SEO For Therapists: How To Write “Perfect” Page Titles

Posted On April 26th, 2021

By Jade Pruett, SEO Strategist at Mind Over Marketing, an agency specializing in marketing for therapists.

Today, I’m going to show you how to make “perfect” page titles for therapists. And of course, “perfect” is in big quotation marks. Just like in therapy and life, there is no such thing as perfect when it comes to creating page titles for your website’s SEO.

However, these are the exact tactics I use when creating page titles and descriptions for my clients, so while they may not be “perfect,” they sure do work.

Let’s jump in!

What are Page Titles?

Page titles are small pieces of code that help describe what the page is all about to users, Google, and other search engines. While page titles are pieces of code embedded in the HTML of your website, you are probably more familiar with seeing them in Google search results.

The page title is the blue link you see when you Google a topic, and the meta description is what is written under it. We will get into meta descriptions later.

Why are Page Titles Important?

Page titles are important because they are key to the success of your SEO. Not only is this what Google is checking first to see what your page is all about, it is also what is going to entice a user to click your link in the search results over all the other options listed.

Your page titles will help you throughout your entire SEO campaign no matter where you begin in the ranking. From Google’s perspective, having a good page title is what is going to help your page rank well in search results, moving you from the fifth page of Google to the first. And once you are ranking well, your page title is going to help your ideal client make that split second decision of what Google search result to click. And as we know, if you are who they find when making an intentional Google search, you are most likely to book them as a client.

How to Write a “Perfect” Page Title

Now that we know why it matters, it’s time to start writing your page titles. Here are the simple steps to create “perfect” page titles.

Start with your chosen keyword

A great place to begin is by entering your chosen keyword. This is what you are expecting your ideal client to be searching for, so having it as the very first part of your title will help them know you are exactly what they are looking for.

From Google’s perspective, this keyword or phrase is what you are hoping to rank for in Google. Putting it at the very front will show Google that this is your most important term.

Optimize for your location

As a therapist, it is important to rank for your location, whether that is as targetted as your city or just your state. If you offer virtual therapy, you can also optimize for that here by writing something like “Virtual Therapy in Georgia.”

This will help Google know what regions to show your website in, and it will help your clients know where to find you.

Don’t forget your name

It is not imperative to add your name to your page title; however, I have found that it adds a personal touch that is often left out on Google searches. When someone is searching for a therapist, and they see a person’s name in the results, they are much more likely to click that search result.

Don’t want to add your name? Add your business’s name

You may not want to add a person’s name to your results if you have more than one therapist at your practice or you are trying to increase brand recognition for practice as a whole. If you do not want to add a singular name to your page title, be sure to add the name of your private practice instead. If you have multiple therapists in your practice, it may be a good idea to optimize individual pages for each therapist to broaden your reach. On those pages, do be sure to use their name. That way, everyone can benefit from your SEO.

See what else is about there

When it comes to creating page titles, seeing what your competition is doing is key. You can see how your page title compares to your competition by simply Googling the keyword you are wanting to rank for. Are they doing anything special that might be giving them a competitive edge? There is no harm in experimenting to see what might work for you too.

Make sure your page title isn’t too long

If you have ever looked at a search results page, you may notice page titles that end in “…”. This is because they are too long and are getting cut off in Google. This could be a user error by the person who wrote them, or it could be that they didn’t write a page title, and their website automatically created one. No matter the cause, this can be frowned upon in Google’s eyes.

For this reason, be sure to make your page title between 60 and 90 characters. Then, be sure to check on it when it is live in Google to be sure it is not being cut off.

Examples of Good Page Titles

For reference, here are a few examples of good page titles for inspiration.

I like this one because it is entirely visible, it states where they are located, and features their business name. Short, sweet, and to the point.

Like the first example, this page title isn’t cut off, starts with its target keyword: “Play Therapy,” and then advertises its business’s name. If you need more validation that this is a great page title, it is currently ranked number 1 in Google for “Play Therapy Marietta.”

I especially love this one because it states the therapist’s name along with their private practice. It isn’t cut off, and it even has their location built in to the business’s name.

Page Title FAQs

Should all of my page titles be different?

Yes! Since all of the pages on your website are different, it only makes sense that all the page titles are different. If every page title is exactly the same, you are limiting who you can reach with your website because you are only going to show up for people searching one type of keyword. Additionally, Google may see every page title being identical as duplicate or plagiarized content, which can cause the algorithm to not trust your website anymore. This can cause your entire website to be thrown out of Google’s index or dropped to the bottom on the SERPs.

Where can I enter my page titles and meta description?

Depending on what domain host (WordPress, Squarespace, GoDaddy, et cetera) you use, the place you enter your titles may be located in different places. However, every domain host should have space for you to enter this information. If you are struggling to find where to enter your descriptors, a quick Google search should help you find them for your domain host.

Do the dividers between my keywords matter?

No. The only thing that matters is that the page title is easy to read. I personally like to use the “|” divider when writing page titles, but, as you can see in the examples section, others prefer to use dashes as dividers. This is completely up to you and what you think looks best. Just keep the user in mind and be sure it is easy to read and understand at a quick glance.

That’s all!

Writing page titles can seem intimidating at first, but it doesn’t have to be. With these simple tips, you’ll be writing “perfect” page titles in no time.

Did you learn anything new from this post?

How are you planning to rewrite your page titles?

Let me know!

For any questions or help, be sure to reach out to me, Jade Pruett, at Mind Over Marketing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jade Pruett is an SEO Strategist who specializes in marketing for therapists and counselors. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her therapist husband and corgi, Loaf. You can find her at www.mindover.marketing.