to address. So, today we are going to discuss what goes into an optimized Yelp listing for private practice owners. Without further ado, let’s learn how you can make the most of your listing.

Claiming your Listing and Adding Important information

Before you start optimizing your listing, you must ensure you have either created a new listing or have claimed it if it already exists on Yelp. This will be the only way you will can have the ability to change or add additional information about your practice. After doing so, you can then add vital information about your practice. This should include essential points like:

Your name, address, and phone number (NAP)
Hours of operation
Business description
Physical address
Site URL
Notable locations/businesses that are nearby
Primary services offered
Business categorizations
History of the business

While ensuring that these points are addressed is important, there are others that may not be applicable due to the nature of owning a private practice. For a majority of therapists, services are offered in the form of psychotherapy instead of products that are being sold. As a result, this may be a part of your Yelp listing that you should leave intentionally blank. Yelp won’t count it against you if you don’t list products if you don’t offer them. The nature of therapy is unique, and this is also reflected in the many different businesses that use Yelp such as restaurants, mechanics, hotels, etc.

Ensure Info is Accurate

It is important to ensure you are adding as much accurate information as possible to make the most out of your Yelp page, but making things up for the sake of having more to offer than your competitors will not benefit your listing, or your practice. If anything, this may cause more confusion for potential clients searching for your practice, and result in a loss of credibility. Everything you add or update will be reviewed by Yelp moderators to ensure accuracy, so take care to make sure you are adding the correct information.

Adding Photos

Another important thing to include on your Yelp listing is photos related to your practice. This can include anything from images of the interior of your practice, the clinicians that clients can expect to work with, or exterior photos of your practice to help visitors better identify where you are located. Reviewers can also include photos with their comments, which can be a welcome source of engagement.

Yelp Page Upgrades

It is also worth mentioning that it is possible to actually pay for upgrades to your Yelp listing. These upgrades include additions such as a Call to Action to make it easier for potential clients to reach your site, removal of competitor ads, adding your practice logo, and business highlights. These can help promote the exposure of your practice, but they are in no way a requirement when optimizing your Yelp listing.

Responding to Messages and Reviews

For therapists, getting reviews in an ethical way can be a tricky subject due to the nature of this profession. But, when you start receiving them, it is vital that you respond in a timely, ethical way, whether they be positive or negative. Responding to reviews serves as a chance to foster engagement, and take constructive feedback into consideration. So, create a response that addresses the issue and takes ownership, but also shows appreciation for the comment and the input of the reviewer.

Every now and then, there may also be reviews from unhappy clients or unrelated actors looking to get a reaction. They may be unhappy with services or want “review bomb” a business. Reviews that only seek to harm your reputation can be removed, but they must be addressed carefully by reviewing Yelp’s content guidelines. The line between critical feedback and defamatory comments can be thin depending on the situation, so it is vital to do your homework before deciding to remove anything.

Updating Your Yelp Listing Over Time

Finally, it is also important to mention that you should check in on your Yelp listing over time. Update it as things change with your private practice. This ongoing check-in can happen when responding to reviews. Doing so will help sure your page stays active in the eyes of Google, and potential clients. Plus, this gives you the opportunity to update your listing to include keywords that you may want to focus on. Thus, further improving your ability to show up in the search results for specific services.

Begin SEO Services with Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team of SEO specialists can support you in making the most of your Yelp listing. We can also help improve your place in the Google search results. We are honored to offer SEO services for therapists across the country and internationally. To start your SEO journey with Simplified SEO Consulting, please follow these simple steps:

Book a free 30-minute consultation call.
Meet with an SEO specialist.
Start better managing multiple practices

Other Services Offered with Simplified SEO Consulting

Simplified SEO Consulting offers a variety of services to help improve your Google search rankings. Our team can offer support in optimizing your site with our Done For You SEO Services. We also offer DIY Online SEO Courses, and a 12-week Done With You Intensive SEO Program. Feel free to read other posts from our blog for more helpful information!

About the Author

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

June 21, 2022/0 Comments/by Sterling Humburg-Cage

Business Tips, SEO Basics

SEO for Counselors: Why We Don’t Sell Short Term Solutions?

The Truth is Short Term Solutions Just Don’t Work When Doing SEO for Counselors.

We know that when it comes to your practice whether you’re just building it or you’re scaling up, that patience can be challenging. You’re ready to make a bigger impact and have added security to your business. However, we are open and honest from the start that SEO takes at least 6 months to get you a ranking so you can begin to establish credibility and maintain it. Sometimes businesses need more time if they are an online-only practice, if they are coming back from a bad reputation, or if they are in a bigger more populated area.

