Your website’s service pages and blogs are valuable resources for your potential and current clients. They offer in-depth information about your services. And what clients can expect from therapy. And how to get started. But your service pages can do more than inform. They can inspire!

A picture of someone sitting at their laptop pointing at something while someone else gestures with a pen. Represents how seo consulting will support therapists by helping them find inspiration for blogs even from their own website.

Blogging is the perfect way to go into more detail about the topics that your service pages cover. They can give prospective clients a deeper understanding of what you do, and show off your practice’s personality. They’re a great opportunity to boost your SEO, while also connecting with clients to show them what makes you different! 

Take a Look at the Service Pages on Your Private Practice Website

While writing your service pages, were there topics you wish you could go into more depth on? Or were there certain aspects of your services that you weren’t able to fully explain? Don’t worry, because these are great topics to write about in a blog! By writing about them in more detail, you can explain to your ideal clients how your services work and what they can expect from them. But also how those services can help them in their specific situation. For example, if you offer therapy for women who have experienced trauma, you can write a blog about how therapy can help them heal and accept their past. 

How Many Blogs Do You Need?

For every service page, we recommend having at least three blogs about that service. This may seem difficult because you just wrote a whole page about the topic for your service page. But, this is an opportunity to go deeper and explain more to potential clients who are looking for more information. Here are some examples.

Blog Post Ideas for Specific Mental Health Concerns:

  • What is Trauma and How Does Trauma Therapy Work?
  • A Depression Therapist’s Tips on Coping with Your Depression Symptoms
  • How to Build Your Self-Esteem as a Young AdultA picture of someone typing on their computer with a plant, coffee and their notebook with the words "New Blog Post". Represents how private practice seo supports therapists and their writing their own blog posts.

Ideas for Different Modalities:

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: What is it and How Can it Help?
  • Is EMDR Right For Me? Thoughts from an EMDR Therapist 
  • How are CBT and DBT Different? And Which One is Right for Me?

Blog Post Ideas to Boost Your Local SEO:

  • 5 Relaxing Locations in Maine for Getting Away to Recharge
  • 3 Coffee Spots in Portland, Oregon for Studying or Getting Work Done
  • A Place for Self-Care and Peace: 4 Trailheads in Ontario, Canada

Take a Client’s Perspective to Come Up with Blog Topics

When you’re deciding what to write about, it can be helpful to think from your client’s perspective. What questions do they still have after reading your page? What would they like to know more about? Answering these questions in a blog can help to further show you are an expert in your field. It will also give clients the information they need to decide if you’re the right provider for them.

Taking their perspective is also helpful when thinking of what advice your clients may be wanting. For inspiration, you can think of what potential clients might be looking for. If you offer therapy for relationships, you can write a blog post with tips on how to improve communication in a relationship. This will give clients insight into what methods you use and how you help people. It can also give them a chance to try out some of the techniques before they come to see you.

How to Create Client-Centric Mental Health Blog Topics

For your website and blogs to attract and retain readers it’s important to focus on creating client-centric content. By tailoring blog topics to the needs and interests of your ideal clients, you establish yourself as a trusted resource for information and support. Some ways to do this are:

Taking your ideal client’s perspective and creating content that directly addresses their needs and concerns allows you to establish and position yourself as a trusted expert in your field. It also can attract more visitors to your website. Not only allowing your ideal clients to read your blogs but allowing them to explore your various services.

Wondering How to Build Your SEO as a Therapist?

Writing blogs is a great way to deliver valuable information to clients. But as I mentioned, it’s also great for SEO! Blogs can be a great way to work in SEO keywords that you may have been unable to work into your service page. For instance, if you offer therapy for anxiety, a blog titled “How to Cope with Anxiety Symptoms” can be a great place to work in popular keywords such as, “anxiety symptoms” and “anxiety therapy”. Including these keywords can help your blog rank higher on Google. This way your ideal clients can find you more easily when they are searching for an anxiety therapist near them. 

Show Google What You Know

A picture of a computer with charts and data on the screen. Represents how done for you seo can allow for therapists to get support with writing blog posts for their website.Blogs can also be a great way to show Google (and clients) how knowledgeable you are. It also gives you a chance to show the clients why they should choose you over the competition. The blogs based on your service pages can give you the chance to give a more detailed look into the treatments. It gives you a chance to showcase specifically how you help your clients and what that treatment for their concerns looks like.

Let Them Get to Know You

So, at the end of every blog, we suggest adding an “About the Author” section. This is where you can establish more authority over the topic of the blog, and let the reader know more about you as a therapist. In this section, you can make it more specific to the topic of the blog and showcase your authority on the subject. 

If you wrote a blog about anxiety, in the “About You” section you can talk about how you’re a therapist specializing in anxiety and then discuss the treatments you usually use with clients. This is a great way to establish that you’re an expert on this subject to your clients and Google. It also lets the readers know more about you and what you specialize in.

Looking for Support? We Offer SEO Services for Therapists!

If you’re looking for support with your SEO blogs, we can help! We offer a variety of SEO options designed to meet the needs of therapists. When you’re ready to begin optimizing your therapy website, please follow these steps:

  1. Apply to work with us and learn more about the members of the Simplified SEO Consulting team
  2. Learn more about our SEO services and training opportunities
  3. Start optimizing your webpage and watch your site rank better on Google!

Other SEO Services Offered at Simplified SEO Consulting

At Simplified SEO Consulting, we have a wide range of SEO services to help therapists no matter what phase they are in at their practice!  We have different training options for therapists who want to learn how to optimize their own websites with the help of our team members. For SEO one-on-one training, our 12-Week SEO Intensive program is a great option for those who want to work one-on-one with a specialist. Our Small Group SEO Intensives are perfect for helping professionals and therapists who would prefer to work in groups with other professionals. Another option is to purchase our DIY Online SEO Courses to learn SEO by yourself and at your own pace. Then, for therapists who are wanting to outsource their SEO, we offer Done-For-You SEO services.

If you’re not entirely sure what would be right for you, apply to work with us!

About the Author:

Photo of Lynsey Heskett, a Mental Health SEO Content Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting.Lynsey is an SEO Content Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. At Simplified, Lynsey enjoys that she is writing content while making sure that the content sounds personal and has the client’s words and voice embedded, but also writing about important topics that will be used as resources within the mental health field. Her goal is to create quality content for clients to use as resources to help potential patients and learn as much as she can along the way. She has a lot of passion for providing copywriting services for psychiatrists and therapists.

If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, apply to work with us!

 

 

 

 

Updated on 4/30/2023 by Lynsey Heskett

 

Value of an “About the Author” section on your blog posts: increase your EAT score with Google

Image of a man smiling while typing on a computer. How to build SEO for therapists? Including and about the author will help with good SEO for therapists. Contact us today to see how we can help you with SEO for private practices. Reach out now!Did you know that there is value in including an “About the Author” section at the end of each of your blogs? It plays a role in EAT. Increasing your EAT score with Google means increasing ranking power which is what we are all about at Simplified SEO Consulting

Chances are that you are reading this blog because you are either interested in working on SEO for your website or you are already investing in SEO. This means (whether you realize it yet or not) that you care about establishing EAT with Google. EAT stands for expertise, authority, and trust and it plays an important role in SEO. We are going to talk about how you can use your “About the Author” section at the end of your blogs to further your ranking power.

