SEO for Therapists & Coaches: Create Content That Attracts Clients for Years
Have you ever felt pressure to post constantly on social media to build a following and attract best-fit clients? I know I have! Creating a constant stream of posts that capture attention for a day or two before disappearing into the endless scroll is exhausting.
What if you could create content that continues to attract your ideal clients for months or even years without requiring constant promotion?
This is exactly why I’m such a big proponent of blogging. By strategically optimizing your blog posts for search engines, you create valuable assets that work for your practice 24/7, bringing potential clients to your website long after publication. Unlike social media posts with a fleeting lifespan, well-optimized blog content can generate steady inquiries and client connections for years.
This guide will walk you through essential strategies to optimize your blog posts for both traditional search engines and AI-powered search, while maintaining the authentic voice and value your clients expect.
I wanted to make this guide as comprehensive as possible, so there’s a lot here. Feel free to use this index to jump to different sections:
INDEX:
1. Start with SEO foundations
Before diving into content creation, ensure your website is optimized. Our comprehensive SEO Checklist covers all the technical aspects you need to address to give your therapy or coaching website the best chance of ranking well.
If you're one of our Squarespace template customers, you already have access to this checklist in your support files. Need help finding it? Email our support team: support@holdspacecreative.com.
Taking the time to implement these foundational elements will set your practice's online presence up for success before you even begin writing.
2. Plan your content strategically
Answer questions your clients are asking
The most successful content addresses specific questions or problems your clients are trying to solve. Before creating content, ask yourself: "What information are my ideal therapy or coaching clients searching for?"
Specific Example: A life coach might notice that prospective clients frequently ask, "How do I know if I need a life coach or a therapist?" This question could become an excellent blog post that addresses the differences, helping potential clients self-select the right service while highlighting your thoughtful, ethical approach.
Research existing answers
Take time to search Google and AI tools like ChatGPT to understand:
What specific questions people are asking about therapy or coaching in your niche
How these questions are currently being answered
Where there might be gaps in the available information
Which search terms are most commonly used when seeking mental health or personal development support
Specific Example: A trauma therapist searching "how to recognize trauma responses" might discover that while there's plenty of clinical information available, there's a lack of approachable content explaining this to potential clients. This presents an opportunity to create content that bridges this gap.
Write for your client base with your expertise
Remember that just because a question has already been answered doesn't mean you can't offer your unique perspective. Your clients follow you for a reason; they value your specific expertise and approach.
Specific Example: A nutrition coach might find dozens of articles about "healthy eating habits," but none that specifically address emotional eating patterns for high-achieving professionals - their exact target audience. Their specialized knowledge creates an opportunity for content that will resonate with their ideal clients.
Focus on teaching and sharing your expertise
When writing, imagine you're speaking directly to a client in session. This approach helps maintain an authentic voice and ensures you're providing genuinely helpful information rather than simply writing for search engines.
Specific Example: Instead of writing a generic post titled "Benefits of Therapy," a therapist specializing in maternal mental health might write "5 Ways Therapy Helped Me Navigate Postpartum Depression (And How It Can Help You)" – sharing relevant personal or client experiences (anonymized) that demonstrate real expertise.
3. Structure your content for readability and SEO
Use proper heading priority
Heading structure is crucial for both SEO and user experience. Search engines use headings to understand the hierarchy and organization of your content.
Follow this heading structure:
H1: Your post title (only use one H1 per page)
H2: Main sections or key points
H3: Subsections within your H2 sections
H4: Further breakdowns within H3 sections (if needed)
Place your main points in headings to help readers scan your content and help search engines understand what's most important.
Specific Example:
Implement step-by-step instructions
When appropriate, format your content as step-by-step instructions. This approach:
Makes complex therapeutic concepts easier to understand
Improves user experience
Increases the likelihood of appearing in featured snippets
Provides clear value to your potential clients
Specific Example: A career coach writing about "Finding Your Purpose" could break down the process into clear steps:
(H2) How to Discover Your Core Values
1. Schedule uninterrupted reflection time - Set aside 30 minutes in a comfortable, quiet space.
2. Recall peak experiences - Write down 3-5 moments when you felt most alive and fulfilled.
3. Identify patterns - Circle recurring themes like "creativity," "connection," or "impact."
4. Test against past decisions - Review choices you've made that you're proud of and those you regret. Do your identified values align with your proud moments?
