Business Tips Archives - Simplified SEO Consulting

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

Business Tips, SEO Tips, SEO Tools, Websites

All About Wix and SEO

You may have heard it time and time again. Wix doesn’t always produce the best SEO results, especially in highly competitive areas. However, we have as mental health SEO specialists have seen some good rankings in areas like Wisconsin, Florida, Oregon, California, and such. Usually, we recommend Squarespace or WordPress. However, to those who love their WIX website, we are here to support you. There are ways to boost your website to get the most out of SEO.

Why Would Someone Work with a Wix Website?

There are many reasons practice owners find themselves on a Wix website. Usually, individuals are here because they are trying SEO for themselves. Therapists know that SEO is great for private practices and referrals, however, SEO can be expensive. So individuals build a site and do some baseline SEO to get on the map. Others have already invested in SEO and have been on Wix for a while. Honestly, if you know how to maneuver around Wix, it can be a great platform to use.

Here are some of the benefits of working with a Wix website.

It’s free
You can customize your site
Honestly, it’s easy to use
Has a clear and easy to understand website walkthrough
Wix does offer support on the platform.

Work on the basics for Wix and SEO

Remember that SEO takes time on any platform. We recommend in-depth SEO for about 6 months. We need to begin with high-quality content and good keyword research. These are the building blocks of the site. Make sure you have at least 500 words of content broken down into subheadings ( heading 1-3 only). Then make sure you are doing basic readability, this can make or break communicating your message to your clients. Additionally, add photos, internal and external links.

Nuances with Wix to Know

Photos:

Wix can be interesting to optimize and it is important for SEO, that we have the opportunity to add in Alt text. On other sites like Squarespace and WordPress, you can add an alt description and title. On Wix, you can only add an alt title. So make sure you are placing the focus keywords here with train tracks | separating the content. Add in 3-5 zip codes as well. Place 3 or more photos to get the best results on WIX. There is an option to add a tooltip to your site which works as a caption or alt description. The only issue with this is that it will show up on the page or blog itself rather than being an invisible description for a screen reader. On blogs for Wix, it is ever so slightly different. There is an option to add a caption and a title. However, just like the tooltip, the caption option will show up on the blog. If you are ok with this, then by all means add it on there to enhance your SEO, otherwise just focus on the alt title.

Important Point About Photos

Another issue we often see on Wix websites is that individuals will use backgrounds in place of photos. You may be wondering, “how is that not a photo?” The thing is we want to ensure that we are adding photos in for the purpose of optimization ( locations, zip codes, focus keywords). If we are not able to add in these elements, then although it may be appealing design-wise, it doesn’t enhance or offer value to your SEO. If you absolutely want these background photos or headings on your pages, make sure you still include 3 independent photos, that have the opportunity to be optimized.

Meta Descriptions:

On Wix just as on any site, you have a certain length that your meta title and description should be. Wix actually has a shorter requirement and it will display on your preview of the meta when you type it in. Therefore, Make sure that you can see all of the text you intentionally want to be viewed by potential clients. Anything over this limit will show up as dots and can be off-putting from a user experience standpoint. Place the focus keyword, locations, and a zip code for your meta title. Then add in an attention-grabbing meta description incorporating keywords and locations.

Font Size and Subheadings

There have been many sites I have seen where it looks like individuals have places Heading 1-Heading 3 as we would want on a site. Formatting can be unusual on Wix if you are not familiar with it. The good thing about Wix is that it offers more options to change font size, type, and colors. Make sure you have only one heading 1. It can be easy to assume that on Wix the headings are not interchangeable, however, you can easily modify it. If you like the font and size of an h1 for other headings, great news, you can mimic it on Wix and change it to an H2. Be careful that you’re not adding in Heading 4- 6 because Google doesn’t register this as a valid heading to read to someone using a screen reader.

Reasons We Do Not Recommend Wix for SEO

Individuals report having low rankings. Wix did fix this error back in 2016, but even so, Wix is a closed-circuit site, so adding additional plug in’s is not possible like on wordpress.
While you do not need a ton of tools to rank well for SEO, Wix doesn’t have as many options like Squarespace and WordPress
Does not offer advanced SEO options. Since Wix is a beginner-friendly SEO site, it does not have the in-depth options for SEO like other platforms do. With this in mind, that is why we say that we often see plateaus in SEO on a Wix site because you can only take it so far.
Is not always mobile-friendly. It is important to have a mobile-friendly website. Most people are searching for therapy services via their phones. If your site does not look flattering or appealing on a phone, individuals will bounce right off.

What Wix Does Offer

Since Wix is meant to be beginner-friendly, you will be able to use their SEO tools and be guided through some baseline SEO for your site. Such as setting up your home meta description, connecting your site map, and seeing your site analytics.
Doesn’t require coding. One of the biggest reasons individuals find themselves on Wix is because while wordpress is the gold standard of websites, it does require some familiarity with coding, and knowing how to build out certain features. It can be challenging to use if you do not have a web designer or enough experience.