Make The “About The Author” Specific To The Blog

An important aspect of using the “About the Author” is to make the section specific to each blog. If the blog you wrote is related to trauma but the about the author is geared to anxiety then it isn’t going to have the full ranking power that it could. Both readers and Google want timely, truthful, and helpful content from a person specially trained expert in the area. By individualizing the “About the Author” we are able to use it as a part of EAT and as a ranking factor.

Example of an “About the Author”

Below is an example of an “About the Author” section for a blog related to trauma.

Jane Doe is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Example Therapy Group in Chicago, IL. She received her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St.Louis. As a trauma therapist, she specializes in working with teens and adults who have been through a traumatic event. She is specially trained in EMDR and uses it to help her clients process negative and traumatic memories. Jane believes strongly in the power of therapy to reduce and eliminate trauma and PTSD symptoms. It is her mission to support her clients in their healing journey so they can live a full and happy life.

In the example above Jane Doe is highlighted as a trauma therapist with expertise in treating trauma and PTSD symptoms. This helps solidify her as an expert and enhances her authority on the topic of the blog for both Google and the readers 

“About the Author” is for the Readers & Google

Establishing EAT for Google

Whenever we write content we want it to rank well on Google. Higher rankings mean people actually see the content you spent valuable time writing. This then leads to more visitors to your website and hopefully more conversions of visitors into clients. The tricky part is we have to convince Google that we really know what we are talking about. An “About the Author” section does just that. It establishes you as an expert and authority on the topic of the blog. Thus allowing Google to build trust that ranking your website highly is the right choice.

Image of a woman writing in a journal with a computer sitting in front of her. We provide help with SEO for mental health professionals. As a part of SEO for therapists, we suggest including an About the Auther section. Are you needing SEO for private practices? We can help, reach out now!

Establishing EAT for the Reader

It is important for people to know that what they are reading is credible and that it is coming from someone who knows what they are talking about. This is especially true in the medical and mental health fields. An “About the Author” tailored to the topic of the blog helps assure the reader that you have the expertise and authority to write on the subject. Further enhancing their trust in you and your website. This increases the likelihood that they will look at more of your pages, convert into clients, or come back to your website when they are ready for more help.

Why We Are Talking About This Now

With each Google update, including this section as a part of blogs seems to become more and more important as a ranking factor. In May 2022 Google released another update. Once again we saw the topic of the “About the Author” sections come up again. With their newest update including them in your blogs has more “SEO juice” and ranking power than ever before. 

Final Thoughts on SEO for Therapists &”About the Author” Sections

As an SEO specialist for therapists, I  suggest starting to write an individualized “About the Author” section as a part of your content writing process. After you create the main content of your blog then write a paragraph about yourself. 

  • What makes you qualified to give advice on the subject you just wrote about? 
  • Do you have specialized training that relates to the topic?
  • Who do you work with and how did you help them?

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to this section on every blog. In other words, you don’t have to make these extravagantly different between each post. However, you do need to make sure that you do not have duplicate content on your blogs.

We Can Help You Learn More About SEO for Therapists

At Simplified SEO Consulting we know know that learning all the ins and out of search engine optimization for counselors can be difficult. Our SEO specialists are here to help! We have services ranging from SEO intensive training so you can learn how to optimize your own website to done for you SEO. It can be a big step to invest in SEO but we are here to help you at every step. Start by following these steps:

  1. Make a free appointment with our knowledgeable Consultation Team
  2. Learn more about our dedicated team of SEO Specialists for therapists
  3. Start ranking higher on Google and filling your schedule with clients

Services Offered at Simplified SEO Consulting

Our Mental Health SEO specialists are here to help you get optimal search engine optimization for counselors. Are you short on time but want to move forward with SEO? Then our Done for You package is for you. Looking to build your knowledge on SEO for yourself? Wanting to reduce costs by working on your own website? Then enrolling in our SEO intensive training or online course are options built for you. Whichever route you choose Simplified SEO Consulting will provide you with support and guidance. Get started with your free 30-minute consultation today!

About the Author:

Image of the blogs author Winnie. As a mental health SEO specialist Winnie is ready to help you with private practice SEO. Contact us today to see what packages we offer for SEO help for therapists.Winnie is a part of our dedicated team of SEO Specialists at Simplified SEO Consulting. She enjoys learning and growing her knowledge in not only SEO but also mental health. Staying up to date on all aspects of SEO, such as about the author sections, so she can bring you the best service possible. (If you have read this far notice the customization to this particular blog.)

Her specialty is working with our clients who have picked our Done for You package. She embraces taking a team approach to optimizing in order to bring all of our clients the most comprehensive services possible. If you’re ready to start on your SEO journey, schedule a consultation. Speak with our Client Success Specialist to discuss how Winnie can support you.

We know that when you’re seeking SEO support, you’re looking for someone who understands your specialty. Perhaps, you have done SEO before, but the person or company just didn’t get your ideal clients and the importance of connecting with them. When you’re working with an eating disorder, body image, or trauma, trust matters. These people are very vulnerable and need to be able to trust you. That means when they find you, your website needs to be a safe haven for them to be seen and heard, but how does a therapist do this with just a website? Learn about SEO for eating disorder therapists here!

Language

How do you want to be spoken to when you are struggling with something? What we don’t want to do is create content that only focuses on one population, isolates others, or causes offense to individuals. Eating disorders are complex topics. While as clinicians we have good intentions, our actions and words carrier meaning, and power. So when you are creating content for your ideal clients recognize when some statements or viewpoints may be more harmful than others. Talk with other eating disorder specialists and see how they perceive your content. Talk to individuals who are not a part of the therapy world and get their feedback. The people around you can give you some honest feedback and see where your blind spots may be. 

Specialties and Service Pages

One thing that often occurs on eating disorder therapists’ and dieticians’ pages is making the eating disorder page too general. Creating one page with eating disorder therapy on it isn’t specific enough for Google. Essentially, it serves the same purpose as when you have a general counseling landing page with all your core specialties on it. If you work with body image, binge eating, bulimia, anorexia, emotional eating, or nutrition counseling, you need a specific page with at least 800 words on it. You will also need to create a cornerstone blog ( 2,000 words), to move from an authority on Google to more of an expert

Inclusive PhotosAnimated women with different bodies. If you are a looking to optimize a private practice website for eating disorders or dieticans, we can help. We offer SEO for eating disorder therapists, SEO for eating disorder coaches, and SEO for dieticians here!

