5 Tips for a Great Registry Profile

We are glad that you have joined The National Registry of Marriage Friendly Therapists and are on the way to becoming more visible to couples in your community. There is a real need for competent, experienced relationship therapists in our world today and we are proud to be the most trusted resource since 2005. We want to help you make your best impression on couples that are searching online, and we have a few basic suggestions for maximizing your first impression on our site.

Tip #1 - Profile Statement

Your statement serves as a vital first impression piece for helping the potential client to understand that you are: "fill in the blank". 

Most potential clients want to know if you are: 

• Well versed in their particular issue
• Take their insurance
• Are available during time periods that work with their schedule
• Compassionate
• Understanding
• Effective
• Professional
• Etc, etc. 

We suggest that your profile statement should be one that allows potential clients to believe that you are someone who can listen to them and guide them into healing their relationships. 

It shouldn’t read like a resume or a CV, but more like an introductory phone conversation where you are trying to convey to them that you are a warm, caring, capable mental health professional that they can connect with and have confidence in. The more that it speaks in everyday language and the less that you use psychology jargon, the more relatable it will be to the client. 

Search Engines

You also need to know that there are two equally important audiences that are reading your profile:

1. The search engines
2. The potential client

The search engines are constantly scouring the internet looking for information that connects your name to mental health services or information that the search engine clients are asking for in their searches.

One key way to help the search engines to see your value is to include the most popular search terms (aka keywords) that clients searching online are currently using to find potential therapists. 

Some of the most highly searched terms (listed in order of importance) are:

• Therapist
• Couples counseling
• Marriage counseling
• Family counseling
• Relationship counseling
• Premarital counseling

Writing your profile to appeal to the search engines is important because they are the gatekeepers to information on the web. When a potential client searches "family counseling near me" you want your name to show up high in the search results so that you have a greater chance of showing up high on the search results page and then being selected for a phone call or email. 

The process of writing to the two different audiences is a balancing act because a profile statement that includes many of the popular keywords can read like an awkward sounding advertisement unless it is carefully crafted into something that is warm and connecting to the couple or individual. The search engines generally assign a higher value to profile statements that are at least 300 - 400 words, they want to have enough content to help them determine if you are a relevant person to display in their search results pages. 

Most of the people that are visiting our site are looking for help with relationships, in order to capture their attention, we suggest that you put your relationship-oriented information in the first half of the statement and then include additional information after that such as work with individuals. 

Good Examples

<insert good examples of bios here>

Assistance

We do offer assistance with writing your profile for a nominal fee if writing is not your strength or you just want some help, email us or call us using the info listed below.

Tip #2 - Profile Photo

A crisp, clear profile photo that shows you in your best light is part of the criteria that clients use in deciding who to call or email for an initial interview.  A photo that is fuzzy or shows you at a distance away from the camera is not usually your best choice. 

We suggest a professional headshot or at least a properly lit photo of you in clothing that you would wear in your session with the client. Many local camera, printing shops or your local CVS can snap a digital photo of you for a minimal cost and send it to you via email. 

If you are uncertain about which photo to choose then a great way to make this decision is to ask a few trusted friends to review 2 - 3 photos that you are considering for your final choice and listen to their feedback. Remember the old saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”.

Good Examples

<insert good examples here>

Tip #3 - Blog Post Writing

Another way to attract more attention is to write a blog post for our site on a subject related to relationship therapy. This is a great way to get noticed on our site and on the search engines. 

The client that is viewing the registry online gets to see how you approach a practical problem and how you suggest addressing that problem. The search engines love therapists that are expanding their content online, they view this therapist as being more relevant because they are providing "fresh" content. 

The search engines are now devaluing content that has sat stagnant on a website for many months or years, they view this as possibly outdated information. 

To start this process, think of a recent problem that one of your clients encountered and how you helped them address it and you will likely find a great starting point for a blog article idea.

We’re always happy when our therapists write blog posts, and we get to showcase their expertise. Interested in writing a blog post for us? Get in touch with us here. 

For 2021, all NRMFT members who write a blog post for us will also get a free month of membership. 

Good Examples

<insert good examples here>

Tip #4 – Videos

The search engines love videos that feature you talking about therapy related subjects. This helps them see you as more relevant. You don't want to post poor material, but it is not that hard to film a decent looking video on a smartphone. 

If this is out of your wheelhouse then ask a friend or colleague to help you. It usually involves writing a brief script and sitting down in your office and filming several takes before you get it right. 

You can post it on YouTube or Vimeo for free and then post a link to that video on your profile. You can view our article on how to post a video to the registry here. 

Call us for more help on this valuable profile builder.

Good Examples

<insert good examples here>

Tip #5 - Link on your practice website

If you have a personal practice website, then consider adding a link (looks like a Marriage Friendly Therapists logo) on your practice website. We have already prepared an easy to add link for you to paste onto your practice website. This link will signal to the search engines that one website (your practice website) is endorsing your profile on another website (your Marriage Friendly profile page). Potential clients that visit your practice website also see that you are part of this unique organization, and that you value relationships. 

The already prepared link is displayed at the bottom of your profile editing homepage (Dashboard), you simply need to copy the entire snippet of computer code listed there and paste it into an email that you send to your website person. We are happy to help with this too.

You can view our article on how to add an NRMFT badge on your website.

Please remember that it can take 2 - 4  weeks before all of the search engines recognize a new profile on any registry or website. If you have just signed up please wait at least two months before evaluating whether or not your new listing is effective. We also find that the longer you stay on our registry the more referrals that come in for you. 

We love talking with the therapists that are listed on our registry. Give us a call if you want help on how to make the most out of your listing on this site or if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.