If you’re a mental health professional reading this, you already know how to write. You’ve gotten several degrees that required research papers, a thesis, and possibly even a dissertation. But you probably never learned how to write for your business.
Copywriting for mental health professionals is a lot different than academic writing. It’s also different from writing a book.
Today we’re going to focus specifically on what makes a good blog and how to rank a blog in a Google search. But first, it’s important to understand why you need a blog.
If you follow me, you know that I’m a strong believer in writing blogs for your business. They provide clients and potential clients with online resources. Blogs allow people to understand what you care about. They establish you as an authority in your field. Your audience learns more about you and your work from a blog. Blogs also rank you higher in a Google search if you update them consistently.
Not all blogs are created equal. So let’s talk about what makes a good blog. Here are 7 ways to know that your blogs are good.
1. Your Blog Is SEO-Optimized
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It’s what ranks your website in a Google search. Consistently updated blogs get noticed by Google. Using SEO in the text is how to rank a blog.
The first thing to know about SEO is that you need to use keywords. These are the words and phrases that people type into Google when they’re conducting a search. Long-tail keywords are short phrases that often get typed into searches. Using keywords and long-tail keywords for SEO optimization is one way to write a good blog.
You also should consider using internal and external links. Use internal links in your blogs to link to other blogs you’ve written. It brings the reader to another page on your website, so it’s linking internally. External links go to other sources. You want to use both for SEO optimization.
Another thing to think about is the length of your blog. One way to rank a blog in a Google search is to write blogs that are over 1000 words. Google doesn’t recognize anything less than that.
SEO-optimized blogs are an inbound marketing strategy. SEO expert Neil Patel says that “You can generate more qualified leads through blogging. Recent statistics reveal that marketers who blog consistently will acquire 126% more leads than those who do not.” [1]
Another thing that makes a good blog is writing for several different audiences, including your target audience. What I mean by that is that you need to write for the skimmer, the digger, and Google. Some people will find your page and skim while others will read every word. A good blog is written for both. And in order to rank a blog, you’re always writing for Google. But above all, write to your ideal client.
2. Your Blog Is Relevant To Your Audience
Because you’re always writing for three types of people, you need to make sure that your topics are relevant to your audience. Which means you have to know your audience.
If you’re a therapist who specializes in marital and premarital therapy, you’re probably not going to write about eating disorder triggers unless it pertains to the couples you work with. Instead, you’ll write about communication and intimacy, for example.
Besides boosting your SEO, the purpose of a blog is to provide resources to your clients and potential clients, as I mentioned before. I can’t stress enough how important it is to write topics that are relevant to those people, because otherwise, why have a blog? Relevancy is what makes a good blog.
There are a lot of ways you can rank a blog. Relevant blogs are just one of those ways. You can tell stories, use examples of how you would tackle a subject in your practice, or share ideas that have been on your mind as you work with your clients.
3. You’re Writing To Your Ideal Client
You have to know your ideal client when you write a blog. Always write with your ideal client in mind. Blogs are a good way to get clear on who you’re talking to and who your ideal clients are.
Again, blogs are resources for your audience, and your audience is your ideal client. Current clients should read your blogs and come away with new information that they can bring into therapy with you. A good blog should make a potential client want to work with you.
Share your thoughts and views in a professional way. People will be more likely to know more about what you think about topics, how you approach therapy, and what you believe in. Ultimately, your blog will help potential clients know if you’re someone they want to work with.
4. Your Blog Is Updated Consistently
Another thing besides relevancy that makes a good blog is consistency. Google rewards blogs that are updated consistently. Ideally, you want to update your blog at least once a week. This has to do with SEO. You’re probably tired of hearing about those three magic letters, but they’re so important in how to rank a blog.
Writing consistently also allows you to focus on a topic for a period of time. You can create a series of related topics. Maybe your whole month is centered around a specific idea. This could be mental health awareness month or autism awareness month, for example. Each blog could be about a different aspect of autism or mental health in general. You can create little mini-series with your blogs. Again, this provides more resources for your audience.
5. Your Blog Is Correctly Formatted
Formatting includes length. We already covered that your blogs should be over 1000 words. But it’s not just length that makes a well-formatted blog.
You need to use headers. Titles should be H1s and subheaders should be H2s. For example, the title of this blog is an H1. Each numbered section is started with an H2. You can also use H3s if you want to get a little more specific, but I don’t recommend using anything below an H3.
You also want to make sure that you’re writing short paragraphs. You’ll notice that I’ve split up my paragraphs into smaller bites. It’s easier to read and appeals to the skimmer.
Bold and italicize your writing to emphasize your points. Be conservative with how often you do this because if you do it too much it becomes ineffective. If everything is bolded or italicized, then nothing stands out.
6. Your Blog Is Well-Researched
How do you know that your blogs are good? For starters, they include good research.
You know from your training that research is important. It’s not enough to write whatever comes to mind. You need to put in the work to find statistics, quotes, and information to back up your claims.
As a mental health copywriter, I’m constantly researching. I research types of therapy and techniques and what neurodivergence is. I make sure I understand trauma-informed therapeutic interventions. My search engine is overloaded with researching different techniques used in different types of therapy.
7. You’re Linking Your Blog To Credible Sources
It’s not enough to type things into Google and call it research. You need to make sure that the sources you’re using are credible. Don’t just use any external link for the sake of having one. Use a relevant, credible source. Look for the most recently written and updated articles. Try not to use articles that are old or research that’s out of date.
I always try to find scholarly articles relevant to the topic I’m writing for my clients. It’s not always possible. Do the best you can. The more credible the sources are, the more credible your blog is.
How Do You Know That Your Blogs Are Good? Hire a Mental Health Copywriter To Write Them For You
Now that you understand the nuts and bolts of what makes a good blog, it’s time to put these steps into action. You can do it yourself, but if you hire a mental health copywriter to take your blogs off your plate, you free yourself up to do the rest of your job.
As a former therapist, I speak your language. And as a copywriter, I know how to write a good blog. Writing blogs is one of the main parts of my job. Contact me to set up a free consultation. We’ll discuss your blogging needs and how I can take the burden of writing blogs off of your hands.
References
[1]https://neilpatel.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-writing-blog-posts-that-rank-in-googles-top-10/