April 30, 2020
Read time:
2 minutes
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.
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.
I discussed ads in-depth in my marketing guide for therapists, but I’ll quickly go over them here.
Basically, 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.
To make sure your ads appear on page one, I recommend a few things.
If that all sounded like gibberish, you can sign up for my email list for more information on Google Ads for therapists.
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.
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 are a small collection of FAQs in accordions on the SERP.
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).
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.
Hi, I’m Kristie Plantinga, the founder of Therapieseo. After working in the digital marketing industry as a content strategist, writer, website production manager, associate, and content manager, I decided to start my own business and serve a population close to my heart: therapists.
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