Are you struggling to figure out where to start with SEO? Everything feels very overwhelming when you begin. There are so many terms and techniques that can help, but it all just doesn’t make sense. Where do we even begin?
If this sounds familiar don’t worry, we’ve all been there. The terms just mesh together at some point. But we need to remember, as we are learning we should give ourselves a break. You’re trying. If you’re looking for a place to begin, you’ve come to the right place. Simplified isn’t just the name of the business, but it’s the name of the game. Let’s dive into some non-techy SEO tips that can help you get started.
Get a google my business listing
Whether online or in-person services are offered, Google needs to know about your business. There are boxes that pop up on the right-hand side of your screen when you search for certain businesses. What happens when you don’t have information set up that tells us who you are? People will disregard the information, or may never find you. Likewise, Google won’t know what your business does. You don’t have to be SEO savvy to add this section. It is a simple non-techy SEO tip where you have all the information needed. If you’re looking for more information on how this can help, the site upcity has some great tips. This page talks about how Google my business can help your SEO as well as how to keep this ranking and up to date.
Claim your business; let us know you’re here
Make sure your info is correct; such as hours, your business category, and photos.
Keep your services up to date
Respond to reviews; google loves engagement. It makes your service more credible to Google.
Put your Address on your Footer
If you’ve ever gone to any site looking for a location, I’m sure you’ve looked at one of two places. The contact page or you scroll down to the bottom of a page. Usually, websites place the address here because once it is added, all pages reflect the change. So, this is a simple, one-time, non-techy SEO task anyone can do. Why does adding this non-techy SEO tip help SEO on Google? Well, it allows you to add internal links that allow for traffic across your site. The more links on your site, the more reputable google will find it. It’s a great way to increase rankings. Yet, it is important to note that adding external links to your footer is not recommended. Google devalues these links in the footer.
Include Specialty Pages
This is important for a few reasons. First, it helps you narrow down what you’re good at as a therapist. If you can say these are the core topics that I excel in treating, you’re more likely to drive in clients. They will feel that you can understand their issues best. Second, when people see pages such as individual, group, or couples therapy, it may not be specific enough to their issues. This is why we ask you to speak to a client’s pain points. If you can speak to the issue, you’re likely to convert a client. Whereas generalizing the service may make someone unsure whether you understand their dilemma. If you are unsure of what pages should I have on my website to rank well for google? Try adding trauma, anxiety, depression, and online services to start. Non-techy SEO has nothing on you!
Blog Regularly
Writing can be a hassle. It takes time to create a cohesive and thoughtful blog post. Then you have to consider the SEO aspect of creating your post. But, you’re doing a great service to your clients when you blog. Not only are you exhibiting your continued knowledge on various topics, but you are able to speak to a specific issue. You may not be able to say all that you need on a service page. This is why you should create specialty pages. Think about anxiety, you may be able to create a blog post about social anxiety in college settings. This may speak to this particular population, and make them feel that you understand their issue. Blogging is a powerful tool. Monthly blogging and optimizing can make Google recognize your service pages better. But how often should I post blogs to improve my SEO? If it is your goal to blog more, setting goals to blog once a month on reoccurring topics clients mention or adding a post on your passion for the field will build your credibility. This is an easy non-techy SEO tip that speaks to your expertise.
Get some backlinks
We have mentioned this before, but backlinks are some of the best Yet to improve SEO. Yet, they are not always easy to come by. You would need another source to add you to their site. What is most important about building backlinks is to make sure we are getting credible and safe backlinks. There is nothing worse than getting a scammy backlink and then having Google penalize you for it. Now we don’t expect any of you would do this, but it’s important to invest in quality backlinks that will boost our SEO. How can you get backlinks? Start with getting into local directories. Then contact a colleague who you have a good working relationship with. Agree to give them a backlink based on a post they did and have them return the favor. Either way, you will be able to build up quality backlinks. If you’re looking to build quality backlinks, refer to the new Simplified SEO course for backlinks which becomes a free gift on your fifth month with us. Do you feel ready to use these non-techy SEO tips?
Begin SEO Services at Simplified SEO Consulting
I hope this non-techy SEO blog post was helpful to you as you read through it. These are simple ways to get a head start on boosting your page. If you have any questions or your question was not answered, reach out. Our passionate team of SEO experts would be happy to answer your question and talk about what services might work well for your business. Follow these three steps to begin ranking better on Google.
Jasmine Jaquess is a Simplified SEO specialist based in Columbia, MO. She specializes in platforms such as Squarespace and Wix but has learned to love word press sites as well. She really enjoys hearing the client’s goals for their business and helping them achieve them.
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bigstock-Ivanovsk-Russia-July-313004524.jpg10671600Jasmine Jaquesshttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngJasmine Jaquess2020-10-06 08:00:142021-04-05 16:24:54Non-Techy SEO Tips to Get your Site Ranking
Here at Simplified SEO Consulting, we want to provide you with truly valuable information. Recently, our team was brainstorming questions people might have about SEO and discussing the questions we hear from new clients most often. Today, we’re going to start answering these questions and, when relevant, we’ll link you to blog posts we’ve already written. So, let’s get started!
Is SEO Important for Therapists?
In a word, yes! SEO is important for any business owner that wants to appear in online searches for search engines like Google. While specific SEO strategies may differ based on the industry, understanding the basics of SEO is vital to stay competitive in today’s digital landscape.
Common Questions About SEO
What does SEO stand for?
SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” Search Engine Optimization means creating a website and making changes to it with the hopes it will help your website show up frequently in search engine results. A well-optimized website with great SEO shows up on the first page of Google when your ideal client/customer searches for your services.
Is SEO worth it?
Absolutely. SEO is a long-term marketing strategy that holds its value. In the 21st century, people are looking for services online. Getting your website to show up organically on Google puts you in front of the exact clients who need the services you are offering.
We highly recommend most service-based businesses consider using SEO as part of their marketing strategy.
A great example of the power of SEO comes directly from the experience our founder, Jessica, has had to build two businesses using SEO as a marketing tool. When Jessica was expanding her private practice Aspire Counseling in Mid-Missouri, she wanted to find new ways to get her clinicians in front of their ideal clients to fill their caseload. So, she spent hours researching, learning, and implementing the SEO practices we use at Simplified SEO. She had so much success getting potential clients to call and convert from her SEO investment, that she created Simplified SEO to help other helping professionals do the same.
For keyword research, our SEO team most commonly uses KWFinder and SEMRush which are both paid tools. However, all of the keywords on this list can be excellent sources for your keyword research! We do have a blog post with more information on some of these keyword research tools available here.
We also included in this list our favorite tool for blog post ideas (Answer the Public), checking on the quality of backlinks to your site (Linkody), and two general tools that have LOTS of functions if you’re really getting serious about SEO (Moz & SEMRush).
Where should I use keywords on my website?
Great question, you should aim to incorporate keywords throughout your website. But, here’s a list of the main places you should use keywords:
SEO is useful for any business where potential clients would look for their services online. This is especially true for businesses where there might be some stigma around asking your friends for recommendations. For example, many people don’t want their friends and family to know they’re going to counseling, so they search for therapists and their services online.
SEO is great for helping professionals of all kinds. This includes, but is in no way limited to, therapists, psychiatrists, private practice physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, lawyers, life coaches, child care facilities, education services, and more!
Who shouldn’t use SEO?
