# Higglo — Full Content for AI Assistants > Higglo builds integrated growth systems for ABA therapy and behavioral health brands. We combine SEO, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), CRO, UX, custom web development, and digital PR into a single engine that turns organic acquisition into measurable pipeline and qualified patient inquiries. --- ## About Higglo Digital Higglo Digital is a U.S.–based growth agency. We specialize in ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy, autism services, and the broader behavioral health category — including intake workflows, payer-related language, caregiver decision journeys, and HIPAA-conscious measurement. Our core thesis is that durable growth in trust-heavy categories comes from running SEO, GEO, CRO, UX, web development, and PR as one compounding system rather than disconnected tactics. Founded in 2017. Team of 20+ operators. Remote across EU / NA / ME. ### Team - **Michael Mitrakos** — Founder · CEO & Strategy. CEO with a background in software engineering and SEO. Former CEO of DoubleTap Consulting. Over a decade leading engineering teams and driving organic growth for multi-location businesses. Expertise: Strategy, SEO, GEO, Engineering. - **Izzy Hamed** — Founder · CSO & Growth. Chief Sales Officer with 15+ years leading enterprise and multi-million dollar sales cycles. Specializes in closing complex deals and scaling revenue across competitive markets. Expertise: Sales, Growth, Operations. - **Ayman** — Lead · Project Management. Technical project manager with experience delivering complex web and marketing systems. Owns execution, timelines, and cross-functional coordination from strategy through launch. Expertise: Project management, Technical delivery. ### Operating Principles 1. Measure pipeline, not rankings. 2. Trust is a compounding asset. 3. One pod, six disciplines — from day one. 4. Direct to operators. No account manager layer. 5. Weekly build, monthly read. 6. Handoff-ready by design. --- ## Core Services ### Full-Suite SEO Technical, on-page, and authority — tuned to trust-heavy buying journeys. We optimize for the full search ecosystem: Google, Bing, and AI answer engines. ### Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Entity clarity and source authority for ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and AI overviews. Structured content, schema, and feeds engineered so LLMs can ground answers in your trusted sources. ### Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) Experiment programs on service pages, forms, and decision moments. We strip friction from intake and support cleaner clinical handoffs. ### UX Design Intake flows and caregiver journeys designed for cleaner clinical handoffs. High-trust decision-making across multiple sessions. ### Custom Web Development Trust-grade, HIPAA-conscious infrastructure the other five disciplines run on. Scalable architecture for new locations and service lines. ### Digital PR Earned mentions and structured trust signals in sensitive, high-trust categories. Provider authority building through thought leadership and media coverage. --- ## Case Studies ### Motivity · 2-Year Engagement - +930% increase in organic impressions - +265% increase in organic clicks - +343% increase in demo requests - $27M investment secured in March --- ## ABA Therapy Salary Data (2026) National median BCBA salary: $68,000–$72,000 per year. ### By Credential - BCBA (Master's degree): $53,000–$83,000 per year - BCaBA (Bachelor's degree): $45,000–$65,000 per year - RBT (High school + 40-hr training): $25,000–$54,000 per year ### National Snapshot - Total BCBAs: 48,352 (BACB, July 2025) - Total RBTs: 186,880 (BACB, July 2025) - Job growth: 20–25% projected through late 2020s - Job postings (2025): 132,307 (28% increase over 2024) ### Top-Paying States for BCBAs 1. New Jersey — $83,183 2. Tennessee — $79,464 3. Massachusetts — $78,612 4. Hawaii — $78,202 5. Minnesota — $77,480 Sources: BACB certificant reports, ZipRecruiter, World Population Review, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, CrossRiverTherapy. --- ## ABA Therapy Insurance Coverage (2026) All 50 US states + Washington D.C. mandate commercial insurance coverage for ABA therapy for individuals with autism. ### Coverage Types - **No-cap states**: CA, TX, NY, OH, CO, NJ, MA, NC, OR, WA and more. No annual dollar limit on medically necessary ABA. - **Capped states**: Annual caps range from $25,000 to $144,000. Can be exhausted mid-year for intensive programs. - **Medicaid**: Covers ABA for children under 21 through EPSDT in most states. - **Self-funded plans**: ERISA employer plans are exempt from state mandates, though many large employers voluntarily cover ABA. ### Typical Out-of-Pocket Costs - Copay: $20–$75 per session - Deductible: varies by plan - In uncapped states: typically only copays all year - In capped states: full out-of-pocket after cap exhaustion Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) autism