SEO Strategies + Tips for Therapists and Counselors
One of the top complaints I get from clients is how many different moving parts there are to Search Marketing and what they should be focusing on next.
That’s also what I find most fascinating about SEO; it isn’t about just one thing you do but a combination of actions that work in tandem to create a perfectly synchronized SEO strategy.
In this episode, I’m hoping to help you prioritize and consider what is the next best thing you can be working on.
Listen to this episode below:
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First of all, it is helpful to understand the high-level SEO process (click here to read about my own SEO process). Having an actual process that you walk through will change this from feeling like your a chicken running around without a head to something you can actually measure growth and progress in.
Okay - ready for some actional steps to add to your SEO plan? Here we go:
1) Create an incredible website experience
Having a great website experience is important because it really gives your ideal audience a taste of what it is like to work with you. If you invite someone to your home you want them to feel comfortable and welcome - the same thing goes for your online home.
This blog post can give you some ideas but here are some basic things to get started:
Minimum website errors. Having a lot of broken links, images that don’t load, or any other website error that disrupts your website experience is not going to give off the best impression. If you find this task tedious, I recommend looking into hiring an SEO expert or Web Developer. More information at the bottom of this post on how you can apply to work with the DBIQ team.
Site Speed. This is a big one that stresses out a lot of my clients because they really have no idea how to bring down the speed of their website or they aren’t even sure if their site speed is good. That’s totally normal but I’d say getting some awareness around site speed by again hiring help will help you feel confident about where your website is at. One tool we use for site speed here at DBIQ is Pingdom, which gives a grading on any website’s speed.
These are just two areas of having a nice website experience but it’s definitely an art as well as a science and a big part of our AIM process.
2) Target keywords that are being searched and light you up
Not typical SEO advice? Well, I’m not your typical SEO expert. Here’s the thing: if you just write about topics that are getting high traffic but that don’t excite you or are connected to your services, then there will be a huge disconnect with the visits you are attracting to your website.
If you aren’t sure what keywords are and how they play into your Search Marketing, check out our keyword guide here: https://digitalbloomiq.com/keywords-for-health-and-wellness
That being said, there can be some blog posts on your website that are solely focused on targeting new keywords. It’s all about striking that balance and keeping the momentum going on creating great content.
3) Consistent and clear business listings
In the last podcast episode (ep222) we talked all about Local SEO and what actions you can take to get found in Google maps. In a nutshell, you want to make sure your Google Business Profile is correctly set up, you are actively looking for ratings and reviews, and keeping track of all your business directories.
More resources on Local SEO:
4) Generate intentional backlinks
This is something that doesn’t always get talked about in SEO because there is a bit of controversy. Here’s the deal: Google looks at how your website is playing with other websites, specifically how other well-established brands are linking back to your website. These types of links are called backlinks.
If you are creating amazing content, then your website will organically (as in by itself) start attracting these backlinks but it is also helpful to intentionally pitch other websites where you’d like to be featured. This can include:
News features
Guest Posting
Podcasting Opportunities
This is really a long-term numbers game and the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll start to get traction with these types of pitches. Plus, this is just general good PR for your brand, as well as helps with growing your rankings over time.
5) Bonus step - create a sustainable plan for you and your team
I know I threw a lot of different ideas at you in this post and it’s all about taking small baby steps.
That’s why I recommend picking one of the things I mentioned here, the one that excites you the most and feels the most doable at this point and taking action TODAY. Yes, today.
Getting started without overthinking will help you get a bit of momentum and over time, you’ll start to build a sustainable plan that really works for you.
It’s not about doing any of these things perfectly because there is always something to work on when it comes to Search Marketing. Instead, focusing on what is the highest priority, starting there, measuring results, and moving forward will probably be the most effective for your business.
Feeling like you need a little extra help with setting priorities among all your SEO tasks? We are currently offering a few SEO Discovery calls each month where my team and I look at your website and give you personalized advice on how to rank better.
During the SEO Discovery call you will receive:
Custom Keyword List with potential keywords you can rank in
Ranking Report with your current position and potential for improvement
Website Optimization and conversion review, covering how your website is performing today
Click here to fill out the form and book your own SEO Discovery Call!
In this encore episode, Cinthia discusses the foundational topic of keywords in SEO. She explains that keywords are words or phrases that people search for to find content on the internet.