Local search requires your medical practice to be visible whenever potential patients are searching for medical practices within their community. Here are some best practices to follow.

1. Online visibility is the first step to your medical practice growth. It’s crucial that your practice
ranks highly on local search results to ensure maximum visibility among prospective patients
in your community. Certain factors that Google considers when ranking local search results are
-- up-to-date information that matches what the searcher is seeking, accurate listing of
location(s) and the SEO best practices you follow. Customized local SEO strategies will help
your practice stand out in the crowded marketplace.
Best Practices to Improve Your
Local Search Results
For Physicians and Medical Practices

2. www.medresponsive.com
Best Practices to Follow
Here are certain tips to optimize your digital marketing strategy locally.
 Consistent NAP details - The name, address, and phone number (NAP) details of your
practice should be up to date on every online location. Inconsistent details can confuse the
web users, which could directly impact your rankings. The more frequently your consistent
NAP is found (or cited) across the web, the greater authority search engines will give you.
Accurate NAP details are also crucial for best results using Google My Business. Even if your
practice has multiple public-facing doctors, it is acceptable to create local pages for each
doctor, in addition to the practice’s local page. However, do not include business name in
these pages and differentiate these pages with separate phone numbers and/or suite
numbers. Remember that these details will be distributed to other Google platforms,
including Google maps, Google Analytics, AdWords, and Google+.
 A page for each location - Each practice location should have its own page. For instance, if
you have several medical practices in New York, you must have separate web pages for
each of these locations. For each separate page, make sure to include the clinic's unique
NAP. Consider adding a LOCATIONS menu item on your navigation bar.
 Local directory listing - Local directory listing enables medical practices to be visible on
leading directories, local website search engines and mapping applications. Managing
directory listings helps you to stand out wherever patients may be searching for practices
like yours. Whether there is a change in your practice’s hours of operation, or you have
added new physicians to your medical practice, update your listings with accurate
information across all the directories.

3. www.medresponsive.com
 Informative, unique content – Informative content on each page attracts readers. Create
web pages with quality content for each service you offer. For instance, if you are a plastic
surgeon offering liposuction, gynecomastia treatment, CoolSculpting and other services,
each treatment should have its own page. Along with increasing the number of web pages
indexed by search engines, it will also help you rank higher for specific keywords.
 Mobile-friendly website - Local searches are often done quickly on a mobile device. A
growing number of users rely on mobile devices to conduct their searches. Mobile is critical
to your healthcare business and will continue to be so. Create a mobile version of the site
that can optimize the user experience. A version that's not mobile-friendly requires the user
to zoom the site to read the content, which is a frustrating experience and visitors are very
likely to abandon the site. Alternatively, a mobile-friendly version is readable and
immediately usable.
 Social media presence – Social media platforms make it easier for prospects to find you.
Multi-location practices can also consider creating a Google Plus Brand page in addition to
your local pages to consolidate your social presence. However, these brand pages are
purely social platforms that doctors should manage.
It is always advisable to consider the services of a healthcare digital marketing agency that can
combine Google’s latest recommendations with a strong local SEO strategy to ensure
maximum online visibility for your medical practice.