Additionally, SEO has gotten more competitive over the years. We know that our strategies work and have strategies and approaches that line up with this. However, we want you to be an informed consumer, so you can get the most out of your investment. Here are a few reasons why we don’t sell short-term solutions and why hanging in there with us will benefit your practice long term.

SEO for Counselors Takes Time

The simple fact is that SEO is about building up your domain trust over time. That means having a strong keyword strategy, being intentional in how we incorporate SEO factors, building high-quality backlinks, and impactful content that your ideal clients need. Six months sounds like a long time when you just want to add new clinicians or you just don’t have the funds to invest in this huge business expense, but in the long term taking time with SEO will benefit you.

Nothing Good Comes from Cutting Corners in Business

One thing we don’t want to encourage with SEO is putting up a bunch of content all at once or keyword stuffing. These are considered black hat SEO strategies. Additionally, buying backlinks is a big no. These tactics can tank your SEO and leave you struggling to build up any credibility. It is honestly better to invest in SEO within the guidelines and parameters of what Google has set forth for consumers. Really Google wants you to find your ideal clients, but just like with a client, when mistrust is established, it is harder to regain. So we recommend and recognize the need to do SEO at a slower pace ( 3-4 pages at a time), in order to have that long-term payout.

We Want to Help You Get Your Ideal Clients and Maintain Referrals

SEO cannot be done in the short term because you need to get to the first page. If you don’t have service pages or quality blogs that your ideal clients will connect with, then you are not going to have the greatest outcome with SEO. Even if you have good referrals know, they will catch up to you. So it’s best to follow a strategy where we do intensive optimization on services pages, create quality cornerstone blogs, and over time watch the data to see what is and is not resonating with your ideal clients. Through our process, we have steps we expect to follow that tell us whether SEO is or is not working.

For example, are you getting a big boost in rankings? We expect to see this month 1-3. Are you starting to get a few referrals? Not an overwhelming amount, but a few inquiries, that came from Google and are good fits? Great! That is what we want to see in months 3 and 4. If we get to that month 4 and we see that we are not getting what we hope, we restrategize early on. So we may modify some meta’s or write a blog post. Another point I expand on below is that the timeline for more competitive areas is a bit different and we expect that. In months 5 and 6, we want to know if you are getting more consistent referrals to your site. This is the time you should be blogging and getting backlinks.

Certain Locations Are More Competitive Than Others and We Want To Set You Up For Success

As mentioned before, we have some consistent trends in what we hope to see for your site, but what if you’re doing SEO in New York, Denver, Colorado, or Orange County, California? What Then? Well, the truth is that we may see in certain areas that the return on investment happens at a slower pace. I mean how many therapists are doing similar things to you in New York, Florida, or California? What matters here is that you are clear on your niche and how you help and support your, clients. Our goal is to help you stand out from the rest of the crowd. You have a unique voice that will bring in your ideal people.

One thing to note is that this is where blogging can help make that process easy. Don’t just write a blog on “Benefits of Online Therapy in New York”, write one about Why Online Therapy in New York is perfect for the person who thinks their problems are not big enough for therapy. What is this person telling themselves, how are they negating their experiences, what beliefs and internal dialogues are they giving into, and how can you help them deal with the feelings that have yet to give voice to. This will help you stand out in a competitive world of counseling and SEO.

Each Niche, Geographical Location, and Website Requires a Specialized Strategy

We don’t sell short-term solutions because each area has its own timeline for when SEO will begin to work, the more specific you are the better the SEO outcome, and different platforms are better for SEO. If you expect to get a ranking on a Wix website in New York within 6 months, to be honest, that’s not a realistic goal, that is why we recommend moving to Squarespace or WordPress. If you are on WordPress in Texas and specialize in pre and postnatal care, getting a ranking may be a faster process. We tailor our strategy to your needs, and that may mean needing a few extra months to break through the wall of the Google search engine for others, this process may be quicker.

We Always Paying Attention to The Data and Shifts in the Algorithm

As SEO specialists, we know that you trust us to be the experts. With that being said, we also know that Google’s algorithm can change at the drop of a hat. We are always monitoring these changes, so we can modify your SEO strategy accordingly. Much of the time, even when Google updates, we may see a month or two of fluctuating data, but then it settles down and we see the payoff from the work we have done.

It takes time to undo the adverse effects of Black Hat SEO and Bad Reviews

Lastly, if you are looking to scale up your practice, but you are dealing with the negative impacts of Black Hat SEO or bad reviews, we are here to support you through the process of undoing these issues. Plus, we can help you build back up your reputation. However, when these things happen, it can be a process. We have helped many individuals combat these issues, knowing that the process may take up to a year to reach the intended outcome. We don’t say this to discourage you, but to set you up for realistic results. If you do need support in this realm we have a great team of individuals who can help you navigate his process whether that means a strong Google my business strategy or helping you reestablish trust with Google.

