ABA Practice | Josh Blicker
In the healthcare industry, 77% of patients begin their journey online—with 60% of those searches being geo-specific, like “urgent care near me” or “family doctor in [City].” That stat alone makes one thing clear: visibility isn’t optional—it’s essential.
But not all visibility strategies are created equal. One of the biggest decisions healthcare providers face in digital marketing is choosing between local SEO and national SEO.
The best SEO strategy depends on your organization’s goals, reach, and resources.
Local SEO works best for clinics and providers that rely on regional patient traffic—like primary care offices, dental practices, or specialty clinics serving a specific community.
National SEO, on the other hand, suits healthcare organizations targeting broader markets—such as telehealth providers or multi-location systems looking to build a nationwide presence.
Both approaches have clear benefits. The key is choosing the one that matches where you are now—and where you’re aiming to go.
When patients search for services like “urgent care in Charlotte” or “family doctor near me,” they’re actively looking for nearby providers. That’s where local SEO comes in—it ensures your practice shows up where and when it matters most.
Local SEO focuses on:
Here’s what local SEO delivers for healthcare providers:
Increased Local Visibility
Your practice appears in the “Map Pack” and organic results when patients search nearby. You’re seen by high-intent users who are ready to act.
Higher Conversion Rates
Local searches often signal urgency. When patients find a nearby provider with strong reviews and accessible contact options, they’re more likely to schedule an appointment.
Stronger Community Presence
Ranking locally helps you become a trusted name in your city. It also opens doors for partnerships with other providers, schools, and local organizations.
Local SEO is especially important if:
For most new or regionally based healthcare practices, local SEO isn’t just helpful—it’s foundational.
National SEO is about reaching patients beyond your local market. If your healthcare organization operates in multiple states, offers telehealth services, or sells digital health resources, this broader strategy helps you compete at scale.
Unlike local SEO, national SEO moves beyond city-based terms and targets broader keyword phrases like:
National SEO strategy includes:
National SEO may be a good fit if you:
Keep in mind: National SEO is more competitive and takes longer to gain traction. You’ll be competing with major healthcare brands, hospital networks, and national directories.
Unless your services or scale demand it, focusing on national too early can drain your marketing budget without delivering the ROI you need.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but asking the right strategic questions can help you determine where to focus your marketing efforts.
Ask yourself:
Where do most of our patients come from?
If they live within a 15–30-mile radius, local SEO should be your top priority.
Are we planning to expand into new cities or states?
If so, it’s smart to begin building national SEO now to establish domain authority ahead of time.
Do we offer telehealth or hybrid services?
Online care needs broader reach—this is where national SEO becomes essential.
What’s our current marketing budget?
National SEO takes more time and resources to gain traction. If your budget is tight, focus on local results first.
Pro tip:
A blended approach often works best. Start with local SEO to dominate your immediate area, then layer in national SEO as your services grow or diversify.
Absolutely—and many fast-growing healthcare organizations do just that. Think of local SEO as your immediate opportunity, and national SEO as your long-term growth strategy.
Here’s how to use both effectively:
1. Create local pages for each location:
If your organization operates in more than one city, build SEO-optimized pages for each (e.g., “Primary Care in Nashville”) with unique content tailored to that community.
2. Publish educational blog content to support national reach:
Write expert-level blogs on healthcare topics like chronic condition management, mental health strategies, or telehealth best practices. These build credibility and visibility at a broader level.
3. Earn backlinks from both local and industry-specific sources:
Sponsorships, guest posts, and listings in healthcare directories help strengthen your SEO footprint across the board.
4. Split your keyword targeting:
Use geo-specific terms on service and location pages, while targeting broader, non-location keywords on educational or thought leadership content.
Example:
By blending both strategies, your practice gets short-term local wins and builds long-term national visibility.
In healthcare, trust isn’t optional—it’s everything. Unlike eCommerce or food delivery, patients and caregivers aren’t just shopping. They’re looking for reliable, compassionate, and credible providers to support deeply personal needs—often under stress or urgency.
SEO plays a critical role in building that trust—in ways that paid ads alone can’t:
Google is also favoring healthcare content that demonstrates Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). That means SEO is more than just a traffic driver—it’s your opportunity to show that you’re a trusted source of care.
Skipping SEO—or choosing the wrong type—can seriously hinder growth. In healthcare, it doesn’t just mean fewer clicks. It means missed connections with real people looking for help.
Some common missteps include:
Without a strong SEO foundation, competitors can easily outrank you—grabbing the attention, trust, and patients that could have been yours.
When the stakes are high, you need more than general marketing advice. You need a partner who understands the nuances of healthcare audiences, compliance, and competition.
At CMG, we specialize in helping healthcare providers—from private practices to multi-location networks—achieve measurable, scalable growth.
We offer:
Whether you serve one neighborhood or multiple cities, we help you grow with clarity, confidence, and results.
Ready to turn your digital presence into real-world impact? Let CMG help you connect with the patients who need you most. Schedule a FREE strategy call today!
