By Amanda Holmberg MS LMFT

Owner/Therapist, Sexual Wellness Institute 

 

Are you a therapist who is brand new to this whole SEO for therapists thing? As a therapist who is not “techy,” I was surprised at how fast I learned what these three letters meant and why they are so important.

SEO = Search Engine Optimization. If your website has “good” SEO it means Google thinks you have good and relevant information on your website and will place you higher on search results for certain keywords. 

What are Keywords? Keywords are words that clients use to search for something in Google. If they are looking for a therapist, they might search for words like, “couples therapist near me” or “depression counseling”. If your practice serves couples or individuals who are depressed, you’d want Google to put you on the first page for clients searching those keywords so that they can find you, and schedule with you!

 

How do you get on the first page of Google for the services your practice provides? I learned SEO for therapists from working with Simplified SEO Consulting, and I will now share these SEO tips with you!

 

BlogShows a therapist writing a blog while drinking coffee. Symbolizes how seo consulting supports therapists blogging to boost their SEO and reach their ideal clients.

Yes, I know it’s annoying. I know we’ve heard it a million times. But it is so so important to blog for several reasons. 

  1. A way to get more keywords on your website
  2. A way to establish yourself as an expert in your specialty areas
  3. Give clients something to try if they aren’t ready to start therapy yet
  4. Attracts visitors to your website
  5. Google favors websites that have regular updates and fresh content 

 

SEO Tips for Creating a Blog

 

  1. Don’t make it too hard for yourself. Think of things you are always repeating over and over to your clients and write them out in a clear and concise way.
  2. Resist the urge to be “perfect”. Your writing doesn’t have to be academic, in fact, it shouldn’t be. Google doesn’t like that and neither do clients. Your writing also doesn’t have to be the best thing you’ve ever written. Get your thoughts out, proof it once, and be done with it. The point is to get information out to your clients and also get keywords on your website. That’s it. 
  3. Use “tips” and numbered lists Ex: 5 Ways to Improve your anxiety RIGHT Now!”
  4. Blogs should be at least 500-600 words
  5. Use headers to separate paragraphs to make it easier to read
  6. Link to other pages on your website or other blogs in your blog
  7. Share on all of your social media
  8. Blog regularly and consistently. Blogging once per week or once per month consistently is way better than blogging 7 days in a row and then nothing for a month. 

Service PagesShows a client searching for a therapist's service pages. Represents why our team at Simplified SEO Consulting says "Yes" when therapists ask "is seo important for therapists".

 

Service pages are headers at the top of your website that lead to pages that give clients more information about your services. These should be very specific. I am a relationship and sex therapist and my services pages are things like “desire concerns”, “marriage counseling”, and “sexual trauma therapy”. 

Each specialty in your practice needs a page with at least 500 words on it. This page will include “pain points” (what clients with this issue may be feeling), how you treat the issue, and what outcomes the client can expect by entering into therapy with you. Please see my service pages for examples!

 

Add information about your location throughout the website

 

Make sure you have a header with “Our location” or “Our office” that has a Google map linked with your address. Your address should also be at the bottom of every page. Another one of these more local SEO tips is that you should also list cities or landmarks that you are close to, as Google likes this. It shows that you really know the area and convinces Google that you are really located there. This strategy is a part of Local SEO.

Create a Google Business ProfileShows the Google My Business Profile app on someone's phone. Represents how SEO consulting encourages therapists to sign up for a Google My Business Profile.

 

A Google business profile is another way to show up on Google. This is where a few different businesses are listed upon searching for something with the map above it. This is also another way to legitimize your business.

Create your profile by following this link   https://www.google.com/business/

 

Don’t do all these things at once or you are sure to get overwhelmed. Pick one of these SEO tips and work on it for a couple of weeks. Then move on to the next. You got it! Sending you and your business high-ranking vibes!

Interested in SEO Consulting?

Learning SEO Marketing for therapists and receiving SEO consulting can really help boost your private practice’s rankings. If you’re looking for SEO support, we would love to support you in reaching your ideal clients and the top of Google’s rankings. When you’re ready to begin SEO consulting, 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. Follow us on InstagramFacebook, and YouTube! Or join our newsletter to keep up-to-date on SEO tips!
  4. Begin using these SEO tips to boost your rankings today!

About the AuthorShows Amanda Holmberg MS LMFT. She has learned SEO marketing for therapists and is excited to share her SEO tips.

Amanda Holmberg, MS LMFT is a Clinic Director/Owner of Sexual Wellness Institute. With a Master’s in Marriage & Family Therapy, Amanda teaches as an adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She has extensive experience in working with sexual concerns, trauma, and EMDR therapy. Amanda is passionate about helping couples, individuals, and non-traditional relationships (poly, swinging, open marriages, kink, etc.). She also works with high-conflict couples, those considering divorce, and blended families. Amanda is dedicated to making her clients feel comfortable and confident in therapy. She offers free consultation appointments and provides supervision, internships, and consultation to therapists.

Maintaining your rankings in Google can take time to achieve lasting success and involve a number of different strategies.

A graphic of a local map with the pin “you are here”. Learn how to rank on Google for therapists and the support a heatmap can offer for private practice SEO today. SEO for private practices can offer support. The same can also be said for supporting your rankings on a more localized level. It’s important to ensure you show up for folks outside of the normal service area that may not find you without the help of Google. But, it is equally important to ensure that the people in your surrounding community can also find your private practice. When you see that your heatmap rankings are dropping, this means your target keywords are dropping in those areas on Google Maps. While this is discouraging, there are a number of things you can do to counteract your target keywords dropping in on your heatmap. So, today we are going to discuss some of the best ways you can bounce back when you experience a dip in your Google Map rankings.

With these tips, I should preface this is assuming that you’ve already optimized your Google Business Profile with all necessary information including NAP info, photos of your practice and team, images representing your practice, etc. Ensuring your GBP is up to date is always a good first step when you experience a change in your data. 

Also, we won’t reference reviews in this blog

This is due to the unique nature of therapy and the relationship between counselor and client. While getting reviews and engaging with them is always great for the health of your Google Business Profile, receiving ethically sourced reviews is most important. Without further ado, let’s get into tips to counteract dropping heatmap rankings.

Create Localized Media

While it can take some time to respond to dropping keywords, one of the best ways to sustain your heatmap rankings is by creating new media that are hyper-focused on specific areas around your practice. When you see that keywords are dropping for a particular location, creating content that is centered around the areas in which data is dropping is a great way to incorporate your target keywords while telling Google where you want to focus on ranking on Google Maps. 

Creating blog posts and other types of content can help you highlight local events, landmarks, and neighboring businesses. These may include videos, social media posts, or Google Business Profile posts, and can allow you to naturally work specific locations into your blogs. For example, a clinician focusing on couples therapy may see their rankings dropping on Google Maps for couples therapy-related keywords on the south side of the town. If so, they may decide to create a post that highlights parks in the area for date ideas. By doing so, the clinician provides information for google describing the keywords they want to rank for (couples therapy), and the location they want to sustain their rankings (south part of town).

You can also make existing blogs more personal!

In addition to creating new localized blogs, you can also optimize existing content on the site as well! Doing so can help you include more location indicators in blog/page titles, headings, subheadings, and content throughout your site. However, it is important to keep in mind how often you are including location info and keywords. Sprinkling indicators where it feels natural are important to remember so you avoid content from sounding artificial or out of place.

