Tag: seo

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The SEO Secret: Why Therapists Need to Think Like Their Clients

As a ghostwriter for therapists, I find therapists usually fall into two camps: Either they’re super slammed and overworked, or they’re struggling to find clients. If you’re booked and busy, yay! Congrats! But if you’re not, this post is for you.

The key question every business asks is, “How do people find me?” That question is at the heart of marketing. And marketing on the internet means using search engine optimization (SEO). I know that sounds like tech jargon but truthfully, SEO is about helping the people who need you most (your potential clients) actually find you. There are a lot of guides to boosting SEO, or in other words, getting your website to appear higher on search engine results, but fundamentally, it comes down to thinking like your clients.

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What’s going on in their heads? Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash

What Clients Search For (Hint: It’s Not “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Near Me”)

Therapists often think it’s their credentials that make them stand out. They list all their modalities — CBT, EMDR, trauma-informed, etc. — but most clients don’t really know what those acronyms stand for. A few people might type: “licensed therapist CBT San Francisco” into Google, but that’s only if they have some working knowledge of therapeutic interventions.  Most people will type things like the following:

  • “Why can’t I stop worrying at night?”
  • “How to deal with panic attacks at work”
  • “I feel like I’m failing at everything — what should I do?”

Those questions reveal pain points or the real, vulnerable, challenging things people are going through and likely to turn to Google for. And this creates an SEO opportunity for you as a therapist.

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What are people searching for? Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

Why Pain Points Matter for SEO

Search engines connect people with the most relevant answers to their questions (even now, in the age of AI). When you, as a therapist, create content that reflects what your ideal clients are actually typing into the search bar, you increase your chances of showing up in their results.

For example:

  • Instead of writing “Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” try a blog post called “How to Calm Racing Thoughts Before Bed.”
  • Instead of titling a page “Couples Counseling,” write “How to Stop Fighting About the Same Thing With Your Partner.”

By creating content around your clients’ lived experiences, you’re speaking to them directly, offering them advice, or something they can use, and search engines reward that. 

You may be saying to yourself, “I don’t have time for this! I have a billion other things on my plate!” I hear that. And you don’t have to be the one to write everything. That’s where I, as a ghostwriter for therapists, come in. I have the time and the skills to write these posts for you. Because the last point to keep in mind about SEO is that consistency is key. One blog post won’t send clients to you in droves but regularly publishing content focused on their pain points will. Just ask my clients Renee or Anna. After we started working together, their businesses boomed.

High five! Success! Photo by Kraken Images on Unsplash

The Bottom Line

SEO isn’t just a technical term. It’s about empathy. The more you understand what your clients are struggling with — and reflect that language in your online presence — the easier it becomes for them to find you.

When therapists think like their clients, not only does SEO start to make sense, but the whole process becomes more authentic. You’re not just marketing; you’re extending a hand to the people already searching for the kind of support you offer. And you don’t have to do this alone. I’m a ghostwriter for therapists and I can help you. Reach out about working together. 

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Why Consistency is Crucial

The way people often work is they get super excited about a new idea and then spring into action. They churn out podcasts or blogposts. They start doing a million things because they’re fired up. And then they burn out. They get tired. Writing a blogpost sounds boring. Mustering up motivation is hard. Maybe they could let it slide just this once … ?

“Just this once” becomes twice and then thrice. Before they know it, it’s been months since they produced any new content and then perhaps the weight of inertia is, well, weighing them down. I get it! Consistency is hard. As a freelance content writer in Oakland, CA, I’m here to help with that because consistency is a key factor to a successful business. Why is that?

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Consistency builds momentum

Let’s face it, nothing happens overnight. Even those “overnight” success stories we hear about don’t account for the many years of hard work and effort an individual or group of individuals put in. We like to think success, wealth, and acclaim drop out of the sky, that they’re a matter of luck, but more often than not, success is a continuous process. It’s compounded growth. Consistency is what gets you were you want to go. Entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn said: “Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.”