Are you representing, Black, White, Asian, Middle Eastern, Trans, men, women, or non-binary individuals are your website? Who is your target? Do you say you work with all kinds of people, but only have white folks on your site representing eating disorders? The truth is many people have internalized white cultural standards of body image. Plus in some cultures, there is a heavy emphasis on body image that can affect individuals over the course of their lives. If you are trying to be inclusive, make sure you are adding photos where anybody could see themselves somewhere on your site. 

Blogs that Communicate That You Understand

Write blogs! They matter so much to the overall well-being of your site and SEO. Service pages can only take you so far. These set you up as an authority. However, blogging on your site is what sets you apart from other sites. A long-term intentional blogging strategy can take you far. After you have created your core cornerstone blogs. Writing shorter blog posts that are 800 words is important. You can create blog series, answer common questions that clients ask, or create blogs for queries on the internet that are not being addressed. We have so much power to connect, communicate and show you understand your clients. 

Who are you hiring and working with

Part of being an eating disorder therapist is recognizing your own cultural humility. Some individuals want to work with someone who understands body image and eating concerns from a cultural, racial, identity, and sexual perspective. It is hard to relate to someone who has never experienced what you have personally. While we want to be able to be supportive to anyone, the truth is that we are not the perfect therapist for everyone, and that is ok. Make sure if you plan to expand or you see a need in your community that you are doing your best to diversify your team and train them in some of these cultural issues. 

Acknowledgment that different people experience eating disorders

Recognize that we cannot use a one size fits all approach to working with eating disorder clients. If our content only communicates working with one type of eating disorder client that is fine, but we cannot claim to be diverse or inclusive if we are not recognizing the trauma roots and experiences of how others may develop or interact with eating disorders. Remain culturally humble and recognize that we are not for everyone. If we try, writing content will be more challenging and more inauthentic. 

Tips on SEO for Eating Disorder Therapists

How do you work?

Make sure you are clear about how you work with clients. Many clients are coming to you feeling like they have tried everything. Communicate what your theoretical orientation is and why it works. If you’re a HAES therapist, talk about why this matters for treatment. If you take an ACT, CBT, or DBT approach talk about the research support and skills they will develop. Or if you work with the trauma underlying an eating disorder discuss where this perspective comes from and talk about who this is for and who it isn’t for. The clarity in your approach offers kindness to your clients. 

Build Backlinks to Build Authority

  • Find people you trust and ask them to give you a backlink for your site. Consider colleagues, non-profit organizations, and other networks you trust. 
  • Guest Blog, do you know someone who has a mental health blog you could connect with?
  • Go on a podcast and ask them to link to your site
  • Submit your website to relevant directories
  • Create authentic and genuine content so you will get backlinks naturally.

Quick Tips:

Keywords for Eating Disorder Therapy PageBody positive women dancing. Looking for eating disorder keywords for your private practice website? we can help! We offer seo for eating disorder therapists, coaches, and dieticians.

  • HAES Therapist
  • Body Image Therapy
  • Eating Disorder Therapy
  • Disordered Eating
  • EMDR for Eating Disorders
  • Eating Disorder Therapist
  • Online Eating Disorder Therapy
  • Binge Eating Treatment
  • Body Image Issues
  • Nutrition Counseling
  • Body Image Therapist
  • Emotional Eating Recovery
  • Difference Between Emotional Eating and Stress Eating
  • Therapy for Binge Eating
  • Nutrition Therapy
  • Body Trust Therapist
  • IFS and Eating Disorders
  • binge eating disorder treatment near me

Want to understand how to add keywords to your copy? Check out this blog!

Learn More About SEO for Eating Disorder Therapists with Our Team!Body positive black women animated. Its time to get the private practice website support you need. Learn about some eating disorder keywords, and how SEO for eating disorder therapist may help you!

Our team works with many individuals who specialize in therapy. If you have been searching for an SEO company that understands eating disorders and how to market them, you’re in the right place. 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:

  1. Schedule a consult with our Consultation Team
  2. Learn more about our talented team of mental health SEO Specialists
  3. Start learning SEO for Eating Disorder Therapists that align with your brand!

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. Understanding SEO shouldn’t be challenging and Jasmine is here to help you understand where to start. If you are looking for an SEO company that understands eating disorders, Jasmine is one of many specialists who can help. Jasmine is a counseling intern at Aspire Counseling and works with body image, mild eating disorders, and clients with different identities and backgrounds. If you need more support for SEO for eating disorder therapists, schedule your free 30- minute consultation at Simplified SEO consulting soon!

One of the biggest mistakes we see therapists and helping professionals make on their websites is simply not having enough content. We get it, you want to keep things simple. You might have a bulleted list of your services, a short “about me” section, and a contact form. Or, you might actually have a few service pages for each of your specialties. But each page only has about a paragraph. 

You aren’t alone. Many, many mental health professionals have similar setups for their private practice website. But that’s the issue. You don’t have enough content to set you apart for potential clients OR for Google.

Google Wants to Know You’re a Mental Health ExpertGraphic of the word "content" and cartoon figures creating content around it. This photo represents the value of content on private practice websites.

When it comes to SEO, content is key! You want Google to recognize you as an expert on mental health, and particularly the areas of mental health you have particular expertise and training in.

Honestly, Google prefers to rank websites written by true experts higher on Google than random things written by people with just an interest in the topic. Expertise of the writer matters when it comes to SEO. But Google has to understand that you’re an expert. So, many of the most educated and experienced mental health clinicians just don’t rank very well on Google because Google simply doesn’t understand that they’re an expert or the value they bring to potential clients.

Google May Not Understand You’re a Mental Health Expert

If you only have a paragraph on your website about anxiety treatment, Google is going to think that you only know a paragraph’s worth about anxiety. If you have 500+ words on your “anxiety treatment” service page and then 3 or 4 blogs about anxiety too, Google is much more likely to recognize you as an expert on anxiety treatment. Which in turn means that Google is also more likely to rank you higher for search terms like “anxiety treatment”, “symptoms of anxiety”, or “anxiety counselor near me”. 

Content Helps Demonstrate Your Expertise

So, one of the first things we do with our clients is bulk up their content! We work with mental health professionals to strategically add content to their website that really showcase their expertise, give value to potential clients, and communicate to Google when to put your website at the top of search results.

So, it’s important to have both service pages and blog posts on your website if you want Google to recognize you as an expert on mental health. Service pages help to demonstrate your expertise in a particular area, while blogs allow you to share your knowledge and experience in a more informal way that helps build up those service pages. Both are important for SEO purposes and should be used in conjunction with each other to maximize your visibility on Google.

However, we can’t optimize everything at once. So, we need a strategy. And generally, our team prefers to start with service pages and then move to blogs that compliment those service pages. When I tell clients this they often ask, “Which is more important, service pages or blogs?”. Which is the question I’m here to answer today! 

Photo of a man using a computer representing the way blogs and service pages can help improve SEO for therapists.

Are Service Pages or Blogs More Important for SEO?

