What to Expect from SEO Services for Private Practice Owners + Content Strategy Tips

#2 Do Keyword Research to start implementing SEO for private practice website

The next step is to assign keywords for your website pages. This is a crucial step. So before creating any content, take your time to do some reading on how to find the best keywords for your business, or simply seek expert advice.

When you do your own keyword research, it’s going to be tempting to go with keywords that have high search volumes. But don’t get carried away. While the potential traffic is promising, using these broad, generic keywords will be counterproductive. Short tail keywords typically have high search volumes indicating high levels of competition. 

For mental health professionals, I recommend going for long-tail keywords instead. Long-tail keywords are long, specific keyphrases with 3+ words. They do have a combination of generic and specific words that aims to match certain intent. Sample keywords may include: 

• Therapist in [your city]
• EMDR therapist in [your state]
• Mental health support for [parents of children with special needs]
• Counseling for men or  [any other subgroup]
• EMDR Therapy virtual or [other methods]

Long tails are less commonly searched compared to short tail keywords but they do have higher conversion rates. The reason why these keywords have higher conversion rates is that they match your website or content with people who already know what they want. These people want your help, and they’re just one search away from connecting with you.

Integration of long-tail keywords should be done strategically. They should flow into your website copy and blog naturally. Avoid stuffing a page with so many keywords though, otherwise, they will be cannibalizing each other. Stuffing keywords will make it harder for the search bots to decide which keywords to rank you on and won’t really work in your favor. The rule of thumb would be to assign one set of keywords per page and build up on that. Finding the right keywords can be a tad bit technical so make sure to read up on that and use easy tools like Google Keyword Planner or UberSuggest. 

#3 Sign-up for a Google My Business Profile (GMB)

Having a Google My Business profile helps your service get on the map. This strategy is highly effective for targeted and geographical searches. Whenever a user looks up a particular mental health service in your area and it detects the keywords connected to your profile, you may get included in the search results. Sounds simple, isn’t it? But contrary to popular belief, maintaining an active and optimized profile takes a lot of care and effort in order for this listing to do its magic. We will be discussing this topic more in detail in one of our future posts – so stay tuned!

#4 Build Your Links

You might think that links are irrelevant to your SEO or marketing strategy, but it is a highly effective way to drive traffic and strengthen your site’s authority in the world wide web. So how do you build your links? Below is a list of content that can include links to your business that will help optimize your website:

• Local directories – Aside from GMB, make sure to enlist your business in local directories to make sure your business pops up in multiple sources.
• Mental health-relevant directories – Sign your services up with similar businesses in your area. Competition can not be totally avoided but make sure your name gets considered by potential customers.
• Blogs – Consistently create short or long-form content on your website that’s relevant and helpful to your audience. Make sure that these blogs are optimized by adding keywords to crucial parts of the copy such as your header, subheader, and even ALT text. Blogs are great resources not only for your readers but for other websites as well which could help you generate beneficial backlinks further down the line. 

There are other ways to build links for SEO but the ones mentioned above are the easiest ones you can do for your business especially if you are just starting out!

#5 SEO can only be effective is there is Quality Content

Having numerous links and a strong keyword strategy is not enough to rank. Creating quality content is critical in search engine visibility above all else. So invest in creating content that’s authentic, insightful and brimming with value. Publish content that people would want to read, share with their peers, and encourage them to come back for more. 

Here are some valuable content types that you can consider:

• Helpful articles – make sure to post blogs regularly and consistently! Search engines consistently look for updated and relevant content that it can share with their users. 
• Digital products that you can link to your website such as self-help e-books, infographics, worksheets, and other reading materials.
• Engaging social media posts – Social media posts are not ranking factors but it’s a good platform to promote your site and blogs to your followers which can give your website its much-deserved traction. Not sure what to post? We got a month’s worth of content for you over here! (Yup! This is an example of an internal backlink that helps us keep readers like you on our site for a little while longer. And if you like our content, you’ll come back for more and that’s a big help for our SEO. 😉 )

While there might be sensitive topics in the mental health space that are harder to package for audience consumption, be sure to churn out aesthetic content that can catch the eye and heart of an online audience. Invest in how you want your business to look online because as much as we don’t want to judge the book by its cover, face value still has a lot of weight when it comes to customer consideration. 

Related Reads:

• Unlocking the Power of SEO Keywords for Therapists
• Search Engine Optimization for Beginners: FAQs on SEO
• Find the Right Longtail Keywords For Your Blogs | Local SEO Strategies
• Responsive Website Design Service For Therapist – Strong Roots Web Design
• The Ultimate SEO Guide For Therapists
• SEO Strategies For Mental Health Professionals – Strong Roots Web Design
• SEO for Therapists: The Top 3 Tips – Therapist Website Design