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NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

The systems you OWN

On Wednesday, I hosted another Live Session with the REdD Academy Network community.

Since the beginning of September we've been focusing on SEO and this time we talked about website traffic. More specifically, where it's coming from.

I took the members "behind the scenes" of my own website to show how my traffic has been growing. What we discovered is that AI platforms are sending increasingly more visitors to my site, especially ChatGPT.

I wasn't surprised by that since I've been methodically optimizing my website for AI search for the last 6 months. What I did find surprising was that Gemini has sent 0 visitors to my site.

Since I typically favor ChatGPT over Gemini, I thought that it was a matter of the platform being trained about my business. But further investigation proved me wrong.

Where your traffic comes from

Before I share my hypothesis, let me back up for a moment and talk about where your website traffic typically comes from:

• Search engines (Google, Bing, etc.)
• Directories (Psychology Today and others)
• Other websites linking to yours (backlinks)
• Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
• LinkedIn and YouTube (sort of social media, but different)
• Google Business Profile (GBP)
• Email Marketing
• AI platforms
• Ads

There are some other stragglers, but that's the bulk of your traffic sources. If you look at this, you'll notice that Google owns roughly a third of this list.

Microsoft owns Bing and LinkedIn, and the rest are more independent.

That means that Google-owned Gemini will probably favor the fresh content from YouTube and GBP. I don't know it for a fact, but that's what I suspect.

What needs to change

Building a marketing system means having ownership of your messaging and visibility regardless of your budget or algorithmic changes. A true ownership is having your website, and traffic that compounds with time.

Paying for ads can be effective but only as long as you keep paying. On the other hand, organic traffic that keeps growing becomes an asset.

Since most people still use Google to find information, products and services, we need to make it easier for Gemini to point to you. That means having an optimized Google Business Profile, a well-structured website and yes, YouTube content.

In the next month I will be focusing my attention on exactly that, growing my YouTube channel by posting valuable content on marketing a private practice.

If you want to follow along, you can 👍 subscribe to it here and let me know how I'm doing in the comments.

And now to the news!

NOTEWORTHY

ChatGPT Under Fire for Harmful Replies

A recent Guardian investigation revealed that ChatGPT provided inappropriate replies to users expressing suicidal thoughts, raising fresh concerns about AI’s role in mental-health contexts.

Why it matters: As AI tools become more embedded in daily life, therapists need to understand both their potential and their risks.

BUSINESS AND PRIVATE PRACTICE

Marketing Holistic Health Under Regulatory Watch

A new JD Supra piece outlines how the FDA and FTC are tightening oversight of wellness-related marketing on social media, especially when claims blur the line between medical and therapeutic.

Why it matters: Even small private practices must be cautious about online messaging, testimonials, and health claims to avoid compliance issues and protect credibility.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Employers Rethink Mental-Health Benefits

Behavioral Health Business reports that employers are redesigning their mental-health support systems, adding on-site therapy and evolving EAP models to better meet workforce needs.

Why it matters: As employer-based mental-health programs expand, private practices can explore new partnership or referral opportunities within corporate wellness initiatives.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Every change in technology reminds me of this:

What you own, you can rely on.

Everything else is borrowed.

See you next week,

Avivit