From an SEO standpoint, neither is “more important”. Well optimized content is well optimized content! Google doesn’t care if it’s in the form of a service page or a blog post. Both carry the same weight, when it comes to SEO. However, service pages and blog posts have different functions in regard to user experience. 

Services Pages for Psychiatrists, Therapists, & Other Mental Health Professionals

If you’re a therapist, psychiatrist, or other helping professional, the people coming to your website are most likely potential clients. They are probably struggling with their mental health and looking for a solution. They’re interested in the services you provide, your experience, your approach to counseling, and who you are. 

On a Private Practice Website, Service Pages Tell Clients What Counseling Services You Offer

Let’s say someone is struggling with anxiety and ADHD, and they want to know if you offer counseling related to those concerns. They are probably going to look at your service pages to find out, rather than your blog posts. If they find an “anxiety counseling” or “ADHD testing” page on your website, they’ll know that’s a service you offer and they’ll get a chance to read more about your services too. 

Service Pages are Valuable for SEO and Clients too!

That’s why we always start with service pages before moving to blogging. Service pages are important because they tell potential clients what services you offer and what you specialize in. They also give potential clients more information on how depression counseling or EMDR can help them. There is a lot of great information you can pack into services pages. What can clients expect from therapy? Why should they see you instead of someone else? How do they know if it’s time for them to reach out? 

Having service pages for your different specialties helps clients easily identify the services you offer. If there is enough content, it also shows Google that you’re an expert on those services. And if it’s well optimized content, then you are on track to start ranking higher on Google for search terms related to that content! 

So Where do Blogs Come in on a Private Practice Website?Photo of a cartoon character typing on a computer. This photo represents the importance of writing counseling services pages and blogs to boost SEO for therapists.

Let’s say you now have several amazing service pages for the different services you offer. You have at least 500 words on each page, content that is valuable for potential clients, and you’ve optimized the pages with keywords and location indicators. That’s amazing! 

But, you check your rankings and see that you’re not on the first page of Google for the search terms you want. That’s where blogging comes in. 

See, you can only build in so many keywords and location indicators into your service pages in a way that feels natural. It’s important to balance SEO with user experience. If you have content that is only there for SEO purposes with no regard to user experience, potential clients won’t be interested in it. 

Blogs Compliment Your Service Pages

Blogging allows you to build in more of those SEO elements (and high quality content) to show Google that you are an expert on the services you offer. However, blogging isn’t just great for SEO. Writing blogs is a great way to give potential clients even more information on your approach and your expertise. They can also be a great resource for your current clients too! 

If you want to rank well for “trauma therapy” then you’ll want to start by writing (and optimizing) a trauma therapy service page. But, you’ll also want to write at least 3 blogs related to trauma therapy too. For example, you might write a blog on the difference between trauma and PTSD. Or, maybe a blog on coping skills for traumatic memories. 

Essentially, you want to write blogs that compliment your service pages to support the keywords those service pages are targeting. However you can always write on a topic that you’re passionate about, and add in the keywords later. Remember, blogging should be fun for you too!

Add Service Pages and Blogs to Your Private Practice Website to Build Your SEO

Now that you know the function of service pages and blogs, it’s time to get to work! If you already have a few service pages on your website, consider adding content to them. Or, if you already have some amazing services pages that are well optimized, it’s time to start blogging. And if after reading this you’re just wanting someone else to do it all for you, then reach out to our team!

Are You Struggling With the Content on Your Website? Our Mental Health SEO Specialists Can Help!

Many therapists and helping professionals are too busy to handle their SEO. You might have time to write a great service page, but have no idea how to optimize it. That’s where we come in! At Simplified SEO Consulting, we offer a variety of SEO services to help mental health professionals rank higher on search engines. Our team of Mental Health SEO Specialists can optimize your website for you, so you can get back to the work you’re best at! If you’re interested in learning more about our SEO services, you can follow these simple steps:

  1. Schedule a free 30-minute video consultation with one of our Mental Health SEO Specialists
  2. Learn more about how our SEO services can help you get connected with your ideal clients
  3. Watch your website climb to the first page of Google through the power of SEO!

Our team can’t wait to meet you and give your practice the tools it needs to thrive!

Additional SEO Services f0r Therapists

We don’t just offer Done-For-You SEO services at Simplified SEO Consulting. For those who are interested in learning how to optimize their own website, we offer training options to! With our 12-Week SEO Intensive program you’ll receive one-on-one training from one of our team members! Or, you can learn SEO in a group of other helping professionals through our Small Group SEO Intensives. We also offer DIY Online SEO Courses on a variety of SEO techniques if you want to learn SEO on your own. Our team is honored to be a part of your business journey, no matter what services are best for you. If you want our advice on which option may be the best for your business, you can always schedule a free consultation with one of our team members!

About the Author

Headshot of Kaite, Virtual Administrative Assistant and Mental Health SEO Copywriter at Simplified SEO Consulting for therapist websites in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and beyond.

Kaite Ritchie is our Administrative Assistant, Alumni Specialist, and a Mental Health SEO Copywriter at Simplified SEO Consulting. She has had a passion for mental health since college, when she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. During that time she also worked as an Intake Coordinator for our founder, Jessica Tappana, at her private practice! During her time as an Intake Coordinator she got to see first-hand what a big impact SEO can have on a private practice. Now Kaite uses her experience to help mental health professionals across the nation get connected with their ideal clients through SEO! She enjoys writing blog posts for counselors that both deliver great content to potential clients, and improve their SEO. You can schedule a free consultation with Kaite to learn more about our SEO services!

If you’re reading this blog post, you’re probably already aware of the power of blogging for SEO. Blogs are a great way to pack keywords, location indicators, optimized photos, and of course great content into your website. We recommend that all of our clients use blogging as part of their SEO strategy. We’ve even had clients who use blogging as their primary blogging strategy because it works so well! As a copywriter, I really enjoy writing blogs for therapists and helping professionals because it allows them to deliver great advice to potential clients in a way that packs an SEO punch. If you’re considering using blogging as an SEO strategy, you may be struggling with where to start. Let me give you my advice as a Mental Health SEO Copywriter! 

What are Keywords? Choosing the Right Keywords for Your Ideal Client

Photo of a person's hands using their computer next to a graphic of the word keywords in a search bar. This photo represents the way counselors can use mental health keywords and counseling keywords to improve their SEO through blogging.When I start copywriting for our clients the first thing I do is look at their keywords, specifically which keywords aren’t ranking too well. If you’re not aware, keywords are those words or phrases that users are searching for on Google and other search engines. You might be wondering, what are the best keywords for therapists? The keywords that you’re going to be incorporating into your website largely depend on your ideal client. For example, if you’re a trauma therapist specializing in sexual assault trauma, the keywords for a trauma therapy page might be “trauma therapist”, “sexual assault survivor”, or “ptsd counseling near me”. Whereas if you’re a counselor that specializes in eating disorders, the best keywords for you could be “counseling for body image”, “eating disorder treatment near me”, or “counseling for anorexia”. 

