SEO for Medical Practices: Drive Growth with MedSurge Digital
- Alexa Jennings
- Feb 28
- 8 min read
Did you know that when you Google “best doctor near me,” you’re most likely going to see results within seconds—and those results will mostly be medical practices that have mastered SEO? It’s kind of wild, right? In an era where everything—from finding a pizza place to finding a pediatrician—starts with a Google search, medical practices need to take SEO seriously.
If your practice isn’t showing up in those search results, well, you might as well be invisible to potential patients.
SEO for Medical Practices
SEO (search engine optimization) is a critical tool for growing your practice and bringing in more patients. At MedSurge Digital, we specialize in SEO for medical practices, offering a comprehensive range of services designed to help you dominate online search results and stand out in an increasingly competitive healthcare landscape.
From local SEO to national SEO, backlink strategies to building domain authority, our goal is to make sure your practice ranks at the top when people are looking for the services you offer.
10 Important SEO Statistics for Medical Practices
77% of patients use search engines to find healthcare providers. (Source: Google)
92% of users never click past the first page of search results. (Source: Moz)
72% of patients who search for healthcare providers make an appointment within a week. (Source: Google)
61% of mobile users are more likely to contact a local business if they have a mobile-friendly website. (Source: Google)
80% of patients prefer to book their appointment online. (Source: Software Advice)
A 1-second delay in page load time can decrease conversions by 7%. (Source: Kissmetrics)
55% of all search queries are conducted on mobile devices. (Source: Statista)
Backlinks remain one of the top three ranking factors for Google. (Source: Moz)
48% of users say that the content of a website is the most important factor when determining its credibility. (Source: HubSpot)
Local searches lead 50% of mobile users to visit stores within one day. (Source: Google)
Why SEO for Medical Practices?
SEO is more than just getting your practice on the first page of Google—it’s about creating an online presence that converts casual browsers into long-term patients. You want to be the first name someone thinks of when they need medical help. Whether your practice is small and local or has a nationwide reach, SEO can give you the visibility you need to stand out.
So why does SEO matter? Because 77% of patients use search engines to find healthcare providers (Google), and if your website isn’t optimized for search engines, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential patients.
But don’t worry, that’s where we come in. Let’s break down the core services we offer and show you how we can help your practice succeed.
MedSurge Digital’s SEO Services for Medical Practices
At MedSurge Digital, we offer seven main SEO services that work together to make sure your medical practice shines online. We don’t just push a bunch of keywords into your content and call it a day. Our approach is holistic and results-driven. Let’s dive into each service and how it benefits your practice.
1. Local SEO: Becoming the Go-To Practice in Your Area
Local SEO is the foundation of SEO for medical practices. Most patients search for local healthcare providers, so if you want to be the first name people think of when they need a service, you need to show up in local searches. This is especially true for practices like dentists, pediatricians, and family medicine providers, where proximity to the patient is crucial.
What we do for you:
Google My Business Optimization: Your Google My Business (GMB) listing is one of the most important local ranking factors. We’ll optimize your GMB profile by adding accurate and up-to-date information about your practice, including hours, services, location, and more. We’ll also ensure your business is categorized correctly, making it easier for patients to find you.
Local Keyword Research: We research keywords that potential patients are using when searching for services in your area. We’ll optimize your website to rank for these location-specific terms, ensuring you’re visible in searches like “best dentist in [city name]” or “chiropractor near me.”
Local Directory Listings: We’ll ensure your practice is listed in all the important local directories and healthcare-specific platforms, including Yelp, Healthgrades, and Zocdoc. Keeping your practice’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) consistent across all directories is vital for local SEO.
Building Local Reviews: Reviews are critical for building credibility and trust with both search engines and potential patients. We’ll help you encourage satisfied patients to leave glowing reviews, improving your reputation and helping you rank higher in local search results.
By optimizing your local SEO, we help your practice appear in the local pack (the map results you see on Google) and increase foot traffic to your office.
Local SEO is the most important SEO strategy for practices targeting patients in specific geographic areas.
2. National SEO: Reaching Patients Beyond Your City
While local SEO is essential for many medical practices, national SEO is crucial for practices that serve a broader region or offer telemedicine. National SEO involves targeting broader, non-location-specific keywords to help your practice reach patients across the country.
What we do for you:
Broad Keyword Optimization: We’ll research and target high-volume, national keywords related to the services your practice offers. For example, if you’re a specialist in skin care treatments, we’ll target keywords like “best dermatology clinic” or “acne treatment specialists,” regardless of location.
Content Creation for a National Audience: With national SEO, your content needs to appeal to a wider range of patients. We’ll help create informative, high-quality content that answers common patient questions, provides valuable resources, and establishes your practice as a trusted authority in your field.
Optimizing for Mobile: National searches are often done on mobile devices, so we ensure your website is mobile-friendly, fast-loading, and easy to navigate.
