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Are you overwhelmed by the number of options involved in launching a practice website? What does it take to build a fully virtual counseling practice from scratch? How do you make strategic website and SEO decisions when you’re not even the one providing the clinical services?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok and Tom O’Malley discuss starting a private practice and launching your website.
Podcast Sponsor: Headway
I want to thank Headway for sponsoring this episode. If you run a group practice, you know that accepting insurance can be overwhelming. Between credentialing, billing, and payroll, the admin side can easily take over your week.
Headway was built to help you handle this — and they’re the only platform designed specifically for in-network group practices. Whether you’re growing your team or running an established practice, Headway makes the business side easier with faster credentialing, higher per-session rates, and biweekly payments your team can count on. They work with therapy, psychiatric, and hybrid groups — and there are no subscription fees. Just the support you need to run your practice with ease.
Run your best group practice with Headway — trusted by thousands of group practice leaders to simplify insurance admin and reach more people through in-network care.
Curious how Headway can work for you?
Meet Tom O’Malley
Tom O’Malley is an award‑winning web designer and the Creative Director behind Session Sites, a web agency tailored exclusively for mental‑health professionals. With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, Tom started his journey in the non‑profit sector before founding his own full‑service agency . After designing websites for therapists and psychologists, he launched Session Sites to specialize in building standout, SEO‑optimized sites that resonate with therapists’ ideal clients.
Visit Sessions Sites to find out more!
In This Podcast
- Settling on the practice name
- Website development steps and onboarding
- Defining niche and SEO direction
- Setting realistic timelines going forward
Settling on the practice name
Joe and Tom evaluate Joe’s many domain names and agree that Great Lakes Online Counseling is the strongest foundation.
Tom discusses emotional branding by emphasizing the importance of choosing a name that evokes both a feeling and a function.
They say a logo is what somebody sees when they think of your business, a brand is what somebody feels, and when you say “Great Lakes”, I’m just like, “Fall foliage, crystal clear waters” … I love it! It’s tranquility encompassed in a practice name. (Tom)
Joe plans to expand later (e.g., New York Online Counseling), but this current practice name will set the model.
Website development steps and onboarding
Now that the name is settled, Joe and Tom get into the early stages of what will become the onboarding process on the website.
Tom explains his onboarding process: clients fill out a form that helps him extract the practice’s personality, voice, and ideal client. Then, Tom writes all the copy and runs the project with minimal required input.
It’s more or less me really getting to the bottom of what makes your practice unique, what makes you special, and really making sure that we’re crystal clear on who your ideal client is … It’s really about me gleaning that information from the practice owner right off the bat … Once I have answers to those questions, I’m off to the races. (Tom O’Malley)
Defining niche and SEO direction
Joe explores his practice’s possible niches, from trauma to parenting to high-achieving professionals, but also acknowledges the emotional complexity of picking a niche for business rather than passion.
Tom explains that this tension is normal and that his job is to focus on the SEO strategy while Joe holds onto the mission.
That’s the therapist in you, and everyone struggles with that. It’s my job to see your visitors as numbers and all that, you can continue to see the good in what you do, and I’ll hide all that from you! (Tom O’Malley)
They discuss SEO strategies and some disadvantages for a virtual-only practice, including:
- The disadvantage of having no physical address
- Reliance on organic search (not Maps)
- The need for statewide and eventually hyper-local landing pages
- Ensuring every location page contains unique, locally-anchored content
From an SEO standpoint, we’re already starting behind the eight ball: we don’t have a physical address, and Google is going to be super confused, right off the bat, on where we are, who we serve, and what our service area is. (Tom O’Malley)
Tom recommends that Joe create statewide pages on the website first before creating “hyperlocal pages” for targeted regions.
They discuss Michigan examples, including Traverse City, Leelanau County, Saugatuck, and Bloomfield Hills, before expanding to Pennsylvania and New York.
Setting realistic timelines going forward
Tom gives a realistic timeline of about one month for the initial build. Because the practice will be fully online, Google will not allow a Business Profile without a verified physical address.
In this case, again, since we don’t have a physical address, we don’t have a Google Maps listing, we really need to take advantage of every possible backlink … Because it’s all about demonstrating expertise and authority – and we’re starting from zero. (Tom O’Malley)
To give the website the best shot possible at being successful, especially when representing a virtual practice, Tom recommends a few crucial points to maximize, such as:
- Backlinks
- Directories (Psychology Today)
- Social media presence
Giving the website a huge boost with these aspects is a good way to get around not having a physical address.
Sponsors Mentioned in this Episode:
Cyber Monday Deal – Use the code CYBER25! Curious how Headway can work for you?
Useful links mentioned in this episode:
- Check out our Practice Academy!
- Sign Up to the Group Practice Boss Conference!
Check out these additional resources:
Sign up to join the free webinars and events here
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Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners who are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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