A graphic showing interconnected points on a board. This could represent building links to improve heatmap rankings. Learn SEO for private practices by searching for “google business profile in counseling” to learn more. Building Local Links

Another way you can help to counteract heatmap is by working on creating more links to the websites of local businesses or publications in your area. Getting featured in a blog post from another site can also be a great way to support local SEO for private practices. One way you can accomplish this is by reaching out to another local business to see if they would be open to putting links to each other’s sites. This can provide both businesses with a new backlink and can be a win-win in many cases.

Check Out the Competition

An additional tactic you may use is looking at your competitors for ideas on what you may need to change to support your private practice SEO on a local level. This may come in the form of checking out what blog topics are on their site. You can gain new ideas for posts, get a sense of other topics you may not have previously thought of, and learn of adjustments you may need to make for your own local SEO strategy. 

Consider Your Social Media Presence and Keywords

It won’t make sense for every clinician to have a social media presence for their practice. But, for practices that have a more external presence, easier it is to connect and provide regular updates to those around you. This can also help you become more recognizable to those around you as well. 

In addition, it is also worth taking the time to take an inventory of the keywords you are focusing on locally. Some may be hot ticket keywords that everyone wants to rank for like “counseling near me”, and will take a considerable amount of time and effort to rank for. But, others you are focusing on may not be as relevant to the services you want to rank for on a local level. For example, you probably wouldn’t want to show up for something like “online therapy near me” if you only offer in-person services. You likely wouldn’t want to rank for such a keyword due to the nature of online therapy occurring from remote areas, or locations outside your local scope. 

Begin Improving Local SEO for Private Practices with Simplified SEO Consulting


A graphic depicting local SEO including Google Maps. Learn how to rank on Google for therapists and the support heatmaps can offer for private practice SEO today. SEO for private practices can offer support. Our team of caring therapists would be happy to support you in maintaining and sustaining both your Google Search results and Google Maps rankings. We offer a variety of services to support you and help grow your practice on a local level. You can start working with us by following these steps:

  1. Apply to work with Simplified SEO Consulting
  2. Meet with an SEO specialist.
  3. Start improving your local heatmap rankings!

Other Services Offered With Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team at Simplified SEO Consulting is happy to offer support in a number of ways. We can offer support in improving local SEO for therapists as well as DIY Online SEO Courses. We also offer Done For You SEO services, and a Done With You 12-week Intensive SEO program as well. Feel free to visit our blog to learn more today!

About the Author

Sterling smiles while posing for the camera. He offers support in improving local SEO for private practices. Learn more about private practice SEO and improving your Google Business Profile in Counseling today with Simplified SEO Consulting.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 with extra problem-solving support. He often goes the extra mile to do outside research and make sure private practice owners have everything they need to rank well on search engines long-term for the keywords their ideal clients are using!

In today’s digital age, the internet has become an invaluable resource for individuals seeking healthcare information and services. As a healthcare practitioner, your online presence can significantly impact your practice’s success. This is where Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes into play. In this article, we’ll explore the vital role of medical SEO and why it’s crucial for healthcare practices.

What is SEO and Why Should I Care?

Let’s start with the basics. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s the practice of optimizing your online content to improve its visibility on search engines like Google. When people search for healthcare-related information or services, they turn to search engines, making SEO a fundamental part of your online strategy.

SEO operates on the premise that higher visibility on search engine result pages (SERPs) translates to more website visitors. The higher your website ranks, the more likely it is that potential patients will find and choose your services. In essence, SEO bridges the gap between your practice and individuals actively searching for medical information or providers.

In other words, SEO is anything you do on or off your website to help it show up more often in search engine results. And the more often it shows up in search engine results, the more often you’ll be found by potential patients.

Why is SEO so Powerful for Private Practices in the Healthcare Field?

SEO wields considerable power in the digital realm, primarily due to the dominance of search engines as the go-to source for information. Consider this: when you need to find a local doctor, dentist, or specialist, what’s the first thing you do? You likely perform a quick online search, and this behavior is mirrored by countless others.

Search engines have revolutionized how individuals make healthcare decisions. They provide immediate access to an abundance of information, allowing people to research symptoms, diagnoses, treatment options, and healthcare providers. When your practice ranks high on search engine results, you become more visible to these individuals actively seeking medical services.

Furthermore, SEO offers a distinct advantage by focusing on organic traffic. Unlike paid advertising, where you pay for clicks or impressions, SEO aims to enhance your website’s ranking naturally. This means that when your site ranks well, you can attract a steady stream of visitors without ongoing financial commitments.

Why is medical SEO important in healthcare?

Medical SEO isn’t just about optimizing your website; it’s about connecting with patients who genuinely need your services. Healthcare professionals often serve specific geographic areas, making local SEO an invaluable component of their digital strategy.

Whether you’re a physician, pediatrician, speech-language pathologist (SLP), psychiatrist, or chiropractor, your patients are typically located within a defined geographic region. SEO helps you reach these patients effectively. It ensures that when someone in your area searches for medical services related to your expertise, your practice appears prominently in their search results.

What are the best practices for Healthcare SEO?

To succeed in medical SEO, adopting best practices is crucial. These practices encompass ethical considerations, delivering valuable content, on-page optimization, and consistent monitoring of your SEO strategies. In the healthcare industry, where trust and credibility are paramount, adhering to ethical SEO guidelines is essential.

The words SEO optimization on a white brick wall with an arrow going up. Want to improve your healthcare SEO and grow your business? Our specialists can help you understand SEO in healthcare and utilize it.

Providing valuable content tailored to your patient’s needs is another cornerstone of successful healthcare SEO. Educational blog posts, informative service pages, and patient resources demonstrate your expertise and address the questions and concerns of potential patients.

On-page optimization is the technical aspect of SEO that involves optimizing meta descriptions, incorporating relevant healthcare SEO keywords, using subheadings to improve page structure, optimizing images, and including internal links. These actions enhance your website’s visibility and user experience.

Regularly updating and monitoring your SEO strategies is vital in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Staying informed about the latest trends and search engine algorithms ensures that your medical SEO efforts remain effective.

SEO Trends in Healthcare

The field of medical SEO is not static. It evolves alongside changes in technology, search engine algorithms, and user behavior. In recent years, we’ve witnessed emerging trends that impact healthcare SEO significantly:

Voice Search Optimization: With the proliferation of voice-activated devices, optimizing your content for voice search is becoming increasingly important. Patients may use voice commands to search for healthcare information or services, and your website should be ready to respond.

User Experience and Core Web Vitals: Search engines prioritize websites that provide a positive user experience. This includes fast loading times, mobile-friendliness, and adherence to core web vitals, which measure the overall user experience. Meeting these criteria can boost your rankings.

SEO Empowers Your Medical Practice to Help Patients

In conclusion, medical SEO plays an indispensable role in the healthcare industry. It empowers healthcare practices to connect with patients actively seeking their services online. By understanding and implementing the best practices of SEO, healthcare professionals can enhance their online visibility, build trust with patients, and ultimately grow their practices. In the evolving landscape of healthcare SEO, staying informed about emerging trends and adapting your strategies is key to long-term success.

Simplified SEO Consulting: A Medical SEO Company for Private Practices

At Simplified SEO Consulting, we recognize the unique challenges of medical SEO and offer comprehensive solutions tailored to your practice’s needs. Our holistic approach integrates  SEO with your overall digital strategy, ensuring that you reach the right audience effectively. We specialize in SEO for small local businesses in the healthcare industry, SEO for functional medicine doctors, and SEO for medical practices. So, if you’re ready to explore the benefits of our various SEO packages for healthcare practitioners, we invite you to schedule a free consultation with our SEO specialists. We offer SEO training options as well as a couple of different options for outsourcing your SEO to us depending on whether you enjoy writing your own content or would like us to do copywriting for you as well as optimizing. The bottom line is, we’re here to partner with you and help you reach more of your ideal patients. Boost your online presence and connect with patients who need your expertise.