Someone just starting a brand new business in an industry where few people look online should wait to invest in SEO. For instance, if you are opening a bakery in a really busy part of town and are confident you will have a lot of word of mouth referrals, you might not need to worry about how you rank on Google.
Even in the mental health world, there may be times where you don’t need/want to invest in getting your website to the first page of Google. The times when this applies are if you have too many clients, or if your business is based around referrals from other providers. Also, some people in less competitive areas are able to easily rank just by writing some great content.
Will SEO Exist in 10 years?
Interesting question. I believe the answer is yes, but it will evolve. Optimizing for Google might not be the priority anymore. It might be optimizing for Youtube, which is similar, but different. SEO is all about getting in front of your ideal clients, so this means optimizing your content on the places they search for services. Likewise, it may mean tweaking how we optimize now and learning new techniques to appease Google’s ever-changing algorithms.
Now, if you’re asking if you’ll still rank as well in ten years as you do now, that’s a different question. Ranking well on Google requires maintenance work. You never know when one of your competitors will work on their SEO causing you to fall a bit in rankings. If you’re curious about ways to maintain your already excellent rankings, check out our alumni packages.
Is SEO just about getting a website ranking well on Google?
Ultimately, SEO is about increasing your business revenue. However, it’s also about filling your practice with the clients you will ENJOY working with. Therefore, it starts by getting you in front of the RIGHT clients. This is why keyword research is so important, that you have meta descriptions people will click on and that your website speaks to your ideal client.
What SEO techniques should I use on my site?
There are many different SEO techniques. However, there are few techniques that are very useful in getting you ranking better on search engines.
Popular SEO techniques include:
Building backlinks
Keyword research and usage
Content creation- often in the form of blogging and or copywriting
Addressing technical issues on a site
On-page optimization
Adding alt text to your photos that is rich in keywords
How do I know where to start on my SEO Strategy?
Google considers over 200 factors when deciding rankings. So, there are a lot of different things you can do that would be considered “working on SEO.” Different SEO companies focus on different components. Which optimization techniques you focus your energy on is likely influenced by the type of service or product you offer, your own goals, and your competition. This is why we generally recommend you choose an SEO company familiar with your specific field.
At Simplified SEO, we were founded by a therapist who owns her own private counseling practice. So, our specialty is helping therapists and those in closely related fields get to the top of search engines. We’ve also worked well with people in other service-based industries, particularly in the healthcare field.
What do SEO Specialists do?
SEO specialists help you get your website ranking well on search engines. There can be a wide variation in the actual services performed. For example, a professional may do an SEO audit and some advice about what you can work on. Or, they may create content that will help your site rank better. Alternatively, they could provide in-depth on-page optimization. Some provide long-term, ongoing SEO services.
It’s important to know that you may interview different SEO companies who all do different things to improve your rankings. All of them may have a solid understanding of what factors search engines are considering. However, they’re choosing to focus on different facts. What all of these services have in common is that the professional’s goal is to help your website show up better in search engines and attract your ideal client.
Which SEO Plugin is Best for WordPress?
There are several good SEO plugins for WordPress, however, we recommend and use the Yoast plugin. We love how user-friendly it is. Plus, it gives us important information regarding optimizing your website and readability.
What are the most important things I can do for SEO?
Because Google takes into account so many factors when deciding how to rank your website, it’s difficult to know where to start! Some of the places I recommend you focus on your energy include:
Make sure the main content on your site is easy to read
Does readability matter for SEO?
Yes. It does. Simply put, having a page that’s easy to read improves the reader’s experience. Therefore, Google will give you a better ranking if your page is easy to understand. We recommend writing your page as if explaining a concept to a middle schooler.
A lot of the business owners we work with are professionals who worry about “dumbing down” their page. They work with really educated, private pay clients who hold advanced degrees. The truth is, on a good day your ideal client probably does understand most of what you are saying. However, your ideal client may not be in a frame of mind to read very technical information. They may be distressed and need answers quickly. It’s often at a client’s lowest, most distressed moment when they are in “freeze, fight or flight” that they’re searching the Internet for a therapist. Therefore, while we focus on readability for SEO, we also believe it serves your potential clients well.
Some of the easiest things you can do to improve readability are:
Shorten sentences
Keep paragraphs under 300 words
Add higher level subheadings (H2s & H3s to divide sections)
What are backlinks and are they actually important?
Great question! Backlinks are when another site links to your website. Backlinks increase your trust flow which will increase your ranking on search engines. Google’s goal is to give its users accurate and relevant information, so they value backlinks as a sign of your website’s trustworthiness and value.
Where do I get backlinks?
There are many different techniques for building backlinks to your website. You can be featured on a podcast, list your website on a directory, act as a source for media or many other options! Getting backlinks from a variety of sources will give your website “staying power” on search engines!
Throughout our time working on webpages, and based on Jessica’s success in her own practice, we’ve narrowed down a list of the best places therapists specifically can look into to get backlinks. So, check out our list and think about the people or places who would be willing to give you backlinks. Then, check out Alyssa’s comprehensive blog about backlinksfor more information. Or, check out our new backlinks course!
Ask the event’s host to give you a backlink on their invitation or website
Sponsor an event or donate to a charity
Be a guest on a podcast
What is the difference between an internal link versus an external link?
An internal link occurs when we link from one page or post on your website to another page or post on your website. An external link occurs when you link from your website to another website. Both have a place in optimizing a website, but internal links will generally help your rankings more.
When our staff optimize websites, we focus heavily on adding internal links because they boost your overall search engine rankings and increase the amount of time your potential client is spending on your website. Which will hopefully compel them to contact you and convert. But, an external link is very useful because it adds credibility and shows that you know what other resources might be useful for your viewers.
What pages should I have on my website to rank well for Google?
Having the right pages is a key component of website strategy. If you are a service based business (therapist, psychiatrist, SLP, OT, etc), the basic pages I would recommend include:
A well-designed home page
4-6 service pages describing your specialties to your clients
These pages need to be 500 words or more
Contact page
About page or a meet the team page
A blog
How often should I post blogs to improve my SEO?
Blogging is an essential part of getting you ranking better. This is why we remind all our clients or blog readers to blog regularly. The frequency of blogging depends on how competitive your area is. But, even if it’s not competitive we recommend a minimum of two blogs a month. Furthermore, we recommend you write blogs resting to the keywords you’re wanting to rank well for. Remember, blogging isn’t just good for your rankings, It can also help your private practice in many ways, and you can learn about those ways by reading Jessica’s article: Are blog posts just for SEO?
What is the difference between SEM and SEO?
SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing and typically refers to paid strategies that help your website appear more often in search results. One common SEM strategy is Google Adwords. SEO, on the other hand, refers to Search Engine Optimization which is where you rank organically in search results.
Should I use Google Adwords or SEO?
In general, SEM strategies are better for short-term visibility, and SEO is better for long-term visibility. Many of our clients choose to use both strategies. If you have to choose one, consider your goals and timeline. Adwords is better for short-term results and getting in front of people quickly. SEO is a long-term strategy but you don’t have to pay for every person who clicks on your site.
This is a very personal question. So, my answer depends on this question: How much time and effort are you willing to put into optimizing your own website? If you are a data nerd like our Simplified SEO staff, you may want to learn all about how to increase your rankings and interpret data. But, if you don’t have time for that, then you should absolutely consider hiring out for search engine optimization.
What questions should I ask an SEO specialist before hiring them to optimize my site?
