SEO for Therapists: Your Ultimate Guide

Welcome to your introductory, but comprehensive, SEO implementation guide for CBT therapists!

This guide accompanies the "SEO For Therapists" workshop presented by Sophia Spencer for Between Sessions on 17.04.25. To watch it click here.

As highlighted in the workshop, SEO doesn't have to be a minefield, and you certainly don't need to spend thousands on professional help. This guide will walk you through practical, actionable steps to improve your website's visibility on Google and attract more clients today.

Understanding SEO: The Basics

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is like PHQ or GAD assessments you use with clients - it gives your website a score that indicates its health, except this time, we want to score highly!

Why SEO matters for therapists:

• E.G. there are 40,000+ monthly searches for "therapist near me"

• The majority of self-made websites on Wix, Squarespace, etc. remain hidden in these searches

• As noted in the presentation, 95% of referrals can come directly through SEO

The Components of Good SEO

• Backlinks

• Content

• Website Optimisation

• Keywords

• Mobile Optimisation

• Consistent Content Publication

• Other factors

Let's break these down into actionable steps:

1. Building Backlinks

What are backlinks? Backlinks are links from one website to another. They signal to search engines that your website is a valuable and authoritative source.

Implementation steps:

1. Reverse blogging with other therapists:

   • Identify 3-5 other therapists in complementary fields (not direct competitors)

   • Propose a content exchange where you write a guest post for their site and they write one for yours

   • Ensure each post includes a link back to the author's website

   • Example email template:

Subject: Content Collaboration Opportunity

Hi [Name],

I'm [Your Name], a CBT therapist specialising in [your specialty]. I've been following your work and particularly enjoyed your recent article on [topic].

I'm reaching out to propose a content exchange that could benefit us both. Would you be interested in writing a guest post for my website while I write one for yours? This would help us both reach new audiences and improve our websites' SEO through quality backlinks.

Some topics I could write about for your audience include:
- [Relevant topic 1]
- [Relevant topic 2]
- [Relevant topic 3]

I'd love to hear your thoughts and discuss this further.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

There is also a facebook group called SEO Therapists where people reverse blog and you can join for free here.

Other ways to establish backlinks:

1. Create linkable content:

   • Develop comprehensive resources that others will naturally want to link to

   • Focus on creating content that solves specific problems for specific audiences

2. Local business directories:

   • Register with Psychology Today, Counselling Directory, and other therapy-specific directories and link to your own website

   • Join local business associations and get listed on their member directories

   • Each listing should include your website links

3. Press features

   • Use Qwoted or Editorielle

   • We will provide a further workshop on this

2. Creating Valuable Content

Content is a major component of successful SEO. Here's how to implement an effective content strategy:

1. Content audit:

   • Review your existing website content

   • Identify gaps in information that potential clients might be searching for

   • Note any outdated information that needs refreshing

2. Content planning:

   • Create a content calendar for the next 3 months

   • Plan 1-2 blog posts per month on topics relevant to your niche

   • Include a mix of educational content, client resources, and thought leadership

3. Content creation guidelines:

   • Write headlines that include your target keywords

   • Create content that is at least 800-1000 words for blog posts

   • Break content into scannable sections with descriptive subheadings

   • Include both internal links (to other pages on your site) and external links (to authoritative sources)

   • Add a clear call-to-action at the end of each piece

4. Content optimisation:

   • Include your target keyword in the title, first paragraph, and at least one subheading

   • Use related keywords naturally throughout the content

   • Add alt text to all images that describes what they show

3. Website Optimisation

Many self-built websites have technical issues that hurt their SEO. Here's how to address them:

1. Website health check:

   • Sign up for Ahrefs' free Website Health Check tool here

   • Input your domain to get your current score

   • Remember: Scores under 90 may signal quality issues to Google

2. Fix common technical issues:

   • Compress images to under 250kb (use tools like CompressImage)

   • Fix broken links using a tool like Broken Link Checker (part of Ahrefs)

   • Ensure all images have descriptive alt tags

3. Improve user experience:

   • Ensure clear navigation structure. It should not be yourwebsite.com and then every page comes after, such as:
     
     E.G.
     yourwebsite.com/about
     yourwebsite.com/cbt-for-depression
     yourwebsite.com/cbt-for-anxiety
     yourwebsite.com/cbt
     yourwebsite.com/emdr
     
     It should be organised such as:

     
     yourwebsite.com/about
     yourwebsite.com/cbt/cbt-for-depression
     yourwebsite.com/cbt/cbt-for-anxiety
     yourwebsite.com/therapies/cbt
     yourwebsite.com/therapists/emdr
     

     It’s important to have clear & tidy structure.