5. Create a values hierarchy - Rank your top 5 values in order of importance to guide future decisions.
Format text into digestible paragraphs
Many therapy and coaching concepts are complex. Breaking them into smaller chunks helps potential clients absorb the information:
Keep paragraphs short (3-4 sentences maximum)
Use bullet points and numbered lists
Include white space between sections
Break up text with relevant images or graphics
Specific Example: Instead of a dense paragraph explaining cognitive distortions, a CBT therapist could create a much more readable and shareable format:
Before:
Cognitive distortions are patterns of thinking that are false or inaccurate and have the potential to cause psychological damage. Filtering is when you focus exclusively on the negative aspects of a situation while filtering out all the positive aspects. Polarized thinking, also known as "black-and-white thinking," is when you view a situation in only two categories instead of on a continuum. Catastrophizing is when you expect disaster and believe that you won't be able to handle the outcome. Personalization is a distortion where you believe that everything others do or say is some kind of direct, personal reaction to you.
After:
(H2) Common Cognitive Distortions That Feed Anxiety
Filtering: Seeing only the negative in situations.
Example: Focusing solely on the one critical comment in your performance review while ignoring five positive comments.
Black-and-White Thinking: Viewing situations as all-good or all-bad.
Example: Believing that if your presentation wasn't perfect, it was a complete failure.
Catastrophizing: Expecting the absolute worst outcome.
Example: Thinking one missed deadline means you'll be fired and never find another job.
Personalization: Believing others' actions are direct responses to you.
Example: Assuming your friend's short text message means they're angry with you.
4. Add alt-text to images
Why alt-text matters for your practice
Alt-text (alternative text) serves multiple important purposes:
Makes your content accessible to visually impaired potential clients who use screen readers
Helps search engines understand what your images depict
Provides context when images fail to load
Creates additional opportunities to include relevant therapy or coaching keywords naturally
Specific Example: For an image showing a therapist and client in session, weak alt-text would be "therapy session" while strong alt-text would be "Compassionate therapist using EMDR techniques with trauma client in a calming office environment."
How to create effective alt-text
We use alttext.ai to help generate effective alt-text (they offer a free trial). Whether you use a tool or write alt-text manually, ensure it:
Accurately describes the image content
Includes relevant keywords when appropriate
Avoids keyword stuffing
Remains concise (aim for 125 characters or less)
Specific Example:
Let’s look at the image below.
Poor alt-text: "typing at computer"
Better alt-text: "A person wearing a white sweater types on a silver laptop placed on a round wooden table. Only their hands and part of their arms are visible."
5. Add video transcripts
Why transcripts boost SEO for therapists and coaches
If your blog post includes videos (such as therapy technique demonstrations or coaching explanations), adding transcripts provides significant benefits:
Makes your content accessible to deaf or hard-of-hearing potential clients
Allows search engines to index the spoken content of your videos
Helps international visitors who may prefer reading to listening
Gives users the option to quickly scan video content
Specific Example: A relationship coach who uploads a 10-minute video about "Communication Techniques for Conflict Resolution" would benefit significantly from adding a transcript. While the video might rank for very few keywords on its own, the transcript could help it rank for dozens of specific phrases like "how to use I-statements during arguments" or "active listening techniques for couples."
Creating efficient transcripts
A tool like Descript can help you quickly generate accurate transcripts from your videos. The automatic transcription can then be reviewed and edited for accuracy.
Where to Place Your Transcript
For optimal SEO benefit, place your transcript directly below the video in a collapsible section to avoid overwhelming the page. In Squarespace, you can accomplish this by using an Accordion Block.
6. Write a search-worthy title
Use proven search phrases
Incorporate words and phrases that your potential clients are already using in their searches. Your keyword research from step 2 will help identify these terms.
Aim to place your primary keyword near the beginning of your title when possible, but always prioritize creating a title that sounds natural and compelling to human readers.