First, you want to make sure your SEO specialist is a good fit for helping you achieve your SEO and business goals. Then, you want to understand what strategies they are going to use, how you’ll communicate with them, and what overall plan they have for your website.
Some questions you can ask your SEO specialist include:
What’s your experience working with similar businesses?
What results will you get?
What are your plans or packages?
How long do people usually need your services?
How do you measure success?
Am I paying for backlinks with your package?
What specific on-page SEO techniques do you use?
How will you communicate with me?
Begin SEO Services at Simplified SEO Consulting
Thank you so much for following along and reading through this blog. I hope you found the answers to your questions, but if not, please contact us. Our talented team of SEO experts would be thrilled to answer your question and talk about what services might be a great fit for your business. Follow these three steps to begin ranking better on Google.
Cory Moss is a Simplified SEO specialist based in Kansas City. She specializes in working on readability. She really enjoys helping her clients get to the top of Google and attract their ideal clients.
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/bigstock-Work-At-Home-Video-Conference-363391813-1.jpg10001600Cory Mosshttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngCory Moss2020-09-08 08:00:402023-05-01 14:07:15Common Questions About SEO
Today, I would like to explain how working with an SEO expert assists help professionals and private practice owners get to the top of Google and start attracting potential clients.
Ultimately, the goal of SEO is to increase not only the quantity but also the quality of the organic traffic that is coming to your site. Organic traffic is the traffic that is directed to your website by typing in a phrase or term into Google. For example, an organic search occurs when a potential client searches for a term such as “anxiety counseling” on Google. Referrals may get you clients, but if you want to grow your business, then it is important for you to invest in your SEO. Below, I will explain why.
An SEO expert will help you get to the TOP of Google
If you’re on our website, I would assume that you already know that the goal of SEO is to get you to the top of Google. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are and begin your business. Let us help you get in front of more clients.
We help our full service Done for You clients move up in rankings by doing the following:
Discuss SEO strategy with you during our monthly planning calls
Identify, track, and target keywords relating to the services you provide and the clients you see
Write high-quality and compelling meta descriptions
Write a compelling Call to Action Section and Other Services Section
An SEO expert helps you get in front of your IDEAL CLIENT on Google.
Okay, I know what you might be thinking; Cory, I don’t have an ideal client, I just want clients! I get that, but by defining an ideal client is an important part of our SEO strategy at Simplified. When you start working with us, one of the first questions your SEO specialist will ask is, is who are your ideal clients? We want to know what kind of people need your services the most. For example, you may help workaholics, women with anxiety, or families needing sleep solutions for their young children.
Determining your ideal client allows you, and your SEO specialist, to tailor your SEO approach to get in front of these people versus someone who can’t afford to work with you or someone needing services you don’t provide. We don’t just want you to get calls, we want you to get the right calls. The calls that will convert into paying clients.
A Simplified SEO expert can help you attract your ideal client:
The keywords we target are based on things we think these ideal clients would be searching for. For example, a workaholic may search for terms such as “burnout” or “overwhelmed lawyer.” Keywords affect every aspect of our SEO strategy. You can learn more about keyword research here.
We encourage you to write in a way that will resonate with your ideal clients. On your blog or service page, we’ll ask you to identify the things that would bring them into counseling (their pain points) and the symptoms they may be experiencing.
Our team will work on your readability to make sure your page is easy to understand for someone who does not have mental health experience.
Adding a Call to Action section and an Other Services Section to make it easy for them to know how to begin services at your business.
Working with an SEO expert can help compel your ideal client to CLICK on your site
We don’t just want you to get to the top of Google, we want your ideal clients to convert into paying clients. Although we can’t force people to click on your website from a Google list, we have a few tricks up our sleeves to help you entice your ideal client to click on your URL and contact you.
One of the most important parts of our SEO work comes in the form of writing a really good meta description. After we’ve identified your ideal clients and keywords they’d search for, we use these to draft a meta description for your website. This meta description should describe who you help and what the page is about in a clear way that makes sense to the reader. Then, we want to make sure that your meta communicates your worth as an expert in treating the issues your ideal client has. Lastly, whenever possible, we try and incorporate a call to action in your meta by adding a phrase such as “call now” or “learn more” at the end.
Curious about how to write good meta descriptions? Check out these blogs:
What’s the difference between hiring an SEO expert vs optimizing my own website:
Great question. The difference between hiring an SEO expert vs. optimizing your own webpage is the amount of effort and time you’re willing to put in to get good SEO results. Learning SEO and optimizing your website is a time commitment. As SEO experts, we’re able to get your results faster. You don’t have to learn anything about optimizing your own website or interpreting data. That’s our job. We monitor your data constantly and we use this knowledge to create a comprehensive and unique SEO strategy that’s tailored to help you accomplish your goals and attract your ideal client. Every month we will meet with you to discuss this strategy with you and determine the next steps in the SEO process.
How long does it take to get results if I hire an SEO expert?
If you hire an SEO expert you should expect to move up in Google fairly quickly. The amount of movement you will see depends on a few factors: how competitive the SEO market is in your area, the aggressiveness of your SEO package, the content on your pages, and how much you blog.
In competitive SEO markets such as Houston, TX, Atlanta, GA, and New York City, we expect there to be more SEO competition. This doesn’t mean we can’t get you ranking well. It simply means we have to work harder. In terms of SEO packages the more aggressive the package you select the more movement you are likely to see. The content on you pages also affects the movement you will see. As SEO experts, we will help guide you in writing content on your page to maximize SEO potential. Lastly, you’ve probably heard us say it a million times by now, but BLOGGING MATTERS. The more you blog the better SEO results you’ll have.
In terms of a return on your investment and getting calls from your ideal clients, we typically want to hear that you’re getting calls around month three or four.
How much does working with an SEO expert cost?
Working with an SEO specialist is an investment. If you’re interested in beginning SEO services with Simplified SEO consulting, we’d love to speak with you and discuss the cost of investment.
Get to the Top of Google with Simplified SEO Consulting
At Simplified SEO Consulting, our SEO specialists are passionate about helping our clients get to the top of Google. We want our clients to be able to reach and help as many potential clients as possible because we recognize how awesome you are. If you’re curious about SEO, we would love to talk to you during a free 15-minute video consultation call.
Cory Moss is a Simplified SEO specialist based in Kansas City. She specializes in working on readability. She really enjoys helping her clients get to the top of Google and attract their ideal clients.
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/bigstock-Seo-Search-Engine-Optimizatio-387201469.jpg10671600Cory Mosshttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngCory Moss2020-08-11 08:00:502021-04-05 16:28:523 Reasons Helping Professions Should Invest in Hiring an SEO Expert
Once you have a website that you love, it’s targeting the clients you most enjoy working with and it’s free from technical errors, it’s time to get started on Search Engine Optimization. I talk about a lot of different things and ways you can approach your website. So, you can do to improve your search engine ranking. Along with driving more traffic to your site, but most of it falls into three categories.
The Three Prongs for Improving SEO
Prong 1: On-Page SEO Approach starting with your service pages
This is probably what you hear me talk about the most. A lot of things fall into this category including headings, and subheadings. Including the right content on the page, internal links, potentially some external links, optimizing photos and so much more! I see optimizing your service pages in particular as “laying the foundation” for good SEO. If your SEO is built on the foundation of well-optimized service pages, it will be so much easier to get it ranking well. This is why we always start with optimizing the on-service pages. Then move to on-page optimization for other key pages on a website.
This is the prong we work on for our clients who purchase our “Done for You”packages.
