A Guide to SEO Methods (Both Free and Paid) for ABA Businesses
One cannot overstate the importance of having a good search presence for ABA businesses. That’s because once parents decide to get ABA therapy, they typically either ask around for a referral from a trusted source… or turn to Google.
Researchers estimate that 34.2% of searchers click the 1st organic result… compared to only 2.6% of searchers who click the 10th result. And if you’re on the second page of search results? Just forget about it.
So, how do you rank well in Google search? Ideally, you’d like to see your organization appear in the top 1-3 spots for both Google map listings, and the results below the map.
The easiest way to get quality search traffic is simply to pay for it. The right Google Ads strategy will instantly get you to the top of paid results, and I’ve put together a formula for getting ABA agencies and clinics great results by doing so.
Yet the ability to instantly get yourself in front of interested parents using Google Ads is no reason to ignore organic SEO. If you have some budget left over after using paid ads, then by all means invest it in a high-quality SEO service.
Paid SEO services take 3-6 months before you start seeing an impact on your traffic, and quality isn’t cheap. Thus, there are two categories ABA providers fall into:
1. Unable to invest a real budget in SEO, but still in need of a strategy to be highly visible in Google Search.
2. Able to compete for search traffic by investing funds over the long term.
Let’s take a look at free SEO methods, and what to look for in a paid SEO service if you are ready to start investing in your search presence…
Free SEO Methods
If you do not have the budget to invest in SEO right now, the good news is that there is a lot you can do for free.
Google My Business
Your main tool for free SEO success is your Google My Business (GMB) listing. If you don’t have one yet, follow these directions to fix that.
If you do not have a clinical location or real office, choose to make your GMB listing a “service area” listing rather than providing an address. Do not try to fake a physical location using a home address because it could get you into trouble.
Once you’ve setup your GMB listing, do the following:
1. Fill out all fields you are able to fill out, in their entirety. Be sure to include your website address in the appropriate field.
2. Add pictures (you can use stock photos if you must).
3. Post content just like you would on FB or Instagram. The more activity you have on your GMB listing, the more Google rewards you with rankings and traffic.
Anybody can execute the tasks above and ensure that they show up in Google Maps.
Getting lots of 5-star reviews helps you with GMB more than anything, but of course BACB rules do not allow you to solicit reviews from parents.
Onsite SEO
When providing SEO services to my clients, we start off with a website audit to look for issues that hurt their rankings so they can be fixed. My team also evaluates the website to make sure that its content is conducive to good rankings.
While website audits get very technical, there are a few basic things that most business owners can at least evaluate, or even personally attend to:
1. Your website should look good on both desktop and mobile devices
2. Your website should have an SSL certificate (your hosting service can provide you with one and install it for a fee)
3. Your website should load at a reasonable speed
4. Your website should be attractive and easy to read
5. Your homepage should include words like “ABA therapy” in a title or h1 tag in order to let Google know your business does ABA therapy (do not list your business as involved in “behavior consulting”- parents rarely type “behavioral consulting” into Google Search)
If you have all of the above taken care of, you can rest assured that you’re not being negligent with regards to SEO and you should enjoy at least some visibility in Google Search.
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What to Look for When Choosing an SEO Service
People can feel intimated or overwhelmed trying to wade through the SEO options out there. Here’s a short list of things to look for when shopping for an SEO service…
Is the Service Provider Trustworthy?
The first thing to consider is whether or not you trust the service provider. Unethical SEO people can play all sorts of tricks that either mask poor results, or even hurt your rankings.
Follow your intuition and do your research to find someone trustworthy. Verifiable reviews of a service from real people are a solid indicator that you are dealing with a legitimate business. That’s why I like to refer people both to the reviews on my website and the recommendations on my LinkedIn profile.
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Does the SEO Service Have Experience Working With Other ABA Providers?
Every industry has its nuances and every search market is different. It’s a smart idea to work with somebody who specializes in helping ABA businesses succeed in Google Search.
Does the Provider Follow Google’s Rules in Order to Keep You Out of Trouble?
In the early 2000’s, it was possible to artificially boost your website rankings with “black hat” tricks such as using software to produce thousands of fake backlinks. Those days are gone as Google is constantly on the lookout for spammy or fake ways of producing good rankings.
Getting backlinks from the wrong source, stuffing your content with too many keywords, and many other techniques can result in long term penalties from Google that hurt your business
Therefore, it is essential that you choose an SEO service provider that only uses “white hat” techniques, such as those listed below
What A Quality Provider Should Either Do Or Oversee For You
Here’s a basic list of activities that your SEO provider should handle. Some of these activities may occur just once or on occasion while others may occur monthly:
• Developing effective strategy and measuring results
• Identifying technical issues with website
• Identifying content issues with website
• Implementing Schema (a language that tells Google important information about your business)
• Creating quality content for pages on the website
• Creating quality blog content for your website
• Getting high quality backlinks from other websites
• Writing and getting placement for guest posts
• Ensure organic anchor text distribution
• Directory optimization
• Press Releases
• Video Creation
Expect that results can take 3-6 months to materialize. Also expect that Google’s periodic algorithm updates can change your rankings. Lastly, remember that SEO is about the end result. The main question you should be asking as you receive SEO services is, “are parents finding me?”
Should I Invest In SEO Right Now? Or Prioritize Something Else?
Expect to wait 3-6 months for an investment in SEO services to start impacting your rankings and traffic.
Therefore…
If you need new cases now, your first priority should be to use Google Adwords and/or Facebook Ads to get results without waiting. This is what the majority of my clients do and they are able to grow their practices quickly (see case studies here).
If you have a budget left over after using Facebook Ads or Google Adwords, then go ahead and invest in SEO.
If you don’t need new cases right away, but you would like to enhance your search presence for the long run, then by all means invest it in a high-quality SEO service.
Get a Free Consultation
Are you an ABA therapy service provider? We work with ABA agencies and clinics from coast to coast. Results using a variety of search engine marketing and Facebook Ads campaigns include:
• Complete caseloads for three BCBA’s in 2020- despite taking five months off in the middle
• 267% growth in billable hours in eight months
• Almost doubling practice size in three months (during Coronavirus)
• Enrolling seven cases in month 1… and continuing to grow from there
• And more…
Now, I know what you’re thinking…
“Show me the proof!”
Okay, I’ll show you the proof.
First, check out the recent BCBA recommendations on my LinkedIn profile (feel free to connect while you’re there): https://www.linkedin.com/in/reece-epstein/
Second, check out the reviews on my website (including the video interview): https://reputationelevation.net/reviews
If you would like a free consultation, please schedule one here: https://grow.reputationelevation.net/book-marketing-strategy-session/
