Healthcare SEO: How to get found online

If you’re in the healthcare industry, you know attracting new patients isn’t as easy as putting up a sign and waiting for people to walk in. Today, patients turn to Google first when searching for providers, treatments, and medical advice. That’s why healthcare SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a must. The better optimized your site is, the higher it ranks—and the more likely patients will find you. So, how do you improve your healthcare SEO?

The internet has become a primary resource for individuals seeking health-related information. Recent data indicates that 58.5% of adults used the internet to look for health or medical information, with usage varying across different age groups. In addition, search engines play an essential role in directing traffic to healthcare facilities, driving three times more visitors to hospital sites compared to non-search methods. 

Theoretical foundations of healthcare SEO

SEO is the practice of improving a website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) to attract more organic (non-paid) traffic. In the context of healthcare, effective SEO ensures that medical practices, hospitals, and health-related services are easily discoverable by individuals seeking relevant information or care.

Key components of healthcare SEO:

1. Keyword research: Identifying and targeting specific terms and phrases that potential patients use when searching for healthcare services. This involves understanding user intent (what users really look for and why) and the nuances of medical terminology.
2. On-page optimization: Ensuring that individual web pages are optimized for target keywords. This includes crafting compelling meta titles and descriptions, using header tags appropriately, and maintaining keyword-rich, informative content.
3. Technical SEO: Addressing the backend aspects of a website, such as site speed, mobile responsiveness, secure connections (HTTPS), and proper indexing, to enhance search engine crawlability and user experience.
4. Content strategy: Developing high-quality, authoritative, and relevant content that addresses the needs and concerns of patients. This can include blog posts, FAQs, patient testimonials, and educational resources.
5. Local SEO: Optimizing for local search queries, which is crucial for healthcare providers. This involves managing online listings, acquiring local backlinks, and encouraging patient reviews to improve visibility in local search results.
6. User Experience (UX) and accessibility improvements: Ensuring that the website is user-friendly, with intuitive navigation, quick load times, and accessible design, all of which contribute to higher engagement and lower bounce rates (a metric measuring the percentage of visitors who land on a webpage and leave without taking any action, such as clicking a link).

The importance of SEO in healthcare:

• Patient acquisition: Higher visibility on search engines leads to increased website traffic, which can translate into more patient appointments and consultations.
• Trust and credibility: Websites that rank higher are often perceived as more trustworthy and authoritative, which is vital in the healthcare industry.
• Educational outreach: Effective SEO allows healthcare providers to disseminate accurate medical information, combating misinformation and promoting public health.
• Competitive advantage: With many healthcare providers vying for attention online, a robust SEO strategy can differentiate you from your competitors.

How to optimize your healthcare website for SEO

1. Master metadata and keywords

Metadata might not be flashy, but it’s critical for SEO. Every page on your site should include well-structured metadata—titles, descriptions, and keyword-rich content—to help search engines understand what your site is about.

Using a keyword generator like Ahrefs can help you discover thousands of keyword ideas within seconds. These tools help identify phrase match keywords, where the seed keyword appears in the exact order written, and uncover long-tail variations by exploring related search terms. They also allow you to analyze search volume and competition levels to prioritize high-traffic, low-competition keywords.

2. Improve your URLs

Search engines (and users) prefer clean, descriptive URLs. Compare these:

✅ www.healthcare-organization.com/knee-replacement-guide 

❌ www.healthcare-organization.com/28564xy-z

A headless CMS for SEO, like Kontent.ai, allows you to generate SEO-friendly URLs automatically or manually customize them to fit your needs. These SEO features ensure better indexing and visibility on search engines.

3. Make your content easy to understand

Google prioritizes well-structured, easy-to-read content. To improve readability:

• Use headings and subheadings (H1, H2, H3…)
• Write in a conversational tone
• Avoid long, complex sentences

For a deeper dive into structuring content effectively, check out this guide. Kontent.ai’s modular content approach lets you structure content into reusable blocks, ensuring consistency across all platforms. 

4. Reduce page load time

A slow website can be frustrating for visitors and hurt your search rankings. To improve loading speed, start by optimizing images—formats like WebP reduce file sizes without losing quality. Limit third-party scripts and make sure unnecessary ones don’t slow down your pages. 