As a mental health professional who owns their own practice, you may have heard “Google 3-pack” being thrown around. It’s especially important when it comes to where your website ranks. But what exactly is a Google 3-pack, and why should you care about it when it comes to finding your ideal client? In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of the Google 3-pack. As well as how you can improve your rankings as a private practice to appear in it and maintain them.

What is a Google 3-Pack?

First, let’s define what the Google 3-pack is. When an ideal client searches for a local service, such as “anxiety therapy in Little Rock, AR”, Google will often display a box at the top of the search results page (SERPs) with three practices that fit the search criteria. This area of the SERPs is known as the Google 3-pack. It’s a highly coveted spot for practices that want to be displayed first. When you appear at the top of the SERPs you will more than likely see an increase in calls or clicks as most searchers will use the 3-pack to find what they are looking for before they continue scrolling down the search results.

So as a mental health professional, why is it important to rank in the Google 3-pack for your practice? For starters, it’s a great location for your practice to appear on the search results page. Most searchers don’t bother scrolling past the first few results that show up in the SERPs. So appearing in the 3-pack can greatly increase your chances of getting noticed by potential ideal clients. Photo of an African American man smiling while working on his laptop. Learn tips to improve your rankings and how you can get your practice ranking in the Google 3-pack.

It Gives Your Practice Credibility

Another important reason for appearing in the Google 3-pack is that it can lend credibility to your practice. Google’s algorithm takes many different factors into account when determining which practices to display in its 3-pack. It considers the business’s proximity to the searcher, the number of reviews and ratings it has, and the relevance of the business’s website to the keywords being searched for. If your business appears in the 3-pack, it’s a signal to potential clients that you’re a reputable and trustworthy business.

Ready to learn how you can improve your rankings to appear in the Google 3-Pack? Here are a few tips:

Tips For Improving Your Rankings in Google’s 3-Pack

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is an important factor in determining whether your practice appears in the Google 3-pack. Always make sure your profile is complete and accurate. This includes your business name, address, and phone number (also known as NAP). Use relevant keywords in your practice description. Also, be sure to select the appropriate categories for your practice as well. 

Improve Your Website’s SEO

While your Google Business Profile is important, it’s not the only factor that determines your rankings. Your website’s SEO (search engine optimization) also plays an important role in your rankings. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly, has a fast loading speed, and includes relevant keywords in your content. Be sure to create high-quality content that addresses the needs and concerns of your ideal clients, such as blog posts about common mental health issues, such as “Tips on Managing Anxiety Before a Counseling Session”. Photo of an Asian American woman using her laptop to improve her private practice SEO. This photo represents how improving your website's SEO can help you improve your Google rankings and rank in the Google 3-pack.

Build Quality Backlinks 

Local citations are mentions of your business’s name, address, and phone number on other websites, such as directories or social media platforms. Building local citations can help increase your business’s visibility and credibility, as well as improve your rankings in the Google 3-pack. Make sure your business’s NAP is consistent across all citations, as discrepancies can hurt your rankings. Checking on your Google Business Profile and NAP will help keep your information accurate at all times.

Backlinks to your website from reputable sources can help increase your online prominence and improve your local search rankings. Reach out to local organizations, schools (such as colleges), partners, and industry associations to see if they would be willing to link to your website. A great way to build backlinks is to also give another practitioner a backlink from your website. Guest blogging on someone else’s page and having them guest blog on yours is a simple and effective way to create one.

Encourage Client Reviews

As mentioned earlier, the number and quality of client reviews can impact your rankings in the Google 3-pack. Try to encourage your clients to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile. As well as other review sites such as Yelp or Healthgrades. Respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, to show that you value feedback from your clients. If you’re unsure how you should respond to a review as a practitioner, check out this blog post on “Responding to Google Reviews in an Ethical Way: Ideas for Mental Health Professionals”.

While it can be tough to rank in the Google 3-pack, it’s a powerful and effective way to get calls, and clicks, and find your ideal clients. By following these tips you can begin improving your rankings and hopefully start ranking in Google’s 3-pack.Photo of a magnifying glass hovering over the words Google My Business. Discover ways you can manage your Google My Business and start ranking in the Google 3-pack.

Apply To Work With Simplified SEO Consulting

Interested in ranking in Google’s 3-pack? Our team at Simplified SEO Consulting wants to help you get your website ranking so you can begin interacting with your ideal clients. With our guidance and support, you will have the right clients calling your practice to get started with your services. To start your SEO journey with our Simplified team follow these three simple steps:

  1. Apply to work with us on your SEO
  2. Meet with one of our Skilled SEO Specialists
  3. Begin improving your rankings to get into the Google 3-Pack!

Other Services Offered With Simplified SEO Consulting

Looking for a different way we might be able to support you when it comes to finding your ideal client? Our team at Simplified wants to support you no matter what your SEO journey is. To help you begin finding your ideal client, we offer support in both our Done For You SEO Services and DIY Online SEO Courses. Simplified SEO Consulting also offers a 12-week Done With You Intensive Program. Check out our blog for more helpful tips and guides to SEO!

About The Author

Photo of Brianna Joplin, a mental health SEO specialist who offers SEO for therapists at Simplified SEO Consulting.

Brianna is a Mental Health SEO Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. As an SEO Specialist, Brianna enjoys optimizing client websites and interacting with them to help them achieve their SEO goals for their website. Her main goal while working with Simplified clients is to ensure they enjoy their SEO journey as well as to help them understand how the SEO process works. She hopes to inspire clients during the SEO process as well so they can begin working on their websites too!

 

Looking for extra support? Schedule a consult with the consulting team to see who can help you and how.

As a private practice owner or a therapist working for a larger practice, you know having an online presence is important. With everything becoming more digitized, having a website that has up-to-date information and resources along with possibly having social media can help you reach more clients. However, having a super informational website, even with the best keywords, is insufficient. You also need content.

This is where blogging comes into play! Blogs have so much value when it comes to SEO marketing. They allow you to provide helpful, informative content that can be used as resources for your current clients but also potential ones. These blogs can also help to boost your website’s SEO ranking by helping search engines, like Google, to recognize that you are knowledgeable about your field. In this blog, we will talk more about why blog posts matter so much in SEO marketing for therapists.

What Exactly is SEO Marketing for Therapists?The word "SEO" written on a notepad with a magnifying glass on top. Represents how SEO Marketing for Therapists can help you find the right keywords for you and your practice.

SEO marketing is a way for therapists to optimize their websites and content, such as blogs and service pages, to make them rank higher on search engine result pages, think Google! Search engines have algorithms that they use to analyze websites and their content to determine what is the most relevant to search inquiries being made by users.

This is why it is important for therapists to invest in SEO marketing for their practice, or themselves. Having SEO training or having an SEO Specialist optimize your website with relevant keywords, and helpful, targeted content can make the difference in making sure your practice and services are more visible on the first few pages of the search engine’s result pages. Especially when it comes to potential clients being the ones searching for services that you provide.

Why Do Blog Posts Matter So Much in SEO Marketing For Therapists?