Consistency makes you relevant

As I wrote about before, having a blog helps with search engine optimization (SEO) because it keeps your site dynamic. It shows you’re alive and kicking and search engines like that. Not only search engines, but people too. If you post every week, readers/customers/clients start to trust you. They know you’ll have a predictable flow of information and come to rely on it. They start to believe you’re someone they can count on and trust in the world of business. (By the way, if you need help writing your blog, contact me. I’m a freelance writer in Oakland, CA, but I can write for anyone, anywhere.)

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Consistency creates perspective

When I say consistency creates perspective, I don’t mean in the usual sense that you can see things from another angle. What I mean is consistency allows you to look back and measure your success. If you’ve tried something new for a period of time in a steady way, then you’re able to measure your performance. If you do something haphazardly, then how can you possibly know if it’s working? That’s like exercising once every eight weeks and deeming it’s not helping you lose weight. It’s repetition that allows a person to track their success and repetition helps you understand what works and what doesn’t work.

Consistency focuses on the long term

In the U.S. at least, predominantly the culture focuses on the short term. We want instant gratification. We want immediate results. How many people are playing the long game and thinking years into the future? Consistency isn’t sexy because it’s about incremental progress and improvements over an extended period of time. Most people want the improvements without the incremental progress. Me too. I want to play like Mozart without practicing the piano. I want to have a killer body without working out regularly. However, real life isn’t like that. Consistency, especially if you’ve taken the time to evaluate what you’re doing, is what works. Consistency asks that you focus down the road where you’re going, about where you’d like to be. Consistency also recognizes it’s the baby steps along the way that matter.

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It can be hard to focus on the long term, but the way to do that is to hold your vision. What is important to you? Why does it matter? That clarity acts as a touchstone for why you’re doing what you’re doing. When consistent actions become boring, go back to the touchstone. Also consider what’s one thing you can do to move closer to your dream? Not 10, just one. Instead of striving to write an entire book in an afternoon, shoot for a page, or maybe a chapter. If you write a page a day, in a year or less, you’ll have a book. And a finished book is better than an unfinished one.

Why is consistency crucial for you? What are some examples of consistency working in your life? Lastly, did you like this post? If so, share it! And as always, reach out to me for help with writing content because it’s my jam.

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Why You Should Have a Blog Part 2

Welcome to part two of “Why You Should Have a Blog.” (If you missed part one, check it out.)

As I’ve mentioned, having a blog is essential for your ranking on search engines and search engines are often how people find things these day. Let’s talk some more about how blogging helps with that process.

1.) Blogging lets you link internally

One way to help search engine optimization (SEO) is to use links. Links point to related content and search engines want to establish “knowledge hubs” they can use to verify the importance of a page or website.  That means linking to relevant content helps search engines understand your niche and increase trust in your website, according to Webfx.com. Having a blog allows you to link internally (which is what I did in the first paragraph). Sometimes you can link to main pages, but when a blog starts rolling it’s likely you’ll have loads of opportunities to link.

chain links

2.) A blog gives other sites reason to link to YOU

Internal links help with SEO but the real gold is external links. For search engines to recognize how awesome your website is, other respected sites have to link back to yours. Having a blog helps in that process.

Blogging creates valuable information (if you’re doing it well). “Any time another website decides it’s valuable to their readers to point them to useful information on a different site, there’s a far higher likelihood that your website will provide information that’s worth linking to if you’ve got a bunch of great blog posts,” according to HostGator.com.

You don’t have to take my word for it — HubSpot reports companies with a blog earn up to 97% more inbound links. It makes sense other websites will link to the helpful post you wrote about best at-home remedies to treat a cold than to your homepage.

holding hands

3.) Blogging creates a connection with your clients

When you create a stellar post, your clients or customers are more likely to share it, which drives traffic to your website, and they’ll come back to see if you’ve written more stellar content. When you receive tons of traffic and repeat visitors, search engines like that, to put it simply. It means your website is trustworthy and also worthy of ranking higher.

But more importantly, it allows you to connect with your clients or customers, which is ultimately what you want anyway. Writing is not everyone’s forte but it is mine! If you need help with your blog, give me a shout. I’m happy to help.