More Features Wix and SEO Include:

Default and custom title tags, meta descriptions, H tags (H1, H2, etc.)
SEO patterns to automatically update sitewide default settings
Custom URLs for every page
Alt image tags to optimize photos on the page
Already optimized mobile-friendly templates
Google Analytics & Search Console integration
Canonical tags
HTTP
XML sitemap
Schema markup
Structured data
Social share settings
Instant indexing

How to Get The Most out of Wix?

Do keyword research, but get specific. You will rank better for long-tail keywords with locations before short-tail. Example: PTSD treatment and trauma therapy in Columbia, MO before trauma therapy near me
Submit site maps, and indexes anytime you make any changes to your site.
Use the SEO Wiz tool. This is kind of a requirement to be able to do any type of SEO on your Wix site
Create quality content on your service pages and blogs
Optimize for Locations in paragraphs, subheadings, and alt text
Write quality meta titles and descriptions. This makes you clickable.
First things first create a quality domain name. Add keywords, brand-specific names, and locations.
Add quality slugs to your pages. Slugs are in the URL and add rankings to your overall SEO. Example www. aspirecounseling.com/depression-counseling-mid-mo
Check to see if your site is mobile-friendly. Wix has options to view on the desktop and on mobile options. Additionally, if you index your pages and you find there are errors. Google search console can tell you what needs to be fixed.
Periodically check in on your data and see where you are maintaining and where you can improve.

Begin SEO for Your Wix Website or Learn About The Best Strategy for Your Practice!

Want to know more about how to get the most out of your Wix Website. Try our Done for you Program. Keep your eyes out for a Wix and SEO Webinar by our Training Director Danica Wolf in the near future. If you need support, we are here to help. Our skilled and passionate team of SEO specialists is here to make sure your SEO journey is tailored to your brand and identity. 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 or Consult Team
Learn more about our wonderful team of SEO Specialists.
Start getting the best return on your SEO investment from a skilled team!

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 (about 3 months) of intensive SEO for therapists who want to learn with a guide. Additionally, we are offering a limited-time SEO Mastermind group if you want a great training opportunity for a steal, this is for you. 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:

As an SEO specialist at Simplified, Jasmine is an SEO services consultant and helps new clients become oriented to our services. If you are ready to begin SEO services, then get in touch and schedule your free consultation today!

Jasmine Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. Currently, she is seeing clients in practice as part of her internship. Her interests include working with athletes, high functioning anxiety, mild eating disorders, and more. Currently, she serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultations with Simplified SEO Consulting. Plus she is one of our Mental Health SEO Specialists. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix. If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, schedule your next consultation. If you are ready for a no-nonsense effective SEO strategy, we can help!

April 5, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips, SEO Basics

How We Cater Our SEO Services to Private Practice Owners

So, why should you choose Simplified as your website’s SEO gurus? Well, I might be a little biased, but if you’re a private practice therapist, we’re the best option for you. There are a few reasons for this, and I’m so excited to tell you all about them.

Therapists Need Help with their Websites

When you went to graduate school for your counseling degree, they likely didn’t teach you about how to open a private practice. Your professors didn’t include content about how to open and run a business. And they surely didn’t teach you how to create a website that works for both humans AND Google. There are so many aspects to being a private practice owner that you just didn’t get the scoop on in school.

Many of the therapists we work with have flowery, beautiful websites. They use phrases like “get started on your healing journey” and “I provide a welcoming space for counseling.” This is wonderful, but it’s really just a starting point. When trying to gain therapy clients through a website, there needs to be intentional care given to all aspects of it. This includes the pretty stuff on the front end and the techy stuff on the backend.

I don’t say this to put down any of our lovely clients or the work they’ve done on their websites before coming to us. Instead, I point this out to show the need for techy experts’ help on therapist websites. And not just any techy experts, but ones who also have an understanding of human psychology, too. That’s where our SEO specialists come in.

How Simplified Helps Therapists Get Ranking

One of the first things our SEO specialists want to discuss with you is your ideal client. If you could work with any population, disorder, or specialty area, what would it be? And why? From there, we can zero in on a strategy to get those ideal clients in your door.

Also, it’s important that you know that all of the SEO specialists at Simplified have a background in a mental health-related field. This could be a Bachelor of Psychology degree, to even a Master of Social Work degree. Additionally, we all have a passion for destigmatizing mental healthcare and bettering the services offered to those in need.

This background in mental health practice and advocacy gives our SEO specialists a unique set of skills. Based on your ideal client, we will think about the struggles they are likely facing and what they would be Googling if they were looking for therapy services. Then, we use research tools to solidify our hypotheses about clients’ search behavior. We then use this information to optimize service pages, meta descriptions, and many other elements of your site.

You Need Service Pages

Unless you’ve got a keen understanding of Google, it’s likely you don’t know about the importance of service pages. You might even be asking yourself “what’s a service page?” And that’s okay.

At Simplified, we want our clients to have service pages, or singular website pages, about one specific service they provide. For example, you may specialize in working with clients struggling with anxiety and eating disorders, and you also enjoy seeing couples. So, we would likely begin with creating service pages for anxiety treatment, eating disorder treatment, and couples therapy.

Having individual pages about each of the services you offer is great both for Google and the humans reading your website. People without a background in the mental health field don’t usually understand what therapists mean when they use abstract words to describe the benefits of therapy. Website users (and Google) want to know exactly what you are offering, where, and how they can get started. Potential clients want to know the ins and outs of your therapy style and why they should choose you. Service pages are your place to exhibit empathy and understanding for what potential clients are going through, then demonstrate that you have the ability to help.

Site Structure and Processes

Another skill an SEO specialist is particularly trained in is assessing site structure and processes. We know that therapists can make really beautiful websites. Whether it’s bright and bold colors or calming aesthetics, you’ve got the artsy part down. But when it comes to functionality? Y’all could use some help! And that’s not to look down on anyone. As I said earlier, nobody taught you this stuff in grad school!

Site Structure

The backend of websites can be a messy place. Often when clients begin working with us, they have broken links, redirect errors, default pages, or spammy backlinks. Again, this is nobody’s fault. However, our SEO specialists have the tools and skills to clean it up for you. It’s important to us that the backside of your website is functional. Google sees these errors on your site, and they can affect your Google rankings, further hindering you from showing up in potential clients’ search results.

Processes

Additionally, our SEO specialists can help you develop processes on your site. This refers to things like drop-down menus, contact forms, and Call to Action sections. At Simplified, we use a Call to Action section as an assistant to website viewers when they’re ready to contact you. Folks looking for counseling services are often overwhelmed and perhaps even distressed when they finally decide to reach out to a therapist. So, we lay it out for them. We add a bit of text, links, and detailed steps for how to begin counseling at your practice. Here’s an example.

Anxiety can steal your joy and totally exhaust you. But you don’t need to battle anxiety on your own. You can get support from an anxiety therapist in Charleston, SC right here. If you’re ready to get connected with anxiety treatment, follow the steps below.

Fill out our contact form.
One of our therapists will reach out to you to schedule your first appointment.
Gain new skills to manage anxiety and finally find the present again.

The Call to Action section is just one of many tools an SEO specialist has to make website users’ experiences easier. And when their experience is simpler, they are more likely to take the time to get connected with you. Who wants to rummage around on a website to get in contact with a therapist when they’re already struggling? In fact, Google actually rewards websites with positive user experiences. So, there is a two-fold benefit to cleaning up the content and action steps on your site.

Our SEO Specialists Are Ready to Meet You

The team members at Simplified blend our backgrounds in mental health work with our techy SEO skills, creating a synergistic effect for private practice therapists’ websites. This then takes a domino effect. Our SEO work leads to more clients finding your website on Google, then getting set up for services. Then, you’ll start having a fuller caseload with the clients you really want to see. And if it’s a part of your business goals, you can even start adding clinicians to your team and grow into a group practice!

At the end of the day, our SEO specialists are advocates for improving folks’ access to mental health services. So, we are ready and excited to help you meet your business goals and spread the benefits of counseling. Ready to start optimizing your website and meeting your business goals? Follow the steps below.

Schedule your free 30-minute consultation call.
Meet with one of our skilled SEO specialists.
Start taking care of other aspects of your private practice and let us help with your website!

Services at Simplified SEO Consulting

You may be wondering about what services we offer. For the do-it-yourself types, we have DIY Online Courses as well as SEO Training options! Our training services include a Done-With-You 12 Week program as well as a Mastermind course. And if you’re ready to have an SEO specialist take the lead, we offer Done For You optimization services.

About the Author

Olivia Bahr is an SEO specialist and content writer at Simplified SEO Consulting. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work at the University of Denver. Olivia is an advocate for social justice and increased access to mental health services. In her free time, Olivia hangs out with her dog, goes to concerts, and skis with friends.

March 29, 2022/0 Comments/by Olivia Bahr

Business Tips, SEO Tips

Impact of PSYPACT & SEO (Part 2)

Impact of PsyPACT and Your SEO Strategy

Now that you have a better understanding of the basics of PsyPACT, it’s important to understand how to optimize for the newly added states. It’s important to know that we recommend optimizing for one or two states over a six-month period of time. Some areas in the US are easier to rank for depending on therapist saturation and niche. The goal here is to help you better understand the impact of PsyPACT and the strategy behind SEO optimization.

Figure out what few states you want to get referrals from

Choose some states that you would like to optimize for. Be realistic with your goals as we cannot get you immediately on the first page of Google and it does take time. Consider starting with some of the easier states to rank for such as Ohio or Maryland. Then, consider picking some harder-to-rank areas such as Colorado, Illinois, and Texas. We typically recommend working on getting ranking for 1-2 states at a time to make steady SEO progress. Gradually, ranking for new areas will become easier once Google trusts you a bit more. But you may need to really throw a lot of SEO juice at the first few states you try to rank for to really help Google understand that you’re relevant in more than one area.

You also want to give some thoughts to the areas within a state that you want to rank for. There is some strategy for trying to rank in the biggest cities within the state, although those may be more competitive to rank in. Other times, therapists may want to target specific parts of the state where more of their ideal clients may life. For example, a practice specializing in maternal mental health may choose to focus on the more “family friendly” areas of the state. Once you’ve identified a couple specific parts of the state, you can refer to those areas of the state on your pages about offering online services in that state, create that area’s own landing page (not everyone does this, but it can be helpful in those most competitive areas) and/or refer casually to those areas in blog posts.

PsyPACT makes SEO a little more competitive/complicated

Know that while there is a capacity to rank in the 29 other states, with psyPACT it would take a significant amount of SEO overtime to get rankings. Therefore, it is a much better strategy to invest your time/money/energy into working on states where you know your ideal people will be. For example, if you’re trying to rank for professionals who work in the tech industry, consider where in the US these people would be. Or if you are private pay, how would you draw in your ideal people.

Do Some Geographical Keyword Research

Figure out what you want to get referrals for and then find keywords that are relevant to your search. Such as “online therapist in Georgia”. Always add a location and remember that counseling versus therapy may be different in various states. So, when talking about what services you offer in one state you may talk about “therapy” and “couples therapy” whereas in another state you may focus on “online counseling” and “marriage counseling.” So, when your targeting each individual state, figure out what the highest search volume is for keywords related to your niche in that particular state and go from there. Check out our free keyword research guide for support.

Create Individual Location Pages for PsyPACT States

Just like when you optimize for service pages, you must optimize for specific locations. One of the best ways to do this is to create individual location pages. We recommend creating a specific page of your website for each PsyPACT state you’d like to target. For example, if you decide to focus on Georgia you’d create a specific page about how you offer online therapy in Georgia. Then, create a domain slug such as online-therapy-Georgia. You can follow the same general outline as other online therapy pages you’ve written, but somewhat rewrite it on each page to be relevant to that location. So, in the example of targeting Georgia, you’d make references to Savannah and Atlanta and perhaps other parts of the state. You may even choose photos of locations in that state so you can easily reference locations in that state in your photo file names & alt text.

Maybe even consider landing pages for specific cities or areas

As referenced above, in some cases we’ve even had clients create landing pages for specific areas within a state. So, if targeting Colorado they might choose not to only have an “Online Therapy in Colorado” page but also a “Online therapy in Denver” page and an “Online Therapy in Colorado Springs” type page. Obviously, this is an even bigger time and money investment. However, it is an option we’ve seen be helpful for some people.

On each of these location pages, you can link to services certain specialists offer, sliding scale options, or references to landmarks in various cities so you can show up easier. For more information, refer to our blog on multiple locations for support.

Do not Repeat Copy, it must be Unique

Although creating several location pages may seem repetitive it’s important to know that it will hurt your SEO if you repeat content on each page. Each PsyPACT state you’d like to rank in needs to have it’s own page with truly unique content. In fact, if you’d like to rank in some of the most competitive PsyPACT states you may want to create pages specific to individual cities. But again, unique content. So, Make sure you restructure the pages so they do not read to Google as duplicate content.

Invest in SEO

After setting up your pages and laying down the groundwork for Psycpact, next to it’s important to have these pages well optimized. You don’t have to list all locations on your drop-down, but what you can do is make sure that have the pages are live, linked, and available so you can show up for various search terms. Perhaps having locations landing page and all the locations on the website linked to hidden pages will suffice. If you need more support about SEO for therapists, refer to our Comprehensive Guide to SEO for therapists here.

The Future and Impact of PsyPACT for Psychologists

PsyPACT is still in the process of adding states to their pact. However, it can have great benefits on the accessibility of healthcare for individuals. PysPACT allows licensed psychologists to practice telepsychology and/or conduct temporary in-person, face-to-face practice
across state lines without having to become licensed in additional PSYPACT states. This is a huge benefit for individuals looking for specialists and those who are unable to find a psychologist that they click with. The benefit about this that goes along with our codes and values as a profession means that this permits psychologists to provide services to populations currently underserved or geographically
isolated. Additionally, as individuals have been recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for more mental health services has become evident. Therefore, this standardizes time allowances for temporary practice regulations in PSYPACT states

If you are unsure about the impact of PsyPACT, here is a recap

Increases client/patient access to care
Certifies that psychologists have met acceptable standards
of practice
Offers a higher degree of consumer protection across the state
lines
Facilitates continuity of care when client/patient relocates,
travels, etc.
Promotes cooperation between PSYPACT states in the
areas of licensure and regulation

The impact of PsyPact and Support

We have specialists who understand the strategy behind this opportunity. While we will not guarantee you being on the first page of Google for every state, we can work through a just as beneficial strategy to get more people to click on your site and convert to clients. If this sounds like what you’re looking for, let’s work together. Our specialists would be thrilled to help you grow and reach out to people in need of accessible support. If you haven’t read part one to this, check out the impact of PsyPACT part 1.

Learn the Impact of PsyPACT and SEO Interact With US!

Are you a psychologist wanting to understand the strategy of psyPACT and SEO? We can help! Our skilled and passionate team of SEO specialists is here to make sure your SEO journey is tailored to your brand and identity. 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 or Consult Team
Learn more about our wonderful team of SEO Specialists.
Start connecting better when you learn more about SEO for therapists

Other Services offered by Simplified SEO Consulting

About the Author:

Jasmine Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. Currently, she is seeing clients in practice as part of her practicum. She serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultations with Simplified SEO Consulting. Plus she is one of our Mental Health SEO Specialists. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix. If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, schedule your next consultation. As our Client Success Specialist, see how Jasmine can support your business needs!

March 1, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips, SEO Tips

PSYPACT & SEO (Part 1: The Impact of PsyPACT)

What is PSYPACT?

You may be wondering what psypact is if you’re a psychologist in the counseling profession. This was approved back in February 2015 by the ASPPB Board of Directors. The goal is to offer online therapy services that extend past the boundary of normal state licensure. “PSYPACT is an interstate compact designed to allow licensed psychologists to practice telepsychology and conduct the temporary in‐person, face‐to‐face practice of psychology across state boundaries legally and ethically without necessitating that an individual becomes licensed in every state to practice”.

PsyPACT States

The current States Under PsyPACT:

Alabama – AL SB 102 (Enacted 3/18/2021)
Arizona – AZ HB 2503 (Enacted on 5/17/2016)
Arkansas – AR HB 1760 (Enacted 4/25/2021)
Colorado – CO HB 1017 (Enacted 4/12/2018)
Delaware – DE HB 172 (Enacted 6/27/2019)
District of Columbia – DC B 145 (Enacted 3/16/2021)
Georgia – GA HB 26 (Enacted 4/23/2019)
Illinois – IL HB 1853 (Enacted 8/22/2018)
Kansas – KS SB 170 (Enacted 5/17/2021)
Kentucky – KY HB 38 (Enacted 3/18/2021)
Maine – ME HB 631 (Enacted 6/22/2021)
Maryland – MD HB 970 (Enacted 5/18/2021)
Minnesota – MN SB 193 (Enacted 5/25/2021)
Missouri – MO HB 1719/MO SB 660 (Enacted 6/1/2018)
Nebraska – NE L 1034 (Enacted 4/23/2018)
Nevada – NV AB 429 (Enacted on 5/26/2017)
New Hampshire- NH SB 232 (Enacted 7/10/2019)
New Jersey – NJ A 4205/NJ S 2506 (Enacted 9/24/2021)
North Carolina – NC 361 (Enacted 7/1/2020)
Ohio – OH S 2 (Enacted 4/27/2021)
Oklahoma – OK HB 1057 (Enacted 4/29/2019)
Pennsylvania – PA SB 67 (Enacted 5/8/2020)
Tennessee – TN S 161 (Enacted 5/11/2021)
Texas – TX HB 1501 (Enacted 6/10/2019)
Utah – UT SB 106 (Enacted on 3/17/2017)
Virginia – VA SB 760 (Enacted 4/11/2020)
West Virginia – WV SB 668 (Enacted 4/21/2021)

To practice telepsychology using PsyPACT:

Apply for and obtain the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)
E.Passport to practice telepsychology in PSYPACT states and pay associated certification fees.
Identify and notify ASPPB and the PSYPACT Commission of telepsychological practice into each PSYPACT state.
Complete continuing education requirements for E.Passport.
Annually renew the E.Passport

The Impact of PsyPACT if You Are Not A Psychologist

Currently, PsyPACT only covers psychologists. While we want to have a greater reach as LCSW and LPC’s and social justice and outreach is part of our ethics, currently, this does not apply to our field. However, we can hold onto the hope that if this is able to be enacted for psychologists, then one day it may allow for therapists to do the same. In the meantime, we have other avenues to support the people in our states and potentially, we can hold on to this hope for the future.

What is the Impact of PsyPACT on Clients?

The impact of allowing psychologists to offer psyPACT and online therapy across state lines is offering greater access to care for individuals. Clients will not have to worry about receiving the right care from a therapist if they have big life changes and move from state to state. Often referral and finding a good counselor can be complex when for clients and is an added stressor they do not need. This offers more flexibility. And, allows therapists to serve minorities and underserved populations who are concerned about getting support from a truly culturally diverse therapist.

In Part 2, we will learn about the strategy to take with SEO going forward with PsyPACT

Learn the Impact of PsyPACT and SEO Interact With US!

Schedule a consult with our Client Success Specialist or Consult Team
Learn more about our wonderful team of SEO Specialists.
Start connecting better when you learn more about SEO for therapists

Other Services offered by Simplified SEO Consulting

About the Author:

Jasmine Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. Currently, she is seeing clients in practice as part of her practicum. She serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultations with Simplified SEO Consulting. Plus she is one of our Mental Health SEO Specialists. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix. If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, schedule your next consultation. As our Client Success Specialist, see how Jasmine can support your business needs!

February 1, 2022/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips

Ways To Ethically Source Reviews as Mental Health Professionals

As mental health professionals, our main priority is for our clients to feel better, mentally, physically, etc. That’s the reason we got into this field, right? To provide mental health services to those who may be struggling. But how do we get more clients in the door? How do we prioritize our ethical duties while also marketing for our best, most ideal client? How do we get more reviews?

The line between ethics and marketing can be difficult to manage.

We hear that. We acknowledge that.

And although the counseling, the therapy, is what truly matters, we also need to get clients in the door to counsel. Sometimes, we have to do the work to market our practice.

And sure, we have tons of clients who have come seeking services based on word-of-mouth referrals. There is nothing better than a word-of-mouth referral. Those word-of-mouth referrals are important, because there is no consent involved, no ethical dilemmas. Just one happy client who wants to share the greatness that is you!

But those referrals are not what I’m talking about here…

So what about other ways to get clients in the door? Other marketing strategies?

One way to begin marketing, with ethics in mind of course, is to begin work on the SEO of your therapy website. That’s what we’re here for! SEO is search engine optimization, and it has helped plenty of mental health professionals find their ideal clients through their therapy website. We’d love to make you a part of that list! You can schedule a consultation with a member of the Simplified SEO Consulting team here. (It’s free!)

But, yet again, that’s not what we’re talking about.

A significant way clients get in the door is through positive online reviews.

And, boy, do I mean positive. According to an annual study done by Bright Local, 94% of consumers are more likely to use a business after seeing positive online reviews. And during the past year, Bright Local says that most consumers check online to find business information everyday, with only 7% of people strolling right into a business without checking out any online information. Alternatively, 92% of consumers said that negative reviews would make them less like to use a business. (Yikes!)

Okay, so we’ve gathered that there’s a huge benefit to your therapy practice having positive online reviews. (And, truly, a huge disadvantage to having negative reviews.)

While this sounds like all rainbows and butterflies, it’s not.

As mental health professionals, we have to consider the ethics of these reviews.

Here are a few things that our different Codes of Ethics have to say about reviews, solicitations, whatever you want to call them.

Social Workers

According to the National Association of Social Workers, social workers cannot solicit testimonials or reviews from clients, meaning social workers cannot directly ask for reviews. Here’s the exact wording from the NASW Code of Ethics:

NAWS Code Of Ethics 4.07 Solicitations: (b) Social workers should not engage in solicitation of testimonial endorsements (including solicitation of consent to use a client’s prior statement as a testimonial endorsement) from current clients or from other people who, because of their particular circumstances, are vulnerable to undue influence.

Counselors

Counselors certified under the American Counseling Association cannot solicit testimonials from current or former clients, either. Here’s the exact information from the ACA Code of Ethics:

ACA Code of Ethics C.3.b. Testimonials. Counselors who use testimonials do not solicit them from current clients, former clients, or any other persons who may be vulnerable to undue influence. Counselors discuss with clients the implications of and obtain permission for the use of any testimonial.

Additionally, counselors certified under the National Board for Certified Counselors cannot solicit testimonials from former or current clients, until two years post-termination. Underneath is the exact wording from the NBCC Code of Ethics:

NBCC Code of Ethics 62. NCCs shall not solicit testimonials from current clients or their families and close friends. Recognizing the possibility of future requests for services, NCCs shall not solicit testimonials from former clients within two years from the date of service termination.

Marriage and Family Therapists

Marriage and Family Therapists are not allowed to exploit clients, but the Code of Ethics do not specifically discuss reviews, solicitations, or testimonials. Here’s the portion discussed:

AAMFT Code of Ethics 3.8 Exploitation. Marriage and family therapists do not engage in the exploitation of clients, students, trainees, supervisees, employees, colleagues, or research subjects.

In conclusion, the different certifying boards do not allow for direct solicitation for reviews of any kind.

There’s a huge reason for this, our boards want to make sure that the clients are getting the proper care, without any pitfalls. Utilizing reviews with clients’ names can risk the therapeutic relationship. It can also affect the client’s confidentiality, if they are not wanting to share that they even go to therapy, if they don’t want to share it with certain people, etc. Clients have their reasons to maintain confidentiality and we want to respect that. Always.

As ethical mental health professionals, it’s important that we do not risk client confidentiality, nor do we make any clients vulnerable to undue influence that ultimately affects the therapeutic relationship.

So, now that we are on the same page about understanding the legalities, let’s talk about ways to ethically source reviews.

Ethically Sourcing Reviews

Feedback from Group Workshops

If you are someone who coaches therapeutic workshops, feedback from those groups can be great. Receiving feedback anonymously from the whole group at a group workshop does not put any names to the review.

There is no client information shared, and it does not affect the therapeutic relationship. Try this method the next time you have a group workshop, or begin building a group workshop!

Attach Your Social Media Business Accounts to Your Website for Professional Connections to Leave Reviews

We’ve discussed how mental health professionals cannot directly solicit reviews from clients, but this does not include colleagues and/or professional networking relationships in which you do not have a therapeutic relationship to preserve. Many mental health providers we work with instead ask colleagues, friends, referral sources and others to write them reviews. These sources can talk directly about your professional and clinical skills.

So, if you haven’t already, attach your social media sites to your website. Have links to click on with the social media icons (Facebook and Instagram are the most searched for.) This makes it really easy for anyone who visits your website and would like (friends, coworkers, etc) to leave a review on social media to do so.

Click either of these links to start creating a business profile on Facebook or Instagram.

Google My Business Reviews from Colleagues

As we’ve discussed, soliciting reviews from clients is not ethical. But that doesn’t include colleagues, professional relationships, etc. in which you do not have a therapeutic relationship to preserve. By asking a colleague to write a review, you’re able to get an honest review which helps your credibility both with potential clients and Google, but without any ethical concerns.

If you’ve worked with the Simplified team, you know how much we value Google My Business. Similarly to Facebook, Google has its own review process via Google My Business. This can be a great place for those colleagues, networking relationships, other professionals we’ve discussed, to leave a professional review while building SEO credit with Google.

What to do if a Client does Leave a Review…

Clients can still leave reviews even without our solicitation, and that’s okay! Firstly, it’s a good idea to quickly respond to all reviews… but you want to make sure you are still protective of confidentiality.

So, when responding to reviews from a client: be careful not to confirm or deny they were seen at your practice. There’s usually something general and positive you can say in response. For example saying something like, “Thank you so much for the feedback” acknowledges their response but doesn’t reference if they were your client or not.

Now, remember what I said about the effects of bad reviews? Well, ethically, we have to leave those on the sites that they were posted on. It may seem best to delete a negative review when you have access to do so, but this is considered unethical. Leave that review, respond in a general and positive manner, and let it help you make your practice even better.

If you’ve done these things and can confidently say your reviews are ethical, congrats! You’ve got some ethically sourced reviews!

Okay, let’s summarize.

Firstly, our ethics say that we cannot directly solicit reviews from clients. This is the most important thing to remember when discussing online reviews.

Secondly, if you want to gain positive reviews, ask your group workshops anonymously and within a group. Also, ask your colleagues and professional networking via social media sites and Google My Business!

Lastly, if a client does leave a review, good or bad, do respond. But do not expose client confidentiality. Respond in a positive manner, and let all those reviews help you reflect to make your practice better.

Now, get to getting those reviews!

About The Author

This image is off a Simplified SEO Consulting Mental Health SEO Specialist, Jewel. She can help with SEO tools for private practice websites. Jewel is currently part of our team as a Mental Health Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. She helps private practice owners find their ideal client by optimizing their websites and providing direct support to clients. Jewel loves the gratification when she sees a therapist’s data increasing and their phones buzzing. As a person who values mental health amongst other things, she loves knowing that Simplified’s services help therapists and patients find each other to improve mental health in the world.

Jewel is currently in her Master’s in Social Work program at the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare. She also interns every week at a Kansas City psychiatric hospital. When she has the time, she loves to read, volunteer, spend time with friends, and travel.

January 18, 2022/0 Comments/by Jewel Fivecoat

Business Tips, SEO Tips, Websites

Importance of Diversity in Therapy and on Your Website

In honor of American Indian Heritage Month, the topic of diversity with websites is something that is becoming more necessary in the SEO world and branding for therapists. As many of you know, cultural competency, or better yet cultural humility is something that is drilled into us in graduate school. However, when you are in school, the discussion of how to incorporate that into your practice and your branding is not discussed, especially if you do not identify as a POC, a person with a disability (visible or invisible), someone in the LGBTQIA+ community, or practice spirituality or religion. Diversity in therapy is necessary for people to feel welcome.

To connect with your ideal clients and encourage more individuals to take the leap into a mental health journey. We must brand our therapy practice and more importantly our websites to reflect that all people are welcome in your space, whether in-person or online. Learn some helpful tips for diversity in therapy today!

Tips for Adding Diversity in Therapy Websites:

We come in all shapes and sizes

Make sure your website represents people of all orientations, colors, ethnicities, and religions, and genders. Whether that means hiring different clinicians or adding photos to your website to recognize we all need mental health support. Additionally, people come in various shapes. In an effort to reduce fatphobia and ignore the fact standards of Instagram, it is necessary to show real people in all stages of life. Additionally, that means adding people of all kinds of ages. Ageism is just as rampant as fatphobia. We all need support. Therapy is not just for the young, couples, thin individuals. It is for everyone. If your website only represents rich upper-class white people, we are doing something wrong.

Find Keywords that Different Populations Are Seeking Out

Add keywords that relate to various populations or add in statements throughout your website (not as a tag-on) that you serve people from all walks of life. Find keywords such as a black therapist, therapy for people of color, LGBTQIA+ therapy, Faith-Based Counseling for Muslim Individuals, and so on.

Stereotyping is not going to draw in clients

When adding photos, do not add stereotypical photos such as just a one-race family on a family therapy page, or a person in a wheelchair on a trauma page. Recognize that people show up in many ways. Though your intentions put into the photos may seem like it will not pay off, but someone will see your intentionality and recognize that you see their experience.

Mind Your Language!

Be intentional with your language. Make sure if you are trying to offer services for people, you are writing language that connects to them. If there are updates in the LGBTQIA communities’ language, make sure you are aware. If you are unsure whether something is now considered offensive, do your research. And make sure you are not beginning to work with various diverse populations before you are ready. Competency matters! Make sure as you consider adding services that you have the proper training or hire someone who does.

Add Alt Text and Subheadings

People who use screen readers can have a similar experience to anyone on the website. Screen readers are great tools that provide space for clients who are seeking therapy to meet their needs. Often, we forget about making our space and our website accessible for clients with disabilities, but we must make space for everyone and think outside our normal means of awareness when it comes to the experiences of those we are seeking to help.