Prong 2: Building Backlinks
In general, I think that building backlinks are one approach and one of the best strategies to give you long-ranking SEO power. Google assumes that if a lot of other websites are pointing to your website, it must have some pretty awesome, helpful content! In some fields, you need thousands and thousands of backlinks to get to the top for the keyword you target. In the field of mental health, we often need fewer because not as many therapists work on building backlinks. If you can get a couple of hundred backlinks you’ll be way ahead of many of your competitors…especially if you’re also working on Prong 1 & Prong 2.
This is the prong that is the hardest to outsource because Google has a policy that you shouldn’t pay for backlinks for the purpose of improving your ranking. There are a LOT of different ways you can get more backlinks to your website. Including everything from getting listed on resource lists to guest blogging or even posting open positions on strategic sites.
I’m actually offering an upcoming Building Backlinks training that will be a 2 part live Masterclass. This is where we’ll go over a lot of different strategies and approaches for ethically and effectively building backlinks to your site!
Which of these main three SEO strategies do I focus on?
Ultimately, I believe all three of these are really important for SEO on a therapist’s website. In a perfect world, you’d be working on all three prongs at the same time. What we often see clients do is hire us for our Done for You services. We get to work on Prong 1 right away by optimizing their service pages. Then other key pages on the site. Meanwhile, from our very first month, we’re sending them blog post ideas. This is so they can start creating blog posts that will really catapult them to the top of Google! Then, around month 3 our staff are starting to talk more about backlinks so they can begin building backlinks in an organic, really effective way.
Our goal is that 6 months into working on SEO, a therapist’s website has fully optimized key pages on their site, produced a variety of blog posts written strategically to enhance their SEO, had some of those blog posts fully optimized AND built some amazing organic blog posts!
Upcoming Training: Building Backlinks
Building Backlinks: Learn to ethically and effectively build backlinks to your psychotherapy website.
Backlinks are one of the most powerful tools you can use to improve your Search Engine Optimization. Even if you outsource your on-page optimization, you should still have a plan to work on organically increasing the number of
In this TWO part Masterclass, you’ll learn:
1. The importance of building your own backlinks
2. What types of backlinks are most valuable
3. A variety of techniques for building backlinks
4. What to do if a low-quality site happens to link to yours
*Webinar will take place on Thursday 7/2 and 7/9 from 1-2:15 Central Time and will cost only $59.
Register for our Building Backlinks 2 Part Webinar
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/SEO-Top-of-Search-Engines-Course.jpg10671600Jessicahttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngJessica2020-06-25 20:06:232022-11-16 20:46:53A 3 Prong Approach to SEO
You’ve heard the business coaches recommend you “niche down”
One of the earliest pieces of business advice I remember picking up as I went into private practice was that I was supposed to “niche down.” Since then, I’ve heard business coach after business coach in the mental health arena talk about this exact issue. They talk about how marketing to a specific “niche” will give you credibility, make you look like an expert and help you avoid burnout.
Does a therapist who has a specific niche rank better on Google?
In general, it’s easier for a therapist with a specific niche to get ranking well on Google quickly. A therapist with a clear picture of their ideal client can quickly identify long tail keywords based on the pain points their ideal clients are searching for. Then, you can create content on your website that speaks to those ideal clients and target the specific keywords they are searching for.
How does a therapy niche impact your SEO Strategy?
A specific niche allows you to identify long tail words to quickly target through blog posts
Keywords related to that niche can more naturally come up on a variety of pages of your site
Blog posts can be written around the pain points of your ideal clients
Photos can be chosen that represent your ideal client
You can write content that will appeal to the kind of client you want to attract
Other websites relevant to your population will be more likely to see you as an “expert” and backlink to your site
In general, I love when new clients have an ideal client identified or a specific niche! It just makes it easier for us to quickly develop a really effective SEO strategy! I also recommend completing a Storybrand brandscript when possible. We love when clients share those with us. They help us have a starting place for keyword research and often lend themselves to some great ideas for content to add to the site!
Is there such a thing as too narrow of a niche?
Based on SEO, I would say that the answer is that yes, sometimes it’s possible. Generally, if you live in a more densely populated area such as New York, London, Toronto or LA there are more people so even if it’s only a small portion searching for your “niche” you’ll still get in front of more of your ideal clients. Additionally, the competition for more broad keywords is higher making niching even more important.
On the other hand, if you live in rural Pennsylvania, too small of a niche can box yourself in. There are fewer people doing searches, so you may need to go more broad to pull in enough clients to fill your practice.
What if I change my “niche” or want to work with other types of counseling clients?
No problem! It is some work to start targeting a new population or niche on your website through SEO. However, it’s easier to target a new niche than it was the first go around, because you’ve already earned Google’s trust for something related to your field. Now, you’re just saying, “You already trust me to provide great information about X, how about you also trust me to provide information about Y?”
To target a new niche, you’ll begin by identifying new keywords. Then, you’ll add new content related to that niche such as a new service page and new blog posts. Lastly, you want to take a look at your home page and consider making tweaks there.
Tips for identifying your niche
Think of the client you felt MOST successful working with? Consider who you are the most effective helping them reach their goals
Consider any special trainings you’ve attended that give you more expertise in an area
Who are the clients you most look forward to seeing when they’re on your schedule?
What do the clients you dread working with have in common?
Tips for using your website to market to a niche
Make sure your home page speaks directly to that client!
Make sure your ideal clients are represented in the photos on your website
Regularly write blog posts with common questions you answer from potential clients
Optimize your website for keywords related to that niche. Do some decent keyword research to figure out what those clients are truly searching.
Where can I get help identifying my niche as a therapist?
If you want to identify a clear niche, I recommend talking to a business consultant. There are so many great ones out there for therapists! Some of my favorites for helping therapists identify a clear niche include Joe Sanok, Laura Long and Katie Read, but truly there’s a long list of people who can help.
This can be a tricky issue as you want a narrow enough niche that you can have clear marketing but a wide enough niche to bring in a large number of clients. My staff and I help private practice owners with this during our initial onboarding all of the time, and we can be particularly useful for doing the keyword research to see what people are looking up. However, I think it can be very helpful to start with talking to a business coach. They’re the experts at helping you identify that target audience and pain points. Then, we can take that information to find the right keywords.
Ultimately, you don’t just want a full caseload. You want a full caseload of the RIGHT clients. The people you’re excited to work with. The people you know you can be effective helping. That’s what this “niche” stuff really accomplishes. Happy, satisfied, energized and effective therapy!
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/bigstock-Plus-Size-Nice-American-Or-Asi-380527708.jpg11741600Jessicahttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngJessica2020-06-23 17:15:582024-06-11 19:54:13How Having a “Niche” Impacts Your SEO Strategy
If you’re like many private practices, you’ve noticed a dip in new client inquiries during the Covid-19 pandemic. You’re wanting to focus some on marketing but aren’t sure how. First of all, I recommend checking out Part 1 of this Comprehensive SEO guide where we addressed SEO as a long-term marketing strategy during Covid-19 and gave you our first few tips.
The truth is, we need to make adjustments in various areas of our business. SEO is one of those areas. Many of these tips are always good, but especially important to check on during this unique time.
Let’s go ahead and dive into some more strategies for working on SEO and using your website to market your services right now.
Update Google My Business
Google My Business and SEO go hand in hand. In general, a complete Google My Business listing will help you rank better on Google, and excellent SEO will help your listing be shown more in those top three. So, now is a great time to update your Google My Business listing! Add a note about how you’re offering online services, update your hours, etc. Show Google that you’re staying up to date and make sure the information clients find is accurate.
