A Doula's Guide to SEO: 5 Easy Tips to Find More Doula Clients Through Your Website
Are you ready to reach more doula clients through your website?
If you’ve been wondering how to reach more women and families by optimizing your website’s SEO ranking, then get out a pen and paper, this blog post is for you.
Things you’ll learn in this blog post:
How to avoid the biggest mistake doulas make with their website’s SEO…
Common website design flaws that impact SEO (that you wouldn’t expect)…
The one change that made my website shoot to the #1 result for the Google search “birthworker”...
… and a whole lot more!
As doulas, we all know that our work is incredibly important...
We support women through one of the most transformative experiences of their lives, and we have the power to make a real difference in their birth journeys. But in order to do that, we need to be able to connect with potential clients, and one of the best ways to make that happen is through search engine optimization, or SEO.
I know that the idea of SEO can feel intimidating. It sounds tech-y and complicated, but trust me, once you get it down to a science, it’ll feel like second nature. If I can do it, you can too! It makes a huge difference in your ability to find clients and build your business, so I promise it’s worth your time.
Here are 5 easy tips to help you improve your website's SEO and find more doula clients!
1. Understand keywords (like “doula”) and how to incorporate them into your website.
The first and most important thing to understand about SEO is keywords. Keywords are the words and phrases that people use to search for information online. For example, if someone is looking for a doula in their area, they might search for "doula services near me" or "birth worker in Maples, Florida," and if your website includes those keywords, it's more likely to show up in their search results.
So, how do you incorporate keywords into your website?
Do some keyword research to find out what people are actually searching for. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to get ideas.
Use keywords in your website's page titles, headings, and content. For example, if you offer doula services in Tampa, Florida, make sure your website includes those keywords prominently on your homepage and services page.
Warning: Don't overdo it! Keyword stuffing (i.e. cramming as many keywords as possible into your content) can actually hurt your SEO. Use keywords strategically and naturally because Google can actually tell the difference.
2. Optimize your doula website's structure.
Another important aspect of SEO is your website's structure. Google and other search engines tend to prioritize websites that are simple and easy to navigate. Here are a few tips:
Use clear, simple page titles and headings that accurately describe the content on each page. (that include keywords, obviously!)
Organize your content into categories and subcategories. This makes it easier for visitors to find what they're looking for, and also helps search engines understand the structure of your website.
For example, on my website in my menu, I have a category with all of my free resources, and under that category there are subcategories with each resource I’ve created. If you’re confused, just scroll to the top of the page and check it out.
You could also make a category called “Services,” and include things like “In-person Doula Services”, “Virtual Doula Services”, “Online Childbirth Education”, etc.
Another key aspect of keeping your website’s structure optimized is by interlinking each page to eachother. For example, I often put links to my other blog posts within each blog post. Or how on my home page, there are multiple links to my freebies, my podcast, Birthworker Academy, etc. (See, I just did it!)
This creates a sort of “web” of pages on your website that keep users engaged in your website and improves your SEO ranking. Which, remember, helps you reach more doula clients.
3. Create high-quality content for pregnant moms on a regular basis.
This is the tip that made the BIGGEST difference in my SEO ranking, by far.
One of the best ways to improve your website's SEO is by creating high-quality content on a regular basis. This could be blog posts, videos, podcasts, or any other type of content on your website that provides value to your audience. For birth workers, the best option is going to be blog posts.
Focus on topics that moms care about. What questions do they have about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum? What information do they need to make informed decisions about their care?
Quality, engaging content will keep your audience on your website longer, and improve your SEO.
Remember: Incorporate keywords into your content, but don't sacrifice quality for the sake of SEO. For example, this blog post actually doesn’t have as many keywords as usual because it’s not directly about moms, babies, or doula services specifically. Trying to keyword-stuff would just be unnatural, and would ultimately end up hurting my business.
Create long-form content consistently, week after week and not only get your audience to trust you, but to let Google know that you mean business. Google will see that your website is active, and happily boost you up in SEO ranking.
4. Use local SEO on your doula website.
For doulas who offer in-person birth or postpartum support, local SEO is crucial. Local SEO is all about optimizing your website to show up in local search results. Here are a few tips:
Include your location in your content. For example, if you offer doula services in Maples, Florida, make sure your website includes that information anywhere it possibly can. In your about me page, don’t just say you’re a “birth doula,” say you’re a “Birth Boula located on Maples, Florida.”
Get listed in local directories, such as Google My Business and Yelp. This will help your business show up in local search results, and also provide potential clients with valuable information about your services.
5. Make sure your doula website is extremely mobile-friendly.
In today's world, more and more people are accessing the internet through their mobile devices. More often than not, moms will find your website through social media, which they are *probably* scrolling through on their phone. That means it's essential to make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
Use a responsive design that adjusts to fit different screen sizes. When you’re creating your doula website on Squarespace, or whatever platform you choose, toggle back and forth between the mobile and desktop view often.
I’d even spend more time working on optimizing the mobile version, rather than the desktop view. Use shorter paragraphs, larger fonts, and incorporate plenty of white space.
SEO can seem overwhelming, but it's really just about making sure your website is easy to find and understand for both humans and search engines. By incorporating keywords, optimizing your website's structure, creating high-quality content, using local SEO, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly, you can improve your website's SEO and attract more in-person and online doula clients. Remember, SEO is a learning process, so keep experimenting and making tweaks to your website over time and you’ll see your SEO get better and better as your business grows!
thank you for listening
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Meet your host, Kyleigh Banks, a side-gig doula turned CEO of a multi-six-figure birth-focused business. Her passion? Teaching birth nerds, like you, how to build an incredibly successful doula business that allows you to quit your day job, stay home with your kids, and most importantly, make a lasting impact on the world.