   • Make your contact information easily visible

   • Include prominent call-to-action buttons

   • Make sure text is readable (adequate size and contrast)
     

4. Index your website:

   • Set up Google Search Console

   • Submit your sitemap

   • Request indexing for new or updated pages

   • Monitor for any indexing issues

4. Keyword Strategy

As highlighted in the presentation, you likely won't rank for "CBT" alone, but you have many other opportunities:

1. Identify your niche keywords: Location-based keywords:

   • CBT Therapist [Your Town/City/Region]

   • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in [Location]

   • CBT Counselling [Location]
     

   Service delivery keywords:

   • Online CBT Therapy (again - probably unlikely in todays landscape to rank high for this — you’re competing with companies who spend 1000s on SEO)

   • Virtual CBT Sessions

   • Remote CBT Counselling
     

   Problem/condition-specific keywords:

   • CBT for Trauma

   • CBT for Panic Attacks

   • Depression CBT Specialist

   • OCD Treatment with CBT
     

   Demographic-specific keywords:

   • CBT for Teenagers

   • CBT Therapist for Working Professionals

   • CBT for New Parents

   • CBT for LGBTQ+ Individuals
     

   Therapist characteristic keywords:

   • Female CBT Therapist

   • Bilingual CBT Therapist

   • Culturally Sensitive CBT

     Don’t worry if you do actually want to work with everything — just make sure you have a page that ranks for the keyword of every presentation. You don’t need to niche beyond what you’re comfortable with. But the more things you work with the more pages you will need to have an SEO page for them.
     

2. Keyword implementation:

   • Choose one primary keyword for each page of your website

   • Include your keyword in page titles, headers, and content

   • Aim for natural usage and repetition - also use other words that represent the a similar thing (e.g. depression, low mood, lethargy)

   • Remember: No two pages should target the same keyword
     

3. Create keyword-focused pages:

   • Develop dedicated pages for each major service or specialty

   • Optimise each page for a different keyword

   • Include location-based keywords on your contact and about pages if this is relevant for you

   • You may want to look at Google Trends to explore trending key words

5. Mobile Optimisation

With most searches happening on mobile devices, this is critical:

1. Mobile-friendly test:

   • Open your web from a mobile and see what it looks like

   • Test all key pages on your website

2. Mobile optimisation checklist:

   • Ensure text is readable without zooming

   • Make sure buttons and links are easily tappable

   • Check that forms work properly on mobile

   • Verify that images scale appropriately

   • Ensure menus are easy to navigate on small screens

6. Consistent Content Publication

Regular updates signal to Google that your site is active and relevant:

1. Content schedule:

   • Commit to a realistic publishing schedule (even once a month is better than nothing)

   • Create a content calendar with topics and publishing dates

   • Set reminders to ensure you stick to your schedule

2. Content types to consider:

   • Blog posts on therapy topics

   • Client resources and worksheets

   • FAQ pages addressing common client questions

   • News about your practice or relevant mental health research

3. Content promotion:

   • Share new content on your professional social media if you have it to draw traffic to your website

Implementation Timeline

To avoid overwhelm, here's a phased approach to implementing these SEO strategies:

Month 1: Foundation

• Set up Google Search Console and submit your sitemap

• Conduct website health check with Ahrefs

• Fix critical technical issues (broken links, oversized images)

• Identify your 3-5 primary keywords

Month 2: Optimisation

• Update page titles for key pages including your key words

• Optimise existing content with your identified keywords

• Ensure mobile-friendly performance

Month 3: Content Development

• Create 1-2 new optimised pages for key services

• Publish your first blog post targeting a specific keyword

• Reach out to 3 potential partners for backlink opportunities

• Begin regular content schedule

Ongoing Maintenance

• Publish new content according to your schedule

• Monitor performance in Google Search Console

• Continue building backlinks through networking

• Update and refresh older content periodically

Tracking Success

How will you know if your SEO efforts are working?

1. Key metrics to monitor:

   • Search Console: Impressions, clicks, and average position

   • Google Analytics: Organic traffic, bounce rate, time on site

   • Conversion tracking: Contact form submissions, appointment bookings

2. Realistic expectations:

   • SEO is a long-term strategy; expect to see initial results in 2-6 months

   • Focus on progress rather than perfection

   • Celebrate small wins, like ranking improvements for specific keywords!!

Common SEO Mistakes to Avoid

1. Keyword stuffing: Unnaturally forcing keywords into content

2. Ignoring mobile users: Not testing how your site performs on phones

3. Creating thin content: Publishing short, low-value pages

4. Neglecting page titles: Using generic titles that don't include keywords

5. Forgetting to index: Not submitting new content to Google

6. Targeting overly competitive keywords: Trying to rank for "CBT" alone

Free SEO Tools for Therapists

• Google Search Console: Track performance and submit pages for indexing

• Google Analytics: Monitor traffic and user behaviour

• Ahrefs Website Health Checker: Identify technical issues

Conclusion

Remember, as mentioned in the workshop, SEO isn't about tricks or gaming the system – it's about creating a valuable, user-friendly website that helps connect you with the clients who need your services!

By implementing these strategies systematically, you'll improve your visibility in search results and attract more clients who are specifically looking for the specialised CBT services you offer.

For more support and resources, visit betweensessions.org or email hello@betweensessions.org.

We are considering creating a mini-SEO course for our paid subscribers, if you’d be interested, please vote on the poll below!

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This guide accompanies the "SEO For Therapists" workshop presented by Sophia Spencer for Between Sessions, April 2025.