The Take-Home Message When Doing SEO for Counselors and Therapists

Our team loves helping individuals reach their business goals and visions. Everyone’s strategy looks different, but for good reason. There is no one size fits all approach to therapy and we also believe that with SEO for counselors and therapists. We all follow some basic tenants, knowing that each client we work with has a slightly different approach. If there is some way we can support you, please reach out. Our consultation team would love to work with you and give you some insight and recommendations.

Begin SEO for Counselors and Therapists From A Team Who Truly Cares!

SEO is a process, but one worth taking. We have helped many private practice owners and groups scale up their practice. Our wonderful team of mental health SEO specialists at Simplified SEO Consulting would love to talk strategy with you and help you get connected with the best service for you. To get started with our service follow these simple steps:

Schedule a consult with our Consultation Team
Learn more about our talented team of mental health SEO Specialists
Start scaling up your practice and filling your clinicians

Other Services offered by Simplified SEO Consulting

Simplified SEO consulting offers a wide range of services that can help you begin working with your people. We offer Done for You SEO Service packages, online courses, and SEO training opportunities. Our most popular course includes our “Top of Google” online course, and we have 12 weeks of intensive SEO for those who want to learn with a guide. For those looking for a more specialized package, we also offer an SEO strategy package. To get started, schedule a consultation with our Client Success Specialist today!

About the Author:

Jasmine is a Mental Health SEO Specialist and our Client Success Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. It can be challenging to know where to start with SEO, luckily Jasmine is here to help. If you want insight, recommendations, or to talk about the next steps with SEO, contact us for a free 30- minute consultation.

Jasmine Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. She has been doing SEO with Simplified for the last few months. Currently, she serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultation with Simplified SEO Consulting and is an SEO specialist. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix but has learned to love WordPress sites as well. Jasmine really enjoys hearing the clients’ goals for their businesses and helping them achieve them. She works with coaches, eating disorder specialists, trauma therapists, and more.

June 1, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips, SEO Basics, SEO Tips

When is the Right Time to Invest in SEO?

Are you on a good platform to invest in SEO?

When considering SEO with us, we want you to think about the branding, design, and platform of your site. One of the biggest issues we try to help clients avoid is beginning the SEO investment on a platform they do not love or one that will not give them the return on investment that they need. Often we recommend people try Squarespace or WordPress. Sometimes we will work with a Wix or Weebly site, but often if you have a consult with our specialists, you will find that we will encourage a platform switch. If you’re absolutely in love with your platform and it happens to be on Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress, we are happy to work with you for our Done for You Services, but if you plan to stay on a different platform, on rare occasions we will do Weebly if a specialist is familiar and has capacity. Otherwise, our training options are the best option if you want to stay on your platform.

Does it make financial sense to invest in SEO?

The goal of Simplified is to help you get the clients that you are best able to support. We never want finances to be a barrier to you scaling your practice. While we will usually recommend our DFY options, if you are able and willing to do the work, our training options can give you a lot of value for your needs. We have self-paced courses, group intensives, and individual training options. Additionally, if you’re unsure where to begin, you can get a beginner course with our strategy package and then meet with a specialist who can give you the support you need to figure out the next steps. With the done for you options, often people will want to do the cheapest option, but if you’re hoping to be closer to the first page within six months in a busy area on a 1 or 2 point package, you’re not going to reach this goal with the timeframe you anticipate. SEO is getting competitive and especially in areas like New York, Florida, California, and some parts of Colorado, the best way to get to the top quickly is to optimize your service pages and blogs.

Essentially, what we have found is that for Google to really begin recognizing you, you need 12-18 pages live and optimized on your site.

With SEO getting more competitive that number may begin to increase. So we need to hit the ground running. If this doesn’t sound doable for you, then you can still invest with our other options, but it may mean we need to wait till you’re more comfortable with the investment mentally. We as mental health professionals are not oblivious to the costs and investment of SEO. We know that for a practice SEO is often the biggest expense you may have, and we know that with the strategy we employ that is unique, intentional, and flexible, we can help you reach your goals if you are able to trust in our process.

Do You Know Your Niche?

