Local SEO for Medical Practices: Maps & Reviews Strategy

Healthcare is inherently local. Patients prefer providers near home or work, and proximity is a key decision factor. Google knows this:

• 46% of all Google searches have local intent
• 76% of people who search for something nearby visit within a day
• 88% of healthcare searches are conducted on mobile
• 3-pack visibility drives 44% of clicks for local queries

The practice that appears first in local results gets the call. The practice that doesn't appear might as well not exist for that patient.

Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is your most important local SEO asset. Most practices set it up and forget it—that's a mistake.

Complete Every Section

• Primary category — Be specific: "Dental clinic" not "Dentist"
• Secondary categories — Add all relevant specialties
• Services — List every treatment with descriptions
• Attributes — Wheelchair access, online booking, languages spoken
• Description — 750 characters of keyword-rich, compelling copy

Regular Activity

• Posts — Weekly updates: health tips, new services, team news
• Photos — Monthly additions: facility, team, events
• Q&A — Seed common questions with helpful answers
• Updates — Keep hours, services, and info current

Multi-Location Management

For healthcare groups with multiple practices:

• Unique, verified GBP for each location
• Location-specific website pages linked to each profile
• Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) everywhere
• Location-specific reviews and photos

Reviews are the single most influential local ranking factor—and the most important trust signal for patients choosing a provider.

Generating Reviews Ethically

• Ask at the right moment — After positive interactions, not immediately post-treatment
• Make it easy — Direct link to your Google review page
• Train reception — Verbal asks are more effective than emails
• Follow-up systems — Automated reminders 24-48 hours post-appointment

Healthcare Review Best Practices

• Never mention conditions — "Thanks for the great knee surgery" violates privacy
• Focus on experience — Reception, wait times, communication
• Respond to all reviews — Within 24-48 hours, professionally
• Handle negatives carefully — Take offline, don't confirm patient status

Review Velocity

Consistency matters more than volume. A practice with 50 reviews but none in 6 months ranks lower than a competitor with 30 reviews but 5 new ones monthly. Aim for steady, ongoing review generation.

Your website must reinforce local signals from your GBP. This means location-specific content and technical optimisation.

Location Pages

• Unique page per location — Not just address changes
• Local content — Team, services, parking, transport links
• Embedded map — Google Maps with directions
• Schema markup — LocalBusiness with MedicalOrganization

Service-Location Pages

For competitive terms, create pages combining service and location:

• "Private GP Services in [Area]"
• "Dental Implants [City]"
• "Physiotherapy Near [Neighbourhood]"

Technical Local Signals

• NAP consistency — Exact match to GBP everywhere
• Schema markup — MedicalOrganization, Physician, LocalBusiness
• Mobile optimisation — Fast, thumb-friendly, click-to-call
• Local hosting — UK server for UK practices

Citations—mentions of your practice name, address, and phone number—reinforce local authority. Healthcare has specific directories that matter.

Priority Healthcare Directories

• NHS Choices — For NHS-contracted services
• Doctify — Patient review platform, high authority
• Top Doctors — Specialist directory
• Private Healthcare UK — Private practice listings
• Treatwell — For wellness and aesthetic services
• Harley Street Medical Area — If applicable

General Local Directories

• Yell — UK business directory
• Thomson Local — Local business listings
• Yelp — Review-focused directory
• Facebook — Business page with reviews

Citation Consistency

Before building new citations, audit existing ones. Use tools to find and correct inconsistencies—one wrong phone number can hurt rankings across all local terms.

Local SEO metrics differ from traditional organic SEO. Track these KPIs:

• Local pack rankings — Position for "[service] [location]" queries
• GBP insights — Views, searches, direction requests, calls
• Review velocity — New reviews per month
• Call tracking — Calls from organic local searches
• Booking attribution — Appointments from local traffic

Ranking by Location

Local rankings vary based on searcher location. A practice might rank #1 for someone 1 mile away but #5 for someone 3 miles away. Use local rank tracking tools to understand your visibility across your service area.

Our Local SEO services are built around this exact framework, designed for businesses that need predictable growth.

See how we applied this approach in our client case studies.