Tools like Webpack Bundle Analyzer can help identify large files that are weighing your site down. Using efficient coding techniques, such as loading content only when needed, can also make a big difference. Lastly, preventing layout shifts by reserving space for images and using skeleton UI helps create a smoother experience for users.

5. Optimize for voice search

More and more people start using voice search to find healthcare information. Instead of typing “urgent care near me,” they’ll ask Siri or Alexa, “Where’s the closest urgent care?”

To optimize for voice search:

• Use natural language and question-based phrases
• Include FAQs on your website
• Ensure your Google My Business listing is up to date

6. Leverage taxonomies for better organization

Taxonomy is a system for categorizing content to make it easier to find and manage. In healthcare, this could mean organizing articles by treatment type, patient needs, or medical specialties. For example, a hospital might use taxonomy terms like “Cardiology,” “Orthopedics,” and “Pediatrics,” with subcategories such as “Heart Disease Prevention” and “Cardiac Surgery” under “Cardiology”. By tagging content with standardized terms, both users and search engines can quickly locate relevant information.

7. Optimize for Featured Snippets

Featured Snippets on Google can drive massive traffic to your site. To increase your chances:

• Answer common patient questions concisely
• Use bullet points and numbered lists
• Structure content with clear sections

8. Utilize sitemaps for better indexing

When search engines visit your website, they check for a sitemap first. A sitemap is essential because it helps search engines index pages efficiently and ensures that all important pages are discoverable.

There are two types of sitemaps:

• Sitemaps for search engines: These XML files contain an unstructured list of URLs that help search engines understand your website’s structure. They include metadata such as the last modified date and how often pages are updated.
• Sitemaps for users: These are structured pages designed to help visitors navigate your site efficiently. They enhance user experience and improve accessibility.

Ensure your sitemap only includes essential pages and excludes unnecessary ones like password reset pages. Keeping your sitemap updated improves indexing and helps search engines direct potential patients to the right information.

9. Be consistent across channels

SEO success isn’t just about your website—it extends to all digital touchpoints, including social media, patient portals, and email campaigns.

Using a single source of truth like Kontent.ai ensures your content remains consistent and reusable across all channels, helping maintain a strong SEO foundation while offering flexibility in how and where content is published.

Additional healthcare SEO strategies

Mobile-first indexing

Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites. If your healthcare site isn’t optimized for mobile devices, your ranking could suffer. Ensure that your site has a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes.

E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Google evaluates content based on E-A-T, which is crucial in the healthcare field. E-A-T stands for:

• Expertise: Content should be created by professionals with deep knowledge in their field. Healthcare websites should feature content written or reviewed by qualified medical professionals.
• Authoritativeness: Establish credibility by showcasing qualifications, credentials, and authoritative references. Linking to reputable medical sources and having doctor bios available adds to authority.
• Trustworthiness: Ensuring accurate, up-to-date, and transparent content builds trust with both users and search engines. Using HTTPS, displaying contact information, and managing online reviews help reinforce trust.

To improve E-A-T:

• Publish content created or reviewed by medical experts
• Use citations from authoritative medical sources
• Maintain transparency about your credentials and expertise
• Regularly update medical content to reflect the latest research

Link-building strategies

Building high-quality backlinks can significantly improve your SEO rankings. Strategies include:

• Guest blogging on reputable medical websites
• Getting mentioned in industry-related publications
• Collaborating with health influencers

Encourage patient reviews

Positive online reviews improve your local SEO rankings and enhance trust. Encourage satisfied patients to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, and other relevant platforms.

The role of video content in healthcare SEO

Video content is becoming increasingly important for SEO. Creating educational videos on medical procedures, patient testimonials, and doctor Q&As can boost engagement and dwell time (the amount of time a visitor stays on a webpage before returning to search results) on your site. Embedding videos with proper meta descriptions and transcripts will enhance your SEO efforts.

Utilizing AI and chatbots for better engagement

Implementing AI-powered chatbots can improve user experience and increase engagement. Chatbots provide instant responses to patient inquiries, guiding them to relevant content and boosting interaction time, which search engines favor.

Final thoughts

SEO is an invaluable tool for healthcare providers looking to increase visibility, attract more patients, and establish credibility. By focusing on keyword research and content optimization—along with leveraging SEO features in your CMS—you can ensure your healthcare website performs well on search engines.

If you’d like to see how Kontent.ai can help you improve your SEO efforts, book your demo today!