Does your therapy practice need a therapy blog?
Blogging has many benefits for your practice, and it can increase the number of clients. On the downside, it’s also incredibly competitive with over 350 million blogs online.
Is it worth it to your practice to invest your time into adding a blog to your business? The short answer is that it is.
If you want to learn why keep reading to find out the top 7 reasons why you must have a blog.
1. Blogging Improves SEO
Do people have a hard time finding you online?
If you answered yes, a blog can help you improve your search rankings.
Search engine optimization is a complicated web of equations and algorithms that become search results.
A blog is only one part of search results. A blog that’s updated regularly gives search engines fresh and relevant content to display in search results. It can also result in more backlinks to your site, which is also great for SEO.
There are other things that Google considers in search results, like your website’s structure and the website speed.
The website design for therapists also plays a role in SEO. If your design loads slowly or if it looks dated, people will go to your competitor’s site instead. Google tracks how long people stay on your site and if people don’t stay on your site for long, your site will drop lower in rankings.
2. SEO Leads Have a Higher Close Rate
You may have already spent money on traditional advertising and didn’t see much of a return on that investment.
That’s because those leads only have a close rate of about 2%. Leads you get from online searches close at a rate of 14%.
Your blog essentially becomes a magnet for people looking for therapists, and they’re ready for your services now.
3. Blogging Help People Make Decisions
When people are looking for a therapist, they’ll do a search for therapists in their area. They’ll then come across your website (if it’s ranked high enough), and look around.
They’ll make a first impression based on the look and feel of the site. They’ll then look at more information about your practice.
They may decide to call to book an appointment. Many won’t because they don’t have enough information and they won’t pick up the phone to ask.
A well-written blog will help them get more information to make a good decision for their mental health.
4. Increase Trust and Credibility
The most important thing you can have with your client is mutual trust. The process of building trust actually starts when they visit your website.
The first impression that they have of your site will determine if they trust you and your work or not. They’ll then look at your site to support that first impression.
If someone goes to your site and has a positive impression, they’ll already trust you. You can reinforce that trust with a blog that shows that you understand their needs and concerns.
5. You’re Seen as an Expert
Not only will your blog increase trust, but you’ll be seen as an expert. In your blog posts, don’t be afraid to go against the status quo and be a little controversial.
A blog is your chance to show that you are knowledgeable and a thought leader in your field.
6. Blogging Has a Compound Effect
If you were to invest your marketing dollars in an advertising campaign, your leads run dry when the campaign is over.
That’s not the case with blogging. The more quality blog posts you have that remain timeless, they remain relevant to searchers and to search engines.
Those posts will continue to drive traffic to your site, well after they were first published.
7. Increase Traffic to Your Website
Blogging has been proven to increase your search rankings. That can mean more traffic to your website. Add in the compound effect of a blog, you have a very effective marketing tool to get more clients.
Tips to Start Your Therapy Blog
Do you see the value of starting a therapy blog? If you’re eager to get started right away, here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Be Consistent
Blogging is hard work. In order for it to work well, you need to be fully committed to the process and consistent. It’s not enough to blog once in a great while. You have to blog at least once a week. That’s when you’ll see the best results.
If you can’t make the commitment to blog at least once a week, but you see the value that a blog offers, you can outsource the writing to an SEO company or copywriter.
Always Write for Your Audience
Bloggers tend to make the mistake of writing for themselves instead of their audience. The thing is, your blog visitors don’t really care about you.
They care about how you can help them solve a problem or answer a question.
Before you start to write, you’ll need to have a plan and do some research. Look at places like Reddit, Google, and Facebook Groups to see how people talk about wanting to hire a therapist. You’ll get ideas for articles as you find keywords to use in your articles.
Keep it Real
Does the thought of writing give you anxiety?
Relax! Your writing doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be grammatically correct. It just has to be natural. Write like you’re talking to a potential client or a friend.
Consumers are incredibly wise to inauthenticity. Hiring a therapist is a very personal experience and your readers want to get to know you, your style, and your personality.
They’ll make a decision to contact you based on your writing style and the look of your website.
Start Your Blog Today
A lot of therapists ask themselves “How can I get more clients?”
Starting a therapy blog can be a big boost to your practice and can help you get more clients. It doesn’t happen immediately, but with time, your blog can build to become a marketing machine.
If you want more great tips for starting a blog and use it to get more clients, check out our blog today.