How Much Does a Psychology Today Listing Cost?

A Psychology Today listing just might be worth the investment.

So how much does a Psychology Today listing cost?

According to their website, the cost of a Psychology Today listing is $29.95/month.

That’s not too steep of a price. But is it worth it?

Below, I analyze Psychology Today’s guarantees, the chances of clients finding you on Psychology Today, and other costs and benefits of a Psychology Today listing.

But before I dive in…

Psychology Today does have a history of publishing racist content and failing to prioritize diverse representation in their magazine. Therefore, as a trauma-informed organization, we cannot recommend supporting Psychology Today. They also may evade taxes by being based in the Cayman Islands.

Psychology Today’s guarantees

If you do choose to bite the bullet and pay the cost of listing on Psychology Today, Psychology Today promises the following:

1. Visibility on search engines (Google, Bing, and Yahoo);

2. That they are the #1 online referral source; and

3. Credibility by being associated with their brand.

Let’s break these down.

Visibility on search engines

Psychology Today reports that by making a profile on their platform, you won’t need to make a website because they “promote your profile on all the major search engines.”

This isn't entirely true, and it's pretty misleading. Here’s why.

If you have a listing on Psychology Today, you have competition. In one Psychology Today sample search in Denver, there were 1,747 listings and 87 pages of results.

Does Psychology Today honestly promise that they will promote 1,747 profiles on Google?

Note that people rarely look past the first page of the search results (on Google anyways), let alone the second and third. On the first three pages of Google’s, Bing’s, and Yahoo’s search results for therapist keywords, there were no Psychology Today profiles—only a search results page on Psychology Today.

Actually, a Psychology Today profile ranking on Google is nearly impossible, and here’s why.

SEO doesn’t work like that.

Google ranks a website based on over 100 rankings factors. Very, very simply put, you need the following things:

1. Backlinks, and

2. Content.

No one but you will link back to your Psychology Today profile, and you cannot write or promote any content (except for your own bio) on your profile.

So, when Psychology Today says that “your name will appear high up in the results,” they aren't being entirely truthful. Just because their website appears on Google does not mean that potential clients will see your profile via Google.

Is Psychology Today the #1 online referral source?

True, Psychology Today is very often in the top few spots on the search engine results page (also known as the SERP), but what good is a referral if you find yourself on pages 20, 30, 40, or 87?

I don't question that they're the #1 online source of referrals, but I do question the value of that referral source. I've heard from some therapists that have gotten 11+ leads from Psychology Today and others that have gotten 0. It seems pretty subjective to me.

Psychology Today's credibility

This is undeniable.

Psychology Today is known and trusted by Google and every day people. Being associated with their brand can’t hurt, but if your listing is buried, how much is that worth?

Up to you.

What are the chances of someone hiring you because you have a Psychology Today listing?

So should you make investment of the cost of listing on Psychology Today?

Maybe.

$29.95/month isn’t terrible, but let’s review the facts:

1. Psychology Today is highly credible,

2. You won’t actually show up on search engines, and

3. You have serious competition.

In my opinion, if you're getting clients once per quarter and an ROI, I would keep it. But be aware of misleading information!