Blog posts are a multi-faceted SEO tool that can help establish your credibility and your visibility. Your blogs can establish your credibility and that you are an expert in your field. Having blogs on many topics that revolve around your services, questions people may ask Google or in therapy, as well as any other topics that revolve around mental health and what you are passionate about can make the difference. The difference between you being found versus another therapist.

Your blogs, whether written by you, an intern, a colleague, or a copywriter, can be written with keywords incorporated. This will help Google or another search engine to identify that your blog is relevant to what people are searching for. It will also boost your credibility for those keywords as you have service pages about them and now you are writing in-depth blogs about the topics as well.

Additionally, these blogs, putting purely SEO aside, can help potential clients find you. They can look on Google for resources about anxiety, burnout, or even being a highly sensitive person then find your blogs. When potential clients find your blog and read them, it can help build that connection between a client and therapist. One that is based on information, facts, and trust. They are using your blog as a resource to calm their fears at the same time as getting to know you as a therapist and your practice.

As a Therapist, This is What You Should Include in Your Blog Shows a woman checking SEO items off her list. Represents how SEO marketing for Therapists can help you remember that to include in your SEO blogs.Posts

Writing blogs can feel easy for some as writing can come naturally as talking about the weather, while for some it can be a challenge. No matter if writing is a struggle for you or not, there are some key elements that should always be included in SEO marketing for therapists.

Relevant Keywords

The keywords that you include in your blogs need to be relevant to what you are writing about but also to what your niche is. Otherwise, you can write about these keywords but they will not be helping you if you don’t regularly write about them or provide this service. Google will see that you know something about something but that you’re not an expert on this topic. It would prefer to show another therapist’s website that is an expert on that topic or service.

Call to Action

Have you ever read a blog by someone knowing they want you to do something as a result of reading it? That is a call to action! However, if you don’t include it in your writing, your potential client is not going to know what to do or how to go about setting up an appointment. So, more than likely, they will move on. Therefore, include a call to action in your blog! Tell them what their next step should be.

Make sure to tell them how to reach you and what the steps in the process of beginning the therapy are. Do you offer a 15-minute free consultation? Do you have a form to fill out? How do they reach you if they have questions? Include this information so your potential clients know exactly what to do when they feel inspired to do it!

Optimize Your Blog Posts

Optimization is a must. When you’re writing your blogs you can try to keep keywords and SEO in mind, but for some, the words just flow from your brain to the page. In moments like those, there is no sense in forcing yourself to add these elements. However, that doesn’t mean you let yourself off the hook afterward! Reviewing your writing and adding SEO keywords and location elements can help your blog bring a valuable SEO element to your website and content.

I mean, you are taking the time to write these blogs or outsource them, so you definitely want to make sure they are reaching the right people. You also want to make sure they are drawing these potential clients in! Having the SEO element makes sure it reaches your target audience in their search engine results and in the areas you are targeting.

How Often Should Therapists Post Blog Content?People raising their hands to ask a question. Represents how seo consulting can support you in your SEO journey.

There is not a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It depends on multiple factors: what your goals are, where you are located, and your target audience. Plus, do you have the time? There are questions and factors you need to keep in mind. At Simplified SEO, we tell our clients that at a bare minimum, they need to write or post two blogs a month to keep their SEO maintained.

However, to increase it, it needs to be more than this. Especially, if you are wanting to increase your client load, and are in a more competitive area that is very concentrated with other therapists, and you want to be at the top of the list. In these cases, we recommend a blog or two a week.

This May Seem Crazy, But it is in fact, Doable!

For example, do you have interns? Have them write some of your blogs! Do you have a colleague that loves to write? Utilize them and their passion! If you have time, try writing some blogs in your spare time about your services, questions that come up in therapy, or something you feel potential clients need to know. But, if you don’t have time, look into outsourcing by looking into a copywriter.

I suggest these options because having and maintaining a consistent blog schedule helps Google recognize that you are an expert in this area. This then leads Google to make your website more visible when potential clients search for providers in your area. Leading them to find your blogs, your services, and ultimately, YOU!

Blog posts matter so much in SEO marketing for therapists because they ultimately help boost your SEO and help your potential clients find you. Plus, they are great resources to refer clients or even potential clients to when they have questions about topics you are an expert in! Blogging is powerful, and it being combined with SEO tactics is even more powerful. Use that power to reach your ideal clients and grow your business!

So Let’s Get Started Growing Your SEO Ranking with SEO Marketing for Therapists

At Simplified SEO Consulting, we want to support you with your blogs and SEO marketing for therapists. We put together a series of SEO packages to help you with your SEO journey. No matter what stage you are in, from starting out to already having a well-optimized website but needing help with creating content. By investing in your website you are also investing in your and your practice’s future. Want to learn about SEO? Sign up for our SEO Course for Therapists and learn how to use the power of blogs and SEO to reach more clients and grow your practice! Or want to outsource it? Check out our SEO Consulting packages here and apply to work with us! Ready to get started?

  1. Please apply to work with us
  2. Learn about our team
  3. Begin utilizing the power of SEO marketing for therapists!

Other SEO Services At Simplified SEO Consulting

If you feel as if you have blogging handled or are outsourcing it, there are other services you can use as well! We offer options such as our 12-week trainingsmall group intensives, and courses. Our strategy session can be a great option if you need support getting started with SEO or doing a site move or redesign. These can also be helpful to find better keywords, evaluating your current SEO performance, and more. Or, if you’re ready to work with a passionate and skilled team, our Done for You Program may be a great following approach.

About the Author:Lynsey, SEO Content Writer for Simplified SEO Consulting

As an SEO Content Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting, Lynsey has a passion for creating exceptional content that reflects her clients’ unique brand voice and practice. With a focus on mental health-related topics, she understands how high-quality content can improve therapists’ search engine rankings and attract their ideal clients. Lynsey’s ultimate goal is to utilize her copywriting expertise to help therapists maximize their return on investment. Through her work, she takes pride in helping therapists learn more about blogs and how they can be powerful tools in SEO marketing.

Apply to work with us if you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you!

Resource Guide: Photo Alt Text and Title Examples + Inclusive Resources for Photos

I have been very passionate for a while on creating impactful and effective alt text, alt titles, and having inclusive and accurately representative photos. Truly, I really hate looking at a website that has stereotypical and offensive photos that don’t accurately depict people’s struggles, needs, and identity. I know it can be hard to find the right photos at times, but we still have a duty to create content on our websites that allow clients to see themselves and their experiences.

Photo Alt Text, Optimizing Photos, & Titles Examples

Within couples therapy websites there are so many keywords you can use. This is an example of how I would formulate photo text in general. The general format I am looking at is as follows:

Photo Alt Title: Short description of the photo ( *not denoting anything related to mental health) | Keyword | Keyword | Keyword | Zip Code | Zip Code | Zip Code

Know that you can do 3-5 zip codes and keywords. Make sure not to over optimize or keyword stuff.

Photo Alt Text: Semi-longer photo description ( *not denoting mental health). Sentence with keyword about struggle. A sentence with keyword establishing hope. Sentence with keyword establishing next steps.

*When it comes to some websites, their policies include making sure not to negatively attribute the photo or the person in the photo to some “negative” mental health stigma. This is the rules of some websites, not necessarily ours, so make sure to read the fine print when you are getting paid or free photos from sites.

A couple with noses touching embracing while in love. Marriage counseling and couples therapy in Chicago, IL is not a place where relationships go to die. Working with a relationship therapist means you care and want to work on your relationship. Connect emotionally once again in EFT therapy in Illinois today!

