Healthcare Local SEO

Healthcare organizations benefit from local SEO by appearing when prospects search related services within a specific geographical locale. Unlike disruptive advertising (radio, television, display, etc.), which attempts to disrupt prospects’ thoughts with messaging, SEO reaches prospects actively searching for healthcare solutions. SEO and paid search target visitors with the highest intent of any advertising medium. Since SEO does this through content, content also provides an opportunity to engage visitors, position you as the solution to their problem, and motivate them to contact you.

77% of patients begin their journey to healthcare providers online. Optimized content can answer questions many patients have before contacting you, minimizing time spent by you and your team answering questions. If your site has online scheduling options, SEO content can lead patients to you and guide them to scheduling appointments and completing intake forms directly. Content (written, audio, video, imagery) is a powerful way of communicating your professionalism, the value of your services, and establishing trust and credibility.

Time to results varies by the competitiveness of your market, keyword choices, and demand for your services, but most healthcare organizations see results within six months. SEO is a long-term strategy that increases in effectiveness over time. Optimizing local listings on Google My Business, Bing Places, Yext, and various directories can lead to increased traffic before content and keywords index and move toward higher rankings. We understand clients want fast results. If speed is a top priority, we recommend paid search advertising (PPC) which can produce calls and clicks the moment ads go live. Many healthcare providers benefit from a balanced approach, dedicating portions of their budget to SEO and PPC. We also manage PPC.

Local SEO for healthcare organizations typically ranges from $4,500-$9,000/month, with initial costs starting at $3,750. National and enterprise healthcare SEO ranges from $5,000-$20,000/month, with initiation costs ranging from $10,000. The further along you are in your SEO efforts the lower your costs. If you have a well-structured site, technically optimized with good content, you’ll spend less monthly. If your site isn’t structured properly, needs several technical SEO fixes, or requires content production, you’ll spend more. SEO is an investment. Regardless of what you spend, on average SEO returns $3 for every dollar spent. View case studies.

Our team provides regular reporting for your back office. Get a better understanding of revenue by looking beyond the value of new patients’ initial visits. Calculating average patient lifetime value (LTV) provides a more accurate evaluation of revenue. Find average LTV by calculating average appointment value, multiplied by average number of appointments annually, multiplied by the average number of years patients stay with your practice. Read this article for detailed information on calculating SEO ROI.