Don't Call Yourself Something You Are Not

So I just got a worried message from a Google Adwords client. She's a psychotherapist.

Apparently a psychologist friend of hers is part of the state association and they are going to try to take legal action against non-psychologists who advertise against the keyword "psychologist" on Google. Mind you, I don't think the ad is mentioning psychologist anywhere, it's just showing for that search.

Hmmmmmm, I think. This is not something I tend to do with my clients - I don't believe we should advertise when people are looking for something that we aren't. But I do think legal action is bit of a stretch, though. But maybe that's just my spiritual beliefs coming through (being for something, and against nothing).

Ah well, nothing I need to worry about at midnight on a Monday. But something to keep in mind for all you out there if you've got this going on.

Reminds me of a guy out here in Seattle who had a witch-hunt against people using MA ABS on their sites (ABS = Applied Behavioral Science). But that is a story best left in the past.

I hope this finds you well, yours, Your Google Guy

PS - if you ever use dynamic keyword insertion, this kind of thing could be sticky, though.

If I Were Buying a URL For My Private Practice Today

I'm often asked for advice on domain names - what web address should I try to get for my new private practice website. Folks, this is an easy one for me.

If you're planning on laying down roots in a locality, you're going to want to try to get a URL that incorporates your locality name, and a word that describes your service.

So I'm here in Seattle. If I had graduated with my Masters in 1996, I might have been able to jump on SeattleCounseling.com. Wow that would have been great. I graduated long after that and it was taken, and because in 2002 we were not really thinking about Search Engine Optimization, I got good ole ChangingForGood.com for my Seattle-based practice.

I think the locality word is obvious (if you are in a big city, this may mean a neighborhood, like SoHo - if you are in some states, it might mean a county name - just think how people search where you are).

The service word can vary a bit. If you are a counselor, therapist, or social worker, I would try to get "counseling". It is searched much more than "counselor". If you specialize in couples, couplescounseling or marriagecounseling are about even (I'd lean to marriage counseling, I think it includes couples, but not the other way around).

If I were a psychologist, I would go for that word (never, ever "psychology", though).

Definitely go for a .com address - please do not bother with .net, .org, .edu. .us, .info, .biz or any other (if you are in the US). It will just lead to confusion for people, and seems second class to the consumer.

So, there is a great chance that your primary domain choice will be taken (HoustonCounseling.com, for instance). Here are some other ways to go.....

CounselinginHouston.com

Counseling-Houston.com

CounselingforHouston.com

YourHoustonCounselor.com

Counseling-in-Houston.com

Counseling-for-Houston.com

HoustonTXCounseling.com

Best, Peter

PS - domain names are not case-sensitive. I add in capitals so you can see the words better (I do at in ads I place, too).