Local SEO Checklist for Healthcare Practices

Use this checklist to audit and build out your healthcare practice’s local SEO foundation. Each section represents a distinct area of local visibility. Work through them in order – GBP and citations first, then content, then technical signals.

Google Business Profile

• Profile claimed and verified for every physical location
• Business name matches exactly how it appears on your website and across all directories (no abbreviations or variations)
• Primary category is the most specific match for your specialty (e.g., “Dentist” not “Health & Medical”)
• Secondary categories added for additional services offered at this location
• Address formatted consistently with USPS standard format
• Phone number is a local number, not a tracking number or call center line
• Website URL points to the specific location page, not just the homepage
• Hours are accurate and updated for holidays
• Services list is complete with descriptions
• At least 10 photos uploaded: exterior, interior, staff, treatment areas
• Booking or appointment link added if applicable
• Health & safety attributes completed
• All reviews responded to within 7 days using HIPAA-compliant responses (no confirmation of patient relationship)
• GBP posts published at least twice per month
• Q&A section monitored and answered

Citation Accuracy

• NAP (Name, Address, Phone) identical across all listings – character-for-character match
• Listed on Healthgrades with complete profile
• Listed on Zocdoc (if applicable to specialty)
• Listed on WebMD Health directory
• Listed on Vitals
• Listed on US News Health
• Specialty-specific directories: Psychology Today (mental health), RealSelf (aesthetics), Sharecare, Castle Connolly
• Listed on Yelp with complete profile and active review responses
• Bing Places profile claimed and synced
• Apple Maps listing claimed and verified
• Citations audited for duplicates – no duplicate GBP or Healthgrades listings
• Citation management tool in use (Yext, BrightLocal, or Whitespark) for ongoing accuracy

Location Page (Website)

• Dedicated location page exists for every physical location
• Page title includes primary service keyword + city (e.g., “Family Dentist in Austin, TX”)
• H1 includes location and primary keyword
• NAP on the page matches GBP exactly – name, address, phone format
• Embedded Google Map showing this location’s address
• Services offered at this specific location listed (not a generic full-service list)
• Named provider bios with credentials for providers at this location
• Location-specific patient reviews or testimonials displayed
• Location-specific FAQ section (hours, insurance, parking, walk-ins)
• LocalBusiness schema implemented with complete address, phone, hours, and geo coordinates
• Internal links to relevant service pages and blog content
• Click-to-call phone number visible above the fold on mobile
• Appointment CTA accessible within one tap on mobile

Reviews

• Minimum 10 Google reviews (competitive markets need 25+)
• Average rating 4.0 or above
• Reviews received in last 90 days (recency matters)
• Review acquisition process in place – post-visit follow-up via email or SMS
• No incentivized reviews (Google policy + FTC violation)
• No soliciting Yelp reviews directly (triggers their filter)
• All review responses HIPAA-compliant: acknowledge feedback, invite direct contact, never confirm patient status or treatment details
• Negative reviews responded to within 48 hours

Local Content

• Service pages exist for every primary procedure or condition treated
• Service pages include location signals (city, region) where relevant
• Blog content targets local patient-intent queries (“dentist open Saturday [city]”, “anxiety therapist near me”)
• All healthcare content has named, credentialed author attribution
• No thin content under 500 words on any indexed page
• No duplicate content across location pages – each location page has unique text
• Internal links from blog content to location and service pages

Technical Local SEO

• Core Web Vitals passing (check Google Search Console → Experience)
• Mobile-friendly test passing (test at search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly)
• Page load time under 3 seconds on mobile (test at PageSpeed Insights)
• HTTPS enabled and SSL certificate valid
• No crawl errors on location or service pages (check Search Console → Coverage)
• XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
• LocalBusiness schema validated with no errors (test at validator.schema.org)
• Hreflang tags implemented if serving multiple language markets

Link Signals

• Listed in state medical or dental association directory
• Listed in specialty board or certification organization directory
• Hospital affiliation provider directory links in place for all affiliated providers
• At least one local press mention or community organization link in the last 12 months
• No toxic or spammy backlinks (check Ahrefs or Google Search Console → Links)