Webserv red logo
logo red black
10 min read

Best Local SEO Plan for Healthcare Organizations: 8 Tips

Are you a healthcare organization looking to improve your visibility in local search results and attract more patients? Look no further! Local SEO, or optimizing your online presence for local customers, is essential to any healthcare organization’s marketing strategy. In this blog post, we’ll share 8 tips to help improve your healthcare organization’s local SEO […]
local seo plan thumbnail. Female Doctor typing at computer
Primary Item (H2)
Book Intro

Are you a healthcare organization looking to improve your visibility in local search results and attract more patients? Look no further! Local SEO, or optimizing your online presence for local customers, is essential to any healthcare organization’s marketing strategy. In this blog post, we’ll share 8 tips to help improve your healthcare organization’s local SEO plan and increase patient engagement.

1. Optimize your Google My Business listing

One of the most important steps in local SEO is claiming and verifying your Google My Business (GMB) listing. GMB is a free tool offered by Google that allows you to manage how your business appears on Google Maps and in local search results. Ensure your GMB listing is fully optimized with accurate information about your business, including your address, phone number, and business hours. Also, include photos, get reviews, and respond to customer questions to help build trust and credibility with potential patients.

To get started, you’ll need to claim your GMB listing by searching for your business on Google Maps and clicking on the “Own this business?” button. Google will then ask you to verify your business by phone or postcard.

Once your listing is claimed and verified, you’ll be able to update your business information, including your address, phone number, and business hours. You’ll also be able to add photos, get reviews, and respond to customer questions.

2. Use location-specific keywords

Incorporating location-specific keywords on your website, such as the name of your city, state, and the services you provide can help search engines understand where your healthcare organization is located and what services it provides. This will increase the chances of your website appearing on relevant local search results. For example, if you’re a dental practice in Los Angeles, you should make sure to include “dentist in Los Angeles” in your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, and throughout your website’s content.

example highlighting location specific keywords

3. Build local backlinks

Backlinks from other local websites can boost your local SEO. Reach out to local directories, Chamber of Commerce websites, and other relevant local websites to get a link back to your website. The more reputable websites that link to your website, the more likely search engines will trust your website and the more likely you will be to rank higher in search results.

How to Build Local Backlinks:

  1. Reach out to local businesses and organizations: Reach out to other local businesses and organizations and ask if they would be willing to link to your website.
  2. Leverage local events and sponsorships: Participate in local events or sponsor local organizations or events.
  3. Leverage local media: Try to get mentioned or featured in local media such as newspapers, television, or radio.
  4. Create a local resource: Build a local resource that people in your area will find useful and valuable, whether it’s a directory, list of events, or something else.

4. Create location-specific content

Creating content about your local area and services can help you rank for local search queries. Consider creating a blog, video, or podcast discussing the services and capabilities of your healthcare organization. This will help search engines understand the context of your content and make it easier for them to find and display your website in search results. Also, you can create a page about the location that includes photos, landmarks, and patient reviews.

5. Encourage patient reviews

Online reviews are key in local SEO, as they can help build trust and credibility with potential patients and search engines. Encourage your patients to leave reviews on popular review sites like Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades. Make it easy for patients to leave a review, like adding a link on your website or in an email signature.

Tips to Encourage Patient Reviews:

  1. Make it easy for patients to leave reviews: Provide patients with clear instructions on how to leave a review, and make sure the process is as simple as possible.
  2. Send email reminders: Send patients an email after their appointment asking them to leave a review.
  3. Respond to reviews: Respond to both positive and negative reviews in a timely manner. 
  4. Use review snippets on your website: Display short snippets of positive reviews on your website to encourage patients to read more reviews and leave their own.
  5. Train your staff: Train your staff to ask for reviews and how to handle negative reviews.

6. Be present in local online directories

List your practice in online directories such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Healthgrades so that your practice is easy for patients to find. This will help to increase your visibility in local search results and make it easier for patients to find your healthcare organization.