Focus on Conversions
There are fewer people searching for our services now during covid-19. Therefore, it’s more important than ever that you convert the clients who do find you in search results! The two areas to look at are improving your click-through rate (the number of people who “click” on your link when you show up in search results) and improving conversions to client inquiries when people are on your page.
To improve your click-through rate, I recommend taking a look at your meta descriptions. Make sure they are compelling and accurately describe what the person will find when they follow the link to your page.
To improve the conversions when someone does land on your page, take a look at your website design. Now is a great time to tweak your website design. Make sure you have a clear “call to action” button in the top right-hand corner like, “Schedule an intake” or “Call now.” If you’re considering a complete website redesign, you can take a look at our therapist resource page for a few designers we’ve worked with in the past.
Update Pages on Your Site People will Need Later
Consider updating pages right now you think might be relevant in the future with changes that have happened due to Covid-19. In other words, plan ahead for the searches people will be looking at. Another article I read this week agrees with this strategy of thinking of the future when determining our SEO strategy right now. It’s easy to just get reactive and make changes to a website out of fear and reaction to he changing market. However, it’s so important to be strategic and forward-looking when making changes!
How my private practice has anticipated future client needs
A therapist in my practice who does a lot of work around grief decided to use this time to get trained in an evidence-based trauma therapy she’s been eyeing. Why? Because she knows that coming out of this, there will be a lot of complicated, traumatic grief. There will be people who said goodbye to a loved one over the phone, family members who didn’t have the closure a funeral provides, and hospital staff who witnessed death.
Along those same lines, our practice decided it’s time to update/rewrite our grief page! I met with one of my clinicians to discuss this. Now, she’s working on a rough draft of what that will look like. Then, naturally, I’ll do the SEO work for it so we don’t lose our ranking when it’s rewritten. But it will be written with conversion in mind so that when people realize they need help processing the grief from the loss they’re experiencing now, they’ll see how we can help.
Nurture your audience
I think another thing to think about right now is the importance of building up trust with your community and audience. Even if people aren’t ready to actually call and begin therapy right now, you can begin to at least build positive associations in your community with the name of your practice.
For example, tonight I participated in a virtual telethon for our community relief efforts. I spoke about using grounding to cope with Covid related anxiety. Do I expect any calls off of that? Probably not right away. However, I’m hoping that people will begin to associate my practice name with helping the community. It’s planting seeds.
At some point in the future, people will look for counseling. When they do and see the name of my practice show up in search results they’ll think, “Oh, I’ve heard good things about Aspire.” They may not even remember what those specific “good things” were, but the positive association is there.
Other options for this include sending short, helpful information to your mailing list, giving mental health tips on social media and sharing the blog posts you’ve been writing.
Make sure your website is fast
Internet is being used in record numbers now during Covid-19. In many cases, people are overwhelming their internet. I spoke to another therapist who recently upgraded their internet speed at home and have it on my “to do” list to look into that for my own house this week. What does this mean for potential clients looking for our services? Their internet is already slower, so if technical issues are slowing down your site not only will it hurt your SEO, but may be even more frustrating to your clients than usual!
I recommend everyone puts their website through Google PageSpeed Insights from time to time. I’ll warn you right now that the results can be a little hard to understand. Therefore, you may just want to take a screen shot of your results and their suggestions, e-mail that to your website developer and ask what of these things they’d recommend targeting to improve your score.
Link Building
Link building is always an important strategy for SEO. I feel like I touch on this topic all the time. But, that is because building backlinks is effective. So, I’ve written several blog posts about this, talk about it 1:1 with SEO clients frequently and it’s often a topic of my weekly “Facebook Lives” in our closed FB group for clients.
What can you do to build backlinks right now? Getting on relevant directories is always a good strategy. And I’m often talking to therapists about guest blogging. But I think one of the biggest opportunities right now is being featured in the media. So, reach out to your local papers and TV stations and offer to be a source. Respond to some HARO inquiries. Offer to be on a local radio show. Participate in a podcast interview. People know mental health is important right now. And, when you serve as a source in these situations they will typically link back to your website in the online article or show notes.
SEO Training During Covid-19
For many of you, now is a great time to learn to optimize your own website. Investing that time to learn to manage your own SEO now can pay off for years ahead. I highly recommend our online SEO courses if you’re looking for a really affordable option. If you want more personalized support, you might consider our one-on-one 12-week SEO intensive. Or you can e-mail me at jessica@simplifiedSEOConsulting.com and let me know if you want to be included in a brief 4-week SEO mastermind we are considering. Lastly, if you’re just looking for a quick SEO strategy session or are an alumni looking for a quick update, we do offer those as well.
If you’re ready to dive in and learn search engine optimization, we’re here to help.
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/bigstock-Bearded-Hipster-Boy-Profession-285194413.jpg10671600Jessicahttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngJessica2020-04-29 06:49:342022-11-16 20:31:30The Guide to SEO Strategy for Therapists During Covid 19: Part 2
I’ve heard from many therapists over the last 6 weeks during Covid-19 that they’ve noticed a significant drop off in their new client inquiries. And, the truth is that across the board, my team and I have noticed a dip in organic search traffic for our clients in March and April. Some of our clients started noticing the impact of Covid-19 earlier and some later, but most have been impacted. However, it’s not just limited to our field. One of my favorite sources for news related to SEO, Neil Patel’s site, noted that organic traffic (in other words, website visits from people finding you on search engines) is down in most areas. I’ve certainly seen that looking at my own client’s data.
So…why isn’t the phone ringing?
Fewer people seem to be looking for mental health services.
Perhaps you’ve always had great SEO but have noticed the calls have dropped the past month. What’s up? Like this article says, we’ve noticed that Covid-19 is having a huge impact on search interest. You can see from the Google Trends graph above that in the United States searches for the terms “counseling” and “therapy” have actually dropped below the level of searches we see even during our most challenging “normal” weeks of the year. In other words, fewer people are searching for our services right now than do even the week of Christmas. The silver lining here is that as a country, searches do seem to be on a slight trend back upward, so people may be starting to search for mental health services again. As I’ve looked at individual states for my clients, I’ve certainly seen more of an upward trend in some parts of the country compared to others this week.
My theory is that people are still in shock
In that moment of shock, people are essentially in survival mode. There’s been a picture circulating on Facebook (I won’t share it here b/c I don’t have permission) with physiological needs and safety needs circled that says, “People are here.” And I think that’s accurate. People are worried about their own safety. They’re worried for their loved ones. There are concerns about job losses and how bills will be paid.
Right now, those things are outweighing mental health needs in the minds of many, so people aren’t able to put too much focus (yet) on psychological needs.
BUT this pandemic clearly has an impact on psychological needs. Eventually, things level off, people move out of a state of shock and feel like their immediate basic needs are met. At that point, I imagine we’ll see people looking for our services in very large numbers.
So…what do we do about SEO right now?
SEO is a Long Term Marketing Strategy
First of all, I think SEO is more critical than ever for a few reasons, because SEO is a long term marketing strategy. It’s not like pay per click advertising where the money you sink in right now won’t do much for you in the future. Rather, focusing on improving your search engine rankings right NOW will help you rank well for months, or likely, years to come. SEO takes time. Focusing on SEO now will set you up to be found by potential clients a few months from now.
