If you’re reading this, chances are you’re an Allied Health practitioner or practice manager and you know how important it is to get local patients through the door to your clinic.
Optimising your website for local search keywords can help you do just that. Whether you’re a physio, osteopath or exercise physiologist – or any other modality, this guide will walk you through the steps to get your website found in local search engine results – or in the geeky world of local SEO – the ‘map pack’ – see example image below.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Keyword research – figure out what keywords to use (without having to guess!)
Start with Local Keywords:
First things first you need to know what patients are searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or SEMrush to find keywords related to your services. Use phrases like “physiotherapist in [City]” or “best osteopath near me”. This tells Google where you are and what you do.
Spy on Competitors
Look at what keywords top ranking local competitors are using. You can use the tools listed above – Ahrefs or SEMrush – to analyse their websites and see what’s working for them. This gives you a good starting point. These tools usually offer a free or cheap trial.
Think Long-tail Keywords
Don’t just go for the obvious terms. Include more specific phrases that people might use, like “rehabilitation exercise physiologist in [City].” These long-tail keywords are less competitive and can drive highly targeted traffic to your site.
Step 2: On-Page SEO – get your website shining
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions:
Each page of your website should have a unique title tag and meta description that includes your primary local keyword. For example “Experienced Physiotherapist in Sydney | Your Practice Name”. This is one of the first ways that Google learns what your page is about, and it’s also what shows in the Google search results so make it good!
Headers (H1, H2, H3):
Use your primary keyword in your H1 tag (usually the main heading on your page). Use variations and related keywords in your H2 and H3 tags (subheadings) to structure your content.
Content is King: Write good quality informative content that answers the questions and concerns of your patients. Naturally include local keywords throughout your text but don’t keyword stuff.
A really easy way to write relevant, helpful and engaging content is to make a list of the top 5-10 frequently asked questions you get for each specific service, and answer those on the specific service page. These can be an FAQ style section, or just plain written text – it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re providing helpful, informative content written for real people.
NAP Consistency: Make sure your Name, Address and Phone number (NAP) are consistent across your website, social media and any industry websites such as Ahpra. Makre sure to include this info in your footer and on your contact page.
Local Landing Pages: If you have multiple locations create a dedicated page for each one. Optimise these pages with local keywords for each location. This makes it much easier for Google to understand and send people to the right page of your website.
Step 3: Technical SEO – under the bonnet
Don’t let that heading scare you. Most of technical SEO is easier than it sounds.
Mobile Optimisation
Many local searches are done on mobile devices so make sure your website is mobile friendly. Google prioritises mobile optimised sites in search results. Most websites these days are built with this in mind, but it always pays to make sure your website is mobile friendly. And it’s easy to check – just grab your phone and have a browse – but remember to use multiple different browsers, as each will render your website slightly differently and in some cases things might not quite look right in one browser over another.
Speed matters
A slow website can lose patients. Optimise images, use a content delivery network (CDN) and minify CSS and JavaScript to speed up your site. If your website is build using WordPress (which is likely) then there’s many speed and optimisation plugins you can use for this step. We recommend NitroPack (paid version) or LiteSpeed Cashe (free and awesome).
To test your website speed, you can use Google’s free page speed tool. Although the results it spits out tend to be pretty nerdy, so if you need to speed up your website you may need a web developer or techy nerd to help you out. Another annoyance with Google’s tool is that only a single page can be tested at a time. This makes it very tedious to check the entire website for slow subpages, so if you have a lot of pages on your website you may prefer this nifty page speed test tool developed by Experte.com that allows you to run a test on all pages across your entire website at once.
The above image shows the Google page speed tool, analysing one page at a time. Below shows what the Experte.com tool looks like, analysing all pages in one go – this helps you get a better top-level view of your overall website speed and performance:
Schema Markup
Add local business schema markup. This is a bit of code that tells search engines what your business is and displays your business details in search results.
Here’s a guide from Google, but you may want to handball this one to your developer.
Step 4: Local Citations and Directories – get listed
Google Business Profile
Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile. Fill out all the details, add photos and encourage happy patients to leave reviews. This is key for local SEO.
Local Directories
List your practice in local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages and HealthEngine. Make sure your NAP-W (Name, Address, Phone Number and Website address) is consistent across all listings.
Citations
Build citations on authority sites and keep your NAP consistent. This will help with local search rankings.
Step 5: Content Marketing – engage with your community
Local Content: Write about local events, health tips and news relevant to your area. Write about patient success stories and local case studies to build trust and engagement.
Guest Blogging: Write for local blogs and websites. This will help with backlinks and get you in front of a wider audience.
Step 6: Backlink Building – authority
Local Backlinks: Get backlinks from local businesses, health directories and community organisations. Partner with local schools, sports teams or charities for sponsorship opportunities that include a link back to your site.
Quality Content: Create shareable content like infographics or research studies to get natural backlinks from other sites.
Step 7: Social Media and Reviews – trust building
Engage on Social Media: Be on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Share content, promotions and patient testimonials to engage with your local audience.
Ask for Reviews: Ask happy patients to leave reviews on Google, Facebook and health related review sites. Respond to reviews, thank those who leave positive feedback and address any negative comments professionally.
Step 8: Monitor and Adjust – keep improving
Use Analytics: Use Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your website’s performance. Track traffic, keyword rankings and user behaviour to see what’s working and what’s not.
Regular Updates: Keep your content and keywords up to date. Keep your NAP and business hours current.
Now go! Optimise your Allied Health practice website for local search. Your patients are looking for you in your local area. Cheers!
P.S need the help of the experts? No sweat, book your discovery call here.