Knowing your niche matters to your success. Do you have to be one hundred percent sure of it? No. You can adapt as you understand what your community needs. If you’re in love with one niche during one season and then the next it switches, and you want to focus on couples over individuals or high functioning anxiety over trauma, you can do this. However, if you’re entering private or group practice without a semblance of who you’re trying to help. Do some soul searching before doing SEO. Why? We have found as mental health specialists that content matters for keywords. If you don’t know your clients with anxiety, you may get anxiety clients, but they may not be the ideal client you were hoping for. Additionally, you could get a lot of hits on your site indicated by Google Analytics and Google Search Console. However, if you’re getting clicks but not converts into clients, something is not connecting on your site. In order to convert, you need to know your people. Consider creating an avatar of who your ideal client is before beginning SEO with us.

Are You Expanding Your Practice?

Are you planning to expand your practice soon? Perhaps you’re worried about filling up your new clinicians which may tempt you to invest in Google ads over SEO. Pause and breathe. You have time. If you have a clinician onboarding in a few months, SEO is a great place to start. Here is why, if you have a desire to bring in consistent referrals for your practice, and you don’t want to have to constantly reinvest the money to get the clients into the door, SEO helps you to maintain a steady stream of people, especially when you consistently blog ( 2-3 times a month). If you’re worried about filling up your people you’re ready for SEO. We can help you strategy-wise to connect with your ideal people.

Would You Rather Invest in SEO by Outsourcing?

This is a big one we encounter with consults. People know that they need to do SEO for the consistency of their practice and growth. They have been told it is really important and easy to learn. Here is the problem you’re an owner of a practice, a parent, have another job, are pregnant…And to be honest, you just don’t have the passion to learn, the clinical side and the business side are more your jam. That is where our done for you program will work best for you. Whether that means we are doing the work, or you are having an intern learn how to optimize through one of our training programs. You’re ready to outsource and begin SEO.

Do You have Content and Copy You Love?

Maybe you have considered SEO before, but you just didn’t love your website and copy yet. And now, you have hired a fantastic copywriter and the website represents your values and who you hope to attract. Great! You’re ready for SEO. Well-written content equals connection.

What if I want to invest in SEO, but I do know how or love writing?

That’s ok. We offer copywriting services and we have great referrals who would be happy to hear your voice and create content that connects and aligns with your voice. If writing isn’t your thing, our team is happy to help and collaborate with you.

Are you Ready to Blog?

Blogging is such a huge component of SEO. If you hate blog writing and refuse to write blogs, then maybe now isn’t the time for SEO. Here is the thing. Google loves content. Google has about 200+ factors you can rank your site for. If blogging isn’t for you. There are other SEO companies that can help you with off-page SEO. However, what we have found with counseling clients, having well build out service pages and blogs that talk about the heart of your practice, often gets you better results with clients and conversions. We will encourage you to blog and if that doesn’t sound like a good plan then now is not the time to invest.

Are you planning to rebrand soon?

If you’re planning to rebrand or move to a new platform soon, now is not the time to do SEO. Here is why. Google has associated backlinks and other information with the domain you currently have. It has been live and active on Google for some time now. If you decide to take down the domain to move it to another platform, Google will look at this and not know what to do with your site. And, if you do rebrand or move your domain, change your domain, or move to another platform, Google has to reestablish trust. If you try to do SEO immediately afterward Google will not know what to do with your site. So it’s best to make the changes, publish it on the search engine, and then let it sit for 2 weeks to a month. Then begin SEO. You’ll have much better success integrating SEO.

Do clients need to decide what their NAP information is in order to invest in SEO?

Lastly, do you know what a NAP score is? Check out this blog about local SEO and NAP. This is essentially your Name, Address, and Phone. This is necessary for consistency on the search engines and for Google my business/Local SEO. If you don’t know what you want your main name, address, and phone to be, then pause, figure it out, and then make sure you have that on your website, directories, Google My Business, and Yelp.

Begin Working with Our Team!

If you’re ready to invest in SEO, we are here to help. We can get you set up with our services and begin optimizing your website in a way that showcases your skills to potential clients soon. Our wonderful team of SEO specialists at Simplified SEO Consulting would be excited to help you on your SEO journey. To get started with our service follow these simple steps:

Schedule a consult with our Client Success Specialist
Learn more about our talented team of SEO Specialists
Start investing in what matters to help your clients reach you!

Other Services offered by Simplified SEO Consulting

About the Author:

Jasmine is an SEO Specialist, and Client Success Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. You may be wondering where to start with your SEO journey. You’ve come to the right place. Learn how cornerstone content can help.

Jasmine Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. She has been doing SEO with Simplified for the last few months. Currently, she serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultation with Simplified SEO Consulting and is an SEO specialist. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix but has learned to love WordPress sites as well. She really enjoys hearing the clients’ goals for their businesses and helping them achieve them.

May 3, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess