When someone searches "physio near me", Google shows a map with three practices. This post is about how those three got there.
In plain English, for practice owners who do not want to become marketers.
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Local SEO for healthcare: getting found by patients near you
The five things that actually move the needle
1/
Google Business Profile is half the battle
Complete every field, pick the most specific category (Physiotherapist, not Medical Clinic), add real photos of the practice, and keep hours current. This free profile drives the map results.
GBP setup and optimisation is included in our SEO retainer.
2/
One page per service, one page per location
A page titled "Physiotherapy in Marrickville" can rank for exactly that search. A homepage listing nine services in one paragraph ranks for none of them. This is the single biggest website change most practices can make.
3/
Reviews, carefully
Reviews on your Google profile matter enormously for local ranking. But if you are a registered health practitioner, advertising rules restrict how testimonials can be used in your own marketing. Short version: let patients review you on Google, do not republish clinical testimonials on your website. Longer version: our plain-English guide to AHPRA advertising rules.
4/
Be consistent everywhere
Same practice name, address and phone on your site, your Google profile, HealthEngine, Hotdoc, and every directory. Google cross-checks. Inconsistency quietly erodes ranking.
5/
Know what to skip
Paid directory upsells, "guaranteed #1" agencies (nobody can promise rankings, including us), and blogging for its own sake. A well-structured site plus an active Google profile beats a neglected blog every time.
A worked example: what "physio near me" actually shows
Search any "[service] near me" and count what is on the screen: three map results with review stars, then paid ads, then organic listings most people never scroll to. That is why the profile and the service pages matter more than anything else on this list.
The three practices in the map box did nothing magical. They have complete profiles, steady reviews, a page for each service, and they have been consistent for months. Local SEO is less a competition of cleverness than a competition of tidiness, which is good news for practice owners, because tidy is achievable between patients.
How long it takes and what it costs to do nothing
Expect a few months before movement, faster in the suburbs than the city centre. The cost of skipping it is easier to count: every "physio near me" search where you are absent goes to the practice up the road.
For most clinics one recurring patient covers a month of SEO help, which is the maths worth doing before any retainer, ours included.
We build this in from day one
For allied health clients like Evolve Chiropractic and Village Pilates, the structure above is part of the build, not an add-on. See how we approach websites for allied health practices.
Ongoing help is from $400/month, plain-English monthly report included: SEO management.
Local SEO for healthcare FAQs
What is local SEO for a healthcare practice?
Making your practice visible when nearby patients search for your services: mainly your Google Business Profile, service pages on your site, and consistent listings.
Can physios and psychologists use patient reviews in marketing?
Advertising rules for registered practitioners restrict testimonials about clinical care. Patients can review you on Google; republishing those reviews in your own advertising is where it gets risky. Check the Ahpra advertising hub for your profession.
How long does local SEO take?
Usually a few months for meaningful movement. Anyone promising faster is guessing or worse.
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Book a free 20-minute chat/ Written by Manon Vernay, founder of Creative Baguette · her story