Highlighting Therapists With Various Specialties

Although we want to show diversity and inclusion on our websites, sometimes there are better people to support our clients’ needs. That is why if you have Spanish-speaking clinicians, Christian counselors, counselors of color, counselors who identify openly in the LGBTQIA community, letting clients know that this specific support is available in your practice is key!

Write Timely Blog Posts

It is so important to make sure that we are up to date with issues that affect our clientele. As you have probably noticed, many social justice issues have shown up in the past two years. Writing blogs that show awareness, perspective, and support is necessary for your current and future clients. Even if you don’t understand everything, taking time to write a blog in solidarity with them will help you connect and let them know that you see them.

Get Started with Your SEO Journey and Learn More About Diversity in Therapy!

Are you wondering how you can create more diversity in therapy and inclusion on your website? Our skilled and passionate team of SEO specialists is here to make sure your SEO journey is tailored to your brand and identity. 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 or Consult Team
Learn more about our wonderful team of SEO Specialists.
Start creating a more inclusive site and brand for your ideal clients!

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 (about 3 months) of intensive SEO for those who want to learn with a guide. Additionally, we are offering a limited-time SEO Mastermind group if you want a great training opportunity for a steal, this is for you. 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 Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University. Currently, she is seeing clients in practice as part of her practicum. She serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultations with Simplified SEO Consulting. Plus she is one of our Mental Health SEO Specialists. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix. If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, schedule your next consultation. As our Client Success Specialist, see how Jasmine can support your business needs!

December 1, 2021/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess

Business Tips, SEO Basics, SEO Tips

What Questions Should I Ask an SEO Specialist Before Hiring Them?

So, you have heard as a private practice owner, you should invest in SEO. It’s the newer wave of marketing for therapists and seems like the perfect solution to getting consistent traffic. The only problem is, you don’t have time to learn and you don’t know what you should be looking for. I mean, did we even cover this in graduate school? What questions should I ask an SEO specialist before hiring them anyway?

Oftentimes, private practice owners want to do what is the best marketing-wise for their practice, but don’t know where to begin. This can add stress to your life and create a financial burden if it ends up being the wrong service for you. As mental health SEO specialists, we strive to make choosing an SEO company easy for you. Therefore, we have compiled a list of helpful questions to ask the potential SEO companies that will help give you the best results. You don’t need to know everything about SEO to ask the right questions about your needs. If you find yourself asking “what questions should I ask an SEO specialist before hiring them to optimize my site”? this blog is for you!

What Questions Should I Ask an SEO Specialist Before HiringThem to Optimize My Site?

Credibility

What is the return on my investment?
How often will we communicate
Do you have experience with mental health professionals?
How much access to my site will you need?
Do you have testimonials?
Are you familiar with any recent Google algorithm changes?
What makes you different from other SEO Companies?
How do you go about finding the best keywords

Strategy

Do you fix errors and do redirects?
How long do I need to do SEO for it to work?
Do you make sure that the webpage is mobile-friendly?
What is my time investment
Do you make live changes on the site?
What does SEO success look like to you?
Have you ever addressed a penalized site?
Do You have a blogging strategy?
What role does content play in this?
Do You have a local SEO strategy?
Will you be able to check on my competitors
Do I handle the on-page work, or do I?

Additional Services

Packages and Options

What do packages and payment options look like?
Is there a contract and what is my commitment?

Things for You to Consider Before

Investing in SEO

What are my SEO goals?
Do I have a set budget for SEO?
Just because it’s cheap does not mean it’s a good option.
How well do I know my niche and ideal clients

What You Need to Watch Out for

People guaranteeing results
Dazzling presentations with no substance
Assuming the company knows best, without doing your own research
Beware If your data and traffic are fluctuating and it’s not due to googles algorithm
Sudden growth can be a sign of black hat SEO and this can harm your results.

Finding the best-fit matters!

As mental health professionals and mental health SEO specialists, we know that investing in a website and SEO is a huge time and money investment. You’re here to get your ideal clients and we want to make sure that you’re getting the best support possible. If you’re interested in finding support for you and your practice, we would be happy to help you understand more about what questions should I ask an SEO specialist before hiring them to optimize my site? Begin your journey today!

Get Started with Your SEO Journey!

If you’re wondering how our services fit you, let’s have a consultation and see. Our skilled and passionate team of SEO specialists is here to make sure your SEO journey is tailored to your brand and identity. 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 or Consult Team
Learn more about our wonderful team of SEO Specialists.
Begin finding the best SEO company for you and find your people

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 (about 3 months) 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:

As an SEO specialist at Simplified, Jasmine is an SEO services consultant and helps new clients become oriented to our services. If you are ready to begin SEO services then get in touch and schedule your free consultation today!

Jasmine Jaquess is currently working towards her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University and is actively seeing clients in practice as part of her practicum. Currently, she serves as the Client Success Specialist in new client consultations with Simplified SEO Consulting and is a Mental Health SEO Specialist. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix. If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, schedule your next consultation with Jasmine and see how she can support your business needs!

November 2, 2021/0 Comments/by Jasmine Jaquess