SEO For Therapists - 9 On-Page SEO Factors You Can't Ignore With Actionable Tips

Essential SEO For Therapists Websites:
9 Factors That Will Separate You From The Rest

1. Content Relevance:

• Consider your target audience and what they want to know.
  
  
• Make your content informative and relevant to your audience.
  
  
• Include all necessary information about a subject.
  
  
• Create content that isn't time-sensitive and has value that will last into the future. (like this blog post)
  
  
• Use design that supports your messaging and delivers it in a visual, easy-to-process manner.
  
  
• Add links that direct readers to relevant content, such as statistics, infographics, and videos. This is helpful.

2. Content Freshness:

• You can add new information, statistics, or insights to an existing article. You can also refresh the design or layout of a page to make it more visually appealing.

• Incorporate the latest industry trends into your website content.
  
  
• Include targeted keywords, meta descriptions, and title tags.
  
  
• Publish new (evergreen) content regularly. Evergreen means that the content isn't tied to a specific time and can referenced over and over. It is always relevant and useful.
  
  
• Submit your content to Google through Search Console. If you don't know how to do this, Book a free 15-minute session with me and I will show you how to, no charge :)
  

3. Title Tags:

• Title tags should be brief and concise.
  
  
• Title tags should be unique for every page.
  
  
• Include the page's target keyword as close to the beginning of the title as possible.
  
  
• Don't repeat keywords.
  
  
• Title tags should accurately describe your page.
  
  
• Separate your brand name from the page title.
  
  
• Write a great title that converts and gets clicks.

4. URLs:

• Keep it short and simple
  
  
• Use meaningful keywords
  
  
• Use hyphens to separate words
  
  
• Eliminate stop words
  
  
• Keep it entirely lower case
  
  
• Use subfolders that logically organize your content

5. Meta Descriptions:

• Keep the meta description under 155 characters. Google generally shortens snippets to ~155-160 characters.
  
  
• Include a compelling summary of the page. Clearly tell the user what they'll gain by clicking through.
  
  
• Include relevant keywords to help your site rank for relevant queries. Don't use more than about 10 meta keywords for a single page.
  
  
• Use an active voice and make it actionable.
  
  
• Call to action: Include a call to action.
  
  
• Make it unique.
  
  
• Make sure it matches the content of the page.
  
  
• Avoid duplicate meta descriptions across different pages on your site.

6. Internal Links:

• Create high-quality content
  
  
• Link high-authority pages to new pages
  
  
• Use anchor text that you want to rank for
  
  
• Ensure that links are contextual
  
  
• Use relevant links for internal linking
  
  
• Be reasonable with the number of internal links used

7. Schema Markup:

• Use the most specific class possible
  
  
• Markup only what is on the page
  
  
• Identify relevant schema types
  
  
• Consider your overall digital marketing strategy
  
  
• Add your company schema to the homepage

8. Images:

• Ensure images are high-resolution and not blurry, pixelated, or distorted.
  
  
• Limit images to no more than 500KB; smaller web graphics should be under 100KB. Full-screen backgrounds can approach 1MB.
  
  
• Place an image at the top of every web page for immediate viewer engagement.
  
  
• Use one of the four major formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, or SVG, based on their specific benefits and use cases.
  
  
• Avoid including text in images to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
  
  
• Make sure each image has alt text
  
  
• Ensure the image aligns with the post's title and contributes to the story being told.

9. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness):

• Clearly display your degrees, certifications, and professional affiliations to establish your expertise in therapy. Most people don't care, but some do and so does Google. This is mostly seen on your about page
  
  
• Create and share insightful articles, blogs, or research papers that reflect your knowledge and experience in therapy.
  
  
• Include positive reviews and testimonials from clients to build trust and demonstrate effectiveness.
  
  
• Share your professional journey, including years of practice and specializations, to enhance credibility.
  
  
• Participate in relevant forums, webinars, or workshops and mention these engagements on your website to showcase your ongoing involvement in the field.

Implement these and you will thrive.