The Best SEO Tools for Weight-Inclusive Private Practices
How many times have you googled some version of “SEO tools for my website?”
This search tends to be dominated by Semrush and blogs posts like “15 of the best SEO tools.”
But when you look at the price of those programs…. sheesh!! Then you scroll through blogs and are left wondering WHICH ONE DO I CHOOSE???
As a web designer who works specifically with weight-inclusive clinicians, my goal is to keep things simple and cost effective for my clients.
SEO can feel like this big, mysterious, overwhelming thing that no one really explains in plain English. And when you’re already juggling client sessions, charting, and running a whole practice, learning a new tech skill probably isn’t at the top of your list. (Most of the time, small businesses don’t need tons of fancy tools!).
I am sharing the best SEO tools weight-inclusive private practice owners: what I use them for and how you can use them too.
What actually is SEO?
My website design clients ask me all the time: “what is SEO and what is your strategy with clients?” SEO stands for search engine optimization. It helps your website show up when someone searches for a provider like you on Google.
Have you ever looked up “weight-inclusive dietitian near me” to see if your practice showed up? I do this regularly, both for my own nutrition practice and for my web design clients. The websites that pop up at the top didn’t get there by chance. Someone put intentional strategy behind how that site is built, written, and set up.
That’s what SEO does. And these are the tools I use to make it happen for myself and my clients.
Tool #1: Yoast SEO
What it is: A WordPress plugin that helps optimize website content for both SEO and readability and gives you control over how your website shows up in Google.
What I use it for: Yoast is like a built-in checklist while designing websites on WordPress. It analyzes a few key things:
- Focus keyphrase: This is the main search term I’m targeting on each page. For a weight-inclusive dietitian, that might be something like “intuitive eating dietitian in city” or “eating disorder nutrition counseling.” Yoast tells me how well that keyphrase is woven into the content.
- SEO score: It checks things like whether your keyphrase appears in your page title, your headings, your meta description, and your content, flagging anything that needs attention.
- Readability score: It evaluates how easy your content is to actually read: things like sentence length, paragraph breaks, and use of subheadings. This helps keep your ideal client on your website longer while helping you rank higher in Google.
- Heading structure: Yoast helps make sure your pages have a logical heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3) which helps Google better understand your website organization and purpose.
Why it matters for you: Yoast outlines exactly how to optimize your website for Google and automatically takes care of the technical SEO in the background.
What is the cost? Yoast premium cost $118.80/year. The good news? The free version has everything you need as a clinician running a small business!
Tool #2: SemDash (Keyword Research)
What it is: A keyword research and competitive analysis tool.
What I use it for: Before I build out website pages, I use SemDash (plus the tools below) to do keyword research to help with structure and content. This means I’m looking at:
- What words and phrases your ideal clients are actually searching
- How many people search those terms each month (search volume)
- How competitive those keywords are (how hard it is to rank for them)
- Long-tail keywords that are more specific and often easier to rank for
For example, instead of trying to rank for the very competitive keyword “dietitian,” I’d look for something more targeted like “weight-inclusive dietitian in city” or “nutrition counseling for eating disorders.” These longer, more specific phrases are exactly what your ideal clients are searching and they’re much more likely to lead to an actual inquiry (more details on how to rank as a weight-inclusive private practice)
Why it matters for you: Keyword research is the foundation of your whole SEO strategy. Without it, we’re just guessing. With it, we’re building your site around the exact language your future clients are already using.
What is the cost? I bought this to help analyze my clients’ websites for about $85, but I also use the keyword tool. It is not necessary for most small business owners, but I wanted to share since I use it regularly. I’ll share more free tools below!
Tool #3: Google Keyword Planner
What it is: Google’s own free keyword research tool, available through Google Ads.
What I use it for: I use Google Keyword Planner alongside Semdash to cross-reference search data and get additional insight into search volume and keyword trends.
Why it matters for you: Google Keyword Planner gives us data straight from the source. The results are not as detailed as programs like Semrush or Semdash, but the information is still helpful.
Other free programs:
How to get there: Google ads → tools → planning → keyword planner → discover new keywords
REMINDER!! If you are type-A (like me), you may feel overwhelmed at picking what keywords you want to rank for. Summing up your entire business to a couple of keywords? What if you want to rank for anti-diet AND non-diet dietitian?
Take a breath! The foundation of this whole process is your clients (I know you know your clients!). Their language, their pain points, what they google at 10pm. This tool is meant to refine what you already know, not jumble up your thoughts.
What is the cost? Free!
Tool #4: Google PageSpeed Insights
What it is: A free tool from Google that analyzes how fast your website loads and gives specific recommendations for improvement.
What I use it for: Page speed is a ranking factor with Google and your visitors won’t stick around for a slow site either. I mainly use PageSpeed Insights to:
- Check how your site performs on both desktop and mobile
- Identify what’s slowing it down (oversized images, unnecessary code, etc.)
Why it matters for you: You could have the most beautiful, well-written website in the world, and if it loads slowly, it’s quietly hurting your SEO. Page speed is one of those behind-the-scenes things that makes a real difference.
What is the cost? Free!
SEO does not have to be complicated (or expensive)
What SEO tools are actually worth it?
- SEO Plugin: Yoast, Rank Math, or All in One SEO (pick one)
- Keyword Search Tool: Semrush, Ahrefs, Google Trends, Google Keyword Planner (pick 1-2 of the free options)
- Website Speed Tracker: Page Speed Insights
That’s it. No need to spend $200/month on fancy SEO tools for your small business. These 3 tools cover all the bases you need to rank on Google.
Ready for a Website That Works as Hard as You Do?
If you’ve been wondering whether your current site is actually optimized for SEO or you want to build your first website with a strong foundation, I offer website design services for private practice owners!
Here is how we can work together:
- One-Page Website
- Website Package
- Website Audit (great to check for SEO feedback!)