Specific Example:
Generic title: "Therapy Insights"
Improved title: "How EMDR Therapy Helps Process Traumatic Memories: A Therapist's Guide"
Balance keywords and readability
While including keywords in your title is important, avoid "keyword stuffing," which can make your title sound unnatural. A good approach is to:
Include your primary keyword
Add a benefit or intrigue factor
Keep it under 60 characters (so it doesn't get cut off in search results)
Specific Example:
Overstuffed title: "Anxiety Therapy CBT Techniques Anxiety Management Anxiety Relief Guide"
Better title: "7 CBT Techniques Therapists Use to Help Manage Overwhelming Anxiety"
Overstuffed title: "Life Coach Career Changes Career Coaching Job Satisfaction Work Life Balance"
Better title: "Finding Career Fulfillment: A Life Coach's Approach to Meaningful Work"
7. Add a thumbnail image
Why thumbnails impact your practice's search performance
Adding a compelling thumbnail image to your post improves search visibility because:
Posts with images receive 94% more views than text-only content
Thumbnails increase click-through rates in search results and social shares
Images create additional indexing opportunities through image search
Visual content improves user engagement signals, which indirectly affects rankings
Specific Example: A therapist writing about "Signs You're Experiencing Burnout" might use a thumbnail showing an exhausted professional with their head in their hands at a desk. This immediately communicates the content's focus and elicits an emotional response, increasing the likelihood that potential clients will click through to read more.
Creating effective thumbnails for therapy and coaching content
Your thumbnail should:
Visually represent your content's topic
Be high-quality and professionally designed
Include your blog post title when appropriate
Be sized correctly for your platform (typically 1200 x 630 pixels works well)
Consider the emotional impact of the image (avoid potentially triggering images)
Specific Example: A life coach specializing in career transitions created branded blog thumbnails with consistent elements: a calming blue background, the coach's logo in the corner, and the blog title in white text. This consistency helped build visual recognition with returning visitors and created a more professional appearance in search results.
Pro Tip: In Squarespace, add your thumbnail image by navigating to your post settings > Content > then uploading a photo to the “Featured Image” field.
8. Add an SEO description
The SEO description (meta description) is a brief summary that appears under your title in search results. While it doesn't directly impact rankings, it significantly affects whether potential clients click through to your content.
Writing an effective SEO description for your practice
Your description should:
Clearly communicate what readers will gain from your post
Include your primary keyword naturally
Create curiosity or highlight benefits
Stay between 150-160 characters to avoid being cut off
Include a call to action when appropriate
Specific Example:
Generic description: "Learn about anxiety management techniques in this blog post."
Improved description: "Discover 5 evidence-based anxiety management techniques that therapists use to help clients find immediate relief during panic attacks. Learn how to apply them today."
Another Example:
Generic description: "This post covers life coaching for career changes."
Improved description: "Feeling stuck in your career? Learn the 3-step process I use with coaching clients to identify fulfilling career paths aligned with your core values and strengths."
Think of your SEO description as ad copy - it should compel potential clients to click while accurately representing your content.
9. Implement a strategic linking plan
Internal linking strategy for therapists and coaches
Internal links connect your content to other relevant pages on your website. This practice:
Helps search engines understand your site structure and content relationships
Distributes page authority throughout your site
Keeps potential clients engaged by guiding them to related content
Reduces bounce rates and increases time on site
Specific Example: A therapist specializing in anxiety has blog posts about "Understanding Panic Attacks," "Breathing Techniques for Anxiety," and "When to Seek Help for Anxiety." Each post should link to the others, creating a network of connected anxiety resources. Additionally, each blog post should link to the therapist's services page for anxiety treatment.
Aim to include 3-5 internal links in each blog post, prioritizing links to your service pages and high-converting content.
External linking strategy
Linking to authoritative external sources:
Signals to search engines that your content is well-researched
Provides additional value to your potential clients
Establishes topical relevance and expertise
Creates opportunities for relationship building with other professionals
Specific Example: A relationship coach writing about attachment styles might link to research studies from psychology journals, relevant books, or resources from established organizations like the Gottman Institute. These external links demonstrate that the coach stays current with research and best practices in their field.
Pro Tip: Always ensure external links open in new tabs to keep visitors on your site.
