If you're a healing arts practitioner venturing into the world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), we have a challenge for you: take the time to define what success looks like before you take even one step further. Too often, well-intentioned practitioners dive headfirst into SEO only to flounder, not because of a lack of effort, but a lack of strategic direction. Diving right into things like keyword research and figuring out how to get those coveted backlinks before you clarify what you want to "win" in your professional sphere almost always leads to less than desirable results.

For instance, take the clinical hypnotherapist who also offered motivational speaking and consulting, but her website was almost completely devoid of the term 'hypnotherapy.' She had been wondering why all of her hypnotherapy work remained referral-based even though she was getting new speaking and coaching clients from her website. An oversight? Yes, but it’s a surprisingly common one.

Unpacking SEO: the cornerstone of your online presence

Before we explore deeper, let’s ground ourselves first in what SEO is exactly, and why it's a marketing cornerstone for your healing arts practice. SEO is the art (and science) of making your website appealing to search engines like Google or Bing. The better your SEO, the higher your site will rank in search engine results, leading to greater online visibility and, ultimately, more potential clients.

Here's how it works at a high level:

Keywords: These are the words and phrases that potential clients type into a search engine when they're looking for services like yours. Your goal is to identify these keywords and strategically incorporate them into your website content.
Quality content: Search engines favor websites that offer high-quality, relevant, and fresh content. Regularly updating your site with new, keyword-rich content can improve your search engine rankings.
Site architecture: This refers to the structure of your website. Search engines prefer sites that are load quickly, easy to navigate and are mobile-friendly.
Backlinks: When other reputable sites link back to your website, search engines view your site as more credible, which can improve your ranking.

For healing arts practitioners, SEO is particularly critical because it's how potential clients find you. Whether they're searching for "holistic healing near me" or "best yoga classes for beginners," the words they use are the "keywords" that your SEO strategy must capture. The more aligned your website is with these search terms, the better chance you have of connecting with individuals seeking your services

Takeaway tip: SEO is all about aligning your website with the needs and interests of your potential clients. The better your site aligns with the keywords they use in search, the more visible you'll be.

Why your SEO might be doomed before you start

When you're building a house, you don't just start hammering nails into pieces of wood. You follow a plan. The same principle applies to SEO. Without a clear blueprint – your business goals – you risk spending time and resources on a strategy that simply doesn't align with what you have to offer. That could mean that you spend precious time and money building a website that doesn’t end up attracting clients.

So, before you begin optimizing your website or drafting your next blog post, ask yourself this: Are your SEO efforts actually mirroring your services? Is the content you're producing in sync with what you're trying to achieve professionally? If the answer is no, or even a hesitant maybe, it's time for a change.

Takeaway tip: SEO requires strategic planning. Before starting, make sure you are clear about your overall business objectives.

The unique role of goal setting in SEO

Defining what you want to achieve from your SEO by setting goals is a necessary early step on your roadmap to success. SEO is all about "winning" specific keywords that mirror your offerings and resonate with your target audience. How can you expect to win a race if you don't even know where the finish line is?

When you define your professional goals, you can better refine your SEO strategy, focusing on keywords that directly connect to what you offer. If you skip this step, your the message about your services might get lost.

Takeaway tip: Clear goal setting is critical for successful SEO. Identify what you want to "win" and build your SEO strategy to cross those finish lines.

Balance your offering with your audience to land your goals for SEO

Now that we've established the importance of defining goals as a fundamental first step in your SEO journey, it's time to get into the actual process of setting the goals. This is where understanding your audience better comes into play. Ultimately, you’ll combine your understanding of your unique practice with the needs of your audience, and find the balance between these elements within the search engine landscape.

Why does audience SEO is a competitive arena, with countless websites aiming for a spot on the first page of search results. For example, if you're a yoga practitioner, trying to rank for a generic keyword like 'yoga' can feel like a monumental task due to the sheer competition. However, your uniqueness lies in the specific type of yoga or healing approach you offer, and the particular needs of your clientele.

This is where audience understanding becomes paramount. By pinpointing the needs and behaviors of your audience, you can create an SEO strategy that not only targets effective keywords but also aligns with the services you provide. For instance, if you specialize in yin yoga for stress relief, focusing on this longtail keyword could attract the very clients who seek your unique offering. If the “longtail keyword” is new to you, picture a bell curve - most search queries will fall into the top part of the bell, but the more specific ones (e.g., the difference between “yoga” and “yin yoga in seattle”) would show up as a longtail term, outside the more common ones.

Specific or broad, defining your goals doesn't stop at knowing your audience's needs. You need to consider what sets your healing arts business apart in the digital landscape. Perhaps it's your focus on combining ancient wisdom with modern science, or your emphasis on personalized healing plans. Whatever it is, make sure it's reflected in your SEO strategy, because clarity and specificity are key to standing out.

In terms of goal-setting frameworks, you have several to established structures commonly used by marketing professionals and entrepreneurs alike to choose from, including SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), or a simple vision board. No matter the method, the important thing is to ensure your goals are clear, specific, and attuned to both your unique practice and your audience's needs.

Setting goals should be your first step to a successful SEO plan.

Takeaway tip: Embrace your practice's unique offerings, your audience's needs, and create an SEO strategy that brings these together.

Translating goals into SEO Strategy

Now that we’ve defined what success looks like in terms of your goals, offerings and audience, let’s shift gears to the strategies that will help you achieve those goals. It's essential to start by understanding what an SEO strategy is. Broadly, an SEO strategy is a detailed plan to improve a website’s search engine rankings to capture more organic, or, non-paid, traffic. This plan involves a variety of actions involving your website's design, content, and backlinks, amongst other factors.

But your SEO strategy is not a one-size-fits-all blueprint. It should be custom-fit to your healing arts practice, your audience, and most importantly, your goals.

The first step in translating your goals into an actionable SEO strategy is choosing the right keywords. If one of your objectives is to rank as a leading provider of yin yoga in your area, then 'yin yoga [your area]' is a longtail keyword that you would want to target. You should aim to include these keywords naturally within the content of your website, such as in blog posts, service descriptions, and even image descriptions.

Next, consider the type of content that will attract and engage your target audience. If your goal involves positioning yourself as a thought leader in holistic healing, producing regular blog posts on relevant topics can improve your SEO and establish your authority.

A crucial yet often overlooked aspect of an SEO strategy is the user experience. As mentioned above, search engines favor websites that load quickly, are easy to navigate and are mobile-friendly. Consider conducting a website audit to gauge your website’s seo, technical and other performance and identify areas that could be improved.

Finally, never underestimate the power of backlinks. Engage with other relevant websites, blogs, and directories to earn backlinks to your site. These backlinks signal to search engines that your website is trustworthy and reliable, improving your search engine rankings.

Maximize SEO impact with this cycle — Follow along this cycle to maximize the impact of your SEO efforts.

Takeaway tip: Your SEO strategy should be a reflection of your unique goals. Choose keywords, content, and website features that align with what you aim to achieve.

Conclusion

In the world of SEO, having a clear definition of success before the first step is not an option - it's a necessity. SEO isn't just a tool for marketing; it's a strategic bridge that connects your healing arts practice with those who need it most. The journey towards SEO success begins with a clear vision of what you aim to achieve, and a commitment to align every step of your SEO strategy with those unique goals.

When we unpack SEO, it becomes clear that it is a journey, not a destination. It’s an ongoing process that requires continuous refinement and optimization. With each piece of content you create, with each keyword you target, you're building a digital presence that reflects not just what you do, but who you are as a healer.

What's holding your SEO back? (Hint: it probably isn't what you think.)