SERP Features for Therapists
It’s not as simple as ranking on page one anymore.
There are tons of features that you can rank for on Google besides the usual organic results.
Here, I go through what the search engine results page (SERP) features are and how you can get them.
Let’s dive in.
SERP features therapists can rank for
Featured snippets
Featured snippets are snippets of content from a web page that Google displays for a search query.
For example, check out the featured snippet below.
Featured snippets are a great opportunity for more exposure on Google. Plus, if searchers feel like the snippet didn’t answer their question, they’re more likely to click on your result than someone else’s.
There are a few ways that you can optimize your content for featured snippets.
Use lots of lists. Google can’t extract points from paragraphs as easily, so if you’re answering a question and you can use a list, do it.
Keep answers close to headings. Keeping questions and answers close together makes for an easy snippet. For more on that, check out this video.
Use schema. Schema is structured code that Google can use to understand your content and make a featured snippet. FAQs and lists schemas are used most commonly. There are lots of free schema generators out there that help you create a schema.
Ads
Ads are search results on Google that you pay for. On the search engine results page (SERP), you pay when someone clicks on your ad. Ads are great for a few reasons.
Your result appears above the organic search results (including the local map results).
If you have the right bidding strategy set up, Google chooses the ad that’s most likely to get clicks.
If you pay enough, you can get leads quickly.
To make sure your ads appear on page one, I recommend a few things.
A list of keywords.
A list of negative keywords (these are keywords that you don’t want to appear for, for example, “speech” or “physical” since those are different kinds of therapists).
A few text ads, one call ad, and a responsive ad.
As many extensions as possible (for example, call extensions, location extensions, sitelink extensions, etc.).
Knowledge graphs
I won’t lie—knowledge graphs, which can appear as boxes or panels, are tough to get.
Typically, knowledge panels pull from highly reputable sources, such as WebMD. But, if you organize your content well and your domain has enough authority, you may be able to appear.
Local pack
The local pack, or the map pack, is a version of organic results. But instead of showing websites as results, Google shows Google My Business listings.
To show up on the map pack, optimize your Google My Business listing. Make sure you include keywords in your description, add lots of images, and post often. If you have time, do some spam-fighting too. Learn more about spam-fighting for therapists.
Related questions
Related questions pull from a variety of search results, so anyone can end up there. Optimizing for related questions is similar to ranking for featured snippets. When in doubt, organize your content, use keywords, and answer questions directly (no tangents until AFTER you’ve answered the question).
Did this help?
Keep in mind that Google experiments with SERP features all the time. There might be new features tomorrow!
To stay up to date on Google and other digital marketing tactics for therapists, sign up for my email list for free resources and tips.
Do you have more questions about SEO for therapists? Contact me! I’m here to answer your questions about SEO.