Couples Therapy Website

Alt Title: Couple holding on to each other noses touching | Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy in Chicago, IL | EFT therapy | Relationship Therapist | 60602 |60603 |60604

Alt Text: A couple with noses touching embracing while in love. Marriage counseling and couples therapy in Chicago, IL is not a place where relationships go to die. Working with a relationship therapist means you care and want to work on your relationship. Connect emotionally once again in EFT therapy in Illinois today!

Child curled up into a ball. You never want to see your child hurting. Maybe you've tried child therapy for therapy for teens in Tampa, Fl before and felt it wasn't helpful, but with the right child therapist or teen therapist, it can be. We encourage you to reach out soon!

Child and Teen Therapist

Photo Alt Title: Child curled up into a ball | Child Therapist in Florida | Teen Therapist in Tampa | Therapy for Teens | Child Therapy |  33614 | 33619 | 33610

Photo Alt Text: Child curled up into a ball with parent comforting them. You never want to see your child hurting. Maybe you’ve tried child therapy or therapy for teens in Tampa, Fl before and felt it wasn’t helpful, but with the right child therapist or teen therapist, it can be. We encourage you to reach out soon!

Father in wheel chair hugging smiling daughter in yellow. Our Drug abuse and addictions counselors understand how hard substance abuse is to overcome alone. Substance abuse counseling in Los Angles, CA doesn't need to be a lonely journey. Let our team help you in substance abuse therapy soon!

Addiction Treatment Center

Alt Title: Disabled father hugging daughter | Substance Abuse Therapy | Substance Abuse Counseling in Los Angeles, CA | Drug Abuse Counselor | 90040 | 90058 | 90201 | 90220

Alt Text: Father in wheelchair hugging smiling daughter in yellow. Our Drug abuse and addictions counselors understand how hard substance abuse is to overcome alone. Substance abuse counseling in Los Angles, CA doesn’t need to be a lonely journey. Let our team help you in substance abuse therapy soon!

Woman in black sweater and pink hair talking with doctor on laptop. A pain doctor in Denver, CO can help you with pain and chronic illness management. Our pain management doctors are some of the best in their field. Call now and get support.

Private Medical Practice

Photo Alt Title: Client talking to medical professional | Pain Doctor in Denver, CO| Pain Management Doctors | Chronic Illness Management | 80001 | 80002 | 80003

Photo Alt Text: Woman in black sweater and pink hair talking with doctor on laptop. A pain doctor in Denver, CO can help you with pain and chronic illness management. Our pain management doctors are some of the best in their field. Call now and get support.

Man with his hands up in the air. We all communicate differently, and sometimes with need a speech therapist for adults in Westchester, NY. You are not alone! SLP therapy is meant to help you connect again and feel safe in how you communicate. Start working with a speech therapist in New York today!

Speech and Language Pathologist

Alt Title: A man with his hands up in the air | Speech Therapist in Westchester, NY | SLP Therapy | Speech Therapist for Adults |10701 |10801 | 10573

Alt Text: Man with his hands up in the air. We all communicate differently, and sometimes with need a speech therapist for adults in Westchester, NY. You are not alone! SLP therapy is meant to help you connect again and feel safe in how you communicate. Start working with a speech therapist in New York today!

Plant in foreground and black man in the background. Our team of registered dieticians in Austin, Texas can help you navigate nutritional concerns, eating disordered, health concerns, and more. We offer nutrition therapy and medical nutrition therapy in Texas both in-person or online.

Dietician

Photo Alt Title: Man in the background with plant | Medical nutrition therapy | Registered Dietician in Austin, Texas | Nutrition Therapy | 78613 | 78610 | 78613

Photo Alt Text: Plant in foreground and black man in the background. Our team of registered dieticians in Austin, Texas can help you navigate nutritional concerns, eating disordered, health concerns, and more. We offer nutrition therapy and medical nutrition therapy in Texas both in-person or online.

Woman with chocolates on table and hands in head distressed. Sometimes we struggle to manage food and body on our own. An eating disorder therapist in Atlanta, GA who offers eating disorder therapy, anorexia treatment, and bulimia treatment can help. Call now and book a free consultation.

Eating Disorder Therapist

Alt Title: Woman feeling distress from chocolate on table | eating disorder therapist in Atlanta, GA| binge eating therapy | anorexia treatment | bulimia treatment | 30002 (Avondale Estates) | 30021 (Clarkston) | 30030 (City of Decatur)

Alt Text: Woman with chocolates on table and hands in head distressed. Sometimes we struggle to manage food and body on our own. An eating disorder therapist in Atlanta, GA who offers eating disorder therapy, anorexia treatment, and bulimia treatment can help. Call now and book a free consultation.

One great website you can use is alt text generator. It doesn’t add in keywords, but if you struggle to come up with the initial photo description, this is a good resource.

Photo Sites and Their Algorithm

One issue that really gets under my skin is how algorithms on websites are created. For example, when I am trying to find natural curly hair or hair routines on Pinterest, usually what happens is that people who look nothing like me show up. Typing in natural on a site often alludes to POC, but algorithms are often white washed by the majority.

So imagine creating a therapy website where photos “appear” diverse enough, but actually don’t show the realistic side of some ones experience. Likewise, if you are an ED therapist and all your photos show angry plus sized people or a black woman eating a salad, or stereotypical person “overeating” photos, that often stigmatized and adds to the stereotype.

One problem with the algorithm is often in order to find representative photos, you have to type in offensive or rude texts in order to find the right content. Honestly, as a therapist that infuriates me. Plus, if you as a mental health professional have a deeper attachment to the issues you work with that can also be triggering to you.

So, how do we get inclusive and representative photos without having work with the algorithm on certain sites? I have created a list of websites that you can use for finding photos that are more inclusive and real.

Where and How to Find Representative, Inclusive, and Diverse Photos ( Free + Paid)

Open AI

This is a great resource if you want to have AI create your photos. Coming up with descriptions for this is hit or miss, but its a great up and coming option.

https://openai.com/product/dall-e-2 25 free photos per month

Creative Market

If you like a mix of cartoon animations and site aesthetics, this is a great option. The photos are affordable for a set and once you purchase a commercial license the content can be used in many areas.

https://creativemarket.com/ArtOlB/5946532-CURVY-GIRLS-FLOWERS-LINE-ART

Tonl

This is a paid service, but has a group of wonderfully diverse photos. The categories are based on topics like trust, tradition, tone, and travel, among others.

https://tonl.co/

Gender Spectrum Vice

Let’s face it, finding photos that accurately represent the LGBTQIA+ community are sparse, this is a free site that offers many different options for you to add to your site.

https://genderspectrum.vice.com/

Nappy

Finding diversity in photos for black and BIPOC individuals is complicated. Luckily nappy is working to make this more accessible.

https://nappy.co/

Iwaria

Black and African culture are not the same, therefore, if you work with African clients, this site is for you. Likewise, being nationally and internationally inclusive is necessary for any clinician.

https://iwaria.com/

Big Stock Photos

This is a site the Simplified SEO Consulting using personally and for our Done for you clients. Now, I will admit, it does take a specific strategy to find the photos you need without being stereotypical or stigmatizing. I often say, don’t search for the thing you are looking for and you will find what you need.