10. Optimize your URL structure
The URL of your blog post is a significant ranking factor. Create URLs that are:
Short and descriptive
Include your primary keyword
Use hyphens to separate words
Avoid unnecessary parameters or numbers
Specific Example:
Poor URL: "yourtherapypractice.com/blog/2025/04/15/post-id-12345-anxiety-management-techniques-for-clients-with-generalized-anxiety-disorder-and-panic"
Better URL: "yourtherapypractice.com/anxiety-management-techniques"
Another Example:
Poor URL: "yourcoachingsite.com/?p=12345"
Better URL: "yourcoachingsite.com/career-transition-coaching-process"
11. Optimize for AI search engines
Focus on entity optimization
Modern search engines, especially AI-powered ones, understand content through entities (people, places, concepts) and their relationships:
Clearly define key entities in your content
Establish relationships between entities
Use consistent terminology when referring to specific concepts
Consider adding a glossary section for complex topics
Specific Example: A therapist writing about ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) would benefit from clearly defining related entities like "psychological flexibility," "mindfulness," "values," and "committed action." The post should establish relationships between these concepts, explaining how mindfulness practices relate to psychological flexibility or how values work connects to committed action.
Enhance semantic richness
AI search engines look beyond keywords to understand context and meaning:
Use related terms, synonyms, and natural language variations
Cover topics comprehensively rather than superficially
Include definitions and explanations that AI can extract for featured snippets
Answer questions thoroughly, considering the "who, what, when, where, why, and how"
Specific Example: A relationship coach writing about "communication techniques" should include related terms like "active listening," "nonverbal cues," "conflict resolution," "emotional intelligence," and "expressing needs." They should define these concepts clearly and show how they interconnect, providing comprehensive coverage rather than just scratching the surface.
Strengthen E-E-A-T signals
Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) are increasingly important ranking factors:
Include author bios with relevant credentials and experience
Share personal experiences and case studies that demonstrate hands-on knowledge
Cite reputable sources and data points
Address common misconceptions in your field
Specific Example: A therapist specializing in trauma might include credentials (LCSW, EMDR certified), years of experience ("10+ years working with trauma survivors"), specific training, and professional associations. Throughout the post, they might reference client scenarios (anonymized) that demonstrate their hands-on experience, cite recent research from respected journals, and clarify misconceptions about trauma recovery.
12. Optimize for user engagement
Search engines track how users interact with your content, which affects rankings:
Include interactive elements like polls, quizzes, or calculators (if applicable)
Encourage comments and respond to them promptly
Add clear calls-to-action throughout your post
Consider embedding social sharing options in strategic locations
Specific Example: A therapist specializing in anxiety created a simple "Anxiety Level Self-Assessment" quiz embedded in their blog post about anxiety symptoms. This interactive element increased average time on page by over 3 minutes and provided visitors with personalized results that encouraged them to book a consultation.
Another Example: A life coach added a "Values Prioritization Exercise" to their post about finding purpose. Readers could drag and drop different values to rank them, creating an engaging experience that provided immediate value while demonstrating the coach's approach.
Higher engagement signals to search engines that your content provides value.
13. Focus on content depth over length
Rather than aiming for arbitrary word counts:
Provide comprehensive coverage of your topic
Answer related questions your audience might have
Include insights and unique perspectives from your own experience
Remove fluff and focus on valuable information
Specific Example: A therapist specializing in eating disorders wrote what initially seemed like a "short" 800-word post about "Recognizing Early Warning Signs of Disordered Eating." However, the post was exceptionally comprehensive, covering physical, emotional, and behavioral signs in clear, concise language with specific examples. Despite its relatively short length, it outranked much longer but less focused posts on the same topic because it thoroughly answered the specific question searchers were asking.
Another Example: A career coach created a 2,500-word guide on "Transitioning to a New Career After 40." Rather than padding with generalities, every section addressed specific challenges faced by this demographic: age discrimination, transferable skills assessment, financial planning during transition, and leveraging existing professional networks. This depth of coverage resulted in top rankings for multiple search queries related to midlife career changes.
AI search engines value content that thoroughly answers specific questions.