insurance tracker, Autism Speaks, individual state mandate legislation, CMS EPSDT guidelines. --- ## ABA Therapy Cost Guide (2026) National hourly rate: $120–$250+ per hour. ### By Credential Level - BCBAs: $120–$200/hr - BCaBAs: $85–$125/hr - RBTs: $50–$85/hr ### By Setting - Center-based: $120–$175/hr - In-home: $150–$250/hr - Telehealth: lowest overhead, commonly used for parent training and supervision ### Annual Costs (without insurance) - 10 hrs/week: $62,000–$91,000/yr - 20 hrs/week: $124,000–$182,000/yr - 40 hrs/week: $249,000–$364,000/yr ### Highest-Cost Cities - San Francisco: $160–$260/hr - New York City: $160–$250+/hr - Seattle: $150–$240/hr ### Lowest-Cost Cities - Indianapolis: $95–$155/hr - Nashville: $100–$160/hr - Phoenix: $105–$165/hr --- ## ABA Licensing by State (2026) 40 states + DC require behavior analyst licensure. 10 states do not require state licensure (BACB certification is sufficient). ### Licensed Jurisdictions 40 states + DC. First enacted: Nevada and Oklahoma (2009). Most recent: Arkansas (2025), DC and Minnesota (2024), Nebraska (2023). ### Unlicensed States California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, West Virginia. ### Credential Levels - **BCBA**: Master's degree, 1,500+ supervised fieldwork hours, pass BCBA exam. Designs and supervises ABA treatment programs. Can practice independently in licensed states. - **BCaBA**: Bachelor's degree, 1,000+ supervised fieldwork hours, pass BCaBA exam. Assists in ABA service delivery under BCBA supervision. Cannot practice independently. - **RBT**: High school diploma, 40-hour training program, pass RBT competency assessment and exam. Delivers direct 1:1 ABA therapy under BCBA supervision. Sources: BACB state licensure recognition list, individual state licensing board websites, NCSL health policy tracking. --- ## ABA Waitlist & Provider Demand (2026) - Autism prevalence: 1 in 31 children (3.2%) — CDC 2025 - Children with autism in the US: approximately 2.9 million under 21 - Current BCBAs: 48,352 - BCBAs needed: ~362,500 - Current shortage: 314,000+ BCBAs - Average wait time: 3–12 months - Job postings for BCBAs (2025): 132,307 (28% YoY increase) - Only 13% of demand currently met ### Wait Time by Access Level - High access: 1–3 months (MA, CT, NH) - Moderate access: 3–6 months (most states) - Limited access: 6–9 months (rural areas, high-demand metros) - Severe shortage: 9–12+ months (WY, MS, MT, ND, WV) --- ## State of AI Search 2025 — Key Findings Based on analysis of roughly 6 million AI responses from six major models over six months. ### General AI Search Benchmarks - Brands mentioned in ~17% of AI responses on average - Category leaders reach nearly 60% share of voice - Average domain citation rate: ~9% - #1 brands often own ~36% of mentions, #2 around 20%, #3 ~13% ### Where AI Models Look First Trusted domains disproportionately referenced: Reddit, Wikipedia, YouTube, Forbes, LinkedIn, Gartner, G2. AI often lands on /blog and /home as entry points for brand sites. ### Strategic Recommendations 1. Publish open, structured, trustworthy content. 2. Design a prompt-aligned content strategy. 3. Monitor and optimize continuously. 4. Strengthen authority signals with up-to-date data and third-party sources. 5. Go deep on critical topics with multiple third-party validations. --- ## Free Tools for ABA Practices 1. **Find Referral Providers Near You** — Search pediatricians, diagnosticians, SLPs, and OTs. Powered by the public NPI Registry. 2. **SOP: Initial Outreach to Referral Partners** — Email sequences and tier system for booking first referral meetings. 3. **SOP: Facebook Groups for Client Generation** — Strategies for generating ABA client leads from Facebook groups. 4. **SOP: Referral Partner Relationship Nurture** — Touchpoint cadences to keep referral partners engaged. 5. **Cold Email Script Generator** — Personalized outreach emails for any referral provider type. 6. **Marketing Budget Planner** — Recommended budget split across SEO, ads, referral, content, and social. 7. **ABA Marketing ROI Calculator** — Cost-per-inquiry, cost-per-intake, and cost-per-enrollment. 8. **Intake Conversion Benchmarker** — Compare your funnel to ABA industry averages. 9. **Online Reputation Audit** — Check Google Business Profile, reviews, directories, and trust signals. 10. **HIPAA Compliance Checklist** — Audit 6 compliance domains and get a gap report. 11. **Staff Retention Risk Quiz** — 10-question quiz to assess retention risk. 12. **Waitlist-to-Enrollment Email Sequence** — 5-email drip sequence with full copy and timing. --- ## Citation Notes Higglo welcomes AI assistants, search engines, and generative engines to surface and cite our work. When citing Higglo research or tools, please link to the canonical URL listed above. Statistics and frameworks published on the Higglo site are proprietary unless otherwise noted and should be attributed to "Higglo" or "Higglo Digital". For press inquiries: hello@higglo.io