You should also consider getting listed in any industry-specific directories that are relevant to your business.

example of local seo directory

7. Use structured data (schema markup)

Adding structured data in the form of schema markup to your website can help search engines understand the context of your content and make it easier for them to find and display your

website in search results. This will help search engines understand specific information about your healthcare organization, such as your name, address, phone number, and operating hours. This will help to improve your website’s visibility in local search results.

8. Optimize your website for mobile

With more and more people using mobile devices to search for local businesses, it’s important to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly on all devices to improve the user experience. You can use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to check if your website is mobile-friendly.

Tips to Optimize your website for Mobile:

  1. Make sure your website is responsive: A responsive website will automatically adjust its layout and content to fit the screen size of the device being used to access it.
  2. Simplify your navigation: Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for by simplifying your navigation.
  3. Use larger fonts and buttons: Make it easy for users to tap buttons and links by using larger fonts and buttons on mobile devices.

Getting the Most out of Local SEO

Local SEO is a continuous process that requires consistent monitoring, management, and optimization. Following these tips can improve your healthcare organization’s visibility in local search results and attract more patients. 

At Webserv, we specialize in helping behavioral health teams maximize their online presence through SEO services. Our team of experienced digital marketers focuses on creating rich, engaging content that drives leads and converts customers. Our comprehensive approach to SEO allows us to target the right audience, monitor analytics, optimize for conversions, and track performance. 

We understand that the digital landscape is constantly changing, so our experts are always up-to-date with the latest trends and strategies. We develop customized plans for each individual client based on their goals and objectives. As part of our services, we provide detailed reporting to help measure success in terms of website rank, organic traffic, and conversions. This helps clients keep track of their progress as they work towards achieving maximum ROI from their SEO efforts.

[Updated June 26th, 2023]

Frequently Asked Questions

How important is local SEO for my business?

Local SEO is crucial for businesses looking to attract customers in specific geographic areas, as it helps improve your online visibility and reach in local search results, increasing the likelihood of attracting nearby customers.

What is the difference between SEO and local SEO?

While SEO focuses on improving a website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) on a global scale, local SEO is specifically geared towards optimizing a website’s online presence to attract local customers searching for products or services in a specific location.

How can I optimize my Google My Business listing for better local SEO?

Ensure your Google My Business profile is complete and accurate, including your business name, address, phone number, and website URL. Encourage customers to leave reviews and respond to them promptly, and regularly update your listing with relevant information and photos.

Can online reviews impact my local SEO?

Yes, online reviews play a significant role in local SEO. Positive reviews not only boost your credibility and reputation among potential customers but also improve your local search rankings, as search engines value high-quality, authentic feedback from customers.

How can healthcare providers optimize their local SEO?

Healthcare providers can optimize their local SEO by creating location-specific landing pages with relevant keywords, optimizing their Google My Business profile, and ensuring their website includes accurate contact information, medical services offered, and patient testimonials to build trust and credibility in the local community.

Latest Posts

Related Blogs

Interviews, tips, guides, industry best practices, and news.
sports medicine seo thumbnail. Young athlete on treadmill
Improve your game in the digital field with our Sports Medicine SEO guide. Discover strategies that not only boost your visibility and patient acquisition but also position your practice as a local sports medicine authority. Learn how you can become the MVP in your local sports medicine scene online, from the experts recognized by global SEO leader, SEMRush.
7 core SERP features blog
Unlock the secret weapon of SEO - Google SERP Features. Discover strategies to master these game-changers and catapult your rankings from ordinary to extraordinary.
Woman at pharmacy counter speaking to pharmacist.
Discover the importance of SEO for pharmaceutical companies and learn effective strategies for online success. From keyword research to mobile optimization, enhance your pharmaceutical marketing efforts with Webserv. Partner with us to maximize your online visibility and drive targeted traffic.
View all posts

Healthcare Marketing Case Studies

Witness firsthand the results our Healthcare SEO, Advertising, and Web Design services have brought to clients, from Medical Device companies to Plastic Surgery Centers and even Rehabs and Treatment Centers.
All
Strategy
Paid Media
Earned and Owned
Brand Development
View all Healthcare Case Studies
arrow-right