Using Keywords in the Title of Your Blog Post 

After you’ve identified the keywords that your ideal clients are searching for, you can start the process of building those counseling keywords into your website through service pages and blogs. If I’m working with a therapist that specializes in gender affirming therapy, I’m going to come up with topics that target keywords related to their niche. Let’s say I want to write a blog on the topic of gender affirming therapy for teenagers, I’m going to make sure that I pack keywords related to that into the title. Instead of something simple like “Gender Affirming Therapy for Teenagers” I would make the title “Supporting Your Transgender Teen Through Gender Affirming Therapy” or even “Supporting Your Transgender Teen Through Gender Affirming Therapy: Thoughts From an LGBTQ+ Counselor”. 

Building Mental Health SEO Keywords Into Your Content

Photo of a woman using a computer at her desk representing the way therapists and counselors can add keywords to a counseling website through blogging to boost their SEONow that we have a title, let’s talk about content. I’m not going to go too far into writing since we already have some great blog posts that cover readability, how much to write, and other important factors to consider when writing blogs. However, I am going to discuss how you can build therapy keywords into your content. Naturally, if you’re writing a blog on gender affirming therapy you’re already going to be building that keyword into your writing. You’re also going to want to try to build related therapy keywords such as “transgender affirming therapist”, “counseling for transgender teens”, and “LGBTQ+ counselor” into your writing as well. It’s especially important for you to build keywords into the headings and subheadings of your blog as well, since these carry even more SEO weight. 

Creating Headings and Subheadings Packed with Keywords

Headings and subheadings are a great way to break up the content in your blog so it’s easier to scan. Like I mentioned, it’s also important for SEO purposes. (To read a quick explanation of headings and how to properly use them, check out this blog post). For the purposes of this blog, we’re just going to be discussing how to use counseling keywords in your headings and subheadings. If you’re breaking your blog down into sections on 1)understanding gender identity, 2)what to do when your teen is questioning their gender identity, 3)how to support your teen, and 4)how therapy can help, you’ll want subheadings that reflect those different topics. Remember, we want to pack mental health SEO keywords into those subheadings too. Here are a few subheadings that would do just that. 

  • What is gender identity and what does it mean if my teen is transgender? 
  • My teen has told me that they’re transgender, what do I do now? 
  • How to support your transgender teen or child as a parent
  • How gender affirming therapy can help you support your transgender teen
  • Begin transgender affirming therapy in (your town) with an LGBTQ+ affirming counselor!

The specific mental health keywords you should use will depend on your niche and where you’re located. In different areas the same mental health topics might be searched for by clients in a different way. That’s why keyword research is so important!

Piecing it All Together

Photo of a person writing an SEO strategy on a black chalkboard with chalk, finishing up the words keyword research with the chalk. This photo represents keyword research as an important part of SEO, and how you can use mental health SEO keywords in your content to boost your Google rankings.Now that we’ve put all the pieces together, hopefully blogging doesn’t seem as intimidating anymore. Remember, blogging shouldn’t feel like writing a grad school essay. It should be a fun way for you to give your clients advice, and tell potential clients more about your services and approach to therapy. If you have questions about what topics to write on, how often you should be blogging, or how blogs can help with client conversion check out this comprehensive guide on blogging to improve SEO specifically for therapists. If you’re still feeling stuck, you might want to read this blog on common mistakes we see people make when they first start blogging. Or, you can always reach out to us for help! 

Don’t Have Time to Write Blogs? Our Mental Health SEO Specialists and Copywriters Can Help! 

If you don’t have time to work on blogging or SEO yourself, don’t worry, our team can help! We offer a range of SEO services that we created specifically for therapists, private practice owners, and helping professionals. Our team of Mental Health SEO Specialists would love to help you get your website to the top of Google so you can reach more of your ideal clients. If you’re interested in learning more about our SEO services, you can follow these simple steps: 

  1. Schedule a free 30-minute video consultation with one of our team members
  2. Learn more about how our SEO services can help you and your business 
  3. Check SEO off of your to-do list so you can get back to the work you love! 

We can’t wait to be a part of your SEO journey and help you reach more of your ideal clients!

Other SEO Services Offered by Simplified SEO Consulting

Our goal at Simplified SEO Consulting is to help therapists reach their ideal clients through SEO! If you’re interested in outsourcing SEO work so you can focus on your clients or practice, then our Done-For-You SEO services are probably what you’re looking for. If you want to learn how to optimize your own website with the help of our team members, then you’re probably going to want to check out our 12-Week SEO Intensive program or our Small Group SEO Intensives. You can also purchase our DIY Online SEO Courses to learn SEO on your own, at your own pace. Regardless of which option is best for you and your practice, we are so glad to be a part of your SEO journey!

About the Author

Headshot of Kaite, Virtual Administrative Assistant and Mental Health SEO Copywriter at Simplified SEO Consulting for therapist websites in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and beyond.Kaite Ritchie is an Administrative Assistant, Alumni Specialist, and Mental Health SEO Copywriter at Simplified SEO Consulting. Before joining the Simplified SEO Consulting team, Kaite worked as an Intake Coordinator for our founder, Jessica Tappana, at her private practice helping to connect clients with the counselors on their team. Now Kaite enjoys using her previous experience to help the therapists and helping professionals we work with to get connected with their ideal clients through the power of SEO! She loves writing blogs for counselors on various mental health topics that deliver great advice to their potential clients and improve their SEO. You can schedule a free consultation with Kaite to learn more about our SEO services!

The special thing about working with Simplified SEO Consulting is that we’re doing optimization with ethics in mind. You can trust that we’re not going to sell you some business-y jibber jabber. Our #1 priority is to market a specialized mental health professional to the people that need their services most. Our team consists of mental health professionals from across the board. On our team, we have LCSWs, Masters in Mental Health Counseling candidates, MSW candidates, and more. 

Any time you meet with a Mental Health SEO Specialist, you can trust that we have some sort of background in mental health. 

That being said, as a mental health professional yourself, there’s a reason we all got into this thing. Everyone has their own story as to what drew them to the field of mental health. Some may say they always knew they wanted to go into mental health, some may say that they experienced something big that changed their life trajectory into having a mental health career. Maybe you’re a person who still isn’t sure about the mental health field, or on the opposite end, you loved it too much that now you’re burnout of the field. Whatever it is, I don’t know your story, I only know mine. I got into mental health so that I could be part of something bigger, something that would make a lasting impact. And that’s what guides my work here at Simplified SEO Consulting. 

Mental health professionals are always carrying things around for others, when they deserve some mental health check-ins as well! Get connected to a mental health SEO specialist today.

That’s really what guides us all at Simplified SEO Consulting. Now, you may be sitting there asking me what this has to do with you. But if you clicked on this blog, maybe you need a reminder of why you started. So let’s talk about ways to support you. Oftentimes, we as mental health professionals hold space for a lot of hard discussions, which is incredible. We all know how obvious that is needed. But we also need to hold space for ourselves. And I know, “hold space” sounds trendy and superficial, but it’s true. We do it all the time for our clients. Holding space is defined by Health Plett, researcher and author of The Art of Holding Space: A Practice of Love, Liberation, and Leadership, as “the practice of showing up for another person and allowing them to have whatever experience they’re having without trying to direct them or fix them.” 

So, I’d like to check-in and discuss ways in which you can support yourself, we can support you, and why that’s important for your ideal client. 

Supporting Yourself

image of a person talking on the phone. get connected with an seo specialist today.

We all know the common phrase, you can’t fill from an empty cup. And as cliche, as it sounds, it’s a great analogy for taking of yourself. Recently, I’ve been talking to a lot of my clients about how exhausting my school semester has been. And a lot of times, they mirror my sentiments. Add COVID to the list of “Things That Are Exhausting Mental Health Professionals Right Now”, (coming 2023), and we are at a 43% burnout rate in health care professionals as a whole. How have you supported yourself this past week? The past month? Have you been at all slacking on the things you know you need to be doing for your mental and physical well-being? If you have, let this be a friendly reminder to do those things! Some examples I use are to journal/brain dump, call my grandma, go shoot some hoops, and watch a comedy movie. Mental health can be so serious sometimes, and while I love it, I know it has to be balanced with something a little more fun.

Us Supporting You

 

While we know we’re in the business of marketing, we value having an authentic approach. That being said, we will never try to sell you into anything we don’t truly think is beneficial for you. Another one of my favorite parts of this job is that our clients can network with each other within the Facebook group. While the group is usually used for SEO tips and marketing discussions, we know that support within the mental health field is so, so important. Find a buddy within our Facebook group! Ask them questions related to the practice, and build a connection! We do this largely for networking, but also because we can all use a little bit of support now and again.

Why Does This All Matter To Your Future Client Again? 

If you’re burnt out providing therapy, you’re doing more harm to your clients than good. Burnout doesn’t allow you to be present with yourself or with your clients. They, and you, deserve the most present self you can muster.

SEO Specialist for mental health therapist websites, Jewel.

About the Author

Jewel is currently part of our team as a Mental Health Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. She helps private practice owners find their ideal clients 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 puts a lot of value into mental health, 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.

Identifying the ideal clients for your private practice website is an important first step when starting SEO for psychiatrists. This step can look a little different for psychiatrists compared to therapists. When we ask therapists about their ideal clients the answers often include things like college-age students, couples, or young business professionals. Additionally, this list can include things like clients looking for EMDR Therapy, CBT, or Sex Therapy. So you might be asking yourself what does an ideal client list look like when working on SEO for psychiatrists. Let us take a deeper look into finding your perfect clients so you can have a thriving psychiatric private practice.

Ideal Clients Affects SEO for Psychiatrists

Image of a professional woman writing in a notebook. Identifying ideal clients is an important first step in SEO for psychiatrists in private practice. That list of ideal clients helps build quality SEO for mental health professionals Call today to speak with a SEO services consultant about what to do after identifying your ideal client.

Often times a list of ideal clients for psychiatrists will be focused on which disorders they want to work with the most. Maybe you enjoy working with clients who have anxiety, depression, and Insomnia. On the other hand, you might enjoy diagnosing and treating clients who have mood disorders, schizophrenia, or who suffer from substance abuse. Your list of ideal clients might also include things like individuals in rural areas, elderly adults, kids, or young to middle-aged adults. The options seem to be endless.

If you are a psychiatrist in private practice you get to decide who you want to work with. Ultimately, if you are treating mental health disorders that you are passionate about then your business will thrive even more. So you have narrowed down your list of ideal clients now what? What do you do from here? Now we use this list to develop or enhance your service pages and guide your keyword research.

The Importance of Service Pages for SEO for Psychiatrists

To some, it may seem redundant to make a service page for each disorder that you want to focus on. However, this is a vital part of SEO and making sure that your services are seen by your ideal clients. The quality and quantity of copywriting on your website can drastically affect how Google views and ranks your website. Beyond that, individual service pages let you focus on a larger amount of keywords. This is where your list of ideal clients comes in.

Image of “Content is King” written on three jenga blocks. Content is important when working on SEO for psychiatrists in private practice. Google values content on private pracite websites. Need help knowing what to put on your site? Our SEO services consultants specialize in helping build content for SEO for psychiatrists.Whatever disorders you listed out on your ideal client list is what you will want to focus on for service pages for several reasons. First, it will allow you to focus on multiple keywords that your ideal clients are using on Google when they need psychiatric services. Secondly, it shows Google that you are an expert in those areas. Which builds Google’s trust in your website and increases your rankings. Finally, when your ideal clients make it to your website they get the chance to see that you are the right psychiatrist for them.

How Keywords Play A Roll In SEO for Psychiatrists

When it comes to keywords used in SEO for therapists we often start by comparing counseling to therapy and see which will get the best results. But what about when finding keywords best used in SEO for psychiatrists? When doing keyword research you will have to think outside the box a bit. Most likely Psychiatrist is one of the first keywords to come to your mind which is a great starting point. From there you have to pick additional words you want to try and rank for.

This is where your ideal clients and service pages come in. You will need to find keywords that your ideal clients will be searching for. Since your service pages are going to be targeted toward your ideal clients then your keywords should match up with them as well.

Specific Keywords for Private Practice SEO

The following is a list of potential keywords that a psychiatrist interested in treating depression and ADHD might use. The list was created, and accurate as of May 30, 2022, with KWFinder which is one of our keyword research tools. Next to each keyword is the number of times Image of a psychiatrist holding the hand of a client with medication on the table. Wondering where to put keywords on a private practice website? We can help with keywords and other areas of SEO for mental health professionals. Call today to get started.each month the word was searched in the United States:

  • Psychiatrist | 451,000
  • Psychiatric nurse practitioners | 12700
  • Psychiatric evaluation | 5600
  • Depression Medication | 41,200
  • Antidepressants | 110,000
  • Wellbutrin | 409,000
  • ADHD treatment | 21,600
  • ADHD medication | 133,000
  • Ritalin | 124,000
  • Adderall | 601,000

This list is not all-inclusive to all of the possibilities for keywords for depression and ADHD. We also suggest searching for keywords in your specific area, not throughout the United States. Keyword trends in your city and state might be slightly different. This is why at Simplified SEO Consulting we put such an emphasis on detailed keyword research specific to your private practice and your location.

Final Thoughts From A SEO Services Consultant

Ideal clients, service pages, and keywords are important to all mental health private practice search engine optimization. The key is to make sure you adjust each area to fit your needs as a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner. Another thing we focus on at Simplified SEO Consulting is making sure our SEO is ethical. We understand that being ethical is a vital part of mental health private practices. Thus whenever a Simplified SEO services consultant works on a website or trains someone in SEO we do so with a focus on being ethical.

Start Working on SEO for Your Business

Ready to start working on SEO for your private practice as a psychiatrist? Then our Mental Health SEO Services Consultants are ready to help you get started. Simplified SEO Consulting has several options to help your website start ranking on Google. If you want help building a SEO foundation for your website without spending multiple hours a week then our Done for You SEO package. might be your best option. Looking to build your knowledge on SEO for psychiatrists yourself? Then taking an online course, SEO training, or joining our SEO Mastermind Group guide you through all the aspects of SEO for your website. No matter which package you choose to go with we will ensure that your website is optimized in an ethical way. Getting started is easy. Make your free 30-minute consultation with one of our client success specialists today!

Image of the blogs author Mental Health SEO Specialist, Winnie Youger-Rash. Winnie is ready to help you with SEO for mental health professionals. Contact us today to see what packages a SEO services consultant can help you with to build your private practice SEO.About the Author:

Winnie is part of the dedicated team at Simplified SEO Consulting. She enjoys learning and growing as a Mental Health SEO specialist. Her specialty is working with our clients who have picked our Done for You package.

She has a lot of passion for providing SEO help for psychiatrists and therapists. If you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you, schedule your next consultation. Speak with our Client Success Specialist to discuss how Winnie can support you on your SEO journey.

SEO Improvements and Current Social Movements

As a social worker, I take a lot of pride in being involved in current social movements. It’s a huge value for me. That’s the main reason I decided to pursue social work compared to being a clinical psychologist or licensed counselor. Psychotherapy alone can do enough about mental health when people are battling oppression. Consider a scenario where your client walks into your office and they want help with their depression. But the reason they’re feeling depressed is because they are unable to pay their rent after having been discriminated against. The inability to pay rent is directly related to their depression. There is only so many mindfulness techniques a therapist can do before realizing this is a systematic thing.

A recent US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health which says that “Poverty in childhood and among adults can cause poor mental health through social stresses, stigma and trauma. Equally, mental health problems can lead to impoverishment through loss of employment or underemployment, or fragmentation of social relationships.” 

Social Justice as an Ethical Principle

Pride flags. This image could depict a social movement for mental health professionals to write about. 65201

Not only is this a personal value of mine, it’s also a requirement of the National Association of Social Workers for our social work professionals. This is mentioned in the Code of Ethics under Ethical Principles. “Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.”
 
Even if you’re not a social worker, as a mental health professional, it’s important to be competent in current social movements. Let me state here that, yes, being competent and writing about social movements is good for SEO. But it’s also good to be competent just as a general functioning member in society.
Additionally, using your professional privilege to talk about social movements is important. Mental health professionals usually have some sort of platform with their practice. With this platform, promoting social movements could convince others who are on the fence about taking action

Okay, so how does this relate to SEO? 

 

Social Movements can help with Inspiration for Blogs

Megaphone. This image could depict a social movement that therapists could write about for boosting SEO. 65201

Firstly, content is king. Having blogs, updated ones, is really important to SEO. When the amount of content on your site increases, so does Google’s trust in your site. Google is a smart cookie, they only give props to a site if they’re competent enough to deserve it. Not only this, but if a social movement is causing stress to one of your patients, you can relate a blog back to a service you provide. This is done many times in relation to an anxiety and stress page.

Having those hyperlinks adds lots of SEO and tells Google, again, that you know your stuff! If you’re feeling passionate about a certain topic, such as a social movement, write about it! Like I’ve said, writing is good, yes. What is more specific in helping SEO is when you’re writing about current events. This shows Google that your site is updated and competent, and you know your stuff! Using current events for inspiration for blog-writing is one great way to boost SEO. 

Talking about Social Movements Helps Humanize Yourself to your Clients

Secondly, taking a stance on a certain topic can help you humanize yourself to your clients. Many of our therapists worry that their clients see them as having their lives all figured out. Let me assure you, mental health professionals still have their own battles, even when they’re guiding you with yours. It is good to let your potential clients know that you are a regular person and you keep up with movements that are happening in the world. Let them know that you, too, go home and watch the news, and you’re not actually all that different from the clients you meet with. It’ll most likely allow your clients to feel more comfortable opening up to you, if that rapport hasn’t yet been established

Writing about Current Social Movements Can Help You Attract Your Ideal Client

Lastly, writing about a current social movement can help attract your ideal client. When you write about things that are important to you, you’re getting calls from people who also find them important. More than likely, your ideal client is feeling some way about a social movement, too. So, talk about it! These are things that affect their mental health exponentially, just like it does yours. Scheduling with clients that are similar in values with you can lead to a really productive therapeutic relationship.

Let’s Bring it all Together

Current social movements can help SEO in many ways. First, social movements can help you find inspiration to write blogs. Next, taking a stance on social movements can humanize you to your clients. Lastly, writing about current social movements helps attract your ideal client and benefits the therapeutic relationship! BOOM. Write about social movements for your next blog, you won’t regret it.

Begin Improving your SEO at Simplified SEO Consulting

If you’re ready to start improving your SEO, our mental health SEO specialists can help.  We would love to help you start climbing the rankings on Google. Once this happens, you can start getting you calls from your ideal clients. This is the ultimate goal we have for you! Let’s get started:

  1. Schedule a free consultation.
  2. Get connected with a member of our SEO Specialist Team!
  3. Begin climbing Google rankings and meeting your ideal clients!

Other Services at Simplified SEO Consulting

If writing content isn’t your thing, Simplified has multiple other services to provide! We offer Done For You SEO Services for professionals who are willing to let our SEO specialists take care of their SEO. We offer SEO training for professionals who are wanting to take care of their own SEO with a little help, and many DIY online courses.

 

About The Author

Image of Jewel Fivecoat, mental health SEO specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. Let her and others help you with improving your SEO data too!

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 puts a lot of value into mental health , 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.

 

A graphic of hands typing on a computer and choosing subheadings for Simplified SEO Consulting. Learn more about how we offer support with SEO for therapists & how we can support private practice websites today! 65202

Today we are covering a topic you are likely already familiar with on some level if you create content for your site. That has to do with what best practices are when it comes to using headings and subheadings throughout your pages. Your initial instinct may be to highlight the most important topics of your page. But, there are a few things to keep in mind when deciding on a specific subheading. So, let’s talk about the main three you will be!

Wait, But Why Do Headings and Subheadings Matter?

Subheadings have historically been used as an important ranking factor in search engines like Google. But, as technology has advanced, so have the factors that influence rankings. In our current day, headings no longer have to include the keywords you’d like to rank for. Search engines have reached a level of sophistication that they can better understand how to identify the main focus of a page. In some ways, one may believe that subheadings have become less important over the years. But, using each level of subheading in the correct way can still go a long way in improving your rankings.

Titles & H1’s

To start off, it is worth stressing that when it comes to using H1’s, they should be saved for the main title of your page. This is because when Google’s bots and other visitors land on your webpage, you want the topic of the page to be as clear as possible. Having more than one will dilute the focus of the page, and potentially confuse readers or web crawling robots. As a result, you may have a more difficult time ranking for more specific keywords. 

Depending on your website editor, you may or may not have the ability to edit the H1’s on your site. If you don’t see any option to adjust them, you may have to contact support for your respective editor to gain more insight. However, in most cases, H1’s will exist as the main title attribute on your page. So, if you don’t see any mention of H1’s, don’t worry! They may be hiding in plain sight. 

Best Practices for H2 Subheadings 

H2 headings are likely the main headings you will use on each page. These are the main subheadings that are used to break up content throughout your site. Using H2’s helps to improve readability for readers and Google alike. In turn, this helps call attention to important topics you want potential clients to take notice of. This may include other important NAP information or vital keywords you want to rank for. Another good way to think about using these headings is as if they were chapters in a book. Each page on your site has its own story, and these help to break up the various ideas you want to explore. 

A graphic of people typing and thinking of subheadings and other content ideas for their website. Simplified SEO Consulting can offer support with improving therapist SEO. Learn more about how we support private practice websites & SEO for psychotherapists today! 65203H2’s should be descriptive, but not overly so. It is also important to mention keyword stuffing, and how cramming in as many phrases as possible can actually harm your SEO. Google is smart, and the algorithm has come to understand when people are just trying to rank without the authority to back it up. So, it is also important to remember H2’s shouldn’t be too long. Try to keep them under a sentence or two in most cases.

Using H3 Subheadings (like this one!)

Next, we have H3 headings. These are even smaller in focus, but still have an important use in breaking up content on your site. These headings are excellent opportunities to focus on sub-points that may be used to support the topics or keywords included in your H2’s. These may include bulleted lists or other related topics. They are another great tool to add structure to your pages. Yet, it should still be noted that there are no hard-set rules in place for how you should make use of these subheadings.

At the End of the Day, Headings and Subheadings Are Invaluable 

Headings have still stood the test of time. While there are many other ways to rank for keywords these days, these elements continue to be used on any website with text-based content. They help to show search engines and visitors what the focus of a page is, and can help improve rankings when paired with intentional keyword management. While headings may not be as important for keyword rankings, they still help improve readability and serve an invaluable purpose.

In addition to the three main subheadings described in this blog, there are actually more that I didn’t cover! It is possible to use smaller headings going all the way up to H8 or H9, but access to this level of focus may not be available to you depending on the website editor you’re using. Google focuses mainly on H1’s, H2’s, and H3’s, leaving the other subheading options up to your description as to how you apply them throughout your site. Website editors often offer a variety of native SEO tools. So, learning to make the most of them will go a long way in structuring your website. 

Checking Headings and the Health of your site 

Two individuals point to a computer as they discuss content on their website. Learn more about how Simplified SEO Consulting can support private practice websites by improving SEO for therapists. Learn more about improving SEO for private practices by contacting our team today! 65202One useful tool that can help you confirm your H1’s, along with any other of the subheadings mentioned, is the WAVE Accessibility Evaluation Tool. It scans the URL you want to search and tells you helpful information about the page including the different headings/subheadings included, structural elements of the page, and potential errors. Running your pages through this tool can help you better understand what Google’s bots see when viewing your page. By using this tool, you can address any issues that may affect your site, and confirm that your headings are in fact H1’s, H2’s, H3’s, or any other subheading you may find yourself using. 

Closing thoughts

Headings are a necessity for any site with content that hopes to rank well on Google. They have changed over time, but remain an important part of the structure that helps visitors find the answers they need in a timely, efficient way. Understanding this can help your site thrive and better adapt as best practices change over time.

Begin SEO Services with Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team of trained SEO specialists offers technical and on-page SEO support. We can help you better understand how to incorporate subheadings into your site. We offer both Done For You and Done With You SEO services. To start your SEO journey, please follow these simple steps:

  1. Book a free consultation
  2. Meet with an SEO specialist
  3. Start improving the structure of your site!

Other Services Offered with Simplified SEO Consulting 

Our team is happy to support you in improving the health of your site. But, this isn’t the only service we offer. Other SEO services include our DIY Online SEO Courses, Done For You SEO services, and a Done With You 12-week Intensive SEO program. Feel free to visit our blog to learn more today!

Photo of Sterling, an SEO Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting that specializes in all things technical SEO!

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, often going 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!

 

Incorporating SEO keywords

You know you need to incorporate SEO keywords into your copy, but it feels so clunky and awkward. You’ve done SEO keyword research and have come up with what you want to rank for but are struggling to add those keywords in a way that flows and makes sense.

 

Copywriting for SEO doesn’t have to be difficult! I personally love the puzzle of adding keywords to my blog posts. As a mental health SEO copywriter at Simplified SEO Consulting, I have three tips for you as you work to add SEO keywords to your private practice website.

Write from the heart, use keywords later.

image of a person on a computer using SEO keywords in their copywriting

Writing with SEO in mind is important. However, if you want to reach your ideal clients for your private practice, copywriting which is authentic to you is even more important. You know your clients’ challenges and what they are facing. Pretend like you’re talking directly to someone you’re working with and write out what you want them to hear from you. Being honest and sincere is powerful.

While SEO copywriting can get people on your page, there isn’t a point unless those clicks convert to new clients. This is w

here writing from the heart comes in. Search engine optimization for psychotherapists can help you get more clients, but only if your content resonates with the people who land on your page.

Give yourself a day to reset your brain.

image of a confused brain trying to figure out which seo keywords to use

Writing from the heart is only the first step in incorporating SEO keywords naturally into your content. I find it helpful to write a blog post or webpage and then put it down for a day. Come back to it and find those places you can “sneak” in keywords. Switching up counseling and therapy for example can help you rank for both words! Your copy CAN have flow and style while still having great SEO. Sometimes you just need to get your brain out of therapist mode and into SEO mode. Think about what your ideal client might be typing into Google to find the help they are looking for. Put yourself in their shoes and remember that incorporating keywords into your copy and content is truly helping your ideal client. Perhaps they’re not ready for therapy yet, but are looking for a blog post that resonates. That is powerful!

Approach SEO keywords as a puzzle.

My personal favorite way to incorporate SEO keywords while copywriting is to approach it as a puzzle. Make it a word game where you try and fit in keywords wherever you can. When you approach it as a game and not a chore, that mindset shift makes a big difference in how frustrated you may get. I love the challenge of using as many keywords as possible, while still having the style and flow that I desire. There are so many words associated with counseling, see how many you can use! You likely enjoy word games (have you started playing Wordle yet, or is it just blowing up your Facebook feed?) so make SEO optimization simply another fun game to play!

Consider copywriting for SEO with Simplified SEO Consulting!

If you’re still struggling with incorporating keywords into your web content, it might be time to consider SEO copywriting from Simplified SEO Consulting. Our mental health SEO specialists love taking your words and optimizing them for SEO. If you don’t have the capacity to put words to a computer screen, fret not! We’ve got you covered at our SEO consulting firm specializing in SEO for therapists, psychiatrists & other mental health professionals. We love writing for mental health professionals like you.