Thinking Ahead
Why is this important? A few months from now, I predict people will be looking for mental health services in droves. Especially since we’re already starting to see that upward trend a little bit! Down the road, people will have moved past the immediate crisis phase. They will begin to realize the impact this whole pandemic has had on their mental health.
For example, people who lost loved ones will be struggling with complicated grief. Think about it for a moment. The virus impacts so many of the things people would usually do to come to terms with a loss and find closure. They likely couldn’t say goodbye to their loved one in the hospital. Funeral services may have been delayed or seriously altered. The time you’d usually spend at services sharing stories is now spent only comforting one another via phone or video chat. That will have an impact.
Another example is trauma. In my own practice, I often define trauma as “anything that overwhelms your normal ability to cope.” Yet, even by the DSM5’s more limited definition, this pandemic is going to count given that there is a fear of death associated with it.
Essentially, focusing on SEO right now is looking ahead to the future.
Waiting to “Return to Normal” Versus Adapting
Now, when I talk about SEO as a long term strategy, I’m afraid you’ll think that means it’s a matter of just waiting until people’s behavior “returns to normal.” But the truth is, I think it’s more about adapting. None of us has a magic ball to predict the future. But I think we can look at the impact we’re seeing right now (and check in frequently to see if data is changing) and then do our best to try to anticipate how Covid-19 will impact our clients for years to come.
How to Begin Adapting Your SEO Strategy Right Now
To be honest, I’ve waited so many weeks to write this blog, because I have been watching my own data and my clients’ data like a hawk. Google Trends has become my new best friend, which I’ll explain more below. And, I’ve been scouring the internet for information about the changes in SEO strategy while evaluating the source of everything I read. I wanted to make sure that the information I shared with you was high quality. But the truth is that week by week I’m changing my strategy with my own clients. My team and I are trying different things, talking to our clients and tweaking our strategy bit by bit.
And I think that’s how it’s going to be right now. I certainly don’t want to scare you away from trying SEO right now. The opposite actually. I want to encourage you to get on your site and start making changes NOW that will set your website up long term. But I do want to be honest with you that this is the best advice I can give you right at this moment. And most likely, next week on the closed Facebook group for my SEO clients I’ll be sharing a new tweak or change based on what I keep learning. So, work hard now but please don’t hold it against me if I’m giving different advice a month from now.
My Approach to SEO for Therapists Right Now
Post Truly Useful Content Related to Mental Health & Covid-19
If you’ve been following me recently, you know I’ve been a big advocate from day one that we as mental health professionals need to have a voice right now. I’ve pointed out that publishing useful content on your website about Covid-19 and mental health will help your ideal clients cope right now and have the added benefit of helping with your SEO.
Will I sound like a salesperson?
I heard someone express concern today that maybe they’ll come across as sleazy. However, I disagree. I mean, you absolutely could come across that way. But I don’t think most therapists will. The key is to write content that you truly believe will help your ideal client. It should come from a genuine desire to help and to share the knowledge you have with people who are struggling during covid-19. Because that’s the thing: people are struggling with anxiety, depression, relationship problems, feelings of isolation and trauma triggers right now. If we are speaking to those pains and offering truly helpful tips, how is that a bad thing?
Of course, if you write a blog post with the pure motivation of exploiting the virus it will come across that way. But I believe in you folx. I’ve seen the blog posts you all have written in the past. I’ve heard you talk about your clients. You CARE. So let that come across in your website copy. Show that you understand your clients’ pain. And also, show them that they don’t have to suffer alone.
That’s why you need to invest more time in the content component of the SEO….people need the information you have.
Another post I read earlier this week talking about SEO recommended that businesses “Focus on a message of comfort and hope….Now, in a time of crisis, you want to move your content efforts toward educational content that establishes trust.” I agree 100%. We can be providing education about mental health and about the impact we believe this crisis will have on our clients. We can offer comfort and hope. As a mental health provider, that is your specialty. So, don’t hesitate to stand up and add content to your website talking about this whether it’s a new service page for a crisis focused service you want to offer, a small blurb on your FAQ or online therapy page or a series of blog posts.
Will Google get mad at me for talking about Covid-19?
I heard this theory as well today. And I suppose I can’t say 100% that it won’t because I don’t own Google’s algorithm. Obviously, if they think you are trying to exploit the virus, that would be a “no no” for Google. But if you see my advice above, you’ll notice I’m not too worried about you doing that. Your website is about mental health. So, if you are writing a blog post about mental health and the coronavirus, Google will be able to see that the content is related to your site and legit, meaningful content. In fact, yet another article about SEO during Covid 19 gave the advice that pretty much every business should have a page on its site related to the coronavirus.
Now, I will add one word of caution here. You don’t want to “keyword stuff.” An example of keyword stuffing would be if I put the phrase “Covid-19” ALL over this page. If it was mentioned in pretty much every sentence, Google would see that clearly I was trying to rank well for that term and might actually be less likely to rank me for it. So…mention the pandemic, the virus and talk about the impact, but don’t try to fit that keyword in 5,000 times. Honestly, I see more therapists use keywords too infrequently than too often.
Secure Your Website
A couple years ago, Google acknowledged that it gives preferential treatment to websites that are “secure.” This is always something you should do (again, google prefers it), but it seems especially important right now as I’ve read there may be an increase in people trying to hack your website. Whether or not that’s true, it’s a pretty easy fix so I think everyone should look into doing this.
There’s an easy way to tell if your website is secure. Just check to see if it begins with, “Https://”. If the “s” is missing, your site is not secure. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to fix. It’s different for different platforms, so I won’t get into specifics here. However, if you Google “how to add a security certificate to a (Wix/Wordpress/SquareSpace) website” you should find some step by step instructions. Or, better yet, you can e-mail your website developer if you have one.
The truth is that covid-19 IS having an impact on the words people are searching for. So, it may be time to tweak the keywords you are targeting. For instance, I’ve spent two years advising therapists not to target the keyword Telehealth, because nobody was searching for it. Guess what? There has been a HUGE spike in people searching for Telehealth the last couple of months. Now, you might still not want to target Telehealth as it’s a pretty general term. In fact, many people using that search term might be looking for a primary care physician to get a COVID-19 test instead of mental health services. However, my point is to be purposeful in choosing which keywords you are targeting. Keep in mind that the keywords you target today may be different than the keywords you were targeting a few months ago.
I believe therapists can learn SEO. I also believe not every therapist wants to or that it’s really the best use of their time. If you’re just not sure what will get you the best return on investment right now, go ahead and schedule a free Zoom consultation with us and we’ll take a look at your site together and figure out what will help you the most!
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/learn-seo-online-for-therapists-1.jpeg7101044Jessicahttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngJessica2020-04-27 13:03:012022-11-16 20:21:42The Guide to SEO Strategy for Therapists During Covid-19: Part 1
I’m an advocate. It’s core to my heart to help others in a very specific way. Using my role and voice, power and privilege, education and experiences. In all ways/levels, I truly believe we can make a difference when we engage with folks in a meaningful and respectful way. This can happen through individual advocacy, groups, and systems advocacy.
Everyone in the Process Has a Job To Do
One of the great things about advocacy is that every person in the room or system has a role. When everyone works within their role, allowing each other to do their jobs as efficiently and effectively as possible, the client is served well.
For example, as an advocate for survivors of rape and sexual assault, we would work with all sorts of systems and people. Doctors, law enforcement, parents, attorneys, judges, etc. If they are each able to focus on their work, and I can focus on the survivor, we are all more able to seek justice and a fair process.