So if I type in native women, I am likely to get tribal representations, however if I type in business woman ethic, or indigenous, or sometime similar it will narrow the results. Its unfortunately we have to find what we need inversely, but it is possible.

https://www.bigstockphoto.com/

Flickr (Women in Tech)

Looking for fierce women in tech of all ethnicities, races, religions, and so on? You have found the right site.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wocintechchat/

CreateHERStock

This is a paid service with some options for freebies ( which is currently being updated). If you are looking for more representative photos of men, non-binary, and women. Then this is for you.

https://createherstock.com/

Wrap Up on Private Practice SEO

You are responsible for allowing clients to see themselves in your website message, photos, and design. User experience and design play a big role on our brand. Try your hands at photo descriptions. Be intentional about the descriptions, and check out these resources, especially if you are struggling to find sites that represent your ideal clients.

Learn How to Begin Optimizing Photos, Descriptions and Choose Inclusive Photos with Our Webinar!

We are hosting a webinar on April 7th for Alt Text and Diversity. We’d love to have you attend. You can also purchase the recording from our website afterwards. In the meantime, if you want support with your SEO, our team of experts will work with you every step of the way. Simplified SEO Consulting can help you begin developing content and best practices for your online and in-person presence. So don’t let confusion stop you from having an effective website – contact us today by following these simple steps:

  1. Apply to work with our team
  2. Once approved schedule your 45-minute consultation
  3. Learn about our team!
  4. Start adding intentional photos and alt text to your site.

Other Services At Simplified SEO Consulting

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

About the Author

Jasmine is the SEO Training Coordinator and offers free consultations for Simplified’s SEO Consulting on our services. Jasmine is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and recently earned her degree from Northwestern University. She works to help people with a strategy with national rankings, eating disorder specialties, trauma, sports psychology, postpartum/pregnancy/parenting, high achievers, and much more. Schedule a consult soon!

In the dynamic realm of healthcare, where patients are increasingly relying on digital avenues to seek solutions for their well-being, the importance of a strong online presence cannot be overstated. For functional medicine doctors, psychiatrists, speech-language pathologists, chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals in private practice, implementing effective SEO strategies is more than just a trend—it’s a necessity. Let’s delve into the top five SEO strategies that can empower healthcare practitioners to connect with patients and thrive in the digital age.

1. Crafting High-Quality and Informative Content

At the heart of successful SEO lies content that not only informs but also engages and resonates with the target audience. Healthcare professionals must invest in creating well-researched, evidence-based content that addresses patients’ queries and concerns. Whether it’s blog posts on the benefits of functional medicine, informative videos about speech therapy techniques, or articles detailing chiropractic approaches, high-quality content establishes authority and fosters patient trust.

2. Leveraging Local SEO for Community Connection

For healthcare professionals, connecting with the local community is paramount. Optimizing Google My Business listings with accurate information, patient reviews, and consistent name/address/phone number (NAP) details enhances local visibility. Moreover, employing list management services ensures uniform NAP across different platforms, contributing to improved search rankings and patient engagement.

3. Harnessing the Power of Backlinks

Backlinks, also known as inbound links, play a pivotal role in boosting a website’s credibility and authority. Healthcare professionals can collaborate with reputable medical organizations, universities, and healthcare blogs to secure backlinks to their websites. These partnerships not only enhance online reputation but also drive organic traffic, expanding the practitioner’s reach and influence.

4. Engaging with User-Centric Website Design

A user-friendly and responsive website design is no longer an option—it’s a requirement. Healthcare professionals should ensure their websites are accessible and functional across various devices, including mobile phones and tablets. User-centric design enhances patient experience, reduces bounce rates, and signals to search engines that the website is credible and relevant. So, make sure your website is mobile responsive, free from pesky 404 errors, easy to navigate with proper site structure, and otherwise user-friendly for your potential patients.

5. Incorporating Long-Tail Keywords for Precision

A cartoon of an arrow going up above the letters SEO with cartoon people sitting on arrow. Want to improve your healthcare SEO strategy so it can be the best it can be? Let us help you work on your healthcare SEO.

In a competitive digital landscape, healthcare professionals need to be strategic in their keyword selection. Long-tail keywords—specific phrases that address particular queries—allow practitioners to target a more precise audience. For instance, a psychiatrist specializing in anxiety treatment could target keywords like “effective anxiety therapy in [City Name].” These tailored keywords attract patients actively seeking specialized care.

SEO Has the Power to Build Your Practice

The convergence of healthcare and digital accessibility demands a strategic approach to SEO for functional medicine doctors, psychiatrists, speech-language pathologists, chiropractors, and other healthcare professionals in private practice. By focusing on high-quality content creation, leveraging local SEO, harnessing the power of backlinks, engaging in user-centric website design, and incorporating precise long-tail keywords, practitioners can establish a strong online presence, connect with patients seeking specialized care, and ultimately contribute to improved patient outcomes. In the ever-evolving healthcare landscape, effective SEO isn’t just a strategy—it’s a conduit for delivering impactful healthcare solutions to those in need.

Ready to Transform Your Healthcare Practice’s Online Visibility? Schedule a Consultation Today!

Embarking on an effective SEO journey can be a transformative step for your private healthcare practice. At Simplified SEO Consulting, we understand the unique challenges and opportunities that healthcare professionals encounter in the digital landscape. Our team of experienced SEO specialists is here to guide you through the process, helping you elevate your online presence and connect with patients in a meaningful way. We are committed to providing a high-quality SEO strategy for the healthcare industry and helping healthcare providers reach and help more patients.

We invite you to take the next step by scheduling a consultation with one of our dedicated SEO experts. With our online calendar, you can find a convenient time slot that suits your schedule. We pride ourselves on our prompt response, so you can usually secure a consultation within just a couple of days. During this consultation, we’ll listen to your practice’s goals, analyze your current digital footprint, and tailor a strategic SEO plan that aligns with your healthcare specialization.

To get started, simply visit our dedicated consultation page, where you’ll find our calendar and available time slots. By collaborating with Simplified SEO Consulting, you’re choosing a partner dedicated to helping your healthcare practice thrive in the digital age. Let’s work together to enhance your online visibility, connect with your community, and provide impactful care to those who need it most. Schedule your consultation today and embark on your journey toward SEO success!

As a private practice owner, I’m sure you have heard about SEO, otherwise known as search engine optimization. SEO can be used to help your ideal clients find you, your practice, and your services on search engines. When I say search engines, I mostly mean Google. Using private practice SEO should be an important part of any therapist’s marketing strategy in this time of digitalization.

Investing in your private practice SEO is one way of investing in your business and your future. As I mentioned that most things are digitized, and most people search for therapists via Google. By using SEO strategies, your ideal clients will be able to find you. This will be due to your rankings on Google and other search engines. In this blog, I will talk about 5 tips you should utilize to grow your private practice SEO.

Learn About or Conduct Keyword ResearchShows a private practice therapist doing keyword research. Represents how seo private training will support you with learning what you need to know to support your practivce's SEO.

If you’re new to SEO or new to doing it yourself, you may not have heard about “keyword research”. Keyword research is an SEO term where you learn what terms users are using to look for services. This will look at the terms in the area you are targeting and how hard it is to rank for them. For example, if you are a therapist that provides anxiety therapy in Little Rock, Arkansas you’re going to need to see what terms are easiest to rank for in your area. Luckily, this area may not be as saturated with competition as somewhere like Los Angeles, CA. But it is still very important to know what you are up against.

To Start Off, You Will Need to Look at the Variations of “anxiety therapy in Little Rock, AR”.

Sometimes, your first search will be the easiest to rank for and the highest searched for. Other times, you will need to look at different variations. Like “anxiety treatment in Little Rock, AR”, “treatment for anxiety in Little Rock, AR” or “therapy for anxiety in Little Rock, AR”. All of these terms you will look at then decide which one has the most searches and can be achievable for you to rank for. But also has the least competition.