14. Incorporate multiple media types
Diversify your content with various media formats:
Use custom images and infographics to illustrate complex concepts
Include short video demonstrations when appropriate
Consider adding audio versions of your blog posts
Create downloadable resources like checklists or templates
Specific Example: A couples therapist might create a blog post about "Communication Patterns That Damage Relationships" that include:
Text explanations of each pattern
Short video clips demonstrating each communication pattern
Infographics showing healthy vs. unhealthy communication cycles
A downloadable PDF worksheet for couples to identify their patterns
Audio recordings of example dialogues showing how to transform negative patterns
This multi-media approach would likely increase time spent on the page and significantly increase the post's sharing rate compared to text-only posts.
Another Example: A mindfulness coach might supplement their blog post about "Beginning a Meditation Practice" with:
Custom illustrations showing proper meditation postures
A 5-minute guided meditation audio recording
A downloadable 30-day meditation tracker
A short video demonstrating proper breathing techniques
Multiple media types improve user experience and provide various ways for search engines to understand and index your content. They also create additional entry points through image search, video search, and resource sharing.
15. Create pin graphics for Pinterest (optional)
Leverage Pinterest as a search engine for your practice
Many therapists and coaches overlook Pinterest, but it functions as a powerful visual search engine with over 400 million monthly users actively searching for ideas and solutions, including mental health and personal development topics.
Specific Example: Pinterest is the top social traffic source for holdspacecreative.com, with 16% of our total traffic this year coming from the platform. Compare that with 0.6% coming from Instagram. Our top-performing blog pin right now is a simple graphic titled “Squarespace Font Pairings for Your Personality” that I published three years ago.
Want to learn more about how to use Pinterest for your practice? Our workshop, “Pinterest for Therapists” will help you reach more aligned clients with half the effort of other social media platforms:
Design simple, effective pin graphics for therapy and coaching content
Use Canva to create pin-worthy graphics that:
Clearly display your blog post title
Include your website URL or practice name
Use eye-catching imagery relevant to mental health or personal development
Follow a 2:3 ratio (1000 x 1500 pixels is ideal)
Maintain your brand colors and fonts
Specific Example: A meditation coach creates a series of pins using a consistent template: a calming background image (ocean, forest, etc.), a short headline like "3-Minute Anxiety Reduction Meditation," and their practice name. This consistent approach builds brand recognition while driving traffic to different meditation technique blog posts on their website.
Another Example: Here’s the pin graphic that we made for this article. We’ll share this on Pinterest with a link to this blog post.
16. Update older posts regularly
Search engines prioritize fresh, current information. Revisit and update your older blog posts by:
Adding new information and insights
Updating statistics and examples
Refreshing images and media
Improving SEO elements based on current best practices
Add "last updated" information
Including a visible "Last Updated" date:
Signals content freshness to both visitors and search engines
Builds trust with potential clients seeking current information
Encourages return visits to see what's been updated
Specific Example: A nutrition coach includes a prominent "Last Updated: [Date]" note at the top of each blog post, along with a brief summary of what was updated (e.g., "Updated with new research on inflammatory foods and updated meal plan suggestions"). This transparency demonstrates ongoing expertise and commitment to accuracy.
Pro Tip: Set a calendar reminder to review and update your most important posts quarterly.
Bottom line: search-optimized blog content is a better investment than social media content creation.
Unlike social media content that often disappears after a few days of engagement, properly optimized blog posts are long-term assets for your business. While social platforms constantly change their algorithms and require continuous posting to maintain visibility, search-optimized content continues working for you around the clock, month after month, year after year.
Think of each optimized blog post as planting a seed that grows over time. As your post gains authority, backlinks, and engagement signals, its ranking potential increases, often reaching its peak performance months after publication.
This compounding effect means that a strategic approach to blog content can build a sustainable traffic source that doesn't disappear when you take a break from posting.
Remember that SEO is a long-term strategy. Don't be discouraged if you don't see immediate results. Continue creating valuable, optimized content consistently, and your search visibility will steadily improve. Focus on quality over quantity, and prioritize creating comprehensive resources that will remain relevant for years rather than churning out high volumes of shallow content.
Need more hands-on help with your website's SEO? Grab our comprehensive SEO Checklist to ensure you're covering all the bases.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember that you don’t have to accomplish everything in this guide perfectly to start ranking on search engines. Start where you are and gradually add these strategies as you go along.
Tell us in the comments: What’s one thing you learned from this article that you’ll implement the next time you publish a blog post?
