SEO Strategy for Therapist

If a potential client wouldn’t recognize your neighborhood landing page as written *for them* within 3 seconds, it’s not specific enough. Include: - A photo of a local landmark (e.g., "Just steps from Brooklyn Bridge Park") - Mention of local stressors (e.g., "Helping Wall Street professionals manage work anxiety") - Neighborhood-specific FAQs (e.g., "How do I find parking near your Cobble Hill office?")

Map your content to the 4 stages of a therapy seeker’s journey: 1. **Awareness**: "Why am I feeling this way?" (e.g., "5 Signs of Burnout in [City]") 2. **Consideration**: "What type of therapy do I need?" (e.g., "CBT vs. DBT: Which is Right for You?") 3. **Decision**: "How do I choose a therapist?" (e.g., "How to Find the Right Therapist in [City]") 4. **Action**: "I’m ready to book." (e.g., "What to Expect in Your First Therapy Session") Each stage should have 3-5 dedicated articles with clear CTAs (e.g., "Book a free 15-minute consult" for Action stage).

Generic review requests get generic responses. Instead, use prompts tailored to therapy: - **For anxiety therapy**: "What’s one thing you’ve learned about managing anxiety that’s made a difference in your daily life?" - **For couples therapy**: "How has therapy changed the way you and your partner communicate?" - **For trauma therapy**: "What’s one way therapy has helped you feel safer or more in control?" These prompts encourage detailed, emotionally resonant responses that convert better than "Rate your experience."

Walk through your website as if you’re a potential client. Identify and eliminate these common friction points: - **No clear next step**: Add a CTA to every page (e.g., "Book a free consult"). - **Too much text**: Break up content with bullet points, images, and videos. - **No trust signals**: Add badges (e.g., "Licensed in [State]"), testimonials, and therapist bios. - **No urgency**: Highlight limited availability (e.g., "Only 3 spots left this month"). - **No segmentation**: Use quizzes or filters to match users with the right therapist.

Use this script to explain insurance to potential clients in a way that reduces friction: "I know insurance can be confusing, so let me break it down for you. With [Insurance Provider], you’ll typically pay a $20-$50 copay per session after your deductible is met. For example, if your plan covers 80% of the session cost and your therapist charges $150/session, you’ll pay $30/session after your deductible. We also accept out-of-network benefits. That means we’ll provide you with a superbill after each session, which you can submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement. The amount you’ll be reimbursed depends on your plan’s out-of-network benefits. If you’re unsure about your coverage, you can call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask these three questions: 1. Do I have mental health benefits? 2. What is my copay or coinsurance for outpatient therapy? 3. Do I need a referral from my primary care physician? Would you like me to help you check your benefits? I can walk you through the process."

Use this template to create high-converting therapy videos: **Hook (0:00 - 0:15)**: "If you’re struggling with [issue, e.g., anxiety], you’re not alone. In [City], [X]% of people experience [issue] at some point in their lives. The good news? Therapy can help. I’m [Your Name], a licensed therapist in [City], and in this video, I’ll share the signs of [issue], what causes it, and how therapy can help you feel better." **Signs (0:15 - 1:00)**: "Here are 5 signs you might need therapy for [issue]: 1. [Sign 1, e.g., "You feel overwhelmed by everyday tasks"] 2. [Sign 2, e.g., "You avoid social situations"] 3. [Sign 3, e.g., "You have trouble sleeping"] 4. [Sign 4, e.g., "You feel irritable or on edge"] 5. [Sign 5, e.g., "You’ve noticed changes in your appetite"]" **Causes (1:00 - 2:00)**: "[Issue] can be caused by a variety of factors, including: - [Cause 1, e.g., "Genetics"] - [Cause 2, e.g., "Trauma or stressful life events"] - [Cause 3, e.g., "Chronic stress"] - [Cause 4, e.g., "Brain chemistry"]" **How Therapy Can Help (2:00 - 3:30)**: "Therapy can help you manage [issue] by: - [Benefit 1, e.g., "Teaching you coping skills"] - [Benefit 2, e.g., "Helping you identify triggers"] - [Benefit 3, e.g., "Providing a safe space to process emotions"] - [Benefit 4, e.g., "Improving your relationships"]" **CTA (3:30 - 4:00)**: "If you’re ready to take the next step, book a free 15-minute consult with me. I’ll help you figure out if therapy is right for you and match you with the perfect therapist. Click the link in the description to get started. And if you found this video helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you don’t miss our next video. Thanks for watching!"

Use this scorecard to evaluate your SEO performance: **Local SEO (25%)**: - Google Business Profile: 100% complete, 20+ photos, 10+ services listed - Local pack rankings: Top 3 for 80% of target keywords - Neighborhood landing pages: 5-7 pages, each with unique content and schema **Content SEO (25%)**: - Content clusters: 3-5 clusters, each with a pillar page and 8-12 supporting articles - FAQ schema: Implemented on all pillar pages - Internal linking: 5-10 links per page, with descriptive anchor text **Reputation (20%)**: - Review velocity: 5-10 new reviews/month - Aggregate rating: 4.8+ stars - Video testimonials: 3-5 embedded on homepage and specialty pages **Conversion (20%)**: - "Book a Consult" clicks: 8-12% of visitors - "Therapist Matching Quiz" completions: 20-30% of visitors - Time on page for "/first-session": 2+ minutes **Technical SEO (10%)**: - Page speed: 90+ (Google PageSpeed Insights) - Mobile-friendliness: 100% (Google Mobile-Friendly Test) - Schema markup: Implemented for LocalBusiness, FAQPage, Review, AggregateRating, VideoObject **Score Interpretation**: - 90-100: Elite (Top 1% of therapy websites) - 80-89: Strong (Top 10% of therapy websites) - 70-79: Good (Top 25% of therapy websites) - 60-69: Average (Needs improvement) - Below 60: Poor (Critical issues to address)