SEO for Online Therapists
Every month, there are over 287,000 Google searches for “therapist near me” in the U.S. As a mental health professional, it’s crucial that you use search engine optimization, or SEO, to establish a foothold in Google’s search rankings and maintain a prominent online presence.
NetLocal has been helping our clients do just that for years, and we have an outstanding track record to show for it.
As a result of the global pandemic, many conventional in-person mental health services have transitioned to an online model. Therapy patients quickly embraced the online model and will continue to do so thanks to its ease of access and convenience.
Still, competition between private practices will be fierce as patients search for a trusted therapist.
Optimizing your private practice website for search engines is the only way to remain competitive in today’s market. Ranking well on sites like Google ensures you have the opportunity to present yourself as a trusted therapist.
Local SEO is the best way to capture prospective clients, educate them on your clinical expertise, and convert website visits into booked appointments. A prominent place in search engine results is vital for your practice in today’s dynamic landscape.
What is SEO?
On-Page Optimization
The content on your page must be relevant to search terms and correctly presented for on-page optimization. Search engines scan each page of your site for keywords, headings, meta-descriptions, and titles to ensure your site meets the needs of its users.
Link Building
Links indicate your site is well-integrated. You need service-specific pages to link to parent pages. In addition, search engines prize sites with outbound links to scholarly sources. Linking to sites like professional associations or academic journals evinces your website's quality.
Title Tags
Title tags differentiate your site's pages so search engines can parse the content you offer. The tags must be concise while still including keywords to make them appealing to search providers.
Web Design
A well-functioning and modern website ranks high in Google's search results. Search engines' algorithms want to send their users to reliable sites with quick load times and efficient design, so your site must employ the latest code and formatting to reach the top of search results.
Social Media
Your presence on multiple social media platforms drives visitors to your page, and a robust online presence keeps potential clients aware of your practice. Posting links to educational content--both on your site and to other reputable sources--makes you a valuable resource.
Off-Page Optimization
Off-page optimization involves everything related to your website beyond your direct control. Generating client reviews, ensuring contact information is accurate across the web, and publicizing yourself on social media boosts your search ranking.
How Does Google Work?
Google assesses and rates each website using several metrics. For example, they evaluate your site’s relevancy to users seeking online therapy. In addition, they take a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of your website’s design.
The metrics and benchmarks Google prizes are published, making SEO optimization easier than you might expect. Sites are ranked by relevancy and quality in descending order, so it’s critical to be on the first page of Google’s local search results.
Keywords for Therapists
Employing the correct keywords is critical for your site to generate the traffic necessary to capture potential clients’ attention. A thorough understanding of your client pool and your geographic area must inform your keyword strategy.
Counseling and psychology services are widely discussed and written about online. The keywords you choose need to be broad enough that they will be used but narrow enough that they will penetrate the search engine’s ranking system.
Simply describing the conditions you treat will leave you competing against self-help sites, academic institutions, and news articles about those conditions. Instead, you need to research and utilize multi-term keywords that pertain to your clients.
Once identified, your keywords must be used correctly. Peppering your site with a lot of search terms is not enough. You need to organically integrate the keywords into high-quality content, like site descriptions and blog content.
Placing the keywords artfully throughout your site in headers, meta-descriptions, and meta-tags will amplify their value.
Why Do I Need SEO?
The surging demand for online therapy has made this market exceptionally competitive. Almost all patients seeking treatment will search for a provider within Google search results.
Numerous studies indicate that almost all internet users only visit the top three results they see, and virtually no one ventures beyond the first page of results.
Practices with a prominent ranking are viewed as more trustworthy. Searchers associate high rankings with expertise, legitimacy, and value. Without ranking high, your practice will never have the chance to educate your ideal clients on your clinical focus and skills.
How to Market a Therapist Practice
Effectively marketing your practice requires a comprehensive plan in which your technical SEO strategy informs other aspects of your marketing efforts. You need to tailor your digital marketing strategy to your practice’s scope and nature.
- Create and maintain a dynamic therapy website filled with quality content that is relevant to your prospective clients.
- Secure your Google Business account and make sure your contact information is accurate across the internet.
- Establish a unique and consistent social media presence.
- Concoct a comprehensive marketing strategy that highlights your website and the content you generate across multiple platforms.
Content Marketing for Therapists
Proper content marketing is difficult because experts in their field must take a step back and look through their potential customers’ eyes. You’ll need to scale back your fluency and comfort with online therapy and imagine searching for counseling services as a new client.
By anticipating your clients’ needs and desires from an online therapy practice, you can frame your content strategy to meet those needs.
The challenge is twofold: you need to generate web pages and website content that answer traditional questions about therapy while also addressing clients’ changing needs in the virtual realm.
You know the trends in online therapy best based on your client onboarding and initial consultations. Your content marketing should seek to answer the questions new clients have on their way in the door.
Additionally, populating your website with informative articles about shifting trends in what kinds of treatment patients currently seek can help you capture prospective clients’ attention over competitors who may be caught flatfooted when they encounter online paradigm shifts.
Choosing an SEO Partner
Great SEO is a collaborative effort in which you share knowledge about the landscape of online therapy and your practice’s goals with a partner who understands the subtleties of SEO optimization.
There is a clear path to success in driving your practice up search engine rankings. Your therapist website can claim a high spot on Google by exploiting nuances in SEO criteria, managing the technical aspects of site presentation, and maintaining a steady flow of quality content.
Working with a firm that is knowledgeable about your area and the challenges of therapist SEO is vital for your success. That’s where NetLocal comes in.
We’ve been helping our clients boost their revenue with SEO services such as Google My Business maintenance, keyword research, backlink building, and on-page SEO, and we can do the same for you.
Check out more of our website to learn more and set up a free analysis of your website!