On-Page SEO: We’ll optimize your website’s meta tags, headers, URLs, and internal linking to ensure your practice ranks highly for national keywords.
National SEO helps your practice reach new audiences outside of your immediate location, especially if you offer services that can be accessed remotely, such as telemedicine consultations, e-commerce for medical products, or nationwide health services.
3. Backlink Building: Establishing Trust and Credibility
Backlinks are one of the most powerful ranking factors in Google’s algorithm.
When reputable websites link to your practice’s website, it tells Google that your site is trustworthy and authoritative. Building high-quality backlinks is essential to improving your search engine rankings.
What we do for you:
Identifying Quality Backlink Opportunities: We research authoritative websites in the healthcare industry that can link back to your practice’s website. This could include medical blogs, health-focused news websites, research papers, or healthcare directories.
Guest Posting and Content Outreach: We create valuable content that can be published on reputable third-party websites, allowing us to earn backlinks and increase your website’s domain authority.
Building Relationships with Influencers: We identify influencers and thought leaders in the healthcare industry who can mention or link to your practice’s website.
Backlink building is a long-term strategy, but it’s vital for establishing your website as an authoritative source in your field. The more high-quality backlinks your website has, the better your practice will perform in search rankings.
4. Domain Authority Development: Building Long-Term SEO Success
Domain Authority (DA) is a score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engines. DA is determined by factors like the quality of your backlinks, the age of your domain, and the overall trustworthiness of your website.
The higher your DA, the better your website will perform in search rankings.
What we do for you:
Improving Backlinks: As mentioned, backlinks play a significant role in increasing your DA. We focus on acquiring high-quality backlinks to boost your website’s authority.
Content Optimization: High-quality, informative content also plays a big role in building DA. We help you create valuable content that encourages other websites to link to you, further increasing your domain authority.
Technical SEO Improvements: We also work on improving the technical aspects of your website, such as site speed, mobile optimization, and user experience, all of which can indirectly impact your DA.
By increasing your domain authority, we help ensure that your practice ranks higher in search results, attracting more traffic and patients over time.
5. On-Page SEO: Making Your Website Search-Engine Friendly
On-page SEO refers to the practice of optimizing individual pages of your website to make them more search-engine friendly. It includes optimizing page titles, meta descriptions, headers, and images to make sure that your content is easy for both search engines and users to understand.
What we do for you:
Keyword Optimization: We ensure your website’s content is optimized for the right keywords, using a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords relevant to your practice.
Meta Tags & Descriptions: We’ll optimize your meta titles and descriptions to ensure that each page is fully optimized for SEO and click-through rates.
Internal Linking: We help create a strong internal linking structure, ensuring your website is easy to navigate and that each page is connected to relevant content.
Image Optimization: Large image files can slow down your website, negatively affecting SEO. We’ll make sure your images are properly optimized for fast load times without sacrificing quality.
By improving the on-page elements of your website, we ensure that your practice ranks higher for the keywords that matter most.
6. Content Marketing: Engaging and Educating Your Audience
Content is king when it comes to SEO.
High-quality content not only helps you rank higher in search results but also builds trust with potential patients.
What we do for you:
Blog Writing: We’ll help create blog content that answers common patient questions, educates your audience, and incorporates target keywords naturally.
Educational Resources: We develop long-form content such as eBooks, white papers, and guides that offer in-depth information about the services you offer.
Patient Testimonials and Case Studies: Patient stories and success stories build credibility. We help you gather testimonials and write case studies that highlight the positive experiences of your patients.
Content marketing not only helps you rank higher in search results but also keeps potential patients engaged and informed about your services.
7. Technical SEO: Ensuring Your Website is Optimized for Speed and Usability
Technical SEO refers to the behind-the-scenes elements of your website that ensure it is user-friendly, fast, and easy for search engines to crawl and index.
What we do for you:
Site Speed Optimization: Slow-loading websites negatively impact SEO and user experience. We make sure your website loads quickly on both desktop and mobile devices.
Mobile Optimization: With more than 55% of all Google searches conducted on mobile devices, mobile optimization is essential. We ensure your website is mobile-friendly and performs well on all devices.
Fixing Errors: We identify and fix any technical issues such as broken links, crawl errors, or duplicate content that could hurt your search rankings.
Technical SEO ensures that your website is fast, accessible, and optimized for the best user experience.
Conclusion: The Future of Your Medical Practice Starts with SEO
With more patients searching for healthcare providers online than ever before, SEO is no longer optional—it’s essential. MedSurge Digital is here to help you grow your practice by implementing SEO strategies that drive traffic, improve rankings, and convert visitors into loyal patients.
If you’re ready to take your practice to the next level and show up at the top of search results, contact MedSurge Digital today.
Our team of experts is ready to help you implement a comprehensive SEO strategy that works. Let's grow your practice and help more patients find you online!