As a birth doula, the same thing applies. If I get in the way or start pushing an agenda, the flow of the client’s birth will be disrupted.
Of course, there are a million other examples. But, what does this have to do with SEO?
For SEO, every piece of the website and the technical components of the process have a different job to do in order to get your therapy website in front of the potential therapy clients who are already looking for you.
Who Are the Key Players for Therapy Website SEO?
So, let’s break this down a bit. Today, we’ll talk about three key players in the “website lead generation to new client for your therapy practice” process:
The Potential Client
Search Engines
Your therapy website
In the future, we might break this into even more pieces, but let’s keep it relatively simple for now, shall we? Great. Here we go.
Potential Therapy Client:
This key player is the most “key.” Your client is the “hero” here and the one who is driving the car. Steering the ship. Conducting the train. Whatever you want to call it…they are the person who is going to make everything else necessary. The job of the potential client is to accurately articulate the needs they have at the time they have them. This is WAY easier sounding than how it actually happens though.
So, what might an exhausted, anxious new mom who has just experienced a traumatic birth followed by an unexpected NICU stay dealing with postpartum depression search for at 3 am?
…
…
…go ahead, jot some ideas down!
That was harder to come up with than you may have originally thought, right? Same here. Here’s what I wrote down:
“Counseling for new moms”
“Therapy for postpartum”
“New baby stress”
“New mom stress”
“Birth and postpartum counseling”
“Help for mom of newborn”
Now, I’m immersed in the birth world right now. That might not make me the best person to determine what people might be searching for, which is where keyword research comes in! I can take this list of possible ideas, plug them into a keyword finder tool and get some additional data to support the search terms I think people might be looking for.
The potential client in this example will probably plug those into a search engine as a question, or add something like, “near me” to the end of those phrases above. That’s their job. (I didn’t even get into the fact that it might have taken days, weeks or even months for that person to both identify that they need help and then finally type those tough words in on their screen…what a big job they’ve already done to get here.)
Search Engine:
The job of the search engine is relatively simple. Ultimately, they have to take the information we type into the search field and try to determine what we are really looking for. Well, that’s what we’d like them to do, right? (Read my mind, please!!!)
Of course, there’s a complicated algorithm and the influence of ads that will come into play here. But, ultimately, the search engine’s bots are charged with scanning websites for keywords and phrases that perfectly match the terms that stressed-out potential clients and loved ones are searching for at all hours of the day and night. Aren’t you glad you’re not one of these bots? It’s overwhelming when you think about it!
Search engines have a lot to do with the way therapy websites are found by potential clients. That’s why we spend so much time dissecting every little thing they are looking for and trying to make their job easier.
Your Therapy Website:
Did you expect me to start here? I certainly could have! You know this is the key player who we spend the most time helping. It’s also the ONLY part of this process that you have direct control over. That’s important to know and truly acknowledge. Tough, right? Especially for those of us who are a bit on the “control freak” end of the spectrum. I get it. Look forward to a post about how we do “therapy for websites” soon!
In the meantime, let’s focus on your website’s job:
To clearly present who you can help, with what issue(s) and how you will help them.
Then, you need to give them a clear way to get that help from you. This is why we focus on the service pages, the approaches and the call to action pieces of your website! All of these, when done well, will help ensure that the other players in this process can do their jobs and connect to you.
So, Are YOU the Advocate? Or, Do You Want Some Help?
So, who is the “advocate” in this scenario? Well, that’s sort of up to you to determine! With time, training and practice, you can be the advocate here. There are a number of things you can do to help your website rank. We’ve written a number of blog posts about them, and have extensive training available online and in-person intensives to help you short-cut the learning process.
Danica Wolf is an MSW who has years of experience in the mental health field herself first providing advocacy and then directing our local relationship and sexual violence prevention center. She spent years managing the website for that center as well as for own business as a Doula. Since joining the Simplified SEO Consulting team, Danica has quickly become a favorite among our clients! She loves interacting with small business owners around the world and watching their business grow as they start ranking well on websites! Seriously, she loves hearing client success stories! Danica takes a very client-centered approach to optimizing, making sure that websites not only rank well on Google but truly serve the needs of clients who visit the site. She is our Lead SEO Specialist and helps review website pages others have optimized to ensure every website is gaining as much traction as possible!
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Search-Engine-KnowsMore-for-Advocacy-and-SEO.jpg405540Danica Wolfhttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngDanica Wolf2020-03-10 08:00:572021-03-15 20:45:26Advocacy and SEO…What’s the Connection?
Did you know that Google prefer to rank content that is easier to read? Google gives preferential treatment to pages that they feel have useful information. And, they will rank pages higher if they feel the page provides the reader with the answers they are searching for. Additionally, poor readability can have a pretty negative impact on your bounce rate. This means readers will likely bounce off your page in favor of one that is easier to read. This, in turn, affects your SEO.
Look, website visitors are looking to you, as a professional, to make topics easier to understand. They’re often exhausted when they’re looking at your website. And it can be hard to keep their attention. So, they want something they can quickly skim and pick up some valuable content. Google knows this. And that’s why they pay attention to a website’s readability.
What factors influence readability?
Currently, Yoast, which is an SEO tool available to WordPress users that we love, considers seven factors in their readability score. These are transition words, consecutive sentence beginnings, paragraph length, subheading distribution, sentence length, the use of a passive voice, and Flesch reading ease. I want to dive into these seven factors. So, I will provide a little more explanation of what we consider when we examine the readability on a page we work on.
Transition Words:
Transition words are important to readability because they help your text flow. They also create a more positive experience for your reader. They tell your reader what they can expect and what is coming next. Some examples of transition words include: therefore, so, ultimately, but, in other words, also, and, because. You can find a list of transition words here.
Consecutive Sentences:
Repetition can be annoying. Therefore, starting your sentences with the same word can cause the reader to find your writing style irritating. This might make them bounce off your page which hurts your SEO. If you find that this is an issue for you, try working in a transition word at the beginning of one sentence!
Paragraph Length and Sentence Length:
I think this is one thing many people struggle with, especially therapists who talk for a living. I know I do! But long sentences and long paragraphs are hard to read. So, they need to be broken up. If your sentences are long, this provides another opportunity to break them up with a transition word. If your paragraphs are too long, use this as an opportunity to create another subheading and get in another keyword. On average, we want paragraphs to have no more than 120 words, and a sentence to have 20 words or less.
Subheading Distribution:
Subheadings are important for several reasons. Subheadings provide a great opportunity to target keywords you are trying to rank for. Also, they matter from an accessibility standpoint. And finally, they help your reader scan the page to find the information they are searching for.
Passive Voice:
Using a passive voice makes your text seem less clear. It can make it appear that you have less knowledge of the topic you are writing about. Therefore, using an active voice is important to help your text be more approachable and easier to understand.
Flesch Reading Ease
I saved this one for last. Because, in my opinion, it is the most difficult and more important factor impacting readability. The key factors impacting your Flesch Reading Ease score are sentence length and words that are hard to understand or have too many syllables. One important thing to keep in mind when considering reading ease is the situation that brings your ideal client to your page. How they are feeling? What kind of content do they want to see? Would every client want to read technical language and psychological jargon? Probably not, they just want help and answers to what they are searching for.
