When I talk to therapists about learning SEO and our SEO training options, the most common response I get is “I don’t have the time!” And I believe it! As someone who has worked for a private practice, I know firsthand how busy owning a practice can be. If you have a group practice then you may be juggling hiring new clinicians, ensuring that everyone is following policy, and handling billing and payroll. Not to mention potentially having your own clients that you see!
It’s easy to see how on top of that, the idea of learning (and then applying) SEO techniques to your website just sounds impossible. And I’m not going to try to talk you into it. Being a practice owner is a busy, busy role. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to outsource your SEO entirely. Learning to delegate is an important part of being a business owner. But have you considered delegating your practice’s SEO needs to a member of your own team?
Now, I don’t know the dynamic of your practice. Some practice owners handle intake and administrative duties all on their own. You may have a therapist on your team taking phone calls and emails when they can. However, if you have an Administrative Assistant, Intake Coordinator, Social Media Manager, or even a therapist who has an interest, then you may be able to actually have a member of your team learn SEO!
If at this point you’re thinking, “Why shouldn’t I just have YOU do it then?” that’s an understandable question. And for some practices, it does make sense to outsource their SEO to us. But before you make that decision, it’s important to consider all of your options. And having a member of your team learn SEO is one of them!
There are many benefits to bringing your SEO “in-house”. I actually go into all of the benefits of learning SEO yourself in this blog, but I’ll go ahead and name a few reasons.
Every heading, blog post, and photo title will come from you. Which ensures that everything on your website fully aligns with your practice’s values and brand.
New team member, who needs a profile on the website? Done. New group or service that you’re offering? Up on the site! If you have the skills to add and optimize content on your site, you won’t have to wait for an SEO specialist to do it.
Even if you decide to outsource some of your SEO, having a member of your team learn a few SEO elements or strategies can allow you to maintain your SEO and stretch your investment!
Perhaps your Intake Coordinator can learn a bit about building backlinks. They can sign up for HARO and respond to inquiries, so your site has the potential to be featured on a high-traffic website like Buzzfeed. Or, maybe a therapist on your team can learn a bit about optimizing blog posts so you can continue to post optimized blogs on your site each month.
For many therapists, this is a great option. Outsource your SEO until your website is ranking well, and then have a member of your team learn some basic SEO skills to maintain your rankings.
Investing in private practice SEO training for a team member is a great way to save money so you don’t have to keep paying for SEO indefinitely. And with that money you save, you can invest in other areas of your practice! Maybe you want to start donating more to local organizations, purchase trainings for your therapists, or even revamp your office space.
There are several scenarios where your team member will be able to use their private practice SEO training skills to good use. From knowing how to optimize your practice’s website to researching keywords that your ideal clients may be searching for, the benefits of having a team member with private practice SEO training are numerous.
Some instances where your team member can use their private practice SEO skills include:
Investing in private practice SEO training for your team members can bring significant benefits to your practice’s online presence. With their newfound skills, your team members can optimize the website, conduct effective keyword research, and analyze data to improve overall SEO performance. By using these skills, your practice can rank higher in search engine results, attract more patients, and increase revenue. So, consider providing your team members with SEO training and see the positive impact on your practice’s online visibility.
After learning all of the benefits of having a team member learn SEO you may be thinking, “Well that all sounds great, but what if that team member leaves the practice?” Which is an understandable concern. The job market has certainly been a bit tricky lately. And we’ve worked with a lot of practices that I’ve seen a high turnover rate in recent years. We’ve thought about this, and we have a few ideas you may want to consider.
Now, the ideal solution would be for that team member to train the new hire on what they’ve learned about SEO before they leave. Similarly to training them on the other responsibilities, you could build SEO skills into their training. However, we know that sometimes people leave unexpectedly, and this isn’t always feasible.
If you go through training with us, such as our one-on-one training or our Small Group SEO Intensives, then you may consider having two members of your team learn about SEO. Perhaps you and a team member (if you have the time) can learn together. This way, you also learn enough about SEO to train new hires in the future. You can talk to our team about options for our trainings to see what we’re able to offer if you want more than one team member to learn a bit about SEO.
We offer a wide range of SEO options because we know that every practice needs something a bit different. Maybe right now it makes sense to outsource your SEO. Then down the line, as you grow your practice you may want to have a team member go through one of our SEO trainings.
We’re here to support your practice’s journey in whichever way makes sense for you right now. And if you need some help figuring out what that looks like, we’re happy to consult with you and give you our suggestions!
At Simplified SEO Consulting, we offer a variety of options to teach therapists (and their team members) how to improve or maintain their online rankings. If you’re looking for a more personalized approach, then our one-on-one SEO trainings may be the best option for you. Or, if you think a group setting is a better fit, then our Small Group SEO Intensives would be a good choice! And if you’re looking for an affordable option to get started, we have several DIY online courses that cover different SEO strategies too!
Since we have so many options, you may be wondering what choice is best for your practice’s needs. That’s why we have an application for potential clients to fill out to apply to work with us. Just like you, we want to make sure we are attracting our ideal clients. A member of our team will look over your application to see if you and your practice are a good fit. Once you are approved, one of our SEO specialists would be happy to learn more about your practice and your SEO goals. They will also give you their suggestions on what makes the most sense for you.
As I mentioned, we realize that training and DIY options aren’t suitable for all practices. Or at least, they may not be suitable for your practice at this moment. So, for those who want to outsource, we offer Done-For-You SEO services at different levels. Or, if you’re still considering SEO then you may want to start learning a bit more with our free 7-day SEO email series. You can also check out our other blogs on SEO as well to gather more information on how SEO can benefit your practice.
Kaite Ritchie was our former Administrative Assistant and Done-For-You Coordinator at Simplified SEO Consulting. Before joining our team, she worked at our founder’s private practice as an Intake Coordinator. There she learned all about how busy running a private practice can be. However, she also learned how valuable SEO can be in getting connected with ideal clients! That’s why she’s so passionate about helping private practice owners find SEO solutions that make sense for their practice. You can apply to work with us and learn more about our SEO services on our website to help to decide whether one of our training options is right for you!
Updated on 4/30/2023 by Lynsey Heskett
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