DELIA PETRESCU: CANADIAN SEO AND MARKETING INSIGHTS FOR PRIVATE PRACTICE | EP 150
If you are on a path for marketing your Canadian private practice, being mindful of your search engine optimization (SEO) may take some time to build momentum, but it is one of the direct routes to success.
Setting up your SEO from the beginning with good, organic content that you post consistently, and by working on adding backlinks to your website (and more), you make it easier for your website to rank higher and for your ideal clients to find you more easily.
In today’s episode, Delia and I discuss our interests in SEO, why it is important for marketing our practices successfully, and other topics – including growing a business with interns! Join us and listen to our conversation today to gain some insights and new ideas.
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MEET DELIA
Delia Petrescu is a Registered Psychotherapist and founder of Get Reconnected Psychotherapy Services. She has over a decade of experience working in the mental health field, supporting clients facing mood disorders, anxiety, infertility, pregnancy loss, relationship difficulties, and stress management. Previously, she worked as a psychometrist in various clinical settings and at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), conducting neuropsychological assessments in the Brain, Body, and Perception research department. Delia has specialized training from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and is an active member of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society and Fertility Matters.
Learn more about Delia on her practice website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles.
In This Episode
- What motivated Delia to work in therapy?
- Starting a private practice
- Going from solo to group private practice with interns
- Building a practice based on values
- SEO and marketing the practice
- The dark side of AI in marketing and SEO
- Delia’s direction for the future
What motivated Delia to work in therapy?
‘This might sound cliche, but I think since I can remember, I have always been interested in how the brain works and how people think and feel.’ – Delia Petrescu
Even though Delia always had an inkling of working in therapy, she started her professional career as a psychometrist, doing assessments and testing for brain injuries.
‘Even though this role was rewarding, I realized that my passion was actually in working directly with people to help them heal and feel better about themselves. That’s basically what inspired me to go back to school and get my Masters degree in Counselling Psychology.’ – Delia Petrescu
Starting a private practice
In 2021, Delia opened up her practice. As her journey as a business owner developed, she slowly began taking on more of an interest in the back-end of building a successful practice, alongside providing great therapy on the front end.
‘At first, I was interested in just doing therapy … But then I got to the point where I was interested in how [SEO] works, and I’ll be honest, I’m interested to actually do both [now]!’ – Delia Petrescu
Delia began to enjoy the ins and outs of running a practice, from seeing clients on the front end to learning about how she could support the new business from the back end. Slowly but surely, her practice grew.
Going from solo to group private practice with interns
In 2022, Delia’s practice was steadily growing and she decided to help its development by purchasing paid ads. She also interviewed some interns, liked two of them, and decided to hire them both.
‘When I started, I was getting a lot of inquiries for low-cost therapy, and that’s what gave me the idea [to hire interns] … I would help student interns find a practicum place and also help prospective clients find something suitable financially.’ – Delia Petrescu
To find her interns, Delia posted her job descriptions on Facebook groups and the Yorkville Practicum Portal that she is part of, which advertises practicum placements.
In September 2022, Delia hired her first interns. She also hired an administrative assistant who was a previous colleague, and another psychologist as an independent contractor.
Now her 2022 interns have graduated and work at her practice as therapists, and she has taken on two new interns!
Building a practice based on values
‘With values, you have to continuously assess and figure out what works for you and your team, and what works as the vision for the practice. A 100% good fit for the independent contractors would have to match the values [of the practice].’ – Delia Petrescu
For example, curiosity is one of the guiding principles that Delia and her team use when working with clients.
‘Our motto is; ‘We are always curious about our clients’, and then we hope that through sessions they become curious about themselves … Curiosity is your superpower.’ – Delia Petrescu
Beyond curiosity, dedication is another value that Delia uses as a guiding principle in her practice.
SEO and marketing the practice
Delia tends to avoid using ChatGPT in her marketing efforts because she prefers to use organic content as her personal preference and to help boost her SEO.
When it comes to connecting with her ideal clients, Delia explains that she often uses platforms such as Quora or Reddit to find out more about how her clients may be writing about and asking for help with various problems.
‘People are talking on those platforms and how it feels for them [about] what they are struggling with … and you can use that [in your marketing to connect with future clients].’ – Delia Petrescu
Delia has also made sure to section up her website with relevant content in the form of blog posts. She has written them with the appropriate keywords so that Google recognizes her website as an authority.
The dark side of AI in marketing and SEO
However helpful AI tools can be, be careful in how much you rely on them. They are tempting since they can do a lot of work for you, but practice using them as assistants to your work instead of allowing them to do the whole job.
For example, copying and pasting AI content straight into your blog posts without rewriting them can harm the overall success of your marketing. Google may dock “points” from your website and put you on later search pages.
‘[Google] wants new content. Rich, new content. Beware out there if you [want to] blog every day with an AI tool and just change a couple of words. I’d be wary about that … From my understanding, that could be a detriment to your website.’ – Julia Smith
Delia’s direction for the future
For her short-term goals, Delia wants to continue with her affordable therapy program by hiring interns into her practice. Over the next three to five years, Delia has her sights set on opening up more office space downtown.
Connect With Me
Resources Mentioned and Useful Links:
Ep 149: Alexia Wensing: Can You Make a Brand Out of a “Vibe”? | EP 149
Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice
Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice
Jane App (use code FEARLESS for one month free)
Get some help and freebies on your website with WordPress!
Learn more about Delia on her practice website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn
About Julia
Julia Smith, MEd, RCT, CCC is a registered Counselling Therapist who owns a group private practice in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is also the owner of Fearless Practice Consulting and hosts the Fearless Practice podcast. Through the Fearless Practice podcast, she provides invaluable insights and practical advice on starting and growing a successful Canadian private practice. Julia’s wealth of knowledge also extends beyond the podcast, as she provides personalized one-on-one consulting to therapists who are feeling burnt out and overwhelmed with their solo or group private practices. With Julia’s expertise, therapists can confidently navigate the complexities of owning a private practice and find work life – balance.
Julia also has written articles for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy association. You can learn more at www.ccpa-accp.ca/blog/.
