Optimizing Your Counseling Website Using Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Check Your Website Speed
Search engine optimization, or better known as SEO, is, in the counseling world, how people can find you online. First, check how fast your website is loading. Make sure that your website is loading at a sufficient speed. Get on your phone right now and load your website. How long does it take to load it? Does it make you feel like you want to wait, or does it make you feel like you want to do something else? Our clients have expectations of the online space, and it’s no different than our own.
Connect With Other Websites
Next, connect with relevant websites. The work you put into SEO will rank your website higher. If your practice is all about relationship counseling, it will be advantageous to connect with other websites and podcasts relevant to yours. For instance, I have A Counselor’s Journey To Private Practice Podcast linked to my website. There are guest episodes that I have done, like The Practice of Therapy. I link all of these. That way, it will rank me higher when someone does a Google search. Take time to be a guest on other people’s blogs that focus on relationship support. Find podcasts that support relationships that you can make a guest appearance. Make sure that the podcast host has your information so they can link it in their show notes.
Connect With Internal Links
Now, do some internal linking. For instance, I have courses that help people with their journey to private practice. I will link my courses on the homepage. It shows the online world that internal linking is going on, making it easier for my website to rank higher.
Utilize Keywords
Identify your keywords. A short keyword would be “relationship counseling.” A long keyword would be “relationship counseling near me.” Keywords will help with SEO. Keywords have to do with what your clients are searching for. People will pull out their phones and ask for “counseling near me.” Then, Google will populate a list of websites that might interest that person. So, you want to be on that first page when your ideal client Googles you. Keywords can improve your SEO. Do some DIY marketing and figure out which keywords would be useful for you.
Check Your Ranking
Once you know your keywords, figure out how relevant those keywords will rank; those keywords have a specific ranking when you Google something. For instance, “marriage counseling” might be high on the list, whereas “relationship therapy” is a medium rate. Some other keywords might have a low rate. That’s why it’s important to have keyword knowledge. A marketing specialist should be able to give you feedback. Once you identify keywords that your ideal client is searching for, then use those words for content on your website.
Learn how to build a thriving counseling practice, establish marketing funnels, and create ways to make passive income, and more by connecting with me HERE.
Listen to Episode 39 of A Counselor’s Journey: Website Facelift Part 3 of 3 | Episode 39.