Some tips for finding great keywords for private practice SEO purposes are:

  1. Use a Keyword Research Tool such as Mangools/KWfinder or Google Keyword Planner
  2. Make sure the keywords you use are relevant to your practice and the services you provide
  3. See what inquiries people are making on Google about your relevant services
  4. Research your competitors to see what keywords they may be using

Optimize Your Practice’s Website for Private Practice SEOShows a page of content with keywords incorporated. Represents how private practice seo can teach you how to incorporate your keywords into content.

After you have keywords that will help increase your visibility on Google, optimizing your practice’s website to incorporate them will be important. This process is known as “on-page optimization”. This involves adding those chosen keywords into your content. This is your page titles, meta descriptions, alt-text and titles on photos, and the headings on your service pages.

Doing this allows Google to pick up that you are trying to target these keywords and rank your website appropriately. It will then keep an eye on your website and the content. This is to decide if you’re just knowledgeable about your niche or an expert. This is where content citing locations and content talking about your keywords targeting your services can be helpful.

Things to Keep in Mind

When you are optimizing your website, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Website speed, mobile-friendliness, and security are important to your SEO. But so is the ability of your potential clients being able to navigate your site. If your website is slow, this is where you will lose the most people. Because they know they can find another therapist’s website with a better user experience.

Testing out content and your website for how it runs and looks on mobile devices is crucial as well. When people are searching for a therapist or resources in the wee hours of the morning, they are more than likely doing this from their phone or a tablet. If it’s not compatible or the design isn’t user-friendly on mobile devices, the chances are they will leave your website.

Lastly, making sure your website is secure is not only for your potential client’s benefit but also for your own. Having your website using HTTPS is not only secure but Google rewards websites for it. It also ensures your website is mobile-friendly, so that is a built-in bonus!

Using Locations Near You and Building Local CitationsShows the Google My Business app. Represents how seo private training will show you how to set up your GMB and what the benefits are.

When it comes to private practice SEO, name-dropping locations near you such as colleges, schools, or even popular parks can come as a benefit to your SEO. It shows Google that you know the area that you are claiming to be in or are targeting. It can also help you build local citations. Local citations can become your best friend when it comes to reaching potential clients.

Local citations are pages on directories like Google My Business or even Yelp. These have your practice’s information such as the name, address, phone number, and hours that you are open. These can help your visibility when potential clients search for anything related to your niche. Or even for a therapist, or for a private practice in their area. The location citations are incredibly helpful for helping you be found if someone searches for ” a therapist near me”, “anxiety therapist near me”, or “anxiety therapist Ohio”.

Create Quality Content to Benefit Your Private Practice SEO

Having quality, SEO content can make a difference when it comes to private practice SEO. Not only will it help your rankings on Google but your content can be used as a resource for established and potential clients. When you have quality content on your website, especially about your niche, it shows Google that you are an expert on the subject. This will lead the search engine to increase your visibility to users searching for relevant content, leading to potential client engagement.

As I mentioned before, content is a great place to incorporate the keywords you researched and picked according to your area along with the relevance to your practice. You can drop these keywords in places such as headings, titles, or in the call to action. However, you want to make sure that you do not overdo this as Google will consider it keyword stuffing and penalize your website for it. Google loves to see you prove you’re an expert but when you overdo it, Google can’t tell which keywords are relevant to your content, leading it to penalize you.

Growing your private practice’s SEO can seem intimidating as the jargon is ever-changing and Google is constantly updating its algorithms as well. However, by using these private practice SEO tips, you will have a better understanding and a head start on growing your business. Remember, investing in your SEO is not only investing in your business but also your future.

Get Started Today and Start Seeing the Difference with Private Practice SEO

If you’re a private practice therapist looking to improve your online visibility and attract more clients, Simplified SEO Consulting is here to help. We specialize in private practice SEO and offer various SEO packages to support you at every stage of your journey. Investing in your website and optimizing it for SEO can have a significant impact on the growth of your practice. Our SEO Course for Therapists can teach you how to use blogs and SEO to your advantage, or you can outsource your SEO needs with our consulting packages. Apply to work with us and start seeing results today! Ready to get started?

  1. Please apply to work with us
  2. Learn about our team
  3. Begin growing your private practice through private practice SEO!

Other SEO Services At Simplified SEO Consulting

If you feel as if you need additional SEO help, we have other options available! We offer options such as our 12-week trainingsmall group intensives, and courses. Our strategy session can be a great option if you need support getting started with SEO or doing a site move or redesign. These can also be helpful to find better keywords, evaluating your current SEO performance, and more. Or, if you’re ready to work with a passionate and skilled team, our Done for You Program may be a great following approach.

About the Author:Lynsey, SEO Content Writer for Simplified SEO Consulting

Lynsey, our SEO Content Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting, takes pride in creating quality content that reflects her clients’ brand voice and practice. With a focus on mental health, she understands the impact of high-quality content on SEO rankings and attracting ideal clients. Lynsey’s goal is to utilize her copywriting expertise to help private practice owners grow their businesses through effective SEO and quality content. She is passionate about educating private practice owners on the power of blogs as a tool for SEO marketing.

Apply to work with us if you’re ready to see how Simplified can serve you!

In the world of SEO, there are many strategies to improve your private practice SEO.

A close up of. aperson typing on thier phone while sitting at their laptop desk. Learn how to imporve private practice seo and local seo for therapists by contacting Simplified SEO Consulting.One of these strategies that has been around for a while is known as list management. It can be an important part of improving your local seo strategy, but what does it actually mean? Today, we are going to discuss what exactly list management is, why it is important, and how it can benefit your private practice.  

What is List Management?

List management involves collecting important information about your site and ensuring it is the same info across the internet. This almost always includes elements like the name, address, and phone number of your practice. But, you can often benefit from including your hours of operation, photos of your practice if applicable, accepted forms of payment, etc.

As you can expect, collecting accurate info about your own practice may not sound like too difficult a task. However, the hard part comes in the form of making sure this information is accurate, regardless of where you see it on Google. In short, list management can help you manage the information of your practice across every directory that has your site’s info. Using a list management tool like SEMRush can help you distribute your practice data across multiple creditable citation websites. List management also involves making sure that there are no duplicate listings, or existing listings with conflicting information.

What Are Citation Sites And Directories?

When talking about list management in relation to SEO, the information gathered from your website is added to sites that contain a list of other websites based on different categories, specialties, or locations. These are directories and “citation sites” that list your business data, and have a wide range of uses. You have likely heard of some of the most popular directories such as Youtube, Postmates, Google Business Profile, Better Business Bureau, and Best Of The Web (BOTW). 

A close up of a phone with the Google Business Profile logo. Learn how to use Google Business Profile for therapists and how it can offer support with local SEO for therapists today.Some directories may be focused on specific services like Uber Eats. But, others are focused on specific geographical locations in order to help local area businesses find potential clients, like Nextdoor. There are many different kinds of directories, but you must also be mindful that not every directory is going to be beneficial for your practice. It wouldn’t make sense for a private practice to be listed on a directory like Postmates, so making sure your practice is listed on a variety of directories that are applicable to the services you offer is important. 

Why Should I Care About List Management?

List management is vital to ensure the information of your business is accurate no matter what site or directory a potential client may find it on. It plays an important role in establishing authority and a positive reputation with Google, which can influence your placement in the search rankings. Plus, many private practice owners likely don’t have the time to ensure their business information is being corrected on each directory their site is listed on. 