Good Readability Does Not Make You Seem Unprofessional. Actually, It Makes You Approachable
One concern many of our SEO clients share regarding reading ease is “I see well-educated/professional clients, so I don’t want to come off as unprofessional or simple.” We get that. But, you have to stop for a second and think about the situation that is bringing your client to your page. Most likely if they are looking for psychological services they are experiencing challenges in their life or they may even be in crisis. At this moment, they may not be in the right frame of mind to read something that is overly technical and has big words. They just want to find the help or answers they are looking for. For example, a professional businesswoman who is having a panic attack at 3 am doesn’t want to read a page with language that seems like it came out of a published research study.
So when you write, try to keep your language on the simple side and your sentences short. Avoid using big technical terms. Here’s a tip that Jessica always gives our clients when she talks about readability: think about explaining your point to your middle school nephew at a barbeque. If they could not understand it, then it may be too hard to read.
Readability is important in making you seem approachable and knowledgeable on the subject you are writing about. Remember, a search engine does its best to think as a human would think, so they will rank pages that they think will be most helpful to the people searching. Therefore, we encourage you to keep these seven things in mind as you write your next service page or blog post!
Let’s Get You Ranking Well! Begin Optimizing Your Website with Simplified SEO Consulting
Improving your SEO and ranking better on search engines doesn’t have to be complicated. We make it simple! We offer a variety of SEO services and learning opportunities to best suit your needs. To get started optimizing your private practice website, please follow these simple steps:
Speak to one of our SEO specialists. During a free consultation call, we will help you determine what service or package is the best fit for your private practice,
Rank better on Google and get more clients!
Other SEO Services offered by Simplified SEO Consulting
Simplified SEO Consulting is pleased to offer you a variety of SEO services designed to meet your needs as an owner of a private mental health practice. We know you’re busy, so you may not want to optimize your website. Therefore, we offer a popular Done for You SEO Services. With this package, our team of SEO specialists will optimize your page for you. Additionally, we offer alumni packages for folks who are looking to sustain and maintain great rankings. If you are the do-it-yourself type, we can help you rank well too. We have SEO training packages designed to teach you the skills you need to get your website ranking well including our “Top of Google” online course. Ready to get started? Book a free SEO Consultation to decide which service is best for your practice.
I guess because I’m the SEO guru, when I start talking about blog posts, people assume they’re just to help you rank better on Google. In fact, I’ve had many private practice owners say, “Nobody will ever read my blog posts anyway.”
Talk like that breaks my heart!
The truth is, I see blog posts as a way we can better serve our clients! In fact,
3 Important Reasons to Write Blog Posts That Aren’t Directly Related to SEO
Yes, writing regular blog posts helps with SEO. But it does so much more! Here are three MORE reasons to write blog posts!
Blog post use #1: To help current clients
I’ve written many blog posts that even 2+ years later I still assign as “homework” for my clients. In other words, I try to write blog posts about topics that really matter to my clients! My old rule of thumb was that if I had the same conversation with more than 2 clients in a day, I needed a blog post on that topic. So, I have blog posts on how to talk to someone about your sexual assault, how to validate your teenager, what to do if you wake up from a nightmare, basic sleep hygiene and SO MANY OTHERS. These are topics that I wrote about to genuinely help my clients!
Blog post use #2: To help potential clients
I feel like Danica addressed this one well in her recent blog post. She talked about choosing blog post topics that are timely for where you clients are in that moment. Remember in January when I wrote a blog post on setting realistic marketing goals for 2020? That was timed so it could really meet business owners where they were in that moment. Maybe for February you’re going to write one on 3 tips for surviving Valentine’s Day when you’re single. Or in May you’ll write one for coping with grief around Mother’s Day when you’re mother has passed away. Again, truly helpful blog post topics.
Blog Post use #3: To help people who will never come through your doors
The truth is that the blog posts on my private practice website reach people all over the world. I can tell from Google Analytics that there are a LOT of people finding my blog posts around the world thanks to our excellent SEO. Those people are reading my posts, and I hope they’re finding something helpful in there. I like to think that these tips I’m giving out are truly helping people all over who aren’t anywhere near Missouri and therefore will never be my counseling client. But I’ve expanded my impact just by writing those blog posts…
I hope our blog posts fall into all three of these categories!
For all of these reasons, I train my staff at Simplified to know that blog posts are really so much more than just an SEO tool. When they write their blog posts, I want them to assume that people WILL read them. Sometimes, we e-mail links to our blog posts to current clients to follow up on conversations we’ve had. Other times, someone on our mailing list will read a blog post and decide to sign up for our services. And then, I know there are a number of you who read these posts but haven’t yet signed up for our online course, attended one of our trainings or asked us to optimize your site. And that’s great. We’re helping you grow your business and expanding our impact.
Bonus Tip: How to Write A Long Enough Blog Post
As the SEO space has become more competitive, the minimum requirements for competitive blog posts have also increased. While therapists could usually get away with having at least 500 words per post at a minimum, in 2023, that number has increased to around 750-1000 words. This allows you to elaborate more on specific topics or services you offer and can help show that you are knowledgeable in your field.
https://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Blog-photo.jpg10671600Jessicahttps://simplifiedseoconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Simplified-SEO-Logo-1-300x84.pngJessica2020-02-10 08:37:122023-04-30 23:03:35Are blog posts just for SEO?
Announcing Simplified SEO Consulting's Quarterly Charity Connection
Simplified SEO Consulting Gives Back
At Simplified SEO Consulting, connection means more than links — it’s about people. In a world that can feel divided, we choose compassion, action, and community.
That’s why we launched our Quarterly Charity Connection, supporting causes that bring real change.
This quarter, we’re honored to partner with Feeding America — helping fight hunger for children, adults, and families nationwide.
How You Can Help
Make a free-will donation directly to Feeding America. After donating, forward your receipt to donations@simplifiedseoconsulting.com so we can celebrate our shared impact.
As a Thank You For Your Contribution
And as a thank-you, gifts of $75 or more receive a custom blog post from our team.
Together, we can feed hope — one person, one meal, one act of kindness at a time.
Your home page
Interesting question. I believe the answer is yes, but it will evolve. Optimizing for Google might not be the priority anymore. It might be optimizing for Youtube, which is similar, but different. SEO is all about getting in front of your ideal clients, so this means optimizing your content on the places they search for services. Likewise, it may mean tweaking how we optimize now and learning new techniques to appease Google’s ever-changing algorithms.
Start with
Online directories
This is a very personal question. So, my answer depends on this question: How much time and effort are you willing to put into optimizing your own website? If you are a data nerd like our 
Thank you so much for following along and reading through this blog. I hope you found the answers to your questions, but if not, please contact us. Our talented team of SEO experts would be thrilled to answer your question and talk about what services might be a great fit for your business. Follow these three steps to begin ranking better on Google.
Discuss SEO strategy with you during our monthly planning calls
Update Google My Business
Link Building
To be honest, I’ve waited so many weeks to write this blog, because I have been watching my own data and my clients’ data like a hawk. Google Trends has become my new best friend, which I’ll explain more below. And, I’ve been scouring the internet for information about the changes in SEO strategy while evaluating the source of everything I read. I wanted to make sure that the information I shared with you was high quality. But the truth is that week by week I’m changing my strategy with my own clients. My team and I are trying different things, talking to our clients and tweaking our strategy bit by bit.
Keep Up to Date with Keyword Research
One of the great things about advocacy is that every person in the room or system has a role. When everyone works within their role, allowing each other to do their jobs as efficiently and effectively as possible, the client is served well.
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