The Growth Show with Whitney Bateson

This is the live finale of our SEO series, recorded on Zoom with two real practice websites on the table. We start with Lainey, a weight loss dietitian whose traffic spiked late last year and then slid back down, almost entirely because one blog post lost its rankings to a competitor. His take on what to do about it might surprise you. Then he moves to Kelly's site for Fresh Solutions Therapy in Ontario, where the question is whether listing lots of services takes away from the core ones, and how to build pages that both Google and AI tools will recommend. After the audits, Whitney walks through our three new SEO services, and Matt answers questions about how SEO and AI visibility fit together and how a small practice can compete for broader blog topics.Takeaways:Before you chase lost traffic, ask whether it was the right traffic. Lainey's peptides post brought in lots of visitors, but as she shared in the chat, not potential clients. Matt would start with existing posts that connect closely to her program and make sure each one introduces the program clearly. If a post is worth winning back, the fix is to search the keywords it used to rank for, see what the pages outranking it cover, and update yours to be better.Different offers need different SEO funnels. For a group program that can serve anyone, Matt recommends blog content that brings in a broader audience and guides them to the program page. For one-on-one coaching in one city, he recommends a localized service page built entirely around that city, so Google has an exact match for a search like "one-on-one weight loss coaching in Boston."You don't have to delete services to focus. When Kelly asked whether her many service pages dilute her core work, Matt's answer was to keep what's valuable to the business and build out the pages that matter most, including a new page for an audience you want more of, like professionals dealing with burnout.Write service pages for how people search in AI tools. Matt points out that people describe their whole situation to AI tools in far more detail than they type into Google. Pages with clear headers and sections on where you serve, how your services work, who they're for, and your approach give both search engines and AI tools what they need to recommend you.Look for the keyword sweet spot. Whitney calls it the trifecta: decent search volume, low difficulty, and real relevance to your services. Matt adds that on medical topics like GLP-1s, Google tends to favor medical publications, so niche questions are usually a better bet for small practice blogs.Connect with Matt:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkuncaitis/Resources mentioned:WBDS SEO services and free audit request: https://whitneybateson.com/seo-servicesGetting Found Online in the Age of AI series page, including the free 10-minute SEO self-check from Part 2: https://whitneybateson.com/seo-seriesAhrefsKeysearchGoogle Business ProfileChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Google's AI ModeConnect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonEmail: info@whitneybateson.comSubscribe & Review:If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the show.

You can do every SEO task on the list and still end up with a website that gets visitors but no inquiries. In part three of the series, Whitney and Matt Kuncaitis, who leads SEO services at Whitney Bateson Digital Strategy, get into the strategy that decides whether your SEO actually brings in clients. Matt starts with the part business owners find hardest to hear: SEO takes time, and it's a long game that builds a more stable foundation than paid ads. From there, they cover the strategy mistakes they see most on practitioner websites: content that doesn't match what your ideal clients are searching for, pages with no clear next step, and no tracking to tell you what's working. Matt uses one example that makes search intent click, comparing a chicken recipe with a search for what to eat during an IBS flare-up. They wrap up with how SEO strategy differs for a local, in-person practice versus a virtual practice or online course.Takeaways:Traffic is an indicator, not the goal. As Matt puts it, traffic is not the same as your target audience finding you. If a page is getting visits but no inquiries, look at whether that content actually lines up with the service you want people to book.Match your content to search intent. Matt's example: an IBS dietitian's chicken recipe might bring in lots of visitors, but the odds that any of them have IBS and are looking for a dietitian right then are low. Someone searching what to eat during an IBS flare-up is a very different reader. Recipes still have value for current clients and for showing Google your expertise. They just aren't the highest-leverage post for bringing in new clients.Every page needs a next step. Whitney points out that many blog posts are a dead end. Point readers to a lead magnet, your services page, or a post that moves them further along, and make it obvious how to contact you.Track your numbers. Matt compares it to counting laps when you're trying to swim more: without tracking, you don't know whether what you're doing is working. Rankings tend to shift gradually, so watching your traffic and conversions lets you spot a slide and update a page before it costs you.Local and virtual practices need different strategies. For local practices, Matt calls Google Business Profile one of the most important ranking factors and recommends making your location clear on your homepage, plus localized service pages like "one-on-one therapy in Minneapolis." Virtual practices and online courses lean more on content that answers the questions your ideal clients search right before they'd buy, then funnels them to a dedicated service or course page.Connect with Matt:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkuncaitis/Resources mentioned:Getting Found Online in the Age of AI series page. Register for the live taping, submit your site for a live audit, and download the free SEO self-check: https://offers.whitneybateson.com/seo-series-podcast/Connect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonEmail: info@whitneybateson.comSubscribe & Review:If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the show.

If you've ever thought "I should probably blog more" and called that your SEO plan, this episode is for you. In part two of the series, Whitney is joined by Matt Kuncaitis, who leads SEO services at Whitney Bateson Digital Strategy, to break SEO into the three layers every practice website needs: the foundation, the content, and the trust signals. They explain why the foundation always comes first, why your homepage should work like a roadmap for the rest of your site, and what your contact page is probably missing. They get into how content has changed now that anyone can publish an AI-written article in seconds, and why saying something original is what stands out. And they wrap up with the trust signals that help search engines and future clients believe you're the real deal, from reviews and your Google Business Profile to your credentials and backlinks.Takeaways:SEO isn't one thing. It breaks into three layers: the foundation (how your site is built and organized), content (what you publish to show your expertise and grow traffic), and trust signals (proof you're a legitimate, credentialed business). Blogging is part of SEO, not the whole thing.Start with your foundation. That means your site structure: a homepage, an About page, service pages, and a contact page. Your homepage works like a roadmap for the rest of the site, and your contact page should list your phone number, email, hours, and address (if you have a physical location), not just a form. Search engines read that too.Create content with search intent in mind. Content should be written for the right person at the right stage of their buyer journey, not just for traffic. The sweet spot is a topic people are searching for that you're also an expert in and can talk about passionately.Original beats volume now. A couple of years ago, SEO content was a volume game. Now that AI has made content easy to produce, standing out means sharing your own thinking and expertise. In our experience, there's not necessarily a penalty for using AI to write. What matters is whether the end product has your original ideas built in.Trust signals tell search engines (and clients) you're the real deal. Reviews, a complete Google Business Profile for local practices, clearly stated credentials, and backlinks from other legitimate sites all count. Backlinks can be as simple as pitching a reporter, getting into your local paper, or speaking at your chamber of commerce. You do them once and they keep working for you.Connect with Matt:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkuncaitis/Resources mentioned:Getting Found Online in the Age of AI series page. Register for the live taping, submit your site for a live audit, and download the free SEO self-check: https://offers.whitneybateson.com/seo-series-podcast/SEO Self-Assessment Checklist: score your site's foundation, content, and trust signals in just a few minutes - https://offers.whitneybateson.com/seo-series-podcast/Live taping of Part 4 -Thursday, October 29 at 2 pm ET on Zoom. Audit submissions close Wednesday, October 28 at 2 pm ET. Sign up here - https://offers.whitneybateson.com/seo-series-podcast/Connect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonEmail: info@whitneybateson.comSubscribe & Review:If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the show.

