To succeed as a therapist and business owner in today’s times, you’ll need to optimize your website to include SEO for therapists. This will help your therapist website rank higher in search results, so people looking for a therapist can actually find and connect with you.
As a therapist working on growing your private practice, establishing an online presence is a key component of attracting quality clients. You may have a website already but simply having a website doesn’t mean it will show up in top search results when people in your area search for a therapist.
SEO for Therapists
SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to the practice of building your website so it provides the type of content people are searching for online, in a way that search engines recognize. In basic terms, if your site directly answers a question people ask, search engines such as Google will recognize this and rank your therapist website higher. A higher rank increases your chance of appearing on the first page of search results. This, in turn, makes it more likely potential therapy and counseling clients will find you.
If you don’t yet have a website, consider creating one today. Day is New Creative offers therapist website design to build you a beautiful, easy-to-use website that will help grow your business and client base.
6 Surefire Tips to Improve SEO for Therapists
If you’re new to SEO, you might wonder how to start developing your online presence and increasing traffic to your site. We’ll go over a few helpful tips that may have a positive impact on your search results.
1. List in an online directory.
Listing in a moderated, well-known directory like GoodTherapy, Psychology Today, or TherapyDen can help boost your site’s search engine ranking. By listing your therapy website in a therapist directory, you’ll help search engines recognize the legitimacy of your business. Be sure to include a link to your directory profile from your own site so you benefit from the directory’s high rank. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, listing in an online directory will make it easier for potential clients to find you.
2. Determine your niche.
Finding your niche as a therapist can help your private practice enjoy greater success. Mentioning the type of therapy you provide in your site’s description can also help improve your rank in search engine results.
You might worry defining a niche for yourself may limit potential clients. But by listing yourself as simply a therapist, you’ll have to contend for traffic with all of the other therapists in your area. If you list yourself as a therapist who specializes in treating anxiety and OCD in children and adults, for example, you’ll be attracting clients who know exactly what kind of help they’re looking for. If you’re one of the few (or only) counselor of this type in your area, people searching for a therapist may find you first.
3. Location, Location, Location
You’ll want to consider how local SEO impacts your search result rankings. To make sure people searching for “anxiety therapist near me” are finding you, include keywords about the types of therapy you provide, along with your name, phone number, and email address on the landing pages of your website. Make sure you include your phone number, email address, and physical address on the top or bottom of each page of your site. You’ll also want to claim your Google My Business profile for an additional free SEO bonus.
Local SEO ties into niche. If you haven’t found your niche, do a few searches for therapists in your area. Are there any gaps in service? You could also try networking with other professionals. If there’s a need for service you can fill, your chances of drawing new clients may increase.
4. Consider mobile.
Today, many people use mobile devices to access the web and search for services. More than half of all searches are made with a mobile device. With this in mind, make sure your website is optimized for mobile (aka responsive web design). A potential client who can’t navigate your site with their phone may move on to the next therapist on their list rather than go to a computer to look you up.
It’s also a good idea to make sure your site loads quickly on both desktop and mobile. Research suggests low page speeds may lower your Google ranking, and potential clients may, again, move on to a different page if your site doesn’t load quickly enough. Your site should take no longer than 3 seconds to load on mobile or desktop.
5. Create content.
Certainly, potential clients might visit your site with the primary goal of booking an appointment. But if your site offers other helpful information about finding a therapist, mental health issues, or therapy in general, they might stay on your site longer. Include keywords, since quality content that includes keywords search engines can recognize can help boost your site’s SEO. A variety of content formats—articles, podcasts, or videos—can also boost your site’s reputation and may earn you backlinks (a link back to your site) from visitors or other mental health professionals.
Just make sure any text you include is original. Duplicate content can earn you severe penalties from Google. Use a tool like CopyScape to check for any issues.
6. Keep track of what works for you.
As you begin experimenting with SEO tools, pay attention to which ones seem to help increase your site traffic and which have less of an effect. Tools like Google Analytics can help you track things like site traffic, conversions (people who call or email after visiting your site), backlinks, and keyword rankings.
Once you’ve optimized your site, you’ll need to stay on top of SEO best practices. Google updates their algorithm periodically, and SEO trends can change from time to time. Familiarize yourself with SEO news, (even better if they’re SEO for therapist articles) and don’t be afraid to try new things. Some strategies may not increase traffic to your site, but others could be extremely successful. Stay flexible!
References:
- Hardwick, J. (2018, July 13). Local SEO: A simple (but complete) guide. Retrieved from https://ahrefs.com/blog/local-seo
- Kindness, J. (2018, October 18). 11 critical SEO metrics your agency needs to track. Retrieved from https://agencyanalytics.com/blog/seo-metrics
- Larson, H. (2019, December 9). 5 DIY SEO Tips for Small Businesses and Nonprofits. Retrieved from https://dayisnewcreative.com/5-diy-seo-tips-for-small-businesses-and-nonprofits/
- Mobile search–statistics and facts. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/topics/2479/mobile-search
- Page speed. (n.d.). Moz. Retrieved from https://moz.com/learn/seo/page-speed
- The beginner’s guide to SEO. (n.d.). Moz. Retrieved from https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo
- Web guide: Marketing for therapists. (n.d.). The Wellness Institute. Retrieved from https://www.wellness-institute.org/marketing-for-therapists
- Wendler, D. (n.d.). SEO guide for therapists. Retrieved from https://marketingfortherapists.org/therapist-seo-guide