As a practice grows along with the number of directories it is listed on, it can become even more difficult to keep up with all the manual changes you would need to make to keep consistent NAP information. Using list management can help reduce the tedium of checking in on each directory. By using a tool like SEMRush, you can ensure that every directory your site is being listed on has the same, updated, consistent information. You can also update your business information in one place, and have it distributed to each directory on your behalf instead of updating each directory yourself.

How can list management help my practice?

While you may have been unfamiliar with what list management is before today, it can still offer support for many private practice owners. Providing accurate information about your practice will help make you more discoverable than other sites with incomplete or inconsistent information. This is why it can be helpful to ensure your practice is listed on both major, trusted directories such as Apple Maps or Facebook and smaller, location focused directories like 2FindLocal and AroundMe. Regardless of the directory, ensuring your information is accurate across all the directories your site is linked to is vital.

List Management and Local SEO

There are many different types of directories, and many can help your practice become more prominent on a local level. However, this is only applicable to practices that offer in-person services, since the service area for online only practice is often harder to pinpoint. Showing up with accurate information on directories such a Google Business Profile for therapists makes it so much easier for potential clients in your service area to find and contact your practice. Having consistent information can also help drive more traffic to your site when people see your directory listing. Plus, it can also 

Finally, it is also worth noting that not all directories are credible. You never want to pay for something that will promise you a large number of high quality backlinks. This could be seen as a black hat SEO tactic which is often seen as unethical. Worse, it could also tank your site’s authority and reputation with Google as well.

Start Improving Private Practice SEO with List Management Services from Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team understands that it can be difficult to keep up with the directories your practice is listed on, let alone start finding directories to list your site on. This is why we are happy to offer support with a list management baseline report for your practice. We are also happy to offer a variety of services to support your private practice SEO. You can start your SEO journey with Simplified SEO Consulting by following these simple steps:

  1. Apply to work with us to improve your SEO
  2. Meet with an SEO specialist 
  3. Start improving your online presence and trust with Google!

Other Services Offered with Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team knows there are many aspects of SEO that you may need help addressing to improve your private practice website. This is why we offer a variety of SEO services including our Done For You SEO Servicesand DIY Online SEO Courses. We also offer a 12-week Done With You Intensive SEO Program. Visit our blog to learn more valuable SEO info today!

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

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

What is High-Quality Content?

High-quality content on a website is content that is valuable, relevant, and useful to the target audience. It should be well-written, engaging, and informative, and should provide a positive user experience. Creating high-quality content that relates to your ideal client is crucial for effective SEO.

It can help attract and engage your target audience to your website. You want potential clients to stay on your website and view your content. By creating high-quality content you will be giving potential clients helpful information that they want to read. Thus they stay on your website longer. 

Some helpful characteristics to remember when it comes to high-quality content are relevance, depth, originality, and clarity. On relevance, you want to make sure the topic you are focusing on is relevant to your website as well as your intended clients. Depth helps give more credibility. You focus on providing detailed information rather than surface-level information. Always be sure your content is original. You always want to provide a new perspective as it can help bring in more viewers. Your content should be very clear, as clarity can make it easier for viewers to understand. If your content is harder to understand they will most likely leave the site.

How to Create Content That Resonates With Your Ideal Client

Start Defining Your Target AudiencePhoto of a woman writing something in a notebook at her desk. If your looking to begin attracting your ideal clients, discover how creating high quality content can help you.

Be sure to create content that relates to your ideal client. You want to create content that focuses on the clients you are wanting to see walk through your office door. This helpful high-quality content will help potential clients determine if they see an interest in your services. Or if your content is interesting to them and they want to learn more. 

Be Sure You Are Using The Right Keywords

When creating high-quality content, an important component is identifying the keywords your potential clients are searching for. By identifying and incorporating these keywords you are ensuring that your potential clients are finding you and connecting with your website. These keywords are also very helpful as they help improve your search engine rankings. As you rank higher for the keywords you are using you will begin to attract the right audience to your website. Clients will begin to find the content they are looking for and may begin to convert into your client.

Be Sure To Create A Strategy With Your Content

Creating a content strategy is helpful when creating high-quality content. It helps you stay focused on your goals and ensure that your content is relevant, valuable, and useful to your ideal clients. You want to be sure that the content in your pages and blog posts is providing valuable information and knowledge as it helps build trust and credibility with your audience, as they come to recognize your practice, services, and what you stand for. Always try and post your blog content consistently as it provides fresh updated content and keywords. These both help drive more traffic to your website and increase your online visibility.

Photo of a man using his laptop representing how creating high quality content can help improve your seo ranking and bring in your ideal clients.Be Sure You’re Optimizing Readability

Creating high-quality content can seem like a challenging project. But one crucial part of your making sure your content is high quality is readability. When readability is hard to read, potential clients and viewers might not stay on your site and read your helpful content. Always make sure that your content is easy to read and understand.

Be sure to have short paragraphs and use subheadings to break apart large sections of text. Readers may be overwhelmed when they see a large amount of content without it being broken up. Another way you can help break up text and keep your audience engaged is by adding photos or videos. Photos and videos can help display context to what your content is about. Visual aids often help keep readers on a site. Check out Hemingway, a free website you can use when making sure your content is readable.

Be Sure to Always Encourage Engagement

Your content is important. When you are finished with your subject always be sure to include a call to action (CTA). A call to action is how you will most likely have your potential clients contact you or even convert into actual clients. By including a call to action you are giving the reader a place to address their mental health struggles and contact you to help overcome their struggles. Another way to promote engagement is by leaving a space for readers to provide comments or share their thoughts on the subject is also helpful. Both of this help build a community around your content and improve its relevance to your ideal client.

Photo of a man typing on his laptop. This photo represents how high quality content can lead to a higher search engine ranking.

High-quality content can be very crucial to your website for both search engines and for finding your target audience. By producing your high-quality content you will begin to rank higher on search engine results and gain the like, know, and trust factor with search engines.

This type of content will most likely be read by those who are looking for the type of content you are writing, and possibly turning these readers into your clients. By following these steps and continually refining your content creation process, you can create high-quality content that resonates with your ideal client and helps drive traffic, engagement, and conversions.

Apply To Work With Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team at Simplified SEO Consulting wants to help you get your website ranking so you can begin interacting with your ideal clients. With our guidance and support, you will have the right clients calling your practice to get started with your services. To start your SEO journey with our Simplified team follow these three simple steps:

  1. Apply to work with us on your SEO
  2. Meet with one of our Skilled SEO Specialists
  3. Begin creating high-quality content to improve your SEO!

Other Services Offered With Simplified SEO Consulting

Looking for a different way we might be able to support you when it comes to finding your ideal client? Our team at Simplified wants to support you no matter what your SEO journey is. We offer support in both our Done For You SEO Services and DIY Online SEO Courses. Simplified SEO Consulting also offers a 12-week Done With You Intensive Program. Check out our blog for more helpful tips and guides to SEO!

About The Author:

Photo of Brianna Joplin, a mental health SEO specialist who offers SEO for therapists at Simplified SEO Consulting.

Brianna is a Mental Health SEO Specialist at Simplified SEO Consulting. As an SEO Specialist, Brianna enjoys optimizing client websites and interacting with them to help them achieve their SEO goals for their website. Her main goal while working with Simplified clients is to ensure they enjoy their SEO journey as well as to help them understand how the SEO process works. She hopes to inspire clients during the SEO process as well so they can begin working on their websites too!

Looking for extra support? Schedule a consult with the consulting team to see who can help you and how.