If you've heard the rumblings that SEO is dead and AI is taking over, this episode is your straight answer. Whitney kicks off a four-part series with Matt Kuncaitis, who has worked in SEO for over eight years and leads SEO services at Whitney Bateson Digital Strategy. They cover what SEO is and why it still matters for virtual and in-person practices. They also cover what's really changed since the days of keyword stuffing and why AI tools are now one more way clients find you. The big shift: people used to type a short keyword into Google, and now they tell ChatGPT their whole story and ask it to decide. Matt closes with a free, two-tab test you can run today to see who shows up when your dream client searches.Takeaways:SEO is about the right people, not just more people. Matt frames SEO as one piece of your overall marketing strategy, and the goal isn't vanity traffic. It's getting the people you can actually help to your site.Google's goal hasn't changed, but its methods have. Fifteen years ago, repeating a keyword 100+ times could help you rank. Today, search engines read context and credibility signals. As Matt explains, Google has always been trying to show the best possible result for whatever someone searched.AI is another door into your practice, not a replacement for Google. Matt shares a Search Engine Land report that 37% of consumers now start their searches with AI. Start is the key word, since many still finish on Google, and Google remains the dominant player.People search AI differently. Instead of "IBS dietitian near me," someone might tell ChatGPT about their symptoms and that they'd feel most comfortable with a woman over 40, then ask for a recommendation. AI can only recommend you if your website clearly shows who you are, your real expertise, and your own original thinking.Run the search-yourself test. Think about what your dream client would type right before reaching out. Search it in Google and in an AI tool, open the top five results, and ask what those pages have that yours doesn't. As Matt puts it, not showing up is simply information.Connect with Matt:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattkuncaitis/Resources mentioned:Getting Found Online in the Age of AI series page. Register for the live taping and submit your site for a live audit: whitneybateson.com/seo-seriesConnect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonEmail: info@whitneybateson.comSubscribe & Review:If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the show.

If you're curious about AI charting tools but a little suspicious too, this is the conversation for you. Emily Razza has spent more than sixteen years in nutrition and more than ten as an RD, and she still runs WebRD, an insurance-based group practice with a team of dietitians. She co-founded Chartless after her own notes kept eating into her evenings. Whitney and Emily talk about why dietitians are right to be skeptical, where human judgment can never be handed off, and how to tell a real answer from a vendor apart from a polished dodge. Emily also shares how she brings up AI with her own clients, and what that hour back after a session can be for.Takeaways:Fluency doesn't equal accuracy. Emily's biggest concern is a tired clinician who stops reading a draft because it reads well, since AI tools can hallucinate and record things that were never said. Whatever tool you use, you review and sign every note.Clinical judgment stays with you. A tool can organize labs, portal notes, and session details, but as Emily puts it, your scope of practice doesn't change because a model sounds confident. Deciding what matters most for the client in front of you is still your job.Ask vendors for documents, not badges. Emily's list includes a signed BAA, whether your clients' data trains their models, whether your practice's data is kept separate from other practices, where data is processed and stored, whether audio or only a transcript is kept and for how long, whether you can export everything if you cancel, and whether anything reaches the chart without a person approving it.Know what a dodge sounds like. A real answer points you to a document, a setting, a retention period, or a region, or says "no, not yet." A dodge sounds like "we take your data very seriously." And Emily points out there's no such thing as "HIPAA certified," since no one certifies HIPAA.Be upfront with clients. Emily tells clients at the first appointment what she uses AI for and what it doesn't do, includes it in her intake paperwork, and lets anyone who prefers not to be recorded opt out with no change in care. In her practice, only one client has declined so far.Connect with Emily:Website: chartlessnutrition.comInstagram: @chartlessnutritionChartless on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/chartless-nutritionEmily on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/emilyrazzaResources mentioned:Emily's AI Consent Guide, with sample language for talking to clients about using AI in your practice: AI Consent GuideChartless: sign up at chartlessnutrition.com and use code WHITNEY30 for one free month of the Practice tierConnect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonEmail: info@whitneybateson.comSubscribe & Review:If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the show.

This week we're bringing back Episode 96, where Whitney shared the results of a survey she sent to her audience in January. About 60 practitioners answered questions about what stage of business they're in, what they're earning, how they feel about their websites, and the one thing holding them back. Four themes came up again and again: time, marketing know-how, confidence, and cash flow – and Whitney explains how they feed each other in a loop she's been stuck in herself. In a new intro and outro recorded from Merida, Mexico, she shares why 2026 was a different kind of hard, the three lessons that helped her get out from under her own marketing, and how the survey shaped the services her team launched this year. She also announces a four-part series coming to the podcast: Getting Found Online in the Age of AI.Takeaways:Most practitioners are missing a marketing system, whatever stage they're in. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they don't have a consistent marketing system, and that answer was spread fairly evenly across every business stage. More than half named getting consistent clients as their biggest challenge.The four barriers feed each other. Whitney describes a loop: limited time limits your marketing, limited marketing means fewer clients, that hits cash flow, and tight cash flow wears down the confidence and energy you need to market. Seeing it as a loop makes it easier to stop blaming yourself for any one piece.Low revenue is a problem to solve, and it says nothing about you as a practitioner. Of the people who shared their revenue, over half were making less than $25,000 a year. Whitney is clear that there's no judgment in that number. The question is what needs to happen to get it higher.You don't have to become a creator. Whitney's advice is to keep focusing on being a great clinician and coach, then fill in the gaps so the right people hear about you. In her words, you don't need to be a creator to be a really successful business owner.Three lessons for getting out of the overwhelm. Marketing needs a system so you can show up consistently. Put your time into marketing that gives a return, like email. And outsource some parts so the work actually gets done.Resources mentioned:Join the list for the Getting Found Online in the Age of AI series: https://whitneybateson.com/seo-seriesEp. 95, Whitney's look back at 2025 - https://whitneybateson.com/ep-95-recapping-a-tough-2025-and-looking-ahead-to-2026/Connect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonEmail: info@whitneybateson.comSubscribe & Review:If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the

Most of what we post online is old news within a day or two, and then it's back to the hamster wheel. So Whitney brought Nadalie Bardo back to the podcast to talk about a platform that runs on a completely different timeline. Nadalie got 1 million views on Pinterest in her first month as a blogger, organically grew her email list to 24K subscribers, and has spent eight years teaching more than 10,000 blogs, brands, and businesses how to use Pinterest. In this conversation she explains why Pinterest is a search engine and not social media, why pins can keep sending people to your site long after you publish, and what to set up before you start so those clicks actually go somewhere. She also gets into content ideas for health and wellness practitioners, the easiest way to fit Pinterest into a workflow you already have, and why AI-generated pins are a bad bet. It's a great setup for the free Pinterest masterclass Whitney and Nadalie are hosting on October 20th.Takeaways:Pinterest is a search engine, not social media. Nadalie points out that you don't need to comment, follow people, or be "social" there, and pins carry a link that sends people straight to your site, with no "link in bio" or comment-to-get-it workarounds.Pins have a much longer shelf life. In Nadalie's experience, a pin doesn't peak until around two years after it's published, compared with the day or two an Instagram post gets. She saw this in her own business when she stopped publishing for over two years: her YouTube declined, but her Pinterest held for two years before it started to dip.Know where you're sending people before you start. Nadalie suggests making a quick list of what you can share (blog posts, lead magnets, a free consultation, testimonials) and checking that every link leads to a next step, like an opt-in or a booking link. As she says, clicks for the sake of clicks don't mean much.Repurpose what you already make. For health and wellness pros, Nadalie suggests turning newsletters into blog posts, pinning podcast episodes and YouTube videos, and repurposing short exercise videos or nutrition tips. Batch design pins in Canva with templates (1,000 x 1,500 pixels) and schedule them out.Skip the AI-generated pins. Nadalie notes that Pinterest is pushing back on AI-generated content, and both she and Whitney point out that real, original content is what will hold up in Pinterest, Google, and AI search over time.Connect with Nadalie:Website: https://yourpincoach.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourpincoachPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/yourpincoachTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourpincoachYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@YourPinCoachResources mentioned:Free Pinterest Masterclass with Nadalie and Whitney, Tuesday, October 20th at 1 pm ET, with a workbook and live Q&A: yourpincoach.com/pinperfect/whitneyConnect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonEmail: info@whitneybateson.comSubscribe & Review:If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the show.

This week we're bringing back episode five, one of the most downloaded episodes of the show, originally recorded in April 2024. Whitney walks through the software she uses to save time and make money: her scheduler, CRM, accounting and forecasting tools, Zapier, cart system, project management, Canva, and time tracking. Along the way, she shares how she decides whether a tool is worth paying for, including a simple frequency test and the eliminate, automate, delegate order for any task you're ready to stop doing. Then she comes back with a new intro and outro covering what's changed in two years. That includes the software she once said she didn't need and now pays for, and the tools that have joined the stack since, like Claude, LastPass, and Google Workspace.Takeaways:Use the frequency test before you subscribe. Whitney's rule: if she won't use a tool more than three times a year, there's no point paying for it. Look for something you already own that can do the job, or pay month to month and pause it between uses.Eliminate, then automate, then delegate. When a task is eating your time, first ask whether it needs to exist at all. If it does, see if software can handle it. Only then hand it to a person.Don't skimp on a scheduler. A booking link for discovery calls is part of your sales process. It lets people move forward with you when they're ready, without the back-and-forth.Get clear on your numbers before buying fancy tools. Whitney forecast in Google Sheets for years before investing in a forecasting platform. Start simple so you're learning your numbers, not learning software.Track your time to check your pricing. Time tracking shows whether your prices cover the hours a service really takes, overhead included. If they don't, go back to eliminate, automate, or delegate.Resources MentionedScheduling: Acuity, CalendlyCRM and practice management: Dubsado, Practice BetterMoney: QuickBooks Online, Fathom, Google SheetsAutomation: ZapierSelling digital products: ThriveCart, Payhip, Gumroad, WooCommerceFunnels: Deadline Funnel, DiviProject management: WrikeDesign: Canva ProTime tracking: ClockifyAI: Claude, ChatGPTCourse and membership platforms: Kajabi, Thinkific, Teachable, Circle, Practice BetterTeam tools: LastPass, Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, AirtableConnect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonSubscribe & Review:If you’re enjoying the podcast, don’t forget to follow and leave a review! Your sup

If you've ever been told you can't run Facebook or Instagram ads because you work in health, this episode is going to change how you think about that. Priscilla Zaehringer — who writes the ads, builds the graphics, and submits the campaigns for Whitney's done-for-you funnel clients — takes over the show to explain the one Meta policy that trips up practitioners most: personal attributes. The rule isn't that you can't talk about menopause or GLP-1s or anxiety. It's that a cold ad can't behave like it already knows something private about a stranger. Priscilla walks through two ads running right now for clients, shows the "easy" version she rejected in each case and why, and then gets into the part most people skip — that she can write compliant hooks because by the time she reaches the ad, she's been inside that practitioner's business for weeks.Takeaways:Recognition, not identification. Priscilla's framing for the whole episode: you want the right person to recognize herself in your ad, without the ad assigning her a condition, a diagnosis, or a medication. "A guide to nutrition during menopause" is about a topic; "Struggling with weight gain in menopause?" is about a person. Ban lists of forbidden words miss the point. Priscilla doesn't like the "words you can't use in Meta ads" lists that circulate, because the word isn't the problem - the context is. The same term is fine describing a topic and a problem when it's aimed at the reader. Move the question from what she has to what she's dealing with. Instead of naming the condition, Priscilla asks what situation the person is in, what she's trying to figure out, and what question the practitioner hears over and over. That's where "the plate that works on a low appetite" came from, in place of a line naming a medication and a side effect. Friction can do the work a callout would have done. "Add food, don't take away" stops the right reader because it contradicts what she's been told for decades — no diagnosis, no scale number, no doctor's orders, and she still recognizes herself. The hook is the last five percent. Priscilla writes the ad last - after the half-hour onboarding intake, the client's old blog posts and guest appearances, the lead magnet, and the emails. By then she isn't hunting for a line, because the line is already sitting in that pile and she just has to dig for it. Which is also why she doesn't think a list of approved phrases would help anyone.Resources MentionedWhitney's free live training, The List Building System That Brings in Clients While You're Off Social Media — Monday Sept 21 at 12pm ET / 9am PT, repeated Wednesday Sept 23 at 1pm ET / 10am PT: whitneybateson.com/trainingConnect with Priscilla:priscillazaehringer.comConnect with Whitney:Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybatesonSubscribe & Review:If you’re